Paradise Lost

Sebastian sat up slowly. His head was throbbing, his mouth was bone dry and his eyes stung with so much of the sea’s salt.

He looked around and saw the white sandy beach and a beautiful, clear sea stretching for miles to the left, right and straight on to the horizon. This was not what Sebastian had wanted to see. He tried to remember what had happened; why was he here. His head pounded as though there was a large, angry elephant storming about inside. He gazed out to sea and in the distance, Sebastian could see a pod of dolphins leaping into the air and riding the waves as they formed. He looked forlornly at them and wished he could go and join them in their excitement and fun. Suddenly, the pounding stopped and all he could hear was the soft, gentle swish of the sea and he let a handful of warm, fine sand trickle through his fingers. He hadn’t realised how tired he was, but as his eyelids fluttered shut, Sebastian thought he saw a shadowy shape approach him. 

When Sebastian woke up again, he didn’t realise that he was no longer alone. It was just after dusk and the sky was a dark navy that merged beautifully on the horizon with the deep green of the sea. The bright, silver stars blinked and shimmered in the sky. Everything was so breathtaking and magical that Alexander got the biggest fright of his life when a shy voice behind him coughed timidly. He turned around and everything, except the girl in front of him, ceased to exist. He had thought the island was amazing but it was nothing compared to her. She had long, wavy, brunette hair that looked like melted chocolate and hazel eyes that drew Sebastian in yet kept him locked out from her past. She was wearing a simple, cobalt blue shift and she had gold sandals, hundreds of gold bangles and small, gold, hoop earrings.

Two weeks later, Sebastian and Helena, the beautiful girl, were out by the river. They were fishing, laughing and enjoying the gorgeous day and a delicious picnic prepared by Helena’s mother.
“Excuse me for a minute,” she said and as she walked away, she looked back and gave him the look she always did when she left him. It was a silent promise – she would be back.

A few minutes later, a twig snapped behind Sebastian and he quickly spun round but he wasn’t fast enough. A black, cloth bag was thrown over his head and although he tried to shout for help, a rag had been forced into his mouth and he only gagged on it. A sudden wave of panic came over him. Sebastian had to try and stay calm as a million questions rushed through his head; should he fight back, was Helena ok, had she known this was going to happen, where was he being taken, who had captured him? A wave of nausea came over him and there were strong butterflies in his stomach.   

When Sebastian woke up again, he wished he hadn’t. The cave, he assumed that was what it was, was cold and there was a slow, constant DRIP – DRIP – DRIP of water falling from the grey, jagged, stalactites coming down from the roof into puddles below. There was also a bitter wind coming in through cracks in the walls and the built-in lamps kept flickering on, then off and then on again. Sebastian examined the large, natural-looking archway and noticed prehistoric carvings etched into the wall. He also noticed the metal cage that was enclosing him and made him feel like an exhibit in a zoo on a rainy day. The cage looked new and the bars were thick and solid. There was no escape! Sebastian’s blissful time on the island flashed in front of his eyes and he felt like curling up in the corner of the cage, thinking about all that had happened, and staying there till the end. 

Suddenly, there was a noise from a small passageway behind him. It was a very quiet noise but if Sebastian strained, he could hear it. It defiantly sounded like whoever was making this noise, whatever it was, didn’t want to be heard. Just as he was about to call out, a cloaked, hooded figure stumbled through. It was Helena. She looked pale, tired and hungry but she stumbled up to him.
“Oh Sebastian, thank goodness you are alright. I thought he had killed you!” she wept in a hoarse voice.
“He? Who is he?” Sebastian demanded, but all he got as a reply was stifled weeps and sobs.
“Okay, you don’t have to answer, I’ll find. . . . .”
Sebastian was cut short by a silky voice from the main cave entrance, “Ah, sister, I see you decided to turn up. I didn’t realise you cared about him so much. I mean, I knew that something was going on, but this, it’s unbelievable! What’s going on?” said the voice as its owner emerged from the shadows. Its owner looked exactly like Helena except his hair. This man was completely bald except for a braided ponytail that started at the nape of his neck and swept from shoulder to shoulder when he moved. His ponytail was the same colour though and so were their eyes. He was even wearing the same colour clothes as her.
“Oh Hector, I – I didn’t mean to get into this, I swear.” As she said this, she gave Sebastian a look that showed that she was doing this for their good.
“Don’t lie to me! Have you forgotten we are twins? I can tell when you are lying and I can also sense when things are going wrong in your life. Do not lie to me again,” Hector suddenly yelled. “Let’s try that again,” his voice regaining its silky sound, “What is going on?”
Helena gave Sebastian an apologizing look then explained that she had been out walking when she had seen Sebastian. He had been asleep so she had waited on the beach till he woke up again.
She then explained what had happened from then till now. Sebastian was listening to this and watching Hector’s face go from calm, to amused, then to annoyed and finally to jealous. Then Sebastian was snapped out of his daydream when Helena sobbed, “But now I’m expecting a child.” Hector and Sebastian both stared at her. Sebastian’s face went white and Hector’s face went tomato red.
“You whore, you cheating fox. You didn’t tell him you were engaged to be married to me since we were born? You didn’t tell him, did you?”
“Sorry, I’m so sorry, I was just so happy with him and I never felt like that being in a forced marriage to you, my brother!” Helena was choking back tears as she said this. It was her time of extreme bravery; she had never stood up to her brother before.
Suddenly, Hector ran at his sister. Sebastian thought he was embracing her but when Hector drew back there was a small, bloody dagger in his hand. As Helena collapsed, Hector ran over to Sebastian’s cage, unlocked the door and threw it open. As he ran out of the cave, he cackled “Enjoy your love while it lasts, you helpless couple.”
Sebastian ran up to Helena but she was already lying in a big pool of blood and both of them knew she had very little time left.
“I love you. I know my time is nearly up but I will watch over you and I will always be here, waiting,” said Helena almost inaudibly. It was as loud as she could manage but it meant so much it didn’t matter.
“I love you to and will always think of you,” said Sebastian but it was too late, her soul was drifting through the crack she had entered through, wailing and crying out. She was releasing her misery so she would enter the holy place a calm and pain-free spirit. Sebastian let out a cry, thick with emotion, and thought he heard a menacing, velvety laugh from beyond the cave.