A Shade of Doubt
Page 18
As for Caleb, he would just have to continue hunting animals each time he craved blood.
As evening approached, Annora and I still hadn’t solved the problem of mosquitoes—being so close to the lake and away from the breeze of the ocean, I feared this would be a big problem.
We stood on the ground beneath where we’d set up camp. Caleb looked at Annora.
“You know more about plants than I do. There must be some here that can act as a repellant.”
“Hm.” Annora concentrated on scanning the area for the next half hour. I followed her around, paying close attention to which plants she pulled up so I could replicate it for myself if I had to.
Seemingly satisfied with the leaves she’d found, she crouched down on the floor and, picking up two large rocks, began to mush the plants and flowers together. She squeezed some of the juice onto her skin and sniffed it.
“This will do, I believe,” she muttered.
She coated herself with the juice, then discarded the used plants. I picked them up after her and squeezed the rest onto myself, covering as much of my bare skin as I could. I ended up smelling bitter, but if it did the job, I didn’t care.
Now that this task was done, we all climbed back up the tree and settled into our respective beds.
Caleb still needed to finish his exploration of the island, but it was clear he didn’t want to leave me alone again, so for now he was putting it off. I hoped that he would ask me to accompany him the following day, without Annora.
As soon as I reached my bunk, I rolled onto my stomach and peeked over the edge. I had a clear view of both Annora’s and Caleb’s beds from this angle. Perfect.
I remained in this position for the next ten minutes or so, until what I’d been expecting happened. Annora slunk out of her bunk and began climbing up toward Caleb. Without wasting a second, I reached up and grabbed the green bundle I’d collected earlier.
I positioned myself back over the edge, waiting until just the right moment. The lighting wasn’t great, but there were just enough shafts of moonlight trickling through the canopy of leaves for me to see what I was doing. I heard Annora whisper to him seductively, though I couldn’t make out the words. Just her soft whisper followed by a moan. Brushing her hair away from her chest, she caught hold of Caleb’s arms, trying to pull herself up.
And… fire.
Holding my breath, I tipped the bundle. There was a split second when I doubted that it would meet its mark. But, oh, it did. The green muck landed right on her head, oozing down her face and dripping onto her chest.
I quickly pulled myself back in case she looked up, fighting to stifle a laugh as she cried out in disgust. The beauty of it was her not knowing exactly what the substance was. Imagination was usually more horrifying than reality.
It could have just been an exceptionally large, constipated bird. But I hoped that she’d guess I’d dropped it.
Brushing away a few leaves, I peered through the cracks of my bed. She staggered back, still gasping. I watched as she began to climb down the tree—a late-night bath in the lake was in order, I supposed.
Nothing like a pile of crap to spoil the mood.
I rolled onto my back, staring up at the leaves blowing gently in the wind. I doubted she’d try anything else with Caleb tonight. Inhaling deeply, I supposed I ought to try to get some sleep. The plant potion I’d applied earlier seemed to be working. I hadn’t noticed a single mosquito or other insect land on me since I’d been lying here.
Caleb let out a deep sigh beneath me. What I wouldn’t give to be lying in his arms right now…
I turned onto my stomach again and peered down at him. I supposed I had at least a few minutes while Annora bathed before she returned and caused a distraction.
I slid off my bed and climbed down toward Caleb. He lay on his back, his arms behind his head, his eyes wide open. His eyes followed me as I crept toward him.
Unlike Annora, I didn’t try to climb onto his bed. He sat up, staring at me and raising an eyebrow.
I was relieved when he broke the silence and said in a deep voice, “You were trying to ask me something earlier.”
“Yes.” I swallowed hard. “Caleb, I—”
I froze. A wave of screams pierced the night air.
Caleb jumped out of his bed and rushed down to the ground. I went to follow him, but he looked back up over his shoulder and hissed, “No. You stay where you are.”
I moved about in the tree, swinging from branch to branch as I tried to get a better of view of what the hell was going on. I’d hoped at first that something awful had happened to Annora. But the screams were from more than one person. How could that be?
I climbed to the edge of the tree where I could get a clear view of the lake. I spotted Annora standing on the bank, clutching her chest and shivering. Caleb arrived by her side a second later, shaking her shoulders. Then he left her and sprinted away into the jungle.
I waited with bated breath for Caleb to return. I had no idea how long I’d have to wait. Annora returned in the meantime. Soaking wet, she climbed onto her bunk. I ignored her, keeping my eyes fixed on the spot where I’d seen Caleb disappear into the jungle.
My heart pounded in my chest. A second wave of screams washed through the jungle. And then a third. A fourth.
The screams were loud, but they’d come from the distance somewhere.
I looked down at Annora. “Do you have any idea what that is?” I called.
She scowled at me and turned over on her side, her back facing me.
I kept waiting for a fifth wave of screams, but there wasn’t one. They’d stopped. The quiet sounds of the jungle returned. I breathed out in relief as Caleb finally appeared at the foot of our tree and swung himself back up.
