Your friends are waiting and the sooner you set off, the more time you'll have at the beach. You peel off your sock and slip into your new braided flip flops.
"All set?" Corey grabs the towel bag and the three of you head for the door.
"Should we take our phones?" you ask.
"Nah," says Corey opening the front door. "They'll just get sand jammed up in them again."
"Besides, there's like zero reception," says Vasudha.
The warm sun welcomes you as you exit the house. The three of you descend the stairs and set off toward the adjacent jungle trail. Your sandals slap against your soles with each step, throwing up bits of sand. "So... how far is this secret beach?" you ask.
"Not far," says Corey, fearlessly leading the way.
You and Vasudha shrug and follow, with you pulling up the rear.
It isn't long before the trail begins to thicken. Corey hacks away leaves and branches with his arms while you and Vasudha try not to get caught in the recoil. "Is it much further?" Vasudha asks.
"Shouldn't be," says Corey, still optimistic.
Your tankini gets caught on a twig and you pause a moment to unhook it without creating a tear. You hardly make two more steps before another snag catches your top. When you look up, you see Corey and Vasudha are putting distance between you. If you try to catch up, your new swimsuit could be ripped to shreds. You look to your right and see a more open path however - maybe that's where the actual trail is. "Hey guys? I think we missed the trail?" they're too far away and can't hear you over their trailblazing.
Maybe you can catch up to them faster using what looks like the real trail.
