Status: Finally finished. :)
The Nagual
A Change
Kahili was saying her last good-bye to Ralph the bell hop as Felia and Noah walked out of the lobby and towards the beach where the boat still stood.
"Have you thought about what I said?" Noah asked, lightly. It was as if he was asking about the weather.
"No." she said, only half-lying. "Not really."
"Oh?" he said, turning towards her. "You still think she has your best interests?"
"You wouldn't-"
"Understand. I know." he said. He paused before he continued. "I heard what she said to you."
Felia was silent. She turned her head around to see Kahili walking towards them. "Why were you spying?"
"I already told you. I'm worried." Noah said, stopping. He made her face him. "And now, I have a reason. Felia, is she, like, making you join a cult?"
"No!-"
"A religion?"
"No-"
"What is it then?" he said, his voice getting rougher and more quiet as he saw Kahili right behind them. He stopped himself from asking any more questions when she caught up to them.
"You guys talking about me?" Kahili said, draping an arm around Felia's shoulders.
"Of course we were." Felia said with a tight smile, feeling her cheeks heat up.
"I'm used to it." she said. "Let's go already." Kahili moved away from Noah and Felia towards the boat while the other two walked behind her, both cautious.
---
The three travelers spent hours in silence. Felia cooked a simple meal of soup in the tiny kitchen below the deck of the houseboat and Noah and Kahili took a bowl with a quiet "Thank you." Kahili gave her a smile. Noah eyed her, wondering still what she would do.
Felia followed the other two onto the main deck with a bowl of her own. There was a small metal table with four chairs. She chose the seat closest to Kahili.
"So what are you ladies planning on doing once I drop you off at the car rental?" Noah spoke up, breaking the silence but inviting an argument. "Disappear off the face of the earth?"
"It's not our business to discuss it with you." Kahili said coolly, taking a slow sip of the soup.
"What if I make it mine?"
"Stop it." Felia said to deaf ears.
"If you do, I'll push you overboard and drive the boat myself." Kahili said, glaring at him across the table.
"I'd like to see you try!" he said with a dark laugh. "No offense to you," Noah said, looking at Felia briefly, "But, Kahili, Felia's the only one on board you have any influence over. Maybe she's just nice, or something, I don't really know."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kahili said, taking the words out of Felia's mouth.
"It means I don't trust you. I don't like the way you're controlling everything. I don't like how you're the only one who seems to know where you're going, and I hate how you have Felia wrapped around your little finger." he said, raising his voice at each aspect on the list. "Sorry, Felia, but you know it's true." Noah looked her way for another brief second before he got up and mumbled, "I'm done. Thanks."
"Oh, no. You're not finished with me yet." Kahili said, carelessly tossing her spoon into the soup, making it turn over spill. "Don't run off like some ill-adjusted teenager, Noah! You don't need to know anything more than where to go. You're getting paid so should you care?" Kahili shouted to him as he just reached the other side of the boat.
Felia stood up for a moment, cleaning up the mess back at the table. Noah tiredly dragged his hand down his face before he moved towards Felia.
"I'm talking to you, Noah." Kahili said.
He stooped down next to Felia who gave him a cloth. He muttered something under his breath.
"I'm sorry." Kahili said, walking towards him while moving Felia aside. "What was that? I didn't quite catch your mumbling. Why don't you speak up?"
"I said, 'Not everything is about you'. Happy?" he said, standing up.
"Is that what you think?" Kahili said, moving towards him. "That what? I'm some sort of evil dictator, or something?"
"Pretty goddamn close to one." he said, tossing the dirty cloth to her.
"Stop." Felia said in a quiet voice that was, once again, unheard. Her two companions kept at it, their voices rising in anger and malice. Kahili accused him of spying. Noah accused her of brainwashing. "Stop." Felia said louder. Her voice was drowned out by the yelling. It was when Kahili fist landed on Noah's jaw that Felia shouted, "STOP!"
There was silence. Kahili and Noah both stared at Felia. There was a change in the winds and in the sound of Felia's voice. Felia felt as if warm honey was pouring into her stomach. There were tingling sensations rushing up and down her arms, legs, and spine. She fell to the ground. Noah motioned towards her but Kahili held up a hand. Felia was just able to make out the words, "Let her be," before her heart stopped. Then again, when she felt a final shudder course its way through her body, she heard both Noah's and Kahili's voices at the same time.
