The Coming From the Shadows Series
Previous Instalments:
- CFTS: A Family Trip – Awakening Love: A Family Trip to Spain
- CFTS / A Family Trip: A Summer Interlude – Exploring Relationships: A Summer Family Holiday
Coming From the Shadows
Isolation at the Hotel
Background:
In 2014 June; it hadn’t been that long since Philip Wright had acquire his dream job; despite his marriage to Jenna, Philip barely took part in their marriage and relationship, even when their first daughter Eliza was born in 1992 – his absence simply continued, he routinely missed their lives, including the following births of Raven in 1999 and later Dylan in 2006.
In the Year of 2013; Philip finally acquired his dream job; but, by this time, Jenna had largely regained control over her financial situation, ending Philip’s control, and was already beginning to live more or less like a single-mum, ensuring her children had everything they needed, she also had the support of her mother and father.
When the summer of 2014 came along it was accompanied by many changes, one of such changes was Raven’s new relationship with her childhood best friend; Yasmin who at Sixteen was a year older than Raven – a relationship that was met by Philip with disapproval, his homophobic comments became common, though Jenna supported their daughter, and Eliza had been the first ti even be aware, with Raven having been confiding in Eliza since she first started to develop feelings for Yasmin.
Yasmin was also a usual presence in the Wright household due to her own homelife being abusive and neglectful from her parents; as Philip received an invitation to attend a meeting in Spain, he quickly turned it into a family holiday in an attempt to placate his wife; Jenna, trying to ease the tension but also make it appear he still valued their relationship and marriage – during the plans, Jenna secretly invited Yasmin, a task made easy by her parents lack of interest – the news of which was eventually revealed to Raven by Yasmin the very night they were due to leave, it was met with excitement.
Despite a delayed Flight in July the 31st the trip would finally get underway during the later part of the evening, in the early hours of August the 1st the group would reach their resort, tired and physically exhausted.
It would be in the morning that Philip would leave, while his family would plan out their own activities.
Introduction:
1st of August 2014 A.D.
Tossa De Mar, Spain
Having finally had a quick breakfast in their room; they decided that it was time to get themselves ready, knowing by now Eliza; would already be waiting for them downstairs with her boyfriend Tyler – Raven would opt to change into some lighter clothing; choosing to wear a rather stylish summer dress and she tied her long dark brown hair up into a neat ponytail, already feeling the overwhelming heat burning her up, collecting a small bag with a strap that went across to the opposite shoulder.
Yasmin would also follow the same approach, changing into something lighter; opting for shorts and a t-shirt; when she came back into the room she shared with Raven she looked her up and down a moment before smiling at her – she held her hand out that Raven quickly took, intertwining their fingers.
Out in their room, Jenna was waiting for them alongside her youngest; Dylan, bounced on the spot, an eight-year-old of boundless energy “What are we doing Mum?”
“We’ll find out in a bit when we meet your sister down in the lobby” Jenna said happily, keeping her hand gently against his shoulder; he eyes moving up as Raven and Yasmin came from their room; she smiled at them before ushering everyone out and into the hallway
Once Jenna had locked the door, She, Dylan, Raven and Yasmin would soon move to the lift to travel down to the Hotel Lobby; when they finally came out, they spotted Eliza and Tyler by the board displaying various brochures and activities for guests.
Eliza was a beacon of athletic prowess; she radiated a fierce and determined aura due to her constant and rigorous training in Tae-Kwon Do that had become a necessity for her involvement in fighting internationally on behalf of Britain – Tyler, a fellow competitor radiated the same fierce aura as his partner.
Chapter 1:
“Morning!” Eliza said, taking notice of her mother, younger siblings and Yasmin; tugging at Tyler’s hand to get his attention “Ready for an adventure then today?”
“I want to go by the pool!” Dylan said with excitement, bouncing on the balls of his feet
Jenna let out a light airy chuckle of amusement, but, she nodded “That sound more my vibe as well; then I think we’re settled, we’ll be claiming poolside territory” Jena said, gently ruffling her son’s hair “And…, at least I can make sure you don’t try emptying the pool with a bucket”
Dylan thought for a moment, a mischief grin curving his lips “I would never do such a thing”
“Uh-Huh” Jenna smiled, her gaze shifting towards Raven and Yasmin
“Suit yourself; Tyler and I are going to hit some shops, maybe explore along the beach” she said, her eyes then drifting to Raven and Yasmin “What about you two; what are you doing?”
