Submission (#5885) Approved

“Wait up Mythica!” Sohail whined as the distance between him and his friend only increased. He was envious of her ability to fly, especially in situations like these. The hot sand burned his paw pads with every step and there was no time for him to cool them off in the water. The two of them won an exclusive spa day on the Palu-Au islands but only had 20 more minutes until their sessions started. It was Sohail’s fault they were cutting it so close. He couldn’t find his sunscreen and since he decided to pack at the last minute, he couldn’t go pick more up. “This is supposed to be relaxing! I am NOT relaxed at all!”

Mythica was worried they were going to be late as well. She was the one who won the tickets and against her better judgment, she left it up to Sohail to get himself ready without any reminders. She had been ready to go days prior and was counting down until the two of them could escape their mundane lives and go enjoy a weekend of pure relaxation. Her little wings were going faster than a hummingbird as she pushed forward. She heard Sohail’s complaints but couldn’t acknowledge them. If they were late, they would not let them in. She was not relaxed either; however, she knew in 20 minutes she would be in a hammock reading her favorite book. “Think of the smoothies! Push yourself!” She hollered back.

“I can’t! I have little legs!” Sohail wailed.

The two of them rounded the corner, sand spraying everywhere as Sohail took it tight. What felt like forever, they finally made it to the spa. 

“You’re just in time!” The hostess greeted the two of them with a forced smile. They were a sight to see for sure. Dripping in sweat, covered in sand and tall grass, Sohail and Mythica were utter messes! “How about you two get cleaned up and we can show you the resort.

The two of them nodded and after a quick dip in the sea, they met back at the lobby. The spa was beautiful. It sat right on the shores and had an excellent view of the crystal blue water. There were palm trees inside as well as tall grass full of wildflowers and butterflies. It was breathtaking. After their tour, Mythica beelined it for the only open hammock while Solhail began to lather himself in sunblock. 

“Isn’t this great!” She laid back in her hammock and tilted her sunglasses down past her eyes. She had her book in one hand and coconut drink in the other. She stretched her tired wings out as she began to get lost in her novel. It was about the history of the island. She found it fascinating to be immersed in such an enriched environment and knew when she was ready to explore she could identify key formations and vegetation. How exciting! She thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Sohail was ready to dive in, literally. He had already rented snorkel gear and was prepared to explore every inch of the resort. While he didn’t do any prior research, he was excited to discover and name all the fish he found. Sure, they were already discovered but to Sohail, it didn’t matter. This was his way of relaxing and the cold, salty water on his toe pads after a long day brought him instant relief. “Come in Mythica! I found a string fish!”

“String fish?” Mythica knew Sohail had a wild imagination and was naming something that already existed.

“Yeah! It is this long” He held his paws shoulder length apart, “and its face looks like this,” he picked his lips. 

“Oh! You mean a trumpet fish!” She exclaimed. While she thought it was foolish of him to do this sort of thing she enjoyed the challenge and being and to piece together his descriptions. It was like a puzzle.

“Yeah… whatever..” Sohail dunked his head back in the water so that only his snorkel and back poked out. While the two of them disagree about the naming of fish and already discovered creatures, they always come together and agree on food. The dinner buffet was extensive and the two of them stuffed their faces full of fish, fruit, smoothies, and cake for dessert. It was nice having someone cook food for them for once and not have dishes to clean after. After dinner, Sohail and Mythica rolled back to the beach one more time before leaving. However, before making it down to the sand Sohail raced back to his bag in search of his thank you note. He was grateful for this relaxing excursion and wanted to express it the way his parents taught him. No matter how hard he looked, it wasn’t there. “How will she know!” He whimpered, paws covering his face in disappointment. Just as he was expressing his concerts, his faithful pomu peered around the bush. In his little hands he was clutching the letter that Solhail was searching for. “You’re my hero!” He scooped his friend up and danced around the room with him. The two of them booked it to the beach where Mythica was starting to pack up her stuff. “This is for you!” Sohail shoved the letter into her hands. 

After a moment of reading it, Mythica looked up with watering eyes. “You’re a great friend and I am lucky to have you! Thank you for coming on this trip with me!”