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PRESENT DAY - SERENITY DUNES SPA
Mud.
Thick, goopy, dirty mud that clung to her skin like a second layer she couldn’t shed. The kind of mess kids leaped into with shrieks of joy and pigs luxuriate in like it was a five-star hotel. The same damn mess that, when tracked in by a dog, required every bath towel you own and an entire bottle of floor cleaner.
Sadie Hargrove lifted her hand, feeling the weight of the dark substance before letting it slide between her fingers in slow-motion glops. It fell with a wet plop back into the tub, barely making a ripple in the thick goo.
She cracked her eyes open and peered down at herself, but all she could see was the rich, chestnut-colored surface that swallowed her body from the neck down. The earthy scent filled her nostrils.
She was literally buried alive in what the glossy brochure promised. “Mineral-rich clay, volcanic ash, and indigenous Sonoran mud.” The memory of those marketing words made her jaw clench. “What the fuck is indigenous Sonoran mud?” she muttered, her voice barely audible over the ambient spa music that seemed designed to lull people into submission. “And why is it smeared all over my?—”
The soft whoosh of a curtain pulling back had her whipping her head toward the doorway. A cheerful face popped in.
Sadie blinked. Tasha… or was it Sasha… wore a luxurious pale-blue wrap tunic with the Serenity Dunes Spa Retreat logo embroidered over her heart. The matching pants looked so soft, and they flowed when she walked.
“Greetings.” The woman’s voice carried the breathless enthusiasm of someone who’d had one too many shots of wheatgrass. Now that she was closer, Sadie could see her name badge… Tasha. Her honey-blond hair was tied back in a sleek ponytail so tight it seemed to stretch her features into a permanent expression of cheerful alertness. Her skin had that dewy, ethereal quality that made Sadie wonder if it was natural radiance or expertly applied makeup designed to look effortlessly flawless.
Sadie eyed her suspiciously. “Is that real, or is there a serum for ‘I woke up like this’? ’Cause if there is, I need some,” she muttered.
Tasha’s perma-smile widened. “I was walking by and thought I heard you say something. Everything okay?”
“Me?” Sadie glanced down at her submerged body. “Yeah. Just... having a moment with the mud.”
“I know, right?” Tasha lowered her voice with the kind of theatrical excitement as if she’d just discovered the secret to eternal happiness. “It’ssorelaxing. Detoxes the skin, eases the muscles, renews the spirit.” She added a little namaste gesture, hands pressed together under her chin.
Sadie offered a slow blink. “My spirit’s not sure if it wants to be detoxed or just dunked in coffee and left alone.”
Tasha’s laugh was gentle, melodic, and completely unaffected. “You’re doing great! First time in the mud is always the weirdest. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Tasha,” Sadie said, careful to get the name right. Tasha was one of the many assistants, and Sasha must be the massage therapist she’d met upon arrival at guest intake. Sadie had every intention of swapping tomorrow’s mud bath for something that didn’t involve being stewed in earth like a root vegetable.
Tasha stepped back with a little bounce in her step and swept the gauzy curtain closed with a flourish, sealing Sadie back into her dim-lit cocoon of solitude. Soft ambient music drifted in through hidden speakers—chimes, flutes, and wind sounds that seemed scientifically designed to lull her into some kind of desert trance. She really tried to make the most of the situation. But all she could think was,This might be the weirdest thing I’ve ever done.
She leaned back against the soft foam pillow, feeling it cushion her skull as she tried to find some semblance of comfort in this bizarre setting. Her gaze wandered around the small cubicle, with its beige walls, muted lighting that cast everything in sepia tones, and fabric panels that provided the illusion of privacy while muffling every sound from the corridor beyond. Occasionally, someone would walk past, and her curtain would flutter, but the conversations remained muted, probably out of respect for the sanctity of the spa experience.
Wrapped in warmth and silence, surrounded by earth elements that had supposedly healed ancient tribes and modern CEOs alike, Sadie listened to the music. It was now playing something to mimic ocean waves. Or maybe sound engineered to convince people they were relaxed when they were marinating in muck.
Sadie closed her eyes and tried again. Deep breath in. Hold. Count to ten. Exhale slowly. Let the serenity sink in. Let the tension melt away. Let the glop of falling mud between her fingers remind her she was fully, undeniably immersed.
Lifting her hand again, she watched another thick strand of sludge stretch and drop like molasses. “Yep. Immersed,” she muttered. “Or slowly being absorbed by the earth. Same difference.”
There was no clock in the room. No phone. No smart watch. No way to keep track of time, which might’ve been part of the point. Or part of the torture. Either way, it made her twitchy. She had no idea how long she’d been in the mud or how much longer she was expected to soak.
Ten full days at Serenity Dunes Spa Retreat, an exclusive, luxury hideaway that looked like it belonged inArchitectural Digest. In the middle of the Arizona desert, it had a gated entry, a guest-to-staff ratio rivaling five-star hotels, and more rules than the military.
When arriving at the Phoenix airport, she’d been greeted by a spa employee who welcomed her as she was escorted to a large van that offered refreshments while they waited for others. The ever-smiling employee let them know that a spa van arrived every hour, so no one had to wait too long before being transported to the resort. And since private vehicles or taxis weren’t allowed, it was all part of the experience.
When they arrived, Sadie had carefully viewed out the window, cataloging the area. The road snaked endlessly through a barren expanse of red-and-tan earth and brittle brush. Cacti rose high against the blue sky, their limbs reaching in twisted poses. Beyond them, the golden sand dunes stretched beneath the haze of shimmering heat.
As they neared, the Serenity Dunes Spa Resort seemed to grow out of the desert with low, flat-roofed adobe structures the color of burnt clay. The architecture blended into the landscape, giving it a feeling of having been discovered more than built.
Around the main complex stretched a courtyard of sand and stone, dotted with desert succulents. While the other guests inthe van emitted sounds of delight, Sadie focused on the isolation—no towns, no roads in sight. Beyond the gates lay nothing but miles of harsh, unforgiving desert, leaving the spa completely isolated.
Now, she was experiencing the full spa treatment. She’d been running on fumes, held together by caffeine and stubbornness for a long time. She cracked one eye open and sighed, letting her hands move through the mud with exaggerated slowness. “This is self-care?” she mumbled, her voice flat with disbelief.
A knock just outside her bathing area pulled her attention away from her musings. “Yes? You can come in.” Her tone was sharper than she’d meant.
