by Laura Mae
Jet came back inside and darted to the kitchen to refill his flask. Her eyes narrowed. She had no clue there was more alcohol in the cabin, and she suddenly felt the need for more.
“Where’d you get that?”
Jet turned toward her. “None of your business.”
“Can I have some?”
“Hell no.”
“Please, Jet…” She said with a sad voice, hoping that he would at least feel sorry for her.
He sighed heavily and licked his lips. “Only a little. I don’t have much left.”
“Can’t make any promises.” She snatched the bottle from his grip and chugged.
“Syd,” Silas said from across the table.
Jet yelled, but she turned her body away from him, making the bottle out of reach.
Her eyes closed tight as she held the bottle up at a forty-five-degree angle and stuck her pointer finger out at him. She was parched. She swore the bottle was filled with water, water that quickly filled her insides with numbness. Releasing her lips from the bottle, she gasped for breath and made an audible “Ahh.”
Jet shot her a dirty look and grabbed the bottle back.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you more.”
“Yeah, you will.” Jet scowled and stormed back outside.
Giovonna seemed to have already left the table, probably while she was numbing her insides. Giovonna never witnessed this side of her, and Sydona didn’t like imaging what she thought of her in that moment. She then flipped her neck over to Silas who had already started his way to the bedroom. Either he walked so fast past her she could barely grab his shirt, or the alcohol was hard at work already.
“Hey, hey, where ya goin’?” she asked with a slur. Words stumbled over her lips.
“Stop it.” Silas paused but not because she tried to grab him.
“What?” Sydona whined, edging closer to him. Her hands began to wander around his torso.
“I know what you’re doing. And I want no part of it.”
Sydona paused and straightened up. “What am I doing?”
“Stop acting dumb. This isn’t you,” he said with a tense posture.
“How do you know… this isn’t me? You barely know me, man. Hick.” The hiccups started. Her eyelids struggled to stay open.
Silas laughed sarcastically and started walking away again.
“Wait!” Sydona stammered. “Wait. I’m sorry… Silas...”
He sighed heavily.
“I’m sorry…”
And as if gravity was getting her back for a terrible deed, her[SD187] entire body sagged to the floor. Her legs turned to mush, but her head must have still been solid as it was the last thing she heard as it slammed to the wooden floor. In the darkness, all she could feel was a throbbing headache. Something inside wanted out and didn’t care how.
In what only felt like a minute, her eyes opened suddenly. The ceiling fan from her bedroom stared back at her. Just when she didn’t think her head could hurt anymore, her eyes adjusted clearly, and she knew where she was.
“Ah, shit.”
Chapter Ten
Morning came. How could so many hours pass without her even realizing it? She used to drink three times as much and be fine. Times had definitely changed.
Slowly, she turned her head to the side to look for Silas. He was no longer by her side. Events of the previous night rushed back, and she felt so embarrassed. Groveling like an imbecile, stumbling over her feet and words. No wonder he didn’t stick around. Why should he? He’s not responsible for her. But where was Raoul? Where was her best friend? He was the only one that could understand what she was going through. She lied to him though. To his face. For months. Why should anyone want to be around her? She would only cause them pain.
She sat up and touched her head. It was wrapped in a bandage. She felt around the throbbing area on the back side of her head, and a large bump made itself known. She winced and removed her fingers. They shook slightly, and she wrapped her other hand around them. Her lips and tongue cried out for hydration as if she was left out in the desert for a week. Her feet soon found their way to the wooden floor and stumbled across the hallway to the bathroom.
The light flicked on, and her eyes quickly shut. Using outstretched arms and wary feet, she felt her way to the sink and turned it on. She could use a glass from the kitchen, but it was much too far away. Cupping her hands, she slurped down at least ten handfuls of water. Then, she used the remaining droplets to wash her face and neck. Her hair kept getting in the way and became soaked. She arched her back and flipped part of it over one shoulder, and the mirror found her.
Normally, seeing herself in the mirror was no big deal. But one thing caught her attention[SD188] other than her blue eyes: her hair. The mannequin at the speakeasy showed up in her mind as well as the photo the doctor showed everyone in the country. She had to do it. She had to cut it off. Change her identity. But the giant bandage on her head hindered such an act. The new do had to wait.
Where was everyone? Judging by the shadows outside and the angle of the sun shining in, it must have been about ten in the morning. She thought of Raoul again. He didn’t say a single word during the announcements, and her stomach shriveled to the size of a raisin.
“Raoul?” she called out at a moderate tone. Too loud and it would cause her head to pound again.
No response. The house was empty. Her first instinct was to go outside and see if everyone took a walk or went hunting. Sydona wandered onto the porch, then went down the stairs to the edge of the forest. Morning birds and squirrels chattered in the trees. The wind blew oak leaves and clacked branches from the elders of the woods. A gust blew past her, and she smiled. The cold air felt good on her hot face after being wounded and hungover.
She was alone.
