Chapter 3: Water

Location: Cozumel, Mexico

March 8, 2008

Erika was sitting in a beach chair on the beach, soaking up some sun. She was on Spring Break and enjoying every minute of it. Back in St. Petersburg, Florida she could have easily gone to the beach, but there's nothing quite like the Spring Break in Mexico atmosphere. Her friends had all gone back to the hotel for a break from the sun and to grab some drinks, leaving Erika to guard all the beach gear. She decided to get up and stretch a bit, and then went down towards the water.

She got out about 20 yards out when she heard a screaming in the air. She looked up and saw what looked like a fireball tearing down through the sky heading for the ocean about 100 yards farther out from where she was. she immediately started swimming back to shore, but then the thing hit the water, sending a shock wave (and literal wave) all around it, sweeping her up and spitting her out on the shore.

"What the hell was that Rika?!" screamed one of her friends
"Are you ok?!" yelled another, running towards her.
'' Uh...yeah, I'm ok...I don't know what that thing was...I just started swimming back as soon as I saw it." said Erika

Just then, out from the steaming patch of water where the object had fallen, a light shone up from the depths and erupted upwards, making a shining pillar. Erika stepped forward seemingly against her own will.

"What are you doing, Erika? Somethings down there and you're walking towards it?!"
"Yeah...I can't explain it, but I think it's...safe. Whatever it was is drawing me to it, I can't look away."

As Erika reached the water's edge, the light suddenly stopped, revealing a small, bright object floating in midair. The object slowly started to move towards Erika, and she kept walking out in the water. When they were about 5 feet apart, they both stopped, and the object shot a beam of light into her face, like it was scanning her or something. Then, it glided down to her and rested in her hand.

The moment it touched her hand, there was a -crackle- noise and then a flash of light. The next thing Erika knew, she was back on the beach, standing with her hand stretched out to the water. The object in her hand was a crystal. She picked it up with her other hand to look at it and realized she had a strange mark on her hand where the crystal touched. It was the shape of the ancient symbol for water, something she had seen in her History class just a few weeks ago. It kinda looked like a tattoo, but also looked almost like a burn mark to her...

"Umm, Erika?" said a friend of hers, Marlene. "Erika, what the hell are you doing? and Where did that crystally looking thingy come from?"

"Uh, I've had it this whole time...Christmas gift." Erika lied. "I'm gonna go back to the hotel...I'm feeling tired. Gonna go take a nap, no need to come if you wanna stay."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erika lay on her bed in the hotel room, twirling the crystal in her fingers.

"What on earth is this thing?" she asked herself. "And why couldn't anyone else remember that whole thing with this falling out the frickin sky? How can you forget something like that, especially since it JUST happened?"

She thought long and hard, and decided to keep this whole ordeal a secret...at least for now. She and her friends would be heading back to Tampa tomorrow, and she hoped that she could just move on and try to forget this happened.

She decided to get a shower and clean up, because they were gonna go out for a night on the town for their last night...and left the crystal on by the sink as she got in. She just stood there a minute, letting the water run through her hair and massage her scalp...she liked that feeling. She thought about what had happened and it made her even more perturbed...

"I just don't get it...how can they not remember? It was like the most dramatic thing that has ever happened in the history of forever to us...and they completely forgot about it. I'll see if they are just messing with me when we go out..." she mumbled.

Soon after, she was getting out of the shower and getting ready to dry off. she realized she had forgotten her towel in the room, and let out a "UGGH!" in frustration. She felt warmer all of a sudden and realized that there was no water on her arm anymore...or the rest of her body for that matter. She was completely dry, and without even using a dryer or towel or anything.

"Ok, what is going on here?" she asked herself. "There's something freaky about this crystal thing...I know that has to be it. "

She heard people coming up the stairs outside and quickly hid the crystal and grabbed some clothes before diving into the bathroom.

"Rika, you in here?" asked one of her friends.

"Uh, yeah...just getting out of the shower." she answered

"Oh! your towel is still out here, you want it?" her friend asked.

"Nah, I'm dry...must be the shampoo or something...quick drying." she quickly lied.

"Oh, ok..well, we're just dropping off our stuff and we'll be in the lobby waiting for ya, mmk?"

"No problem. I'll see you in a few." she said right before she heard them all leave the room.

"Phew" she said, sinking down the wall to the floor. "Ok, somethings definitely going on here. I guess it can wait for dinner, I'm starved."

She threw on the rest of her clothes and then dug out the crystal from her bag. She couldn't help but want to take it everywhere with her.

"Maybe I can find a pretty chain or something to try and put this thing on...it's even already got a little hole at the top, how awesome!" Erika said.

She put it in her pocket and then shot straight downstairs to her friends waiting in the lobby.

"Ready to go girls?" she said, beaming.

END Ch. 3