Heart Above Water

By Perrydot

Heart Above Water is the first of a two-novel series. The story takes place on a beautiful island in Thailand wherein the main characters, namely, Knight and Fable meet during a soul-searching retreat. Following their whirlwind romance, they're thrown back into their separate realities wherein they face heavy opposition from their families and s

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ukiyoto Publishing
• Release date: Mar 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9789360498153

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Heart Above Water

Perrydot

Ukiyoto Publishing

All global publishing rights are held by

Ukiyoto Publishing

Published in 2023

Content Copyright © Perrydot

ISBN

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

www.ukiyoto.com

Dedication

This novel is dedicated to Boss and Noeul who have inspired me to write fearlessly. I hope one day we could meet as author and actors but for now, I give this to you as your fan.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

About the Author

Chapter 1

A

simple poster about a retreat in some remote island in Thailand was recently circulating online. Was it interesting? Sure. But was it legitimate? Who knows?

Either way, a group of five brave and rather reckless young men and women applied which led to them arriving one by one at the takeoff point.

First was Fable, a young man born to a supposedly barren woman; he was a miracle and pretty much a menopause baby, thus the name.

He came with a sizable luggage that looked way too big for just a few days on an island but albeit giving the boy a questioning stare, the pilot loaded it up anyway. Fable took the front most seat, slapped on some headphones and pretended to be asleep. He came especially early to do this and avoid conversations with the other applicants.

Next to arrive were best friends, Peach and Pim, who, unlike Fable, barely brought anything nor were they wearing much either, just short shorts on top of their bikinis. Both were excited and giggling as they climbed up the aircraft but quickly quieted down when they saw Fable sleeping.

Third was Knight who wore a plain white shirt and blue shorts, flip flops and the only one so far with a reasonable sized backpack. He was quite the character, making his presence known the moment he stepped into the light jet.

Not bad. He remarked, nodding his head agreeably. He then noticed the two girls eyeing him and in lieu of a proper greeting, he said, Let’s hope this doesn’t take us to some island where cannibalism is a thing.

Pim chuckled coyly. After laying eyes on him for a few minutes, she was obviously smitten but it was the boy with a headset and his eyes closed that caught Knight’s attention. He smirked as Fable’s furrowing brows betrayed him and as the latest arrival took his seat at an empty row, he thought to himself, We’ve got ourselves an uptight one.

And last but not the least was Dollar who almost hit everyone, Fable being the unfortunate one to actually get slapped in the face because his eyes were closed, as the fashionably late guest came down the center aisle in his elaborate costume which resembled a chicken, a sparkly and neon colored chicken.

The fuck? Knight muttered but without any real heat behind it. He was simply a young man with a foul vocabulary as most youth but of course, it was easy for Dollar to misunderstand.

Sorry? Do we have a problem? He asked cattily and not that they did but Knight didn’t appreciate his tone so he reacted in kind of a pissy manner.

Thankfully, the pilot interrupted the brewing fight by making necessary announcements such as to fasten their seatbelts. The plane took off shortly after and they were off to a not so good start.

Contrary to Knight’s prediction, they were brought to a fairly normal looking island. And aside from the fact that it was barely inhabited, nothing seemed particularly off.

They boarded a small jeep from the airport which was driven by a lanky male with surprising upper body strength. He transferred all their luggage at once from the aircraft to his car and drove the packed jeep through winding roads with ease. And it was also from him that they learned of the retreat’s history.

Apparently, the cabin they’d be staying in belonged to a married couple who had retired on the island but after a while, the peace became a little too much especially after their only child married and settled down in the States.

They opened their home, which had four guest bedrooms and two toilet and baths each connecting two rooms, to people seeking some kind of escape whether it be from the fast-paced life outside of the island’s golden shores and turquoise waters or from their monotonous daily routine.

The man went on and on as though this was a practiced advertisement but Peach and Pim were only concerned about getting the right angles for their selfies, Knight and Dollar were still quite irritable and Fable was a bit too tired from the trip to really listen.

