The Vacation

Vacation! Just the word sent a wave of pleasure over her. They hadn’t been on vacation for so long, thought Vanessa. And now they would get away, just her husband, Chris, and their two young children, Dylan and Sharon. She made reservations at an old hotel on the beach with a restaurant attached, so they could stay put for a couple of days and not have to go anywhere. They would have it all, soft beds, the beach and good food.

When they arrived at the hotel, they went up to their room. It was large, with two Queen beds, a big TV, and a small kitchenette with a full sized refrigerator. The kids immediately jumped on the beds then changed into their swimming suits. Vanessa told them they had to have lunch before they could go down to the ocean, and they groaned, but were soon laughing again as Chris tossed Dylan, the youngest, onto the bed where Sharon was sitting and then tickled them both.

The restaurant had outdoor seating, so they decided to eat al fresco. The dining area was near the hotel’s pool and they had a wonderful view of the ocean. Vanessa noticed a few seagulls flying overhead, but thought nothing of it. She enjoyed their cries with the sound of the waves.

They ordered a simple lunch and the food came quickly. Vanessa and Chris raised their glasses and toasted each other, kissing and sipping their wine. It was fun to have wine in the afternoon. Suddenly, Sharon cried out, “Oh no!”

Vanessa and Chris snapped to attention. As they looked around, they didn’t see Dylan. “What it is?” Chris shouted to Sharon.

Sharon pointed to the pool, too overcome to say a word. They all ran over, and saw that Dylan had quietly slipped into the water and was now floating face down on the surface. Chris jumped into the water and laid the boy on the concrete beside the pool. Vanessa and Chris shook Dylan and patted him on the back, but he was unresponsive. “Sharon, call 911 on my cell!” she yelled. Vanessa was trained in CPR, so she immediately went to work on the child while she could hear Sharon calling emergency services and crying in the background. Chris was crying and praying and she kept on with the CPR. Waves were crashing, and she heard the seagulls and the sound of plates breaking. She glanced over at their table and saw a surreal sight, the gulls crying and fighting over their food, pecking at each other, wings spread and food flying. Just a second ago, they were sitting there, so happy. Vanessa looked down at her boy and felt panic rising in her chest and she called out, “Come on, Dylan!” She heard Dylan cough so they turned him on his side as he coughed out the pool water and Chris rubbed his back. Sharon stood limply, the phone dangling in her hand, a look of relief washing over her tear-stained face.

“Are you okay?” Chris asked Dylan, and the boy nodded. They all grouped together around him, shocked but happy. Vanessa noticed a small crowd of people were now gathered outside, watching them and crying out in relief. The crowd started clapping. The ambulance pulled up and the EMT’s checked Dylan then loaded him into the van for the trip to the hospital. Vanessa jumped in with him, Chris and Sharon would follow in the car.

The vacation didn’t go as planned at all, but that was okay. Everyone was alive, and that was all that mattered. For a few years after that, the sight of seagulls made Vanessa feel dizzy and sick, and hearing their cries brought on a panic attack. Vanessa and her family’s next few vacations were inland, focusing on museums and amusement parks.

This is written in response to Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #319

The image below is from david Griffiths on Unsplash.

This is written in response to Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #319

#FFFC

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #319