Dark Sands

     It was amazing to finally get out of Los Angeles. Tena was tired of living there. She was tired of trying to be someone she wasn’t. She wasted much of herself on beers rather than school books. Night after night, she would go clubbing with her friends and end up taking a man home. In the morning, it was always the same. She would wake up to find herself hung-over and alone. She was not a bad person and never tried to be. She attended school when she could, but Tena felt she wasn’t getting anywhere with her life. Up to this point, Tena needed a change. It was her best friend Emi who had always been there for her when she needed someone. Emi was the only family to Tena. And it was Emi who planned a two week vacation to the “Big Island” of Hawaii. It seemed like a good idea. Besides Tena could finally relax and find comfort away from home.
     The women stayed at one of the most exotic hotels on the tropical island. They sat at a window 17 stories up from the ground overlooking the active figures of citizens and tourists below. But Tena couldn’t keep her eyes off of the enchanting architecture and furnishings of the suite. The curtains reminded her of the black shimmering sands on the island. The sands were her main reason for being here. It was like they called to her and beaconed her to come. She gave a simple sigh as she went to slide open the door to the balcony. Her friend Emi continued to glance out at the darkened world.
     “Have you ever looked up at the night sky and thought about what those stars really look like?” Tena began.
     “No.” Emi spoke quietly from the window.
     “Well you should come out here and take a look at them” Tena called.
     Emi gathered herself from the chair and joined her friend outside.
     “Ever since I was a child, I’ve looked up there wondering if one day I could see one up close. To really see heaven for what it’s worth...to know what it feels like to really be in peace…you know?” Tena continued as her eyes graced the evening sky.
     “Yeah, well that’s always you, Tena, trying to find peace. The only way that you’ll ever find it, is if you stop doing the things that you do. Ever since I‘ve known you, you’ve always been accepting your defeat and you need to stop doing that and be optimistic about life,” Emi replied. “Besides that are you still having those dreams?” she continued.
     Tena silently bowed her head to the question. She had always had the same dreams. She closed her eyes and for a minute flash of it streamed through her mind.
     A thought of darkened skies and the splash of raging tides made her skin cringe. The feeling nearly made her want to curse the world. It was always the sounds of roaring water and screaming winds that made her sink deeper into herself. The fear of drowning had always scared her. It was a childhood nightmare that would not let her go. She could not shake it.
     “It’s not right to keep this inside, you know. You need to seek some help, that’s the only way that you’re gonna get better...” she heard her friend demand to her, hearing a great concern in her soft voice.
     “I know, but I told you no matter what happens it still comes back. Every time I go to sleep there it is. Emi, besides you shouldn’t worry so much. I’m doing alright. They don’t come as much as they use to. It’s like they’re going away.”
     But those dreams that Emi asked about made her uneasy. She lied about the dreams fading; they weren’t fading; they were getting worse. Something was wrong, but she didn’t know what it was or what made her feel the way she did.
     The two walked back in the room. Tena’s watched displayed 10:30pm; it was time to meet the others in the main lobby. Emi picked up her black satin purse and headed for the door.

     Terry and Haven were the guys who the two young ladies were meeting. The women had met them shortly after they arrived on the island. Terry with his dirty blond hair was Emi’s date for the night and Haven was Tena’s. Haven, who had hair the color of charcoal, smiled eagerly standing a little shorter than his friend Terry. As the two made their way towards the guys at the bar, Tena noticed Haven‘s immediate stare. When they met, Haven smiled at her with an affectionate grin and gently took her hand softly in his.
     “You look...breath-taking...” the young man began. Tena smiled at the compliment.
     “Are you ready to go on a personal tour of the island?” he replied in her ear.
     She gave him a little smirk and thought about what he could possibly be thinking about.
     Emi replied bluntly as she cleared her throat, “ Well I’m ready if you are!”
     Haven simply smiled back at his friend and then to Tena.
     “Sure...” she answered back.
     The men escorted the ladies to a nearby table and sat to be attended. While they waited, Terry broke the awkward silence with a description of the island’s most spectacular area. Tena watched his eyes gleam, she could almost picture the elegant breezes of the beach and the darkened texture of the black sands. She always wanted to see the legendary black sands of the big island. The timing was perfect for a tropical getaway. She needed a vacation and she needed one badly.
     “So how long have you two known each other?” asked Haven as he glanced at Tena.
     “Since elementary school...we’ve always been together...like sisters,” she replied.
     “Yea, we’ve been through a lot. I always manage to save Tena from all kinds of trouble,” Emi stated with a slight laugh. “But she’s my girl and I’ll always got her back.”
     “So you guys are basically inseparable, right?” Haven questioned.
     “I guess you can say that,” Tena answered as she playfully winked at Emi.

