Starla (The Ladies of Karnage Novella Series) by Jennifer Culbreth Page A

it?” Joni asked, looking out the window at the black night sky.
    “Our time or their time?” I chuckled, it would be fun getting used to this time difference.
    “Surprise me,” she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and yawning.
    “It is a little before one in the morning, Ireland time.” I followed her stare out the window as the twinkling lights of Dublin came into view beneath us.
    The plane descended and shortly after it was bouncing along as it landed on the runway at Dublin International. We unloaded from the plane hand in hand and rushed through the busy corridors until we found the baggage claim. We made it there before the piles of bags had begun to rotate around for pick-up, so we waited patiently until the first of the luggage came out on the rotating belt.
    “When’s it gonna come out?” Joni said to herself aloud as she waited anxiously to pounce on the bright pink luggage she’d bought specially for this trip.
    The area around us became busy and chaotic as passengers chased their luggage around. I let a green suitcase pass me by, then realized when it got to the other side of the belt that it was mine. I ran through the crowd of people in an effort to s natch it before it passed back through the wall to rotate back around. I made it just in time and pulled it off the belt and then looked around for Joni. She had been right there beside me and now she was gone. I let out a deep frustrated breath and marched back toward the main waiting area when she came rotating around the corner, riding her luggage like it was a damn horse.
    “I found it,” she beamed from where she sat on top of her suitcase. I couldn’t help but let out a loud chuckle as the patrons around us all smiled and giggled.
    “Come on. We gotta get a cab and get to the hotel.” I helped her down and together we made our way out into the cool night air.
    We rode to the hotel quietly, looking out the windows of the cab at the large stone buildings that ran along each side of the road. Some were a bright white stone, reflecting their lights out into the black sky, and some were dark and dingy, with steeple like roofs. We made it into the main part of Dublin and the streets became smaller and more quaint; shops and boutiques sleeping soundly as we passed by them. Our cab pulled up next to what looked like a pub with middle aged men milling about outside as they blew the smoke from their cigarettes up into the air.
    “Alright, lassies, this is your stop,” the cabbie belted from the front seat.
    “This is our hotel?” Joni leaned across my lap and stared out at the building we were stopped in front of.
    “It’s upstairs, my dear. I’ll help you get your things.” He opened his door, waving over to a group of men who were chatting outside of the bar.
    I looked over at Joni with a devilish smile, “How did we get lucky enough to be staying next to a pub?” Both of us were of legal age to drink in Ireland, and we were going to take advantage of that as much as we could. No more having to sneak beer from my dad’s fridge in the work shed.
    We spilled out of the cab and met the driver at the trunk, thanking him for his help and collecti ng our bags. I paid the driver and together we made our way toward the door that would lead us to our room.
    “Aye, you need some help with those?” the balder of the men asked.
    “No thank you. I think we got it,” I said, smiling over to him.
    We wheeled our suitcases to the door to the hotel and were met with a steep set of stairs. “Aw shit ,” Joni said as she looked up at the stairs in intimidation.
    I wrestled my bags up the first few stairs when the door came open behind us and in came two of the men that had been standing outside, smiles on their faces to hide their laughter. “You still thinkin’ you’re gonna get those bags up by yourself?” His heavy Irish accent floated through the air.
    “Well, I guess I could use a hand,” I smiled down at him as he and his friend grabbed