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I managed a friendly smile, but it wasn’t reciprocated by Hester. My opinions on Adi and now Ula had hit a nerve. It was interesting how I had expected the island to be full of well-rounded folk with nourished souls who would welcome the likes of Adi and Ula no matter the circumstances.
I left the camp and arrived back at my cabin.
As I went to walk up the steps to the hut, the first thing I noticed was the door was ajar. Had I left in such a hurry that I’d forgotten to close it? My thoughts turned to the notebook next. I already felt it had some sacred value and as I took the final steps towards the pillow, I already knew what I would discover as I lifted it up. I pulled the pillow to one side and looked at the empty space. I instantly fell to my knees and scoured around by the bed and under it as well, but it was gone. There was nowhere else in the room it could have been, and as I knew, the last place I had put it was under the pillow. I knew it had to have been taken.
Who had seen me come back with the journal? It couldn’t have been Ula; she wouldn’t have had time. Whoever it was had taken an opportunity when I had run outside, and whoever had taken it had been watching me.
I took myself out to the communal area; someone had started lunch, and there was a charred smell in the air, the sweet smell of onions frying. Kali was sat near the campfire. She looked at me and I wondered if there was a message in her eyes for me. Had she been the one in my hut just now? She had been the one to drag Ula away; and that wouldn’t have left her much time to get in and out of my hut without me noticing.
Now, I was in Hester’s bad books, and with Kali’s looks never ceasing, I was starting to feel I was being judged – not only judged but watched as well.
36
THEN
As soon as the coast was clear, I stood up and walked right up to Avril’s cabin. I had seen her around the camp during Ula’s performance, and then I hadn’t seen her again and now had the urge to dispel the suspicion that maybe Avril had been the one in my hut. I knew standing around at the bottom of the steps would only make me think too long about it and eventually back out, so I took the steps two at a time, until I was on the small veranda where she would stand and take in the camp like the lioness of the pack every morning.
I pushed the door, and of course, like all the other doors here, it wasn’t locked.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it didn’t surprise me that the inside of Avril’s cabin was heavily furnished. She had a simple roll-out double mattress, but the blanket was a mass of rustic oranges and golds and turquoise. There were planksof wood balancing on bricks, which made shelves around the cabin and ornaments and books adorned them. There was a heavy scent of incense.
I knew it was a long shot, but maybe there was something inside that notebook that Avril didn’t want me to see. I bent down, gently lifted the mattress, and felt under it all the same. Nothing.
I stood up. I was next to a small table where an array of what appeared to be ancient tribal tools sat. They were all similar-looking, like long statues about six inches in length, some longer, with splayed ends that formed four spikes. There were different styles, and some were made of different materials or finished with a different colour. I picked one up and held it; it felt like some sort of weapon. I felt my stomach tighten and twist at the thought of Avril ever having used this, and if so, what for? They looked more like trinkets sat there for show rather than for practical uses.
I began to feel uncomfortable being here, and I knew there was nothing here that would give me any more information about Ula or Deny or anything else that had been bothering me these last few weeks, nor would I find the notebook.
I slipped from the hut, looking around to make sure no one could have spotted me. I decided to wander down to the beach.
But as I began my approach to the beach, I saw that a boat had arrived. A few of the campmates were on board as well as two people I didn’t recognise.
When I squinted, I could see that they were men.
‘What the—?’ I whispered.
I looked around for Avril so that I could speak with her and ask her why two men had just arrived. Were they new prisoners?They didn’t look to be with their pristine clothes, slick hair and bright white smiles.
I moved along the beach until I was next to Mary, who was standing watching as the men jumped out of the boat and onto the sand. They looked around and I could see the excitement in their eyes, the way they saw everything for the first time. A spike of fear ran through my veins. Avril had said that tonight I would be assigned my first task as her assistant, and now I was looking at two men who looked like a pair of children on Christmas morning. I knew somehow that my task involved them. I knew it wouldn’t be something I felt entirely comfortable with.
Avril was suddenly next to me.
‘I need you at Camp Z immediately,’ she commanded.
I furrowed my brow and stared at her, unease seeping through me. ‘What am I supposed to do?’
‘Something is going on and I need you to find out what it is and deal with it immediately,’ she seethed and then turned back to the men, her arms open wide. She took two flower garlands from a pile on the sand, sashayed over to them and placed one around each of their necks. I watched for a minute, unable to gauge what I was seeing. Was Avril welcoming men to Totini? Had I missed something? Avril swung her head around momentarily and shot me a glare that made me turn and head away.
I filled my canister with water and began the walk through the forest towards Camp Z knowing that I needed to appease Avril for now. But I was nervous. How was I supposed to interact with all the men? I had no idea how to speak to prisoners.I was certain the men would want to speak with me, engage me in conversation the way the man had been trying to do when I discovered them by accident. Of course they would be desperate to escape and tell me whatever I needed to hear but I had a good radar for bullshit, especially from the opposite sex. Although I had only done the journey once, I felt driven by the destination and what lay ahead. I had been transfixed by what I saw when I was there last time: the men in cages, with pig huts for their comfort. And that tattoo. The cupcake. Was it a coincidence that Avril also had a cupcake charm on her bracelet?
When I reached Camp Z, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing. Avril had seemed distracted by the male guests. The thought of it sent a shiver down my spine. From what I understood, men had been brought here to Totini for one reason: to be incarcerated. Why was Avril making a fuss of them?
I heard a scream as I approached the camp and it was getting louder as I got closer.
When I could finally see into the camp I saw the back of a small body, pressed against the cage. The screams were coming from him. It was Adi. He was being held there, by the man with the cupcake tattoo, who had been trying to communicate with me last time.
I raced down the rough terrain that led into the camp, almost falling over on my ankle on the way, and took hold of Adi. He spun around and looked shocked for a moment, then his face softened as he turned back towards the man. A look in his eyes told me he was trying to show me that he was in danger and that I was the one who must help him. We had only two interactions since I arrived here, but I sensed that Adi trusted memore than many on the island. And right now, he was looking for help.
‘Take your hand off him,’ I asserted. The man looked frustrated. He knew I was new; he had established that already when I was here before.