Vacation of Fear Read online

  There was something evil lurking behind them . . .

  Max held his girlfriend Ann’s hand as they kissed on the beach, the salt water rolling over their feet as they embraced at the shoreline.

  “I just want you to know how special you are to me,” Max said, gazing into her eyes. It was a dark night with thick clouds covering the moon. The huge island, looming about a mile out to sea, was almost invisible in the darkness.

  “Why did you bring me out here?” Ann asked, tightening her grip around his neck. She kissed him again.

  “Because this is where we first met,” Max said, “And I wanted our first year anniversary to be special. I don’t know . . . this just seemed like the best place to tell you I love you.”

  “You love me?” Ann asked.

  “I do,” Max said. “You mean more to me than you could ever know.”

  There was a sudden flutter and Max shielded his eyes as sand blasted his face.

  “What’s that?” Ann said, pointing up the beach where the trees were.

  Max looked out into the night and saw two red dots, and they were getting bigger by the second. The fluttering sound was growing louder.

  There was a loud screech, and Max saw the outline of something dark and huge coming at them.

  “What is that, Max?” Ann shouted.

  The thing descended, the sand rising from the ground, burning his eyes. He watched in horror as it lifted his girlfriend off the ground.

  “Max!” Ann screamed as he watched the huge black thing cart her across the ocean. Soon she disappeared into the night, and Max could have sworn what he saw was a bat.

  J. G. Wilson’s Fear the Night Series, no. 1

  Vacation of Fear

  1st Kindle edition

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright 2012 by John P. Wilson

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  Cover photography courtesy of FreeStockPhotos.biz

  Vacation of Fear

  For Zach Peak, great cousin and friend

  Chapter 1

  Melody Miller frowned as she opened the door to her motel room. It was dark and smelled gross, like wet dog. Her cousin Valery rushed past, jumping up and down, blond ponytail bouncing. and threw her luggage on the clean looking bed.

  “I call this one!” she shouted, stripping off her T-shirt, already wearing a red bikini underneath. “Mel, hurry up and throw those bags down. We need to hit the beach and work on our tans, girl.”

  Melody frowned as she looked at her bed. It wasn’t even made. She switched on a light and saw several cigarette butts in the corner of their non-smoking room. “This place is horrible,” she muttered, blowing a strand of red hair out of her face, carefully placing a bag on the bed. Melody sat down and the mattress creaked. The carpet was puke green. And the walls were dark brown. “Who paints the walls brown?”

  Valery smiled at her. “Cheer up! What did you expect a room at a place called the Wind Chime Motel to look like? I mean, it’s only like $25 a night. Just deal with it.”

  Melody sighed. She hated Valery right now, guilt tripping her into coming down here for Spring Break. Calling her up as she worked on her History research paper that was due next month, begging, “Please, Mel. Mom won’t let me go to Florida if you don’t go. She needs someone responsible to be with me.” Responsible! That word irritated Melody to no end. She was a year younger than Valery for crying out loud, yet she was supposed to be the babysitter? But deep down, she knew her cousin couldn’t be trusted out of state for a weekend in the Gulf of Mexico. She, on the other hand—Mel had never had a boyfriend, never been to a party, never even been kissed.

  “Uh, Melody?” Valery said. “Earth to Melody. You in there, girl?”

  Melody blinked away her thoughts. “Huh?”

  “I said get dressed. We’re going to hit the beach!”

  “Right now?” Melody groaned. “I just need to relax a bit, maybe read a couple of chapters in this new book I bought last night.“

  “Don’t be a nerd on vacation,” Valery said, rolling her eyes. “Get up right now. We’re going to meet some boys.”

  “You’re going to meet some boys,” Melody corrected her cousin. “I’m going to stand in the background and feel awkward as they fight over you.”

  Valery laughed. “You really need to loosen up. Get off that bed and put your bathing suit on. Once that ocean water hits you, you’ll feel like a new woman.”

  “Okay.” Melody grabbed her black one piece out of her bag and headed for the bathroom.

  “Hurry up!” Valery said.

  Melody opened the bathroom door and hit the light switch. Then she screamed.

  Chapter 2

  A rat jumped off the toilet seat and scurried across the floor under the sink. Melody could still see its tail wagging. She slammed the door closed and ran in front of the television.

  “We’ve got to leave this place, right now!” she shouted. “There’s was a rat on the toilet.”

  Valery smirked at her and turned the television on. “Just don’t sit down when you go potty.”

  “I can’t believe I let you talk me into coming down here,” Melody said. “I have one month before my World History paper is due, and I still need one more source.”

  “Are you serious?” Valery asked. “No one does those things until the night before. Now get your suit on. Maybe you’ll get lucky and meet a guy. Then you can stay at his place instead of at this dump.”

  “Fine,” Melody said. “Turn around and let me change.”

  Melody slipped into the one piece and rubbed sun block over her fair skin. She was a bit afraid of staying out too long in the sun. The last time she’d been to the beach, she’d suffered second degree burns.

