I stared hungrily at the oval plate.  I had already devoured the hot lava cake that had rested there earlier, but there was still some chocolate sauce resting there, waiting to be devoured.  The restaurant my mom had chosen had bright red walls and chandeliers that glowed an orange colour.  I tapped my spoon, looking at my mom, who was handing the tray with her credit card on it to a waitress.  My mom took out her newly bought iPad.  She started reading what was either a Chinese book or social media site.  I scooped up some of the sauce, trying to get as much as possible, as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately, my mom noticed the movement.  I saw her face turn into a scowl as I shoved the spoon into my mouth.

I didn’t wait for my mom to start lecturing.  “YUM!!  That was good.  Thanks for dessert!!”  My mom closed the mouth she had opened.   The waitress came back with the card and we walked out the door. We were in vacation in Cancun, Mexico for summer break without the rest of my family.  My brother was sixteen years old then, seven and a half years older than me.  My mom was… well I probably shouldn’t say, because she hadn’t even intentionally told me her age.  I overheard her say it on the phone with God knows who.

I brought up a hand to tuck a strand of brown hair out of my face. The temperature was warmer out there than inside.  The wind tried in vain to bend the palm trees, constantly blowing hair in my face in the process.  I had thought that we were going back to the hotel, so I was surprised when my mom started walking toward the beach.  I didn’t argue though, because I knew that the choices would be either being bored in the hotel, or bored walking.  At least I could talk to my mom while we were walking.  We walked, and walked, and walked. 

Suddenly, I saw a giant dark shape in the ocean.  I didn’t scream -I never scream- but I definitely did not act really rationally.  I took a step back.  “Mom!  Mommy!”  I gasped.  “There’s some dark thing in the sea,”  My heart pounded.  What if those fantasy movies had it right and there were monsters in the world?  Shut Up, the rational part of my brain said.  It’s probably something logical.  There’s no actual monster.  My mom looked at it.  Her raven black hair flew in the wind. 

“I’m pretty sure that is a turtle or something.  It’s so close because it’s going to lay its eggs.”  I knew that was probably true, but the rational part of me couldn’t be heard in the screaming of the rest of the brain.  OH MY GOD!!!  IT’S COMING CLOSER!!!!!!  My legs instinctively ran back the direction of the resort. 

“Mei!!  Come back!!”  My mom tried to run after me, but failed.  To this day, I still do not get how she could walk so fast, yet not catch up to a seven year old. 

After a while, I calmed down and walked into the resort. I got confused as I looked around and didn’t recognise the place.  I didn’t remember the swimming the swimming pools being connected.  Just when was there a waterfall?  Where did all the tables go? 

By that time I knew something was wrong.  I realised that I was probably in the WRONG resort!!  I went back to the beach.  By then I needed to figure out what direction to go.  I took a while choosing especially since I was afraid that I was actually in the right resort and it was just because I had bad memory.  Still, my mom would have came back already.

I went the opposite way I came from since it was more likely that I had thought the walk was shorter than longer.  I ran all the way to the next resort and into my relieved mother’s arms.  She had asked everyone in that hotel if they had seen me and no one had because I was in another resort. 

We had an awesome time after that fiasco and I was sad when we had to leave.  I still had some time before school started and I never liked the main part of summer where I was either doing the math homework my mom gave me or being bored out of my mind because I watched too many TV and wasn’t allowed to watch anymore for the whole day.