Hades-Wi-Fi

"This place seems so barren and primitive... How is that possible? Technology in this world? This is getting weirder by the minute."

The irony of the situation held me in a trance-like bewilderment as I stared at my phone's settings. My brain, unwilling to comprehend the conundrum, continued on an endless loop at the absurdity of this development. A static-like haze interrupted my vision as the gears in my mind tried to make a lame attempt at resuming their habitual programming.

I couldn't shake off the crushing impression of being suckered-punched somehow by this world. This inferno mocked me with a vicious turn of events.

"How come there is a strong internet signal?! No way! It's impossible..."

Again, my dumb remark regurgitated from my lips as I stared with mindless persistence at how to proceed or respond. My throat closed up at the realization that I was in trouble—like a dried-up river in a sweltering desert.

"I'm no longer on Earth!"

My parched mind geared up its motion as my trembling finger moved to the map's application. The nefarious view of a deep red volcanic area greeted me with mocking familiarity.

"Shit! Now I should recharge my cell."

Yet another disgorged observation to my disfavor. It puzzled me why I focused on issues that didn't matter in the slightest. The cellphone was in perfect condition with no problems whatsoever. With no need for it to be charged right this second. 

"Kayla, you're on a roll... Focus on what's important. Like..."

The chill traveled down my spine, giving me pause.

"Ahem!" I cleared my throat in a lame excuse to rectify my mental slip. "I better come up with a plan and stop worrying about silly things like the internet and this smartphone."

The thought of mortal danger hiding in some random, hidden corner kept me on edge. I needed to concentrate on my safety and study my surroundings. Like a charging mob, logic barged into my head and claimed a spot in my thoughts for the first time since I arrived. 

Memory or not, I felt ready to survive this place.

As I turned to check the room, strategy formed. In my initial rush to hide from potential threats, I had not considered the place's condition. The crapped site seemed safe, and other than the occasional acrid sulfuric odor. Judging by its appearance, the area looked abandoned. An aura of neglect permeated each corner of the small enclosure. 

The temperature was just a slight bit too high but still comfortable.

I looked around for the source of the heat but came up empty-handed. Nothing in the space could cause such warmth.

Except!

"I must be right above some volcanic hot spot. I need to be careful not to dehydrate. After I'm done surveying my surroundings, I should stay close to the opening for fresh air and a quick escape."

The place provided momentary security, no doubt about that. However, it offered little in terms of long-term survival.

"Food?! Do I even have anything to eat?"

My heart raced as I looked around for any sign of food. Then, I spotted my trail of ever-present trash on the sandy ground. 

"I'm incorrigible!"

Mumbling to myself, I made my way down the trail of rubbish and headed toward my bag. Sitting cross-legged in front of my subjective loot, I emptied my pack to separate important items from the junk.

After sorting through my belongings, I ended up with a senseless yet neat stack of useful vs useless 'stuff.' On a different heap, I gathered food and water I had in my bag. The sight of my pathetic, meager wares left a lot to be desired. I glanced around, hoping for a solution to just appear and help with my food situation, but nothing came to my rescue.

"I'm fucked!"

My despair slipped out of my lips unrestrained as I realized that food would be hard to scavenge in this area. While preoccupied with my provisions dilemma, the vanishing light outside caught my attention. The day was almost over, and the dangers of the night would soon follow.

"I need to check my surroundings. See if this place is safe for the night." I mumbled as I placed my 'useful stuff' in my bag and stuffed the trash in a shopping bag.

After carefully managing the opening, I braved the barren wilderness, not straying too far in case I needed to hide. The vast, fiery landscape stretched around me, and there were no signs of life for miles. The groaning sounds of volcanic eruptions drew my gaze to the distant mountains sprinkled with rivers of lava. 

Overwhelming anguish tightened my chest as I realized the location was dangerous. Staying here meant certain death. Right on cue, as if taunting me, a volcano erupted, spewing a cloud of scorching ash in my direction.

"First thing tomorrow morning, after some rest, I'm out of here," I screamed as I hurried back to my hiding spot. Grateful that the cave's entrance faced away from the oncoming cloud.

After a few shimmies here and there to help me clear the entrance, I sat facing the opening, waiting. It took a few seconds before the dark cloud engulfed the area, engulfing my hiding spot in complete darkness.

Cough! Cough!

I stood still, waiting for the worst to pass as puffs of dust filled the cave. Hastily, with no time to waste, I grabbed a mask and lightweight jacket from my bag. I secured the mask around my face and used the jacket to cover my head, shielding myself from the whirling ash.