Raven looked to Yasmin, a smile gently curving her lips – a silent question passing between them, Yasmin smiled and nodded her head; her blue eyes locked onto Raven’s Silvery-Grey eyes “We’ll go with you to explore” Raven said softly, her eyes drifting to her sister
Woth the plans made; the two groups split up – Jenna steered Dylan towards the pool, while Eliza, Tyler, Raven and Yasmin left the hotel; though there was a subtle unease that crept up Jenna’s spine, causing her to glance back briefly, but she wasn’t sure why.
Girona, Spain
The air in Girona was stifling; to Philip, it felt more unbearable than the heat in Tossa De Mar, though, he looked at his clothes, while they were more casual; they were not exactly suited for hot climates, and the rented car simply felt like an oven on wheels – the discomfort more or less mirrored his general mood though.
Smoothing down his hair he exited the car, walking around to the side of the building; a Museum – here, he found his team was already waiting for him, amongst them was his American friend; Tom “Ah, there you are Buddy!” he greeted, clapping Philip lightly on the back “We was starting to worry you got lost”
“No; the wife didn’t unpack my stuff last night; had to spend my time looking through things before then having to get a quick breakfast and find somewhere to rent the damn car out” he groaned “I had thought the car had already been arranged, turned out, it hadn’t been”
Tom grinned “How is the family?” a woman asked, drawing both men’s attention
Philip looked towards the young woman “Eh…, probably having the time of their lives; I could have been back there by the pool as well, but, this job if far more important” he moved his arm up, wiping some sweat from his forehead “Living the dream” he let out a dry chuckle “Though, Madeleine” he suddenly shifted tone, a momentary seriousness present; he soon made a derogatory comment, asking Madaleine about her own daughter and how she’d recently come out in a Lesbian relationship – quickly incensing her with his callousness
“Philip, it is perfectly natural!” She snapped “Love is love; I feel sorry for your daughter if this is the sort of stuff she has to put up with”
Tom shifted awkwardly as he looked back and forth between Madaleine and Philip
It wasn’t only for Tom though that felt that feeling of awkwardness, the entire group did; an eagerness to get their meeting started surfaced from another member of the team that gingerly suggested they get inside, mumbles of agreements soon followed as the group made their way inside.
Inside the museum the group found their way towards an office, it was small, stuffy a significant difference in atmosphere compared to the opulent artefacts on display, and the lack of aid conditioning present – seated behind the table though was a man completely unaffected by the blistering heat, he was dressed in a full, impeccably tailored business suit – not a single bead of sweat marring his brow, his features unnaturally dark and tense “Gentlemen” he said; his voice was smooth and quiet, but lacked any distinguishable accent but held a distinct edge that made the skin crawl “Thank you for coming”
Gesturing for them to take a seat, he adjusted his position, leaning towards the table and turning a map around for them to see, planting his index finger firmly on a spot towards the north of Spain, near the border of France “I have a keen interest in a newly discovered spot here, within this region, it is a…, unique site”
Philip raised his eyebrow – where this individual was point out was just north of La Jonquera, a frown quickly formed on Philip’s face, the area was known for its proximity to the border, for its supermarkets that sell alcohol and tobacco at lower prices often encouraging people to cross between France and Spain to make those purchases, there wasn’t, as far as he was aware, any archaeological site there
“I have already assembled another team that is already investigating the area for me, and I would suggest that you travel north to meet with them” the mysterious stranger told them
“Excuse me a moment mister?…” Philip paused, clearly hinting for a name; when none was offered, Philip glanced to his colleagues a moment before gesturing to the map, the unease continued to creep along his spine “I wasn’t aware of any significant archaeological site in that area”
The man smiled; it was a slow, unsettling curve of his lips “This is no normal archaeological site Mr. Wright; let’s just say, it has…., potential to be…, exceptionally rewarding”
“What sort of site are we talking about here?” Philip was curious, but that unease simply grew, clawing at the back of his mind, the unsettling vagueness of this stranger
“Let’s just say; it is unique, that is all, and if you succeed, the regards for doing so will be…, significant, and, you shall secure my future funding, which will be substantial, far more than you could dream of”
Philip exchanged looks with his team; this would be an opportunity they needed.
Chapter 2:
Tossa De Mar, Spain
It was a kaleidoscope of activity and colour around the market stalls; Eliza, hand-in-hand browsed along the various stalls as Raven and Yasmin lingered just a little further behind them, the morning and early afternoon had been mostly filled with just walking around, searching for the most interesting of places to visit, the sun beating down on them with overbearing intensity that was gently tempered by a light breeze, it made the day almost perfect.
