The sun had slipped below the horizon, leaving the sky washed in that purple haze that only lingers for a few minutes before nightfall. Isis, Roman, Jackie, and Austin arrived in the hills of Del Sol Valley, where they approached an elegant Mediterranean style house.
A senior named Elliot, from Austin’s school, lived here. Austin said they were only acquaintances, but he still got them an invite to the party.
They made their way up the gravel driveway, tiny stones crunching underfoot, and the scent of wisteria drifted around them. Austin draped his arm around Jackie and she looked up at him adoringly, giggling at something he said. Behind them, Isis was holding Roman’s arm and smiling. She was delighted to see Jackie being treated right.
Just before they reached the front door, they passed a large fountain, its water flowing gently in the fading light. Isis noticed red flower petals floating in the water and idly wondered who had taken the time to add such a romantic touch.
As they stepped inside the glass French doors, they were greeted by a cascading wine fountain, displayed prominently on a table in the entryway. The house smelled like fresh paint and new furniture and Isis thought it felt almost like a museum and not like people actually lived here.
As her friends each grabbed a glass from the wine fountain, Isis hesitated. After getting in trouble twice for drinking, she promised her parents she would be responsible. She was finally feeling better about talking to them and she was not going to let them down again.
Only one, she told herself, as she reached for a glass.
They continued into a spacious living room and Jackie exclaimed in awe, “My gosh, I could live somewhere like this!”
“Someday, baby. I’ll buy you a mansion.” Austin winked at Jackie.
“Or maybe I’ll buy us a mansion when I’m a famous fashion designer.” She retorted, blowing him a kiss.
There were a few people inside, but the sound of music and lively conversation drifted in from the backyard, so they headed through another set of ornate French doors. Outside, a serene, illuminated pool stretched across the yard. People were conversing on lounge chairs by the water, a hot tub bubbled nearby, and a gazebo sat stoically in the distance.
Perched high on the hillside, the whole yard had a breathtaking view of the expansive valley below.
A firepit glowed in the far corner of the yard, its flames flickering in the darkness. No one was around it, probably because the night air was warm, but they made their way over and settled into the empty chairs.
They fell into easy conversation, reminiscing over silly childhood stories.
Isis told how one time she tried roasting marshmallows over a scented candle but the marshmallows came out tasting like a floral bouquet. Austin said one time he put his pet goldfish in the bathtub so it could exercise. Jackie once buried an entire cob of corn in her yard, hoping to grow a corn maze. When Roman said he ate blue crayons because he wanted his poop to come out blue, the entire group exploded into teasing laughter.
As the others continued to talk, Isis grew quiet, mesmerized by the tiny embers that rose from the fire and glowed softly before fading out. The evening felt strangely nostalgic, like this was a night she would look back on fondly.
Then she had a revelation.
This very moment would soon be a memory. Tomorrow, this night would be a memory. In ten or fifty years, this night would be a memory. Maybe they would reminisce about that one time they sat around a bonfire in some rich kids backyard.
They had barely been hanging out for an hour when Roman got a text. He read it, then handed his open phone to Isis without saying anything. Isis took his phone and saw that it was from his older sister, Camille. Their parents had died when Roman was younger and he and his sister lived together.
Camille: Don’t want to scare you but something happened and I’m at San Myshuno General Hospital. Don’t call, they don’t want phones in here, but you need to come as soon as you can. Don’t bring anybody either, they said only family inside.
Isis looked up and handed his phone back, exclaiming, “Oh my god, what do you think happened? Let’s go! I’ll go with you and wait in the car if they don’t let me in.”
“I’m not sure… Does something seem odd about that?” Roman leaned forward in his chair, looking serious.
She didn’t know what he meant by odd but his furrowed brow indicated he was thinking.
He straightened back up in his chair and said, “Yeah I need to go. But you should stay.”
Isis felt a little panicked. “Are you sure? San Myshuno isn’t close!”
Jackie and Austin had been listening with serious faces and Jackie chimed in, “Roman, do you want us all to go? We can keep each other company while we wait?”
“Absolutely not. It’s still early so you guys stay here. I’m sure everything is fine or she wouldn’t be texting.” Roman stood up and put a hand out to Isis.
She grabbed his hand and he pulled her up and into a hug. She was upset at this turn of events, but he kept a smile on his face as he said goodbye.
“Don’t worry okay? Just hang out for a while, and maybe I’ll make it back later.”
She felt guilty for wishing he would stay and just held him tight. He tilted his head to kiss her, then pulled away with a squeeze to her hand, and walked back into the house.
Isis scooted her chair closer to Jackie and settled back into it, although the peacefulness she felt earlier was gone. Jackie leaned over and gave her a comforting squeeze on the knee. Isis smiled at her, then raised her glass to her lips and finished the last sip.
A few minutes later, more people joined them around the firepit and the volume of chatter went up a notch. An older looking guy in a green hoodie took the seat next to Isis. He leaned towards her with an awkward smile.
“Hey, I picked up two for myself but can’t consciously keep both when I noticed yours is empty.”
Isis took the offered drink, not wanting to be rude.
Before she could put it down, he raised his glass towards her and said, “Cheers, to bonfires under the stars.”
She smiled at that, and clinked her glass to his and took a sip. They started chatting casually. His name was Theo, he went to a different high school, and he liked opera music, which impressed Isis. He seemed very kind. He asked her all about herself and she found it easy to keep talking.
After a while of talking, Isis thought her buzz was feeling a little different than usual and she assumed it was the wine. When Theo asked if she wanted to walk around, she was about to politely tell him no thanks, when Jackie intervened.
“Oh hey, I need to talk to Isis about something important. Sorry, I gotta steal her!” Jackie leaned protectively into Isis.
Theo took the hint and got up to leave, looking dejected. Isis felt bad for some reason and turned to Jackie.
“I’ll actually take a walk Jackie, my buzz came on fast and walking around will help.”
Jackie looked at Isis, narrowing her eyes. “You’ve barely had two drinks, you can’t possibly be buzzed already!”
“I’ll be back in just a few minutes, I want to circle the backyard and take in the views.” She gave a reassuring smile to her friend.
As her and Theo meandered around the huge yard, Isis was desperately trying to play it cool even though she was feeling stranger by the minute.
Theo was talking, but she found herself people watching more than listening. Two girls were getting out of the pool, laughing and reaching for their towels. A group of people were huddled around an outdoor bar, playing some kind of drinking game. At the far end of the yard, a couple sat on a bench, making out.
They walked to the end of the hedges, looking over the cliffside. She was thinking how expansive the sky looked when Theo made a comment about how bright the stars were. She smiled that they had similar thoughts at the same time.
A wave of dizziness came over her, but she didn’t want to appear drunk in front of Theo or any of these strangers.
She turned around to look for Jackie but must have stumbled because Theo put a steadying arm out, asking, “Are you alright?”
She took his arm and replied, “Yeah, can we walk back to Jackie?” Her words sounded strange in her own head.
He guided her inside the house and Isis started to feel embarrassed. Was she really drunk? Her legs were heavy, and she leaned into Theo without meaning to. She asked him again to take her back to Jackie. Everything was spinning.
“Let’s get you some water, okay?”
She nodded.
He walked her into what looked like a library. She saw a couch and made her way to it as quickly as possible, desperate to sit down before she fell down. As she melted into the couch, she vaguely wondered how Theo was going to get water in a library. Through eyes that could barely focus, she thought she saw him lock the door. When he turned and walked her way, her heart lurched.
Something was very wrong.
Her mind screamed at her to run, but her body would not move.
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