There was no one in the entire house. It was empty. Her smile grew, and she ran as best she could back into the cabin. If no one wanted to be around her, perfect. For weeks, she dreamt of the day when she would not have to listen to Giovonna’s random spouts of singing everything she was doing, Silas’s snoring and barging in on her in the shower, and Raoul’s sudden emotional teenager phase. It was just her all by her lonesome self in a big empty house.
She took a shower that felt more amazing than back at her real home. An hour easily whizzed by. When she exited the bathroom, she wholeheartedly expected everyone to be waiting for her. The living room, both bedrooms and kitchen were vacated. A part of her began to worry, while the other part of her wanted to take advantage of the rare opportunity. She went straight for the kitchen table, which had a bowl of fresh fruit. Her hand dove for a banana and began to peel. Fruit was mainly put out for Raoul to have easy access to. As she directed the fruit to her mouth, she heard a knock at the door.
Confused by why someone from their group would knock on the door of their own house, she put the fruit down. She made her way to the door and opened it to find Dr. Malik standing in the entryway.
Sydona gasped. His dark, sunken eyes narrowed from the evil smile growing on his face.
“Found you.”
Her body seized up. She was unable to even move a finger, but she was able to talk.
“Where is everyone?!”
And as if he knew she would ask, he turned sideways to reveal all her friends lying dead in the front yard. It was then she noticed the blade in Malik’s hand. He casually took a cloth from his pocket and began to wipe it off.
“Is this not what you wanted, my dear? To be alone?”
“But you killed them!”
“How does that saying go? Be careful what you wish for?” His smile widened, then he cackled loudly, forcing it to echo all around her.
The door slammed in her face, and everything went black.
She suddenly felt the option to move again, and she gasped and sat up. The [SD189]ceiling fan appeared above her once again. [SD190][LM191][LM192]
Silas sat next to her in the comfort of her own bed. Her heart leaped and tugged with severa
l emotions.
“You’re…”
“You passed out,” he replied.
She grinned. His face was only inches from hers. He wasn’t dead. “I’m so happy to see you.”
Her arms wrapped around him and squeezed tight. Silas let out a happy sigh, then hugged her in return.
“More nightmares?” he asked and pulled away.
She shook her head, still not sure if this wasn’t part of the dream. “I swore it was real. I was… completely alone.”
“Sounds like a dream for you.”
“It was… at first.” Sydona shook her head more. “I’m so sorry. I should have told you.”
He shrugged and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, probably. But… nothing we can do about that now.”
Her jaw tightened, and she nodded her head fiercely. “I’ll make it right. I promise.”
“I knew you would say that. But how about you sleep for a little while more, and I’ll go hide all the alcohol,” he said light-heartedly and touched his lips to the top of her head. The bandage was there, just like in her dreams. The small detail made her heart jump. Sleeping felt impossible. No, she had to get up and do something. She had to officially kill the doctor. But first, she had to make things right with her friends.
Silas left the bedroom, and she made her way to Giovonna’s room and knocked softly. When there was no reply, she pressed her ear against the door and heard some tinkering with metal objects and silence, then more clinking. She knocked again, a little harder.
“Gia?”
The clattering stopped, and there was a pause. “Come in.”
The door creaked open to reveal a simple twin bed, white dresser and Giovonna sitting cross-legged on her carpet with a tiny screwdriver and something else Sydona didn’t know the name of. A clutter of parts, tools and computer pieces sat in front of her. It was the only messy part in the whole room. Everything else was perfectly in place.
“Feeling better?” Giovonna asked in monotone without looking up at her once. She continued doing whatever it was in front of her.
“Yeah.”
Sydona bit her lip, unsure how to talk to her. It had never been this difficult to speak to her before. She hated that she disappointed her so much. [SD193][LM194][SD195]Sydona needed her unwavering optimism right now.
Her feet led her to the hard bed in the corner of the room, and she messed with her fingernails. What could she say to make the whole situation better? An apology didn’t seem to cut it. She owed her way more than that. Words weren’t coming to her thanks to the throbbing headache she felt from the dream. Maybe it was another sign she was still dreaming, especially since Giovonna seemed to have all the sunshine sucked out of her. The feeling was extremely surreal. Her fingers pinched her arm so hard she involuntarily made a noise. It was loud enough to make Giovonna turn her head.
“Did you just pinch yourself?” she asked as Sydona rubbed a red spot on her forearm.
“Maybe.”
She scoffed. “Okay, weirdo.”
“Thought I might be dreaming,” she managed to utter.
Giovonna stopped her work and slightly nodded. “Yeah. Doesn’t seem real, does it?”
“No.”
She went back to tinkering. Sydona sat on the bed and glanced around the room a bit more. A mirror with a frilly frame hung over the bed, and she saw her reflection. Her blonde hair reminded her again of the dream, and she had to look away. Anger began to bubble up inside her.
“I just don’t understand why you couldn’t tell me,” Giovonna spoke up in the silence, making Sydona ignore her problems and turn to her.
She scooted around, giving Sydona her full attention while still sitting Indian-style.
“Have I not proven to you that I’m trustworthy? After everything we’ve been through? Giving you contacts of my own design to better hide? Lying for you to my parents? Finding out how to disable the bracelets? I mean… it’s been three months, and no one knew. Not even your best friend.”
