The Beginning... (only postive feedback- I'm not editing until December)

The day Katie was kidnapped was just not as scary as it should’ve been. Mostly, because Katie wasn’t kidnapped at all, but home, having been lulled to sleep by the whirling of the air conditioner and the drone of late night TV. To the only people that she knew in the Dominican Republic, the tiny country that shares its island home with Haiti, Katie was a goner. Robbed, beaten, hopefully not killed, but most certainly gone. And someone was going to have to tell her parents.

The evening started innocently enough. Annie invited Katie over for a home cooked, Southern dinner. Katie had moved to the Dominican Republic a little over two-and-a-half days ago, on the suggestion, rather, absolute insistence of Annie. At that time in her life, Katie would not easily admit that she was really making it in the post college graduate adult world. She was, in fact, drowning. Alcohol, depression, a waitressing job in her hometown, and a boyfriend who was only her boyfriend when there was no one better around were beating Katie. Add to that her disintegrating relationship with her roommates, people who had been two of her best friends through college, and it was easy for anyone to see, including her own self-absorbed mother, that Katie was sinking fast. Annie’s email couldn’t have come at a better time.

Within a month of the initial email, the one Annie sent to Dr. Renault, head of the art department at Brenau University, Katie had her bags packed and was on a plane. The email had asked Dr. Renault if she knew of any art teachers who weren’t currently working. It seems that the elementary art teacher at the school Annie was working at, an international school in the Dominican Republic had, as Annie put it, “pulled a runner.”- over Thanksgiving weekend, he had simply packed his bags and left. So the school was desperate to replace him and knowing how hard it was to find teachers in December, they had enlisted the help of their current staff to contact anyone who might be able to help.

Katie had answered back immediately, though not because she was interested in the job. Hell, she didn’t even know where the Dominican Republic was. But she and Annie had been friends in college and Katie wanted to say hi. Three days later, after a few more exchanges and Annie asking for her phone number, Katie’s phone rang.
“Hey, Katie! It’s Annie! I’ve got Andrew with me- he’s the headmaster here.”
“Uh, hi.”
“I just wanted to tell you a little more about the job- I think you’d be great! It’s so amazing here and we could work together all the time. You could help me paint sets for my shows and design posters and tickets. There’s a big art show with the other schools in the country every year and you could get your kids ready for that! So what do you say?”
“Um, sounds great. But I don’t really know.” Katie already had absolutely no intention of going, but being raised as a Southern girl, it was impolite to say no before you’d heard someone out. Actually, if you asked her mother Ruthann, it was impolite to say no ever. Especially to a man.
“Hi Katie, this is Andrew. Listen, Annie has told me a lot about you and I really think you’d be great for the job. I’m going to be stateside in about two weeks. Do you think you’d be available for an interview? I’ll be in New Orleans.” Andrew had a deep voice and he sounded like he was smiling, even over the phone.
“I… guess. Maybe I should check with my dad and see what he thinks.” This is the way out, Katie thought. There’s no way my dad’s going to let me go to New Orleans for an interview with a strange man, much less move to the Dominican Republic. I’ll let him be the one to say no, she thought, relieved.
“Great! Well, why don’t you email me tomorrow and let me know your decision. I look forward to hearing from you! Here’s Annie. Good night!” Katie heard him had the phone back to Annie and then their muffled talking.
“Okay, Katie? He’s gone. Listen, you have got to come do this! Andrew is so awesome to work for- he loves the arts and will totally support anything you do! And this school is so great! It’s beautiful here all the time and you can see the ocean from the top of my apartment building. All the teachers are really fun- there’s one guy who rides a motorcycle and goes paragliding on the weekends! Most of go to the beach every other weekend to these all-inclusive resorts and it barely costs anything. You really should do it! We would have a blast together!”