PROLOGUE
Beneath the canopy of the rainforest, the ground is alive. Leaves move seemingly of their own accord as the mammals of the tropical wilderness – spiny rats and coatis and agoutis – shuffle across the forest floor. Armies of ants march with purpose, swarms of beetles scuttle over the fallen branches and rotting vines.
Today, they are unified: they move as one, with a single mission, each organism compelled like a zombie army in the same direction. They advance towards the motionless figure lying under a hasty scattering of leaves and mulchy earth, a body so broken that it seems beyond all repair. The foliage beneath her head is gradually turning a deeper shade of crimson as the blood oozes through the back of her scalp, soaking through her hair, making it dark and matted, before it seeps into the damp earth.
Her hands unfurl from the tight fists they have been curled into, revealing a crumpled photograph inside them. A deep crease runs through its middle, and the face of the person in the picture is slightly faded, as though fingertips have caressed its outline, tracing the image over and over until the colours have begun to wear away.
The jungle’s creatures are curious; greedy, now that they have found her. Their steps are careful at first. But soon they will rush in with wildness, with abandon. After that, a wake of vultures will begin to form, circling overhead. When they have waited long enough for her, when they are ready to devour her, they will swoop down, one after the other, over and over, leaving nothing but a heap of bones scoured clean by fast beaks.
Her eyes loll open, glassy, unfocused. But she is not dead; not yet – she is hanging to life by a scrawny strand.
I want to live, her desperate eyes tell the animals and vegetation around her, attempting to communicate her anguish in the silence.
Her eyelids flutter closed, open again, each movement laboured. Her breaths are shallow; they are becoming slower.
A croak emerges from her throat – a last, desperate call for help; a cry to the rainforest, to the creatures surrounding her. To anyone who happens to be out here in this wilderness with her.
But there is no one; not any more.
And even if there were, it is too late.
They can do nothing for her now.
FEBRUARY 2024
[Hannah looks to camera, smiling.]
Hello, my amazing spiritual seeking community – all ten million of you! How did that happen, right? Thank you so much for following me!
Now listen up, y’all, because the day has finally come. I am so excited to let you know that after two years of getting this incredible space ready for you, The Hideaway, my beautiful wellness lodge in the heart of the Costa Rican rainforest, will be launching in-person retreats in the next few months! Hold tight, because I’ll be taking you on a virtual tour of the space in my next reel.
But first, I have some exciting news and my heart is bursting to share this with you! To celebrate The Hideaway opening up, I want to offer an exclusive group of you beautiful people the chance to come and experience the healing transformation that this luxurious eco-retreat, nestled amidst hundreds of acres of rainforest, can give you!
A select number of you will get to spend a week here at the end of April with me, healing and rejuvenating on a tailored, personalized wellness retreat – for free! You’ll get to stay in my stunningecolodge for a week, getting gorgeous pampering and bespoke treatments. I’ll spend the first twenty-four hours getting to know each of you on a deep, intimate level, so that I can then create a customized programme of healing just for you, designed to give you the transformation you’ve been seeking. For the lucky few who win a place, all of your flights, transfers and taxis will be paid for – though be warned, this place is a little off the beaten track, so prepare yourselves for a bumpy ride!
[Hannah pauses; her expression turns sombre, and her voice becomes serious.]
Now, I want to make sure I’m offering this experience to those of you who will benefit from it the most. So, to be eligible, you must be genuinely ready for spiritual growth, to going inward, and to getting vulnerable – even if it’s hard. You must be willing to take part in rituals and activities that push you beyond what feels safe.
Y’all, this is not just a relaxation retreat, but an opportunity to dive fully into what’s holding you back in your life so that it can be released! That’s why I can only offer this experience to such a special, limited group – because we are going DEEP and you’ll be working with me one-on-one! You must be prepared to leave here completely transformed. And if you’re not ready for that at this stage in your journey, then sadly this retreat is not for you.
[Hannah smiles, her tone of voice becomes upbeat again.]
All right, I’m almost out of time, I’d better wrap this up! To be in with a chance to win this amazing opportunity, DM me a three-minute video telling me all about yourself and why you want to come and experience The Hideaway with me. Andopen up! Share what comes into your mind and heart, talk truthfully about who you are, your struggles, and the transformation you truly desire for yourself.
I can’t wait to see all your faces, and to host my first little group of y’all here!
Until then, peace and love, spiritual seekers.
[Camera fades to black.]
MIRA
‘Mierda!’
Mira startled at the driver’s exclamation as the jeep rocked wildly on the uneven track, tracing a path through gigantic trees, splashing through puddles the size of small ponds.
Is this even a road?She wound her window down and poked her head out, looked upwards, took in the lush forest that rose so high it seemed to touch the lowering sun, the tops of the trees barely visible. Above them, grey-black clouds were starting to gather and swirl – the approaching storm that she’d heard murmurings of at the airport.
