At the mention of the Devil’s Sea, Flora remembered stories about the area of the ocean east of Cardena known for mysterious disappearances of boats and other marine vessels. It no longer bothered her as much as it did when she was younger when Perlita would tell her scary stories during lunch break at school. Back then, Flora got too scared that she would find it difficult to sleep at night, hearing all the nocturnal noises and interpreting them as something more terrifying.One of the most prominent stories that she could recall was the strange disappearance of a research vessel sent by the government to conduct surveys in the area. It was manned by a small crew of scientists and loaded with their state-of-the-art equipment, but the vessel stopped transmitting messages shortly after entering the Devil’s Sea. The vessel was found several days later after an intensive search, but all of the crew were missing. The technical equipment were still on the boat and food had been set on the t

The cable car hovered above the treetops, suspended from a thick steel cable that extended from the dock to the mansion. The view of the sea was stunning and tiny islands dotted the seascape that gradually changed color from turquoise to deep blue. The mild breeze gently rocked the cable car as Nadi continued to point excitedly at the sea and the dock that slowly reduced in size as they ascended.Flora found Nadi’s excitement contagious and she tried to enjoy the ride with her. However, upon seeing the yacht from above along with its protruding ram, Flora could not help but imagine the plight of the fishermen who might have fallen victim to the speeding yacht.“You’re quiet. Aren’t you enjoying the scenery?” Eva asked Flora. “I only wish I had my phone with me so that I could capture this. Perhaps a selfie with that stunning view as my backdrop. My FB friends would die with envy,&

Flora set down her bags beside her feet and lay down on the soft bed. She felt very comfortable and lay still as she felt all her worries wash away. She would have liked to contact Perlita to tell her not to worry about her anymore, but without her phone it was not possible to do so. In other circumstances, Flora would have cried over the loss of her phone to the yacht crew. It was an old phone, something she bought for herself several years ago during a Christmas sale, but it still cost her money. However, it was also through that phone that Flora was able to confirm her husband’s infidelity. She would not believe what Perlita told her about her husband being seen in Malen with another woman. So, Perlita shared with her the photos that she found on Facebook.Feeling a bit of the stress returning, Flora tried to think of different thoughts. She returned to the time that she bought the phone. It was rare that she would buy something she considered luxurious for herself, but she felt th

Flora held her daughter in front of her while Nadi clung to her. Nadi, not quite understanding what was going on, got the sense that she did something wrong and the strange man was somehow angry at what she had done. Flora caressed Nadi shoulder and bowed low to talk calmly to her daughter.“You should behave yourself, Nadi. You’ll get us both into trouble if you don’t behave yourself. Do you understand me?” said FloraNadi nodded and twisted her leg as she placed her tongue on her cheek. She avoided Pablo’s gaze and continued to cling to her mother’s arm.Flora stood up straight and apologized again to Pablo. “I’m terribly sorry, Sir. She’s just new to the place and doesn’t know what to do yet. She’s really a well-behaved child. I’ll talk to her again later.”“You should have held her tighter, Flora,” said Eva. “You know she has a tendency to run to just about anything that catches her fancy. If she were my daughter, I would make sure she’d obey me.““Just hold on to her while I tell

The woman entered the kitchen and closed the door gently behind her. Then, she surveyed the room and its three occupants, her eyes lingering on the little girl who seemed to be following her mother as she mopped the floor.“Now which one of you is Eva?” the woman asked.“That would be me, Ma’am,” answered Eva politely.“I’m Rosa, the cook. You will be working here with me,” said Rosa, her voice soft yet commanding. “And who would you be?” she asked Flora as she continued to eye Nadi.“My name’s Flora, Ma’am and this is my daughter Nadi,” answered Flora who had stopped mopping momentarily.“You may go. I shall call for you when I need you,” said Rosa nonchalantly as she turned to walk towards Eva.Flora did not know what to do but stood still with the mop still in her hand. After a while, Rosa turned her head and noticed Flora still standing motionless with the mop.“I said you may go. You don’t belong in my kitchen,” repeated Rosa with some edge in her tone. “Why Pablo would leave you