Their demeanor wasn’t all that different either upon arrival. Unlike in movies, the cabin wasn’t especially grand. In fact, it was a mere three-ish storey house in the shape of an ‘L’ with most of its common areas on the first floor, guest rooms on the second and a small attic that could barely fit a single bed and a tiny drawer but it had the best view. Knight called it as soon as the driver/guide showed it to them much to Fable’s disappointment.

He wanted that room too if only for the isolation.

You’re staying here? The guide asked. There’re better rooms downstairs.

Nah, I’m good. Knight replied, throwing his bag on the floor and himself on the bed.

Okay, there’s a common restroom down the corridor. He told the young man who already had his eyes closed and simply bobbed his head in response.

As the rest were selecting their rooms, leaving their luggage as placeholders, they came across the couple who came upstairs just to greet them.

Hello! You must be our guests. The woman chirped brightly to which the kids chorused a ‘hello’. Her husband fell slightly behind because, as the kids would soon find out, he was much older and had weaker knees but he welcomed them just as warmly. I see we have four guests.

Ah, five, sir. The guide politely corrected him. The other one is- He pointed a finger upstairs and the couple immediately understood.

You kids must be tired, huh? Then why don’t you take a rest or freshen up and we’ll call you once dinner is ready. Sound good? The lady of the house asked and the youngsters all nodded and uttered their thanks. Gun, you stay for dinner too. She said, referring to the guide.

Once Fable was in his room, he was finally able to breathe. He felt so uncomfortable sitting in between Knight and Dollar on the drive going there and he didn’t like that he was sharing the bathroom with the eccentric male either. He was worried he’d find neon feathers when he went to take a shower.

That in mind, Fable slumped down on the soft bed facing a glass door which led to a balcony with a view of the lush greenery on the side of the cabin. He let out a deep sigh and quietly asked himself, What am I doing here?

He must’ve been both physically and mentally drained that he didn’t realize he had dozed off. By the time he woke up, it was a little past six and Fable rushed downstairs, not wanting to be impolite, only to find that Knight had beaten him to it. In fact, it would appear that the boy had been there for quite some time and helped out with the preparations.

There you are. Knight addressed him after noticing Fable standing timidly at the foot of the stairs. Slept in, I see.

I did not. Fable argued but in a way that lacked confidence. He then turned to the lady whose apron was a caricature of a female body with an unrealistically small waist and huge breasts and, doing his best to ignore the design, he uttered an apology. S-sorry, ma’am, I didn’t realize it was late.

Oh, no harm done, hun. Don’t worry about it. And you can call me Auntie Poy.

O-okay...Auntie Poy. Fable mumbled before taking a seat and getting served a helping of salad by none other than Knight to whom he shot a half-assed glare and got a satisfied chuckle in return.

It hadn’t even been that long since they met and yet he already really disliked the guy. He assumed the feeling was mutual given the other’s behavior.

Dollar and then the two girls arrived shortly, raving about the delicious scent wafting in the air but for Pim, it was the delicious looking man holding a salad bowl and tongs.

Did you help make these? She asked in a voice that certainly wasn’t her normal one.

I just threw things here and there. Knight replied, scrunching his nose in a cute way that practically sent Pim to the afterlife right before bringing her back so she could appreciate him flexing those biceps as he served the rest with greens.

On the other hand, Knight, too, was fixated on a certain someone and he didn’t miss the little eye-roll Fable did when Pim complimented his arm muscles. He knew it was wrong of him but he enjoyed teasing the young man.

Uncle Nat is here. Gun announced as he pushed the old-er man on a wheelchair from his study. This earned some concerned gasps but Knight was the one to pipe up, What happened, pops?

Both Dollar and Fable gave him a look, the latter thinking, Where does this guy think he is, America? But Knight ignored them deliberately.

This was when Auntie Poy chimed in, He’s fine, he’s fine! She told the kids, waving a hand dismissively as her husband was brought to her side.

I just like to use this contraption to make it easier to get around sometimes. Uncle Nat added, giving Gun a grateful nod.

A collective (and relieved) ‘ah’ erupted across the table as everyone took their seats, briefly pressing their palms together to give thanks, before they proceeded to eat.