  The girls left the motel room, Melody locking up despite Valery’s suggestion not to lock the door because no one would bother robbing a dump like the Wind Chime Motel.

  They walked down the Miracle Strip, past an ice cream parlor and pizzeria, past a crowd of Spring Breakers heading in the opposite direction. Several guys whistled at Valery.

  “Why don’t you at least take the shirt off,” Valery said. “I mean, the bathing suit you’re wearing under it isn’t indecent or anything. I’ve seen several old women wearing the same thing, and even they’re not wearing T-shirts over it.”

  Melody shook her head and crossed the street with her cousin to the beachside and carefully headed down the sandy walkway.

  The white sand and blue ocean was dazzling bright, and Melody shielded her eyes against the glare. The sand was hot as her pink flip flops left prints behind her. Valarie, on the other hand, had her beach shoes in her hand and was running for the water.

  Several guys stopped and turned their heads toward her as she flew by in the small red bikini.

  Melody flattened out a beach towel and took a seat, pulling her tablet from her bag. She was halfway through a chapter when she heard Valery’s voice.

  “Mel.”

  “What?” Mel said, biting at her fingernail, anxiously waiting to see how the main character was going to work her way out of this situation.

  “Mel, this is Ken and Ryan.”

  Melody looked up, took her finger out of her mouth and blushed. “Oh. Hi,” she said, wanting to drag herself out into the ocean and swim as far away as possible. Maybe to Cuba or the Bahamas. The guys were cute, and they were totally not in to her.

  After an awkward silence that stretched a m
inute, one of the boys managed, “Um…hey.” And then they were off, Valery and her new friends, running to the water, splashing each other in the salty sea.

  Melody quit reading and put her tablet back in the bag. She had bought this bathing suit for $10. She was going to swim. Melody stood up and headed for the ocean.

  The sand was wet and the water was cold as the waves swept over the shore. The water was beautiful. No seaweed and she could see several small fish swimming around. The waves brushed past her, and she jumped in time to them, deciding to float on her back.

  Melody drifted with the tide, staring up at the blue sky. No clouds today. Up ahead a plane passed with a huge banner trailing it, advertising a restaurant with a crab legs buffet.

  This was paradise. Melody wished she could float in the ocean forever, lying on her back without a care in the world.

  Suddenly, she felt a small tug at her feet.

  What was that? she wondered to herself.

  And then something grabbed at her ankle, pulling her completely underwater.

  Chapter 3

  Melody thrashed in the salty abyss, air bubbles escaping her mouth as she searched for the shark that had taken her down. Her head broke the surface of the water and a wave crashed into it, pushing her back down. She struggled for footing and came up, gasping for air.

  Valery laughed at her.

  “That’s not funny!” Melody said, brushing the damp hair out of her face.

  “It’s hilarious!” Valarie said, splashing water at her.

  Melody glowered at her cousin. She was so mean sometimes. “So, where are your new boyfriends?”

  “They bored me,” Valery said, yawning. “All they wanted to talk about was baseball. Do I look like I care about baseball?”

  “You are a cheerleader,” Melody said.

  “But I cheer for football only,” Valery said. “Nobody cares about baseball.”

  Melody spotted a sail boat in the distance with a large, rainbow sail. She wished she could swim out and ask whoever was in it for a ride. She hated her Aunt Judy for putting her in this situation. Valery was a certifiable screw up.

  “Hey,” Valarie said, “let’s get out of here and check out the Miracle Strip.”

  “And do what?” Melody asked. “The last time I checked, we barely had enough money to cover motel expenses for the weekend.”

  Valarie rolled her eyes. “Mel, stop. You’re killing me.”

  “What?”

  “The men pay our way, cuzo. We just enjoy the experiences the Miracle Strip has to offer us.”

  “Let’s just go back to the motel room. Maybe we can order a pizza and watch some TV. I think MTV’s having a Teen Mom marathon. You should probably watch that show.”

  “Hey, here’s an idea, why don’t I go walking down the strip and you go back to the motel room. You can think about why your life’s so sad, but don’t eat all the pizza because I’m sure your pet rat will want a slice or two.”

  Melody inwardly groaned. As tempted as she was to take Valery up on her offer, she knew that Valery would wind up in jail or in a ditch if she didn’t tag along. Valery needed an anchor like Melody to slow her down. And an anchor was the perfect description for Melody. She truly was a drag and she knew it.

  “I want you to look around the beach and tell me what you see,” Valery said.

  Melody saw children running around, couples holding hands and walking along the shore, countless beach chairs and towels under umbrellas that dotted the white sand. A flock of seagulls fought near a volleyball net over something on the ground.

  “What do you see?” Valery asked.

  “People relaxing and having a good time?”

  Valery moaned and ran a hand through her wet hair. “Ughhh. Just no, Mel. No. The men. Look at all the men out there, waiting to find and spoil two attractive girls like us. This is Florida, the land of oranges and suntan lotion, not boring old Georgia. You’re on vacation, girl. Live a little!”

  “Exactly,” Melody said. “I’m on vacation. I should be reading my novel and relaxing in the motel room with a book and a pizza.”