     The night seemed to roar on as the ladies got to know the guys more. Emi found out that Terry had a phobia of snakes and that if he saw one he would go into shock. Tena found out that Haven was an artist who had much of his greatest work on display at the art gallery downtown. She wondered what else did the handsome young man have in store for her and what did he have to hide under those haunting green eyes. The four had visited the big nightclub down at the Waikenki district, and then decided to take a long drive out to the windy surfs of the beach.
     It was an unusual night, and the wind had picked up much speed as Terry’s black SUV stopped in the half empty lot. Tena could see from inside that the trees were swaying heavily to the winds vigorous rhythm. Why are they swaying like that? She questioned herself. Terry, Emi, and Haven were already outside talking when she realized that they were waiting for her to join them. She jumped out a little uneasy then glanced at Emi, who simply smiled and placed her hand on Tena’s back.
     She whispered, “Its okay Tena, its just a little wind. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
     But somehow, Tena had a bad feeling rising deep from within her. It was something that reminded her surprisingly of her dreams. Haven caressed her neck softly and gave her a comforting smile.
     “It’s okay...you should listen to your friend. It’s just a little wind. Nothing to worry about. It’s just the tide. It’s always a little high on this side of the island at night.”
     Tena let out a little sigh and let Haven take her hand in his as the two followed the other couple out towards the shore. She could see that Emi was having fun talking to Terry. They seemed like a happy pair, the way he would lightly brush away her hair from her eyes. It was a nice sight to see. Tena was glad to see her friend enjoying herself. It made her uneasiness fade a little.
     Off to the distance, a bonfire was blazing and its illuminating grace caught the eyes of the boys. They suddenly dashed towards the commotion leaving the girls behind. Emi turned to Tena and gave a slight giggle.
     “They’re a little crazy aren’t they?” Emi asked. She stepped closer to her friend and noticed a worried look across her face.
     “What’s wrong? I thought you were having fun with Haven? Are you okay? Did he say something to you?” she asked in concern.
     “No, he didn’t...” Tena began, “I just got this weird feeling...that’s all.” She slightly smiled. She noticed that Emi’s eyes were staring at her in disbelief.
     “Are you sure? I mean if he did something to you, you know that I would be all over him. But if I’m not mistaken, you’re the one who said he had a nice butt and that you‘d probably have him by the end of the night” she joked. “Do you remember that?
     Tena smiled and a small laugh escaped her lips. “Yeah, I remember.”
     “ Well then c’mon girl, I don’t wanna be the only one in this. We are suppose to be having fun, remember? So please be that crazy chick that I know, okay?” Emi demanded sarcastically as she took off her black stilettos and ran towards the group of kids.
     Tena smiled at her friend’s remarks and looked off towards the dark tides crashing onto the black surface of the ocean. There was a moment of hesitation as she slipped off her black platforms and cradled them in her arms. If Emi was having a good time then she should also, but why wasn’t she? Her discomfort once again plagued her but tonight she intended on having fun and turned to run towards the direction of the bonfire.
     As she joined the circle of rowdy young adults and under-aged teens, Tena noticed that Emi and Terry were nowhere to be found. She saw Haven gulping down a can of beer with a group of guys. She quickly made her way to them and noticed that the other girls that were in the circle were dancing a little sluggishly and off key to the music. One of them lunged at Tena stumbling over her own feet. Tena shrieked. The girl fell to the ground bringing her down as well. An eerie feeling caught Tena’s eye when she noticed the girl staring at her. The girl muttered something in her drunken state. The message was too vague for Tena to hear. So she leaned in closer to the girl hoping that she would repeat herself.
     “You won’t wake up from this one...the sands...just the sands, you’ll see...” the young girl whispered followed by a disgusting burp.
     Haven turned and quickly dragged the girl off of Tena. Another rather slim boy pulled Tena to her feet and helped her dust off the dark sand.
     “Are you okay?” The boy asked her.
     “Yea,” she sighed haunted by the words of the drunken girl. She wondered what it meant.
     Tena knew that Haven had some drinks at the nightclub and the can of beer he just finished completely intoxicated him . He leaned over and kissed her cheek. His lips were cold and wet and his breath reeked of alcohol. She looked towards Haven and asked him where Emi and Terry were. He responded with a dumbfounded shrug.
      “They’re probably getting to know each other...like we should be doing,” he said as he whispered into her ear.
     At his remark a fierce disgusted grin formed on Tena. Normally Tena went home with guys like him. But tonight something seemed a little wrong with Haven. He seemed like a real nice and quiet person when they met at the airport. But now after seeing him drunk and acting like a fool, she re-thought her plan to want to lay him tonight. There was something about him that slightly reminded her of the dreams. He moved his face away from hers. She wasn’t interested in his invitation anymore, she just wanted to find her friend and go back to the hotel. She had enough of this night. Her eyes searched through the faces of kids who were dancing to the music. Where could Terry and Emi have gone in so little time? Was Terry treating Emi alright? Was Terry acting like Haven? Was Emi having fun? Emi looked like she was having fun but still the possibility of something going wrong lingered with Tena.
     Without hesitation, Haven softly grabbed Tena’s hand and led her away from the party. His actions weren’t forceful, but it did catch her off guard. She wondered where he was taking her as he stopped her at the edge of beach. The sand was damp and lukewarm to her feet. The water wasn’t cold like it was back in California, but it was nice and soothing and it slightly relaxed her. She wondered to herself why was she still here with him. She should be out searching for Emi. Haven sat down and gently pulled her down to him. His hands were icy cold and his grip on her tightened. For a minute, a flash of her friend entered her mind. It was more the reason to make her want to find Emi immediately. She tried to get up but his grip only tightened more. He then turned to her and gave off a stare of adoration. She saw that his jaded green eyes reflected the darkness of the ocean, looking mysterious but intriguing to her. Then he looked away.
      “I’m sorry for the way I acted back there,” he began, “I don’t usually act that way, it’s just that I was getting a little frustrated with the situation.”
      Tena narrowed her eyes at him as if trying to understand him.
     “What situation?” she questioned. He turned to her again but this time scooted a little closer.
     “The situation between us. I know we just met, but I feel that we have something and we should get to know each other a little more...I know you’re the type to...I saw how you were looking at me in the club tonight…giving me those signs…so let’s have a little fun.”
     He was now directly so close to her that she could feel his heat. His icy hands were now burning into her and he lustfully licked his lips. Slowly Tena started to feel a shiver rushing up the small of her back. The hairs on her neck began to stand up and the small hairs on her arms stood high with the feeling of goose bumps. At that moment she knew now why Haven looked at her the way he did. She knew that meeting him was a mistake. She should’ve never decided to go out tonight.
     Haven stood up and forcefully yanked at Tena’s arm. She tried to let out a scream but he immediately placed his firm hand over her mouth. He grabbed her from behind and pulled her away from the distant sight of the party. Tena kicked at the sand in hope to juggle herself free of his grip but his strength surpassed her own. Where was Emi; was she in the same situation? Tena thought as she saw the light of the bonfire disappear behind a large sandy hill. Was Terry like Haven? She wanted so bad to get away and find her friend.
     He dragged her until he came to a secluded area of the beach where no one would see them. Haven sat her down on the beach with his hand still firmly attached to her lips. He pulled out a white handkerchief and placed it gently in her mouth. Her eyes widened with fear as he pushed her down and tugged at her dress.
     “Now we can be alone.” He whispered.
     The warmth of the salt water enveloped her ears. She could hear nothing but its drizzling bubbles emerging from her nostrils. The salt was burning at her eyes and forcefully rushing down her throat. Her legs trembled as his thrusts hurt her. So many thoughts, not enough time to sort or plan. Where was Emi, where was her hope? She could feel herself losing the firm grip that she placed on his strong arms. Please stop this, you don’t know what you’re doing... her thoughts chanted in her mind. But he was too strong for her. She couldn’t scream because the water had taken control of her vocals. She grew tired. Her mind flashed the remnants of a recent dream. The rushing water, the cringing thought of suffocation, the burning of salt water in her eyes. Like a ghost drifting on the currents of the night, she saw nothing but the sand. Nothing would ever be the same. All her nights of partying and sleeping with endless strangers; it all came back to haunt her. But she wasn’t going to let her dreams lead the course of her life. With one good kick, Haven’s grip loosened and she was free. And while he was down she noticed that he had dropped a small blade. She rushed towards it just as Haven regained his balance facing ocean. Before he could turn around, she lunged at him with the blade piercing his back. With a deep shriek, Haven’s body fell hard into the shore.