Also, Auntie Poy cupped the side of her mouth as if to whisper but said aloud, Uncle Nat needs to reserve his energy for later tonight...if you know what I mean. She winked to which Knight spat the water he had just been drinking.

Sorry. He uttered with water flowing down his chin.

That’s...a bit too much information. Fable mumbled but yet again, he did so with little conviction.

Still, Auntie Poy heard him and laughed it off. Is that so? Auntie’s sorry. Just giving you guys a heads up, you know.

The kids laughed along even though they were dreading it a little bit—okay, a lot.

After the pleasant but still somewhat awkward dinner, the couple asked the guests to gather briefly at the living room as they prepared something special.

They could only hope it had nothing to do with Auntie Poy and Uncle Nat’s appointment later. It made them queasy enough hearing about it at dinner; they might really regurgitate what they ate if they were to listen to any more.

The living space was rather cozy. Photos of Poy and Nat during their glory days–looking like Hollywood actors in the 80s–hung on the walls, an abundance of books could be found on shelves and on coffee tables and aside from the two reclining chairs which they assumed was for the couple, only a woven rug stretched across the room for sitting complete with throw pillows.

Peach and Pim were seated side by side as usual but the latter was taking her own pictures for tonight.

It’s funny. Peach piped up. I was the most excited to come here but when we arrived, I instantly felt homesick. She chuckled, turning to Pim. Weird, right?

Pim’s response was nothing more than a bored hum. She then clicked her tongue as she checked her selfies, muttering, I think the lighting here is kinda bad.

No, it’s just your face, Dollar wanted to comment but he held back; making one enemy on the first day was enough. Besides, he could acknowledge that Pim was indeed pretty, her personality was just meh.

Fable just sat in one place like a statue the whole time. Meanwhile, Knight was tinkering with an old guitar as though he owned the place. His carefree–or, to Fable, more like careless–nature irked the timid boy to no end and he wondered how he’d manage living with him for the next six days.

Finally, the couple reappeared. This time, Poy was in charge of getting her husband around as Gun had gone home and by home, he meant the small bungalow just behind the cabin.

You play? The elderly man remarked right away upon seeing Knight with his guitar. Let’s jam sometime. He said like a hip grandpa to which the boy nodded.

For some reason, Fable was disappointed that he didn’t get an earful or a light scolding like he thought Knight would. But at the same time, he felt bad for having those thoughts. He sighed inconspicuously, hoping for the day to end already.

Thankfully, Auntie Poy made it short. She picked up the stack of what looked like books on her husband’s lap and distributed them among the guests. It turned out, they were handmade journals and pencils made of good quality wood with each of their names carved into its body.

It’s up to you whether you use them or not but based on past testimonies, keeping a journal helped many of our guests understand their own feelings better and it also served as a testament of how much they’ve changed while they were here. Aunt Poy explained. We hope they’ll be of some use to you as well.

Upon returning to his room, Fable fell back on his bed with his arms sprawled out and the journal still in one hand. He held it up in front of his face, staring at it for some time and thinking back on Auntie Poy’s words about it helping to understand one’s own feelings.

But then, he threw it aside and muttered, As if.

Chapter 2

I

t was safe to say Knight didn’t have the most restful sleep due to the fine dust in his room that kept irritating his sinuses and his bed which apparently, wasn’t long enough to accommodate his height, forcing him to sleep with his legs bent or his feet hanging off of the edge.

But if anything could make up for it, then he supposed waking up to the warm sunlight streaming through the large windows of the attic and the ambient chirping of birds would suffice.

The first thing he did was open the windows and stretch out his arms, yawning. As he leaned his elbows on the windowsill, he noticed a boy walking on the shoreline and although he could only see him from the back, Knight was already familiar with his wispy jet black hair and rounded shoulders–it was Fable.

The boy had one hand shoved into the front pocket of his sweatpants and the other holding his phone to his ear. His words were muffled by the sounds of softly crashing waves and a light breeze but Knight could still catch some of the things he was saying.

Like for one, he clearly heard him say, I’m sorry, ma. He spun on his heel once he’d gone quite far and