AJ Beaufort
Location: Beachside Cabin
Skills: N/A
AJ had been on numerous vacations throughout her short sixteen years of life. Her family would travel to her grandparents for Christmas, and they often travelled to California to visit her aunt. It was something she often looked forward to. She loved to visit unfamiliar, strange or distant locales; places and experiences that she normally wouldn't get to have in her New Jersey hometown of Glen Rock.
So, when her parents broke the news that they were going to an
island resort over the course of summer break, AJ had been practically clawing at the thought of summery tans and beachside relaxation. She watched the calendar like a hawk with each passing day, going over and over her list of things to bring to ensure she had absolutely
everything she would need to party and enjoy her time on the island. It wasn't every day you could visit a fancy resort (even though her parents were the ones paying for it). AJ wanted everything to be absolutely
perfect.
In another life, AJ would've been out on the beach, lounging away and sipping from a coconut drink right now. But like the other tourists on the island, AJ had her dreams ripped away from her. The carnage, the bloodshed—she couldn't shake the image out of her head. It came back like a recurring nightmare, haunting her dreams and thoughts. Gone were the ideals of a luxurious beach vacation. The only things that were on her mind now were staying alive, her parents, and getting off this hellscape of an island.
"Mom, she began,
"do you think dad is okay?" Her voice was unusually timid; a far cry from the typical extroverted happy go-lucky attitude she often had. She had stuck to her mother's side like glue since the incident. AJ didn't want to be alone, and she also didn't want to potentially lose another parent. They had been separated from her father following the chaos a month ago, and he had yet to surface alive or dead. AJ dearly hoped he was still alive, but with each passing day, she began to lose a little more faith.
She took off her ball cap, looking over the Brooklyn Nets logo that embroidered the front of the hat. It had been a gift from her father years ago; a time when better memories were to be had. A time when simply living hadn't been a matter of life or death.
"He has to be, right?" AJ continued, turning to her mother.
"Dad's strong. If anyone could make it out there, it'd be him."