At one of the may stalls; Yasmin stopped, it was overflowing with various different pieces of jewellery – her fingers tracing along the intricate patterns of a silver necklace, but then, her eyes landed on something; a simple black choker, a mischief smile curved her smile as she glanced towards Raven, picking it up “This would like amazing on you” she said as she playfully held up the black velvet choker in front of Raven’s neck
Raven, who had been quietly observing the bustle going on around them, shifted her attention towards her girlfriend, her eyes drifting towards the choker she was holding up, tilting her head slightly towards the left; ironically, she actually she liked it – it looked pretty; she reached forwards gently tracing her fingers along it “I like it”
Yasmin’s playful expression faltered for a moment “I.., I was joking” she said quickly; she remembered things she had seen online, the supposed different meanings and symbolisms of such things, and she was certain Raven was aware of those supposed meanings as well “It has…, symbolisms…, you know that right?” she was stuttering now
Raven simply smiled at her, though a blush crept into her face “Lots of things have meanings; not all of them are true, besides, if I like it, and you like it; isn’t that all that matters?” she locked her eyes with Yasmin maintain her smile “Besides, even if it did mean that; I am yours” she joked, letting a light giggle escape
Yasmin was left speechless; normally Raven was the quiet one, the less ‘chaotic’ what had been purely a joke, had just flipped their usual dynamic, even if briefly – Yasmin felt her heart swell with affection, she smiled wide, a warm genuine smile that radiated love “You’re right” she said “And it would look perfect on you” Yasmin would purchase the choker before bringing it back to Raven, moving behind her as Raven lifted her hair out of the way; letting Yasmin fasten it around her neck, Yasmin’s fingers gently brushed along Raven’s skin sending a shiver down her spine
Releasing her hair, it fell limply back down against the back of her neck, almost falling entirely loose as her hair-band slid out of place, Raven turned her head, looking at Yasmin carefully; her smile still present, reaching her hand up; she gently traced her fingers along Yasmin’s face, leaning towards her, clearly forgetting where they were, she kissed Yasmin lightly – Yasmin was surprised by this action, feeling the softness of Raven’s lips against her own, as Raven gently moved back she held her hand out again taking Yasmin’s hand into her own.
Eliza, who had been observing the while exchange with some amusement found the interaction incredibly sweet – it was clear to her just how much Raven felt for Yasmin; Tyler, gently tugged on Eliza’s hand “Com on, let’s go find somewhere to get something to eat, I’m starving” he said with a grin, glancing back a moment finding the interaction between Raven and Yasmin rather endearing
Eliza nodded; calling out “Food time; come on lovebirds, let’s get going”
Raven and Yasmin, returning back to the reality of where they were quickly moved to follow Eliza and Tyler.
Girona, Spain
Back in the north though; Philip and his team had now settled in the small café by the museum, discussing what they had just agreed too, but, the air was thick with tension compared to the much sweeter and loving atmosphere in Tossa De Mar “What do you make of him?” one of Philip’s colleagues questioned, his voice low
Taking a sip of his coffee, he leaned back a moment, his expression was unreadable “He’s…, intense; but…, the potential rewards…, we would have the funding we need to branch out big time, not only that, he might enable us to expand our operations far wider, work independently even….”
“We’re not exactly limited Philip” Tom states, his eyes on Philip with a wary expression
“That kind of money could revolutionise our research though” a woman says, ‘Linda’ she draws the others attention, her eyes hinting at possibility of what they could get under the agreement
“I agree; I think we’ve just had good luck shine on us” Philip smiled
Chapter 3:
Tossa De Mar, Spain
At the hotel; Jenna sat along the poolside, her legs dangling within the cool water; Dylan was splashing about happily nearby, his laughter echoed out into the air, despite that outward smile on her face though, there was tension present in her posture – she should have been relaxed, enjoying the break; but a prickling sensation at the back of her neck kept her on edge.
She felt eyes on her
Out of the corner of her eye; she saw a man watching her, his gaze was intense and unwavering – there was simply no effort in hiding what he was doing as he stood by the bar at the far end, it partially obscured him; she turned her head slightly, meeting his gaze directly, she was hoping it would deter him, to embarrass him even.
He didn’t look away – he simply locked eyes with her, a cold wave of fear quickly washed over Jenna; something was wrong, very wrong.
“Dylan; come here a minute” she called out, her eyes shifting immediately to her son; her voice sounding strained even to her ears
Dyland looked over towards her; a look of confusion present “What is it mum?”
