Morning all. Feeling stuffy but the allergy meds are kicking in so hopefully that will help. Usually I’m not this bad until the spring but this year fall allergies are really packing a punch. Hopefully the pollen count will drop soon. But for now its Pharma to the rescue! Right, let’s just get on with the prompt. Timers set and off we go.
Oh you know someone is trying to pull a fast one on Ollie. I like Ollie and I think I could have fun with this story. I also think an attack is imminent. Mwahaha.
Thursday, August 31st: The blue was so bright it hurt the eyes.
The blue was so bright it hurt the eyes. The sun was shining and hot and the sound of the waves lapping pleasantly on the sandy shore were soothing. It was in a word, paradise. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
‘Maybe it is the abruptness of it,’ he thought as he looked down the tourist strewn beach. Bodies glistening with suntan lotion and sweat baked and tanned in the sun. Others sheltered under the umbrellas, occasionally racing from their shade for a cooling dip in the sea. Further down there was a bar and he could see that area was a lot more lively.
His small villa came with it’s own small strip of beach. It was private and designated only for the use of those in the villa. It had been stressed to him as a perk as he was being hustled out to the private jet. For some reason it made him twitchy.
The villa belonged to the family and had been used by the bulk of his family for quite a number of years. He had never visited. Always he was working when they went off on their vacations. He was the one to hold the fort. Their sending him now was out of character. He frowned.
After a few hours the villa became too confining. He left all but an small bag at the villa and relocated himself to a hotel packed with tourists. He felt more at home in the crowd and he thought he might be able to relax and enjoy himself here. He was enough of a loner that he didn’t feel the need to join the party crowd, but he still wanted people around him.
Ollie settled himself near, but not too near some of the others. He set up his chair and umbrella. His sunscreen was applied before leaving the hotel. He had books but he decided a dip in the ocean would be a nice way to start after the hot hike down here. After placing his items near the umbrella covered chair, he peeled off his t-shirt exposing office pale skin glistening with waterproof uv protection. He slipped off his shoes and went walking towards the water.
Something was going on. He just couldn’t quite identify what and how it would affect him. He was not feeling relaxed and after a restless night in the hotel he had in fact booked a flight home. He was scheduled to stay for two weeks but knew that wasn’t happening. He would stay away from the office if he had to, in fact he might not tell the others he was off the island. He just knew he couldn’t stand two weeks of wondering what was going on.
Ollie had a few hours before he had to be at the airport and the swim in the ocean felt good now that he knew he would be leaving soon. He planned to stay on the beach for at least an hour but after his dip, he found his taste waning and his desire to be gone growing. Ollie left the water and trudged back to shore. He was more of an alpine ki lodge person than a beach one and this had been plenty. He would do his final packing and get himself to the airport. That would be best. Then, he could avoid everyone for two weeks before going back into the office.
Ten til Midnight 