Giovonna’s eyes began to well up, awakening similar feelings inside of Sydona as well.
“You’re exactly right. You have proved it to me. But… that’s not why I didn’t tell you. I was trying to protect you. Part of me really did think he was gone, and I didn’t want to worry you. And, Gia… you’re more than a best friend to me… You’re… my family. And… I protect my family.”
She hoped her words about family would receive some kind of smile or hug. But nothing of the sort came about. Just tears.
“I’m going to make it right. You watch.”
Giovonna nodded again. “You better.”[SD196]
Sydona held back tears of her own. Guilt was becoming quite the shadow these days. Revenge was next on the list. She had to make things right. [SD197][LM198]Everything had to stop. No more death, as Natalia or Malik put. No more suicide. No more people dying for nothing. She rose to her feet and headed for the door, assuming they didn’t have much else to say.
“Do you know where everyone else went?” Sydona asked just before leaving,
“Um, I don’t know where Raoul went. I think Lacey and them left, and Willow went back home. It’s just us and Silas.”
Sydona smiled as a thank you and walked back down the hallway. She hoped they would be around to talk to. She wanted to explain herself and ask for their forgiveness. She nearly forgot about Knox and Avani. Picturing his outburst upon finding out Malik still existed made her want to throw up. But then again, the couple glasses of wine and half bottle of vodka had the same effect.
The couch squeaked as she flopped down on it with both feet resting on the arm rest. Her mind pounded harder from the incident last night as she planned what her next move was. Last time she planned on stopping Malik, things didn’t work out very well.
Cutting her hair was the first idea. And possibly dying it. Black, perhaps? With the bandage fresh on her head, she knew she had to wait a couple days to do that, though. [SD199] Either way, she had to leave the cabin. [SD200]She had been in one place for too long and it could be easier for him to find her. And not just him. That broadcast went out to millions of people who would have no problem taking her in to get their hefty reward. Three million dollars. That could set some people for life. Running was the only option. She couldn’t stay in one place too long. But finding places to stay posed an even bigger threat. Her face was plastered all over the country. Going anywhere with other people was more dangerous than she ever thought possible. She thought Eagle Lake was problematic a few months ago, but now, it couldn’t even shake a stick at the new threat. She hated thinking about it, but at least all this only concerned herself. For the time being, anyway, everyone else was safe. He only needed her. If he got her, everything else stopped.
But would she get to him? That was the real problem. She assumed police stations and federal facilities knew of his location. Otherwise, if some random civilian turned her into the authorities, where exactly would they put her?
As she lay there, staring up at the stained ceiling, her father popped into her head. They didn’t know. He just sent a letter, and she wanted to respond to it as well. Sydona searched for a piece of paper, sat at the kitchen table and began to write.
Dear father,
I got your letter! I’m so happy to hear you’re doing well. I miss mom too… every day I think of her. And you. I wish I could go there to see you, see how you’re doing. And don’t get me wrong, to live on a tropical island sounds amazing too.
The reason for my letter… I wanted to tell you something that happened that I should have mentioned before. Now that I’m forced to deal with the truth, I thought you should know what’s going on here. Our television broadcasted a nationwide announcement with the doctor alive and well. He’s put an award out for my capture. I wanted to let you know that you and everyone else are still okay. They just want me.
She held the pen up, shaking. A tear hit the parchment as she worked up her next words.
I’m going after him. Alone
. In case I don’t make it, or he kills me, I want you to know… You have been with me every day since you two left. I can’t believe I actually got to see you again, and I loved every minute we spent together. I urge, whatever you do, don’t come back. Stay on the Island, where you’re safe. Don’t come try to stop me. When I do what I need to do, I need to know that you’ll be where I can find you when it’s all over. I love you so much, and when I see you again, we will all be free.
Forever yours,
Sydona xoxo
She folded up the piece of paper, [SD201]stuffed it into an envelope and wrote ”Ian Wilder” on the outside. Her fingers glided across the sides of it, and she tapped it on the table a couple times. Just then, Silas spoke up from behind her.
“That for your dad?”
She wiped her eyes and face, knowing she probably looked like a mess. “Yeah.”
“Can I read it?” he asked with a hand on her shoulder.
“Oh,” she sniffed. “Just personal stuff. Father daughter things. You know.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “Oh right. Yeah, I know all about that.”
Sydona laughed.
“You hungry?”
A smile curved on her red cheeks. “Let’s go pay Willow a visit. That way I can send the letter, too.”
He nodded and agreed. “I’ll go get Gia.”
“Thanks.”
Once the three of them got dressed, and Sydona took her bandage off, they loaded up in the car and drove to Willow’s. Only a few miles down the road, they arrived at the much too familiar home of Willow the Widowed. Sydona thought back to the time she, Giovonna and Raoul took refuge from Harold and his goonies. As Harold’s face came to mind, she couldn’t help but shudder. His holey, stained, white shirt matched his holey, yellow-stained smile. His southern drawl was worse than Willow’s; she could still hear it in her head. [SD202]She was glad she’d never have to see him again.