“I…, think I left something back in the room; can you come with me please, I don’t want to leave you down here alone” it was a flimsy excuse, but, she couldn’t shake the sudden surge of feeling threatened that was clawing at her; while she was trying to remain composed, remember that there was people present, she felt a pulsating in her ears, her breathing had increased
Dylan frowned, slowly wading his way over “It won’t take you long to go back though; can’t I just wait here?”
Jenna shook her head, maybe a little too quickly “I’m not leaving you here by yourself; come on” she said, her tone a mix of her attempt to remain calm, but clearly cracking under her heightened sense of danger, she pulled her legs from the water, standing up
Reluctantly, Dylan climbed out of the pool, following his mother as they walked back towards the hotel – it was then, Jenna noticed that the stranger observing her had begun to move as well, Jenna held her hand out, gesturing to Dylan for his hand, despite growing confusion he took her hand – when his mothers pace quickened it only served to confuse him more – he could sense his mothers unease and looked at her with his brow furrowed.
Away from the hotel; the foursome had settled into a small fast-food restaurant near the beach, they were sat together at the back, discussing their plans on what to do next while enjoying their food; Raven listened, adopting her usual passivity as the conversation continued on around her, her fingers now idly stroking the choker around her neck – she did offer her own input when asked, but was more or less happy to just go wherever that was suggested.
Yasmin shifted her gaze a moment; she was use to Raven’s quiet nature, it often acted to counterbalance her own chaotic nature, that boisterous tendency she had that often led her into trouble, she smiled as she watched Raven – Raven simply looked lost in thought, her absent and passive responses indicating as much, but, she knew Raven actually did that impression regularly, but she was actually paying more attention than people realised.
“I reckon the beach is a good place to go next” Tyler said with a smile “Go try doing summersaults” he chuckled; Eliza simply rolled her eyes at him
Chapter 4:
Back in the hotel; Jenna waited impatiently by the hotel lift; constantly glancing back to where the strange was now standing; he was keeping her in his line of sight, and due to the lack of presence, he suddenly started to move; he began walking, his movements were slow, but deliberate – it only served to heighten Jenna’s growing terror.
Sensing his mother’s fear; Dylan started to look around, wanting to know what was causing his mother’s distress – following her gaze, he spotted the strange man coming towards their direction from across the lobby.
When the lift doors finally opened; Jenna practically shoved Dylan in, before quickly pressing a button, hitting it repeatedly – the stranger came to a sudden stop as the doors closed, tilting his head upwards, his eyes narrowed as he began observing which floor the lift would stop on.
Inside the lift; Jenna made a split second decision to hit another button; the floor below her own; it came to a stop not to much longer after that, she kept the door open briefly before hitting another button, then her own floor, and the floor above it – Dylan watched his mother with an increasingly concerned expression.
When they stopped at their correct floor, the lift would continue to the next one; Jenna was already pulling Dylan back with her towards the room, fumbling with the key; her hands shaking – finally managing to get the door open and urgently pushing Dylan inside before closing the door quickly, but quietly to avoid making noise, locking the door and leaving it in place to keep it in place and prevent unwanted access.
Moving into the main room, she sat down heavily on the nearby couch, moving her hand to her forehead as she tried to calm her racing heart; Dylan watched quietly, he was unsure what to say or do, he just knew he could see how terrified his mother was, a sight not usually seen.
After a moment, Jenna pulled her phone from her small bag, her fingers fumbling a moment; she tried to call Philip, but there was no answer; desperate, she called Eliza, her voice trembled with anxiety “Eliza…, honey…, can you come back to the hotel…., please?”
At the fast food restaurant; Eliza raised her eyebrow as she noticed the call from her mother, answering – hearing how her mothers voice seems to tremble, she shifted her gaze towards Tyler, he at first gave a confused look, but the expression present on Eliza’s face hinted at something he should be concerned about “What’s wrong mum?” she asked gently
“I.., I can’t explain right now; just…, please can you come back to the hotel, I don’t want to be alone right at this moment” Jenna’s said though Eliza’s phone
She could hear how scared her mother sounded, slowly nodding “Okay Mum; we’ll be back in ten-minutes” she told her, the call soon ending, Eliza pushed the phone into her pocket “We’re going back to the hotel…, something is wrong with mum” she said, her eyes drifting to her sister, who also looked concerned
“What’s wrong?” Tyler asked; his voice laced with a growing concern
“I’m not sure; but something has scared her” Eliza answers; gesturing for them to go – the four didn’t wait around, they got to their feet, and were back on the move, now intending to return to the hotel
Written By: Westley H.
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