Time dragged on as I waited for the ashy cloud to settle a bit. I considered myself lucky that I escaped to a shelter far from the eruption. However, this also meant that I had to endure the discomfort of being covered in dirt and unable to remove my mask for the rest of the night.

And in a moment of weakness, an innate urge to survive and escape this hellish place consumed my thoughts.

With nothing else to do but wait, I fetched my phone to check if I missed anything from before.

But nothing leaped out of the ordinary.

Same as before.

With nothing else to do, I flumped to the ground and looked at my contacts. Not long after, I found Leo and Charmaine's numbers in the favorites. Tears rushed into my eyes at the sight of their names as the moment turned sour.

"Even though I can't remember you, I feel there's a part of me that's missing." In vain, an idea popped into my head. "I can at least try—see what happens."

I dialed Leo's number, but nothing. Only the busy signal greeted me. Then, I dialed Charmane's number and got the same result.

"Great! I can surf the net but not call my family. This fucking sucks!"

The sob that tore from my chest rang through the dark room, illuminated by the small display.

"I wonder what happened. I know I don't belong here... I belong with them!"

As I started at the screen, my vision wavers. Fat tears streak down my cheek for a brief ride before meeting their demise at the hands of my mask.

By this point, I developed a headache. But what caught me unaware was the flash that followed.

It had been a sunny day, riding a convertible. I had turned to look back at Charmaine enjoying the ride. Leo had been behind the wheel and had his hand on my knee—squeezing my leg and, now and then, creeping a brazen hand up my skirt. Suddenly, a bright light, and next, everything went dark.

Back in the dark, dusty cave. My breathing came in short, ragged gasps as I tried to settle my trembling body.

"Another memory?!"

Upset, I set my phone aside and went through my other belongings as a distraction. The first thing I went through was a birth certificate from Puerto Rico.

"Mmm, let's see..." I scanned the document as I absorbed the details in the paper. "Kayla Rodriguez Vélez, and my father's name is Amauri Rodriguez Velez. No mother... but why?"

With the question left unanswered, I moved on to another piece of my missing past: a baggage claim ticket. 

"We must have been on vacation—on our way home. It explains why I have this..."

Getting no more information from the ticket, I went through my phone again—.

Frustrated that the claim ticket did not provide further information, I picked up my phone to look at more pictures—in search of happy memories. While scrolling through my picture, I came across a peculiar folder. I found a series of scandalous parts of my life. 

"Mmmm, Horizontal Refreshments! I wonder what that means." 

In mere milliseconds, the folder greeted me with a healthy stash of kinky pictures and sex videos of me and my two spouses. A generous amount of videos and pictures of me, Leo, and Charmaine engaging in all sorts of sexual acts. Our love showed through how well we pleased each other.

"I wonder if we have an adult site? This shit is good!"

The thoughtless comment slipped out of my mouth as I continued to scroll through jiggling titties, tight asses, and one proud and excited cock. The recordings were a fun, explicit treat while Leo proved he could go on for hours. As it turned out, I had an equal amount of stamina to rival the handsome fellow.

"We're a wild trio. A match made in lusty heaven. That much is clear..."

Then my scrolling stopped on a video of Leo making out with an attractive guy.

As I scrolled the generous feed of my forgotten sexual escapades, my eyes fixated on a different video mixed in with our sexy one. Leo and an attractive guy engaged in a full-blown, passionate make-out session at a pub. Though not very clear, joy radiated from both me and Charmaine in the video as we watched the men's dazzling display of affection. The blush that Leo had sported made him glow, enhancing his attractiveness to greater levels of impossibility.

"He looks so dreamy when in love."

Realization dawned on me as I remembered earlier videos. During both of his weddings, the same rosy flush on his cheek and the tip of his ears had graced his handsome features. With a swipe to the left, Charmaine and I had been recording a cute breakfast video in the kitchen when the front door opened and closed, followed by the shuffling of feet headed their way. My husband had looked distraught, with eyes that held a heartbreaking sheen.

"I just got dumped!" He had whispered, deflated and voice breaking, as Charmaine and I rushed to embrace him. Leo's electronic voice echoed uninterrupted throughout the cave. "Please, never leave me!"

"Never! I promise I'll find you both." I promised when I stopped the video and shut the phone off. "We'll be together soon, I swear."

And with that vow, I curled into myself and drifted off to sleep as exhaustion took over my body. "I love you!" The whisper fluttered off my lips as darkness claimed me.