"Oh my God."
"Have you thought about what I said?" Noah asked, lightly. It was as if he was asking about the weather.
"No." she said, only half-lying. "Not really."
"Oh?" he said, turning towards her. "You still think she has your best interests?"
"You wouldn't-"
"Understand. I know." he said. He paused before he continued. "I heard what she said to you."
Felia was silent. She turned her head around to see Kahili walking towards them. "Why were you spying?"
"I already told you. I'm worried." Noah said, stopping. He made her face him. "And now, I have a reason. Felia, is she, like, making you join a cult?"
"No!-"
"A religion?"
"No-"
"What is it then?" he said, his voice getting rougher and more quiet as he saw Kahili right behind them. He stopped himself from asking any more questions when she caught up to them.
"You guys talking about me?" Kahili said, draping an arm around Felia's shoulders.
"Of course we were." Felia said with a tight smile, feeling her cheeks heat up.
"I'm used to it." she said. "Let's go already." Kahili moved away from Noah and Felia towards the boat while the other two walked behind her, both cautious.
---
The three travelers spent hours in silence. Felia cooked a simple meal of soup in the tiny kitchen below the deck of the houseboat and Noah and Kahili took a bowl with a quiet "Thank you." Kahili gave her a smile. Noah eyed her, wondering still what she would do.
Felia followed the other two onto the main deck with a bowl of her own. There was a small metal table with four chairs. She chose the seat closest to Kahili.
"So what are you ladies planning on doing once I drop you off at the car rental?" Noah spoke up, breaking the silence but inviting an argument. "Disappear off the face of the earth?"
"It's not our business to discuss it with you." Kahili said coolly, taking a slow sip of the soup.
"What if I make it mine?"
"Stop it." Felia said to deaf ears.
"If you do, I'll push you overboard and drive the boat myself." Kahili said, glaring at him across the table.
"I'd like to see you try!" he said with a dark laugh. "No offense to you," Noah said, looking at Felia briefly, "But, Kahili, Felia's the only one on board you have any influence over. Maybe she's just nice, or something, I don't really know."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kahili said, taking the words out of Felia's mouth.
"It means I don't trust you. I don't like the way you're controlling everything. I don't like how you're the only one who seems to know where you're going, and I hate how you have Felia wrapped around your little finger." he said, raising his voice at each aspect on the list. "Sorry, Felia, but you know it's true." Noah looked her way for another brief second before he got up and mumbled, "I'm done. Thanks."
"Oh, no. You're not finished with me yet." Kahili said, carelessly tossing her spoon into the soup, making it turn over spill. "Don't run off like some ill-adjusted teenager, Noah! You don't need to know anything more than where to go. You're getting paid so should you care?" Kahili shouted to him as he just reached the other side of the boat.
Felia stood up for a moment, cleaning up the mess back at the table. Noah tiredly dragged his hand down his face before he moved towards Felia.
"I'm talking to you, Noah." Kahili said.
He stooped down next to Felia who gave him a cloth. He muttered something under his breath.
"I'm sorry." Kahili said, walking towards him while moving Felia aside. "What was that? I didn't quite catch your mumbling. Why don't you speak up?"
"I said, 'Not everything is about you'. Happy?" he said, standing up.
"Is that what you think?" Kahili said, moving towards him. "That what? I'm some sort of evil dictator, or something?"
"Pretty goddamn close to one." he said, tossing the dirty cloth to her.
"Stop." Felia said in a quiet voice that was, once again, unheard. Her two companions kept at it, their voices rising in anger and malice. Kahili accused him of spying. Noah accused her of brainwashing. "Stop." Felia said louder. Her voice was drowned out by the yelling. It was when Kahili fist landed on Noah's jaw that Felia shouted, "STOP!"
There was silence. Kahili and Noah both stared at Felia. There was a change in the winds and in the sound of Felia's voice. Felia felt as if warm honey was pouring into her stomach. There were tingling sensations rushing up and down her arms, legs, and spine. She fell to the ground. Noah motioned towards her but Kahili held up a hand. Felia was just able to make out the words, "Let her be," before her heart stopped. Then again, when she felt a final shudder course its way through her body, she heard both Noah's and Kahili's voices at the same time.
"Oh my God."