After a week of being at the island, I fall into a sort of routine that is enough to help me make it through the days without too much thinking. I realized that the more I thought about things, the more grief-stricken and homesick I was. That mixed with the immense confusion I was still feeling was enough to make me want to pass out. With every passing day, my hope that I was dreaming lessened considerably and I began to think about my mother and the final words I’d heard her say almost constantly.
I’d wake up early each morning to find Shane sitting on his log working on his spear that was actually beginning to turn out quite nicely, and he’d smile and wave me over. We’d talk for a bit before he’d stand up, run to his tent, grab a knife and ask if I’d like to come with him to catch some fish for breakfast and hunt down some new firewood. I’d always say yes, he’d laugh, and then we’d trudge out together down to the creek that ran in a deep trench and was full of silver sparkly fish. Shane was my very first friend I realized, and in that week, I became closer to him than anyone I’d ever known. Through our time together, I came to realize that he was crushing pretty badly on Juliet, and from what I’d seen, the she liked him back at least as much and sometime’s they’d go down to the creek and kiss and talk and do boyfriend/girlfriend things. But Shane insisted that although they did things like that, they weren’t really together. “It would never work.” He says. “I’m like one thousand years older than her. And if we go back, I’ll have to live knowing that the girl I was with, has been dead for like, over a thousand year which is both ew and really sad.” I could understand that. But if they really weren’t together, I thought, they wouldn’t be kissing by the creek. After my time with Shane in the morning, the five of us would gather around the small hearth and cook then eat some fish. Marco would finish first, and then go off to scout around the island to see if he could find a way home. Lizbet would finish second and go out to gather things for lunch. Then Shane would go and clean the knives and work on his spear some more while Juliet would take me out to the area behind the girls’ tent and teach me how to use a weapon. “You’ve got to make the knife an extension of your arm.” She’d say. “Become one with it. The person you are fighting is your partner… dance with them now.” It was easy for me to imagine, and apparently, I was a natural. After that, Lizbet would be back with a somewhat decent snack and we’d all eat around the hearth again. Afterwards, the boys would go out to the beach looking for more firewood and Lizbet and I would sit and talk while Juliet went out searching for fish. She told me all about her life at home, her husband and two kids, and what it was like to be a girl back then. I told her about my life of going to school, and having next to no friends. She was shocked when I told her that I wasn’t married. “But you are beautiful!” She gasped. “Boys should be lining up across town to get your hand.” It took a while to explain to her that in the 21st century, marriage at 16 is pretty much unheard of.
“Hey guys I’m back!” Juliet’s voice called out through the forest. She was holding up six sparkling fish that I’d never seen before. “Pretty successful night, wouldn’t you agree?!” Both Lizbet and I nod. “Oh Juliet how grateful I am for your wonderful abilities!” Lizbet says and the curtsies. I raise an eyebrow and step forward to help Juliet get the fish strung in between two trees so they could drain before the boys came back. “What… no curtsy? I have to say I’m disappointed.” Juliet says as soon as Lizbet is out of earshot, putting a hand on her hip. I shoot her a glare, but I’m sure my eyes are sparkling with laughter. “Oh! My apologies miss.” I say and then grab the sides of my jeans and curtsy. Juliet bursts into laughter. “You’re adorable.” She says between giggles. In that moment, the feeling of loneliness disappears from my chest, and I feel happier than I’ve felt in a really long time. We walk back to the hearth and sit down. The fire is just beginning to die out and the first chills of the night are beginning to set in. “Those stupid boys had better hurry up.” Juliet says wrapping her arms around herself. “It’s going to be freezing soon.” I nod and look towards the forest hoping to see Marco and Shane coming through the trees. “Do you think they’re alright?” I say. Juliet shakes her head. “We won’t know for a few hours I guess. But by then, it’ll be late, and here? Sleep is important. We’ll eat the fish raw now, and then go to bed, and if they’re not back tomorrow morning, I’m going to look for them.” I nod in agreement. “Tomorrow then.”
