The sun shining through the window wakes me up. I hear water running in the bathroom, signifying that the supervisor is getting ready for our spa day.

I pull the covers over my head and close my eyes to fool her. It does not work, and she lifts me out of the bed and escorts me to the bathroom, where I brush my teeth and use the toilet. We eat mimosas and eggs benedict for breakfast in the lobby, then head towards the spa.

Our first treatment is a mud bath. We are given separate tubs, which is a relief since I prefer to be alone. I am reluctant to walk into the mud naked but know there is no way out of this, and I step into the tub.

Pigs wade around in the mud as a natural sunscreen. I have no idea why a human being would want to do the same, but my guess was because it is relaxing. It feels oddly blissful to have mud squishing between your toes, especially when you wiggle them constantly.

A spa attendant places two cucumber slices over my eyes and applies a green facial mask to my face. I sink deeper into the soothing mud and listen to the calming sounds coming from the ocean just outside.

My mind draws me towards the ocean waves, and I begin drifting beneath an undersea world—the surface ripples over my head. I look towards the bottom and see soft sand and several sea stars.

Then, I hear a faint honking. I turn around but see nothing. The honking becomes louder, and it seems to be coming from the surface. A long and curvy shadow is standing above me. My curiosity guides me towards the shadow. The moment I surface, it dissolves, and a pink light engulfs the sky above. A sweet scent of peony and hibiscus fills the air.

The spa attendant startles me. The thirty minutes are over.

I rinse the mud off and join my supervisor in a Swedish massage.

Image by Susan Cipriano from Pixabay