As evening approached, Annora and I still hadn’t solved the problem of mosquitoes—being so close to the lake and away from the breeze of the ocean, I feared this would be a big problem.
We stood on the ground beneath where we’d set up camp. Caleb looked at Annora.
“You know more about plants than I do. There must be some here that can act as a repellant.”
“Hm.” Annora concentrated on scanning the area for the next half hour. I followed her around, paying close attention to which plants she pulled up so I could replicate it for myself if I had to.
Seemingly satisfied with the leaves she’d found, she crouched down on the floor and, picking up two large rocks, began to mush the plants and flowers together. She squeezed some of the juice onto her skin and sniffed it.
“This will do, I believe,” she muttered.
She coated herself with the juice, then discarded the used plants. I picked them up after her and squeezed the rest onto myself, covering as much of my bare skin as I could. I ended up smelling bitter, but if it did the job, I didn’t care.
Now that this task was done, we all climbed back up the tree and settled into our respective beds.
Caleb still needed to finish his exploration of the island, but it was clear he didn’t want to leave me alone again, so for now he was putting it off. I hoped that he would ask me to accompany him the following day, without Annora.
As soon as I reached my bunk, I rolled onto my stomach and peeked over the edge. I had a clear view of both Annora’s and Caleb’s beds from this angle. Perfect.
I remained in this position for the next ten minutes or so, until what I’d been expecting happened. Annora slunk out of her bunk and began climbing up toward Caleb. Without wasting a second, I reached up and grabbed the green bundle I’d collected earlier.
I positioned myself back over the edge, waiting until just the right moment. The lighting wasn’t great, but there were just enough shafts of moonlight trickling through the canopy of leaves for me to see what I was doing. I heard Annora whisper to him seductively, though I couldn’t make out the words. Just her soft whisper followed by a moan. Brushing her hair away from her chest, she caught hold of Caleb’s arms, trying to pull herself up.
And… fire.
Holding my breath, I tipped the bundle. There was a split second when I doubted that it would meet its mark. But, oh, it did. The green muck landed right on her head, oozing down her face and dripping onto her chest.
I quickly pulled myself back in case she looked up, fighting to stifle a laugh as she cried out in disgust. The beauty of it was her not knowing exactly what the substance was. Imagination was usually more horrifying than reality.
It could have just been an exceptionally large, constipated bird. But I hoped that she’d guess I’d dropped it.
Brushing away a few leaves, I peered through the cracks of my bed. She staggered back, still gasping. I watched as she began to climb down the tree—a late-night bath in the lake was in order, I supposed.
Nothing like a pile of crap to spoil the mood.
I rolled onto my back, staring up at the leaves blowing gently in the wind. I doubted she’d try anything else with Caleb tonight. Inhaling deeply, I supposed I ought to try to get some sleep. The plant potion I’d applied earlier seemed to be working. I hadn’t noticed a single mosquito or other insect land on me since I’d been lying here.
Caleb let out a deep sigh beneath me. What I wouldn’t give to be lying in his arms right now…
I turned onto my stomach again and peered down at him. I supposed I had at least a few minutes while Annora bathed before she returned and caused a distraction.
I slid off my bed and climbed down toward Caleb. He lay on his back, his arms behind his head, his eyes wide open. His eyes followed me as I crept toward him.
Unlike Annora, I didn’t try to climb onto his bed. He sat up, staring at me and raising an eyebrow.
I was relieved when he broke the silence and said in a deep voice, “You were trying to ask me something earlier.”
“Yes.” I swallowed hard. “Caleb, I—”
I froze. A wave of screams pierced the night air.
Caleb jumped out of his bed and rushed down to the ground. I went to follow him, but he looked back up over his shoulder and hissed, “No. You stay where you are.”
I moved about in the tree, swinging from branch to branch as I tried to get a better of view of what the hell was going on. I’d hoped at first that something awful had happened to Annora. But the screams were from more than one person. How could that be?
I climbed to the edge of the tree where I could get a clear view of the lake. I spotted Annora standing on the bank, clutching her chest and shivering. Caleb arrived by her side a second later, shaking her shoulders. Then he left her and sprinted away into the jungle.
I waited with bated breath for Caleb to return. I had no idea how long I’d have to wait. Annora returned in the meantime. Soaking wet, she climbed onto her bunk. I ignored her, keeping my eyes fixed on the spot where I’d seen Caleb disappear into the jungle.
My heart pounded in my chest. A second wave of screams washed through the jungle. And then a third. A fourth.
The screams were loud, but they’d come from the distance somewhere.
I looked down at Annora. “Do you have any idea what that is?” I called.
She scowled at me and turned over on her side, her back facing me.
I kept waiting for a fifth wave of screams, but there wasn’t one. They’d stopped. The quiet sounds of the jungle returned. I breathed out in relief as Caleb finally appeared at the foot of our tree and swung himself back up.