  “Wrong. When you’re on vacation, you’re supposed to take a break from your everyday life, Mel. You know what you do every day? After school you head home, read, study or watch TV and eat junk food. That’s why you’ve never had a boyfriend or anything else. You’re hot, Melody, but nobody even notices you because it looks like your clothes come from the Men’s section at some drug store. And even if you were styling, it wouldn’t matter because you hide in your bedroom.”

  Melody glanced away from her cousin. Valery’s right, she thought to herself, I am a bit of a loser. Maybe she could loosen up a little.

  “Maybe we can walk the strip for a little while,” Melody said. “Just for a little while.”

  Valery clapped her hands. “Let’s go back to the motel and get dressed. You need to wear your hottest outfit tonight for the night clubs.”

  “Night clubs?” Melody said, horrified. “We can’t go to any night clubs. We’re not 21 yet.”

  “You don’t have to be 21 to get into one,” Valery said. “Besides, no one checks IDs anyway but the bartender. And don’t worry, I promise to sneak you some mixed drinks.”

  “But you’re not 21!”

  “I’ve got a fake ID.”

  Melody felt like hyperventilating. “What if we get caught? What would your mom do to us? Aunt Judy would have to drive all the way down from Red Oaks to Fisher’s Harbor to bail us out . . . that’s a 4 hour drive, Valery!”

  Valery took Melody’s hand and started wading through the water, back to shore. Melody followed, her heart beating in her chest. She was only 17, but that was an adult in Georgia. Was 17 an adult in Florida? This would go on her record permanently. She’d never be able to get into the University of Georgia or have a nice job. She’d be like Valery’s ex-convict brother Jimmy, grilling hamburgers and washing cars for a living.

  The girls walked through the sand, Melody picking up her beach bag and towel.

  “Listen,” Valery said, “you really need to relax a little. I’m worried about you, Mel. Just for tonight, and only tonight, I promise, we’ll cut loose and have a good time. Tomorrow night, I swear, we’ll do whatever you want. Go to the library or play bingo or something like that.”

  Melody took a deep breath. The heat of the beach had subsided, and now a cool breeze was blowing, chilling her in her wet bathing suit. “Okay,” Melody said, deciding that maybe she did need to live a little. “Alright, just for tonight.”

  Valery laughed and ran ahead. “Last one to the motel has to buy drinks,” she said.

  The Miracle Strip was crowded, with traffic stalled on both sides of the road. People of all ages and shapes and sizes walked along the side of the street. It was kind of exciting, Melody thought. One moment she heard rap music blaring, and the next she heard country.

  Melody saw her motel and started to cross over.

  “Hey baby!” a voice boomed over the roaring traffic.

  Melody turned her head and saw a very cute guy in the back of a pickup truck waving at her. She turned back around to make sure no other girls were around. Valery was nowhere in sight.

  Melody waved back and smiled. Maybe this was going to be a great vacation after all.

  A flash of movement caught her eye, and she saw someone running toward her, shouting “Watch out!”

  Chapter 4

  It happened in a flash. She saw the motorcycle whizzing toward her from the side of the road and lifted up her arms, trying to protect herself. And then she felt something hit her from the side, and she was flung down, the motorcycle passing so close she could feel the wind from it.

  “You alright?” The boy said, inches away from her.

  Melody gazed into his dark eyes. He had a lean, pale face and short blond hair. “Thank you,” she said.

  He took her hand and lifted her from the ground. His hand was cold and firm.

  “I’m Colton,” he said
.

  “Melody,” she said, finally looking away from his eyes.

  The motorcycle was stopped up ahead and the guy was walking to them.

  “Oh man, I’m sorry,” he said, “I didn’t even see you.” Melody could smell the alcohol on his breath. He had a glazed expression. “You okay?”

  “Fine,” Melody said, turning toward Colton. She found his eyes again, and he took her by the hand.

  “Mind if I walk with you?” Colton asked. “I’d hate to see you get hurt again.”

  “Okay,” Melody said, finding it difficult to think. It was like she was in a fog, floating across the Wind Chime Motel parking lot and up the stairs to her room, her eyes locked onto Colton’s the entire time.

  Valery was sitting in front of the door. “Hey Mel, I forgot my key. I sure hope you have—“ Valery’s voice trailed off. “Who’s your friend?”

  “Colton,” Colton said, releasing Melody’s hand. She instantly missed the way it felt in her palm. She growled inwardly as she watched Valery patting his shoulder, the fake laughter coming from her cousin’s lips.

  “Colton saved my life!” Melody blurted out, causing both to turn and stare at her.

  “Is that right?” Valery asked. “What happened? Did you fall in the sand and almost drown?”

  “I’m serious,” Melody said. “I was crossing the street and didn’t see this motorcycle. I could have been hit if Colton hadn’t of…” Melody found Colton’s eyes, “saved me.”

  “Oh no!” Valery said, and Melody cringed at the fakeness of her voice. “I’m so glad you were there to protect Melody.” She rubbed a hand over Colton’s arm.