     It had been two hours since Emi saw her friend. She began to worry. She and Terry headed back to the beach.
     “Has anyone seen Haven or Tena!” Emi called as she walked towards the party scene. Only half of the drunken kids heard her. The ones that did pointed her off into the darkness. Where ever Haven was Tena had to be with him. She quickly walked in that direction in hopes that her concerns were just nonsense.
     “Tena!” she shouted as she began to pick up momentum. Behind her she heard Terry call out to Haven. No one answered.
     She suddenly heard a deep yell coming from the edge of the beach. A gasp escaped her as she and Terry rushed over a nearby sand dune. The two stood in shock as a shakened and naked Tena stood covering herself. Emi looked to see a body laid face down half way in the currents and half way in the sand. She slowly crept closer to the sight. Terry remained quiet and followed her. It had to be Haven, Emi thought, But why was he covered in Tena’s dress? Emi turned to question Terry, but he was gone. She then turned to her friend.
     “Tena? What happened?” she asked in a shaky voice. Tena quietly walked to her friend and leaned her head on Emi’s shoulder and began to cry. The black sand covered the nicely shaved legs of Haven only revealing a portion of the black laced dress.



     The Hawaiian police ruled self-defense. Haven had turned out to be a serial killer who enjoyed killing his victims while wearing their clothes. Terry was long gone before the police could find him. Tena never spoke much about that night. She remained real quiet about the whole ordeal. Emi was very comforting to her but still wanted to know what exactly happened. The two had since returned home and back to their lives. Tena took on Emi’s advice for optimism. She never drunk an ounce of beer or stayed too long at the clubs anymore. Her only focus now was to graduate from the university and start her career. Never again would she take life for granted and feel sorry for herself. All she could think about was the drunk girl at the bonfire that night and what she said:
     “You’re not gonna wake up from this one…the sands…just the sands, you’ll see…” those words echoed in her head.
      She knew what they meant. For every bad dream that she had, all were connected to that night. She did eventually stop having those dreams but now all she could think of were those haunting events and the black sands…just like the girl said she would…