Leave Gillo and seek refreshment

"I'm going," you say to Gillo. "I'll be back, don't worry."

You step out of the jungle and onto the manicured grass surrounding the pool deck. The music seems louder here and you are instantly put at ease by the soft sounds that are playing from the speaker. Several of the beautiful women and men that are lounging by the pool turn to look at you, their expressions mostly hidden behind big sunglasses. A slender woman in a one-piece bathing suit rises from her lounger and approaches.

"Hi, welcome," she says, taking your hand. "You must be thirsty. Let me get you a drink. I'm Matilda, call me Matty, assistant director of activities."

Matty looks to be in her mid-forties. She is attractive, buy maybe a little over-sunned. Her skin is golden-brown and spotted at her shoulders. She is fit and her smile is perfect.

"I'm Heather. What is this place?" you ask, allowing her to guide you towards the bar.

"Bliss," she says, sitting you down on a bar stool. She motions the handsome bartender over and her pours you a tall lemonade from a pitcher full of lemons. Matilda waves away any ****. The lemonade is incredible sweet and cold and refreshing. You drink the first glass in one long chug as Matty watches and grins. You finish the second glass almost as quickly. Your belly is full so you slow down for the third. The shade and the lemonade and the music is all so relaxing.

"How did you get to be here?" you ask.

"We've been here for ages," she says. "It's very exclusive. Why don't you bring the drink and we can get you a bathing suit."

Bathing suit? Yeah. A swim sounds nice. There was something about your sister though...something you had to do...

"Okay," you say to Matty, still trying to remember what it was you needed to do.

It's a bit like a dream as the older woman takes you to a fitting room with a spa shower adjacent to it. Matty holds your drink as you undress, peeling off your sweat-soiled clothes form the jungle and stripping out of your underclothes. Matty gingerly hands them out through the door to someone. You feel at ease standing naked before her.

"You're very beautiful," she says with a smile. "Have a shower and then let's get you a suit picked out."

You have a quick, refreshing shower while Matty talks to you about all of the fun activities at Bliss. There is tennis and swimming and mixers by the pool at night. Everybody is very friendly. She hands you a towel to wrap around your body and another for your hair as you step out.

She has brought in a rolling cart covered with bathing suits. There are so many to choose from. G-strings and bikini cuts and one-pieces. Some are bright and striped like candy canes and honey bees and some are single colors and feature little cartoon characters or phrases. They're very cute and you let her guide you through the process. It's nice. You pick a yellow string bikini that ties at your hips and behind your neck. Matty helps you tie it.

"Come to dinner with me and my husband tonight," she says. She gives you a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Time isn't important. You feel relaxed as you exit the changing room. You lounge by the pool and eat the little sandwich the waiter brings. You swim and play volleyball and flirt with a cute guy named Josh. The sun begins to set and the poolside is cleared. Some waiters light torches. In the evening you sit down at a long table beside Matty and Victor, her older husband with his sun-gold skin and permanently squinting eyes. He's handsome in the same way she is.

After dinner you dance with cute boys and girls, but also with Matty and with Victor.

"You have your own hut," says Matty as you are dancing, "but Victor wanted to invite you to stay with us tonight so we can play."

"What do you mean by that?" you ask, spinning as you dance to the music.

"We'll have a lot of fun," she says.

"Yeah," you bop your head. "I like fun. That's why I'm here."

You sit down with them as the night begins to wind down. As you are drinking and Matty is stroking your neck you notice a dark shape hiding in the ferns beyond the perimeter. Some sort of animal is watching you. It feels weird, but it also feels important. Maybe you should go investigate.