~*~
Sleep didn’t come easily that night. In fact, it didn’t come at all. The eerie noises that came from the woods were enough to keep the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Not to mention the freezing cold that seeped under the thin material of my blanket and into my ever pore. I got out of bed early the next morning, my muscles aching with grogginess. Juliet and Lizbet are not in bed which tells me they’re outside, and the dead silence tells me that Marco and Shane are still nowhere to be found. I slide out of bed and fixed my rumpled clothing to where it’s at least presentable and step outside. Sure enough, both girls are sitting curled up on the log at the edge of the forest staring at the empty hearth. “They never came back last night did they?” I say. Both of them shake their heads. “Juliet, I am frightened for them.” Lizbet says. Juliet puts her hand on Lizbet’s shoulder. “We’ll find them as soon as we can.” She says, but her tone tells me that she’s worried as well. “We need to go search for them Juliet. Right now. ” I say. Juliet looks up at me with a start, and gives me a look that tells me she isn’t used to being told what to do. She nods anyway and takes a deep breath. “In the boys’ tent under Shane’s pillow is a knife. Go, grab it, and pray that you won’t need to use it.” I follow her orders, and sure enough find a long razor sharp knife under Shane’s pillow. I jog back to Juliet who now had Lizbet standing beside her; Juliet holds two knives identical to the one I am holding. “You ready?” Juliet says giving me a pointed look. My heart jumps into my throat and I take a deep breath. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” With that, we were off. Juliet was fast, so she led the way, sprinting through the forest at top speed. I managed to keep up, but Lizbet was having trouble. She lagged behind the both of us breathing hard. “Juliet!” I shout. “Slow down! Lizbet can’t keep up!” Juliet casts a hurried look over her shoulder and stops completely. “You didn’t have to stop completely.” I say after I catch up to her. I’m breathing hard, and my adrenaline is going insane. “Yeah I did. She’s got to catch up… the beach is right there anyways.” I turn and look. Sure enough we’re only a few feet away from the sand. When Lizbet reaches us, she’s breathing hard, and sweat is pouring down her face. “You ok?” I ask. She swallows and nods rapidly. “Alright guys. I don’t know what we’re going to see out there, but no matter what it is, we’ve got to stick together ok?” Juliet says. I nod. Lizbet coughs. “Let’s go.” Juliet says gravely.
The beach was dead silent when we stepped through the trees. The aqua-marine water was lapping at the sugary white powder. I can see a faint outline of footprints leading towards the mountains but these are the only disturbance in the sand. “Juliet.” I say, and nod towards them. She nods and begins to follow them. We walk for fifteen minutes, and there still isn’t a single trace of them anywhere besides their footprints. “Marco!?! Shane?! Hello?!!” Juliet calls. We’re greeted with nothing but silence. “Something is very wrong about this.” I say. Juliet nods, and gives me a serious look that rattles my bones. “Lizbet, you go on ahead a few feet… Isabel and I are going to stay back a bit and get ready to fight. This is definitely Magowan’s doing.” Lizbet nods and jogs ahead. “Take out your knife, and follow me.” I do as she says, and she leads me towards the water. “I’ve been picking up clues.” She says once we get to the ocean’s edge. “We walked right into a trap. We’re going to be attacked.”
“Then why’d you send Lizbet ahead?” She gives me a pointed look. “She can’t fight. That’s the thing with the 1800’s… she’s already married and has children. I’d rather die and leave behind only my mother and father, than have her die and leave behind a husband and children.” I nod. “That’s very noble of you.” She gives me a sad smile. “Of us actually… Alright. Let’s get this show on the road. Magowan’s followers, we’ve seen your signs, and we know you’re there. Come out you cowards!!! Show yourselves!” Juliet shouts into the wind. There’s a loud hissing noise, and right before my eyes more snakes than I’d ever seen before slither up out of the water. “Isabel, go to the forest’s edge and fight off whatever I miss ok?” I’m hesitant to leave her alone. “Go!!!” She shouts, and with that I’m off like a rocket. I dash towards the edge of the dark forest, my heart roaring in my ears. The beach erupts into total chaos, dark slithering things hissing and biting at me no matter where I turn. It’s hard to believe that a place, two seconds ago so beautiful it made my jaw drop, was now full of nightmares and awful terrifying things. Juliet is screaming and cursing at the top of her lungs at an overly large snake that just seems to laugh back at her with glowing yellow eyes. Magowan’s eyes, I realize, which makes my heart speed up even more. Though it seems impossible, I force my brain to focus at the situation at hand, I need to help … I can’t just stand here. I tear the knife I had grabbed from the boys’ tent out of my belt. I hold it out in front of me and turn just in time to see a huge black snake jump out of the trees on my right side. It lunges at me, but I twist away just in time, my knife narrowly missing its neck. The snake lands hard on the ground spitting and hissing at me viciously. We begin an endless dance, the snake launching itself at me and missing, and me slashing and missing. The snake is clearly not planning on going down without a decent fight. Finally, just as the snake rears up to strike, I throw the knife; hear a sickening thunk and the snake falls dead at my feet. My face is dripping with sweat, my muscles ache, but I have to keep moving. I grasp my knife; tear it from the dead snake’s body and turn towards my next victim. But the beach is empty, and everything is deadly quiet. All of the snakes are gone, and I stand alone. I rush to the edge of the beach to find nearly all of them retreating back into the water. Then I hear someone scream and my brains snaps to attention. “What happened?” I yell back. I hear Lizbet’s voice pierce through the trees, “It is Shane! I think he is dead!