“Thanks Alberto!” Dani called out to the receding canoe. Alberto raised a hand in return and continued paddling back to the private island Dani and Jenn, her wife, had rented for their honeymoon. Dani turned towards Jenn and beamed. “Isn’t this great?”

Jenn responded with a trepidatious smile. This island was indeed lovely. The tiny beach was hemmed by lush, emerald green vegetation and brilliantly colored flowers. Just beyond that was a dense wall of palm trees and other tropical plants. Brilliantly clear water lapped at the sandy beach and coursed through the mangroves covering the rest of the shoreline. Despite the wide open view of the water, Jenn couldn’t quite shake the feeling of claustrophobia created by the crushing presence of the trees.

Dani shouldered the backpack and led the charge into the undergrowth. She had always been drawn to athletic pursuits and island hopping in Belize for their honeymoon had been her idea. Jenn had expected nice resorts where they could relax and enjoy being newlyweds, but was instead greeted by a clean yet simple compound.

‘It’s rustic,’ Dani had argued when Jenn voiced her concerns. ‘Plus, except for Alberto, we’re alone here.’ Now they were in an even more remote location doing the opposite of relaxing.

It was darker than Jenn expected once they were under cover of the trees. The thick canopy blocked out most of the light, leaving only a dappling of bright spots on the growth beneath. It was as though they had stepped straight into twilight. A shudder ran up Jenn’s spine- this place was eerie.

“It’s so quiet,” Jenn whispered as they wove their way between the thick trunks.

“These islands can’t support much animal life,” Dani replied at full volume. Jenn knew she was right, but why weren’t there any insect or frog noises? Surely they would thrive here.

“This place is freaking me out. Can we just go back to the beach and enjoy some sun?” Jenn asked.

“We just got here,” Dani answered, annoyance creeping into her voice. “Let’s enjoy some nature. We’ll head back soon.” Jenn thought about protesting, but it wouldn’t do any good. If she knew one thing about her wife, it was that Dani could be stubborn to a fault. They were going to finish this trek or die trying.

“Hey!” Dani cried out suddenly. “Check this out!” She bent down and brushed aside some leaf litter, exposing a smooth round stone. The stone bore a weathered carving in the shape of a human skull. Dani was ecstatic, but Jenn’s discomfort grew. She knew it was impossible, but it felt like the carving was staring at them. She shuddered again, but the feeling of being watched didn’t fade.

“Do you think there used to be pirates here?” Dani asked, excitement shining in her eyes.

“Put it back, Dani. This is creepy as hell and I want to go back.” Jenn demanded. She cocked her head to the side and held her breath. Was that... whispering she just heard? It couldn’t be. This place was messing with her mind. She heard a whizzing sound and saw Dani slap the back of her neck. Apparently mosquitoes were comfortable living here. Jenn felt a sting on her own neck and slapped at it too. Instead of wiping away a smear of blood, she felt something hard. Jenn plucked the item from her neck and looked incredulously at the slender white shape.

“I don’t feel well,” Dani said, drawing Jenn’s attention away from the strange dart. Dani didn’t look well either. Her face had turned deathly pale and beads of sweat stood out across her forehead. Jenn took a step towards her wife and tumbled to her knees. She felt weak.

“What..” Jenn slurred. She was so tired. Dani collapsed to the ground, and Jenn fell beside her. Three deeply tanned men stepped out from the trees, reaching for the fallen honeymooners. As they advanced, blackness overtook Jenn’s vision.

--

“Jenn!” Dani whispered harshly. Jenn felt her foot moving and opened her eyes to see Dani kicking it. She felt incredibly groggy.

“Dani?” Jenn asked. “Where are we?” She looked around the dark room, trying to get her bearings. The accommodations looked primitive- bark walls, grass mats on a dirt floor, and a low round opening in one side. Her hands were tied behind her back and seemed to be secured to the ground. She looked over to Dani and saw why. The back wall of the hut was a mangrove and they had been lashed to the exposed roots.

Before Dani could answer, a man and woman crawled into the small hut. The woman wore an elaborate necklace adorned with small animal bones and the man carried a knife carved from bone. The woman squatted down in front of Jenn and grabbed her face with one hand. She sharply turned Jenn’s head left then right before standing up and repeating the brief examination with Dani. She spoke a few words Jenn couldn’t understand and poked Dani hard on one of her thighs. The man hunkered down next to Dani and said a few more words to the woman. She knelt across Dani’s shins as the man pressed the point of his knife into the place the woman indicated.

“No,” Dani begged. “Please, I just want to go home.” She turned to Jenn, tears streaming down her face. “Help me,” she implored. Jenn couldn’t move. She was in shock, her mind unable to comprehend the scene she saw before her. This was her honeymoon. Right now, she should be swimming in a sparkling ocean, relaxing in the sun, getting laid. Being butchered by a strange man had no place in the agenda. Dani’s agonizing scream as the man started sawing off chunks of her flesh snapped Jenn back to reality with a new clarity. The necklace and knife owned by her captors weren’t animal bones- they were human bones. She and Dani weren’t going to leave here alive.