There we sat, in the clearing of the tall grass. After hearing her story I shook my head, feeling terrible that she was dealt such an awful fate. My first instinct was to take her away, to get her off the island and give her the normal life that she deserved. I thought of the girls back home having their shopping trips, pool parties, and giggling in the halls while they talked about boys. Maybe she didn’t care about those things, or even know about them for that matter. But, I could see her wanting a real future. College. Career. Family. She deserved that much. Those things weren’t possible in a place like this. That’s when I made myself a promise that someday, somehow, I would get her off the island.
Staring at her, and back out into the ocean, my mind raced. Maybe I could sneak her back to our quarters and beg my father to take her home with us. Sadly, I knew that would never work. I would be in so much trouble if he knew I’d even made contact with a prisoner. That’s when I came up with the idea for the raft. Something we could make ourselves that would surely get her away from the island. I’d go home, gather the supplies I needed, and take her away myself. “Meet me here tomorrow. Same time.” I smiled in anticipation. It would work. I just knew it would.
• • •
Ava was in every thought I had that day. And with every thought, a new spike of heat erupted inside of me. Once I saw her, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. At the dinner table … Ava’s eyes. Loading the dishwasher … Ava’s smile. Mowing the lawn … Ava’s smell. I’d never thought so much about another human in my entire life.
When I was finally off the hook for completing chores, I rushed to the workshop to complete my mission. As I rummaged through my father’s supplies, again I pictured her face. Butterflies swept through my chest as I imagined us spending the next several days building a raft together. The thought of seeing her again was exhilarating. I couldn’t wait to get back to her. To hear her raspy giggle. Hear her stories. To get to know her more. Maybe I could even find a way to get her to tackle me again. Thinking back on it, the rush of her straddling me was delightfully rousing.
The next day, as I crept up to the grove of tall grass, I smiled as I reached into my backpack and felt the baling twine I’d procured from my father's supplies. She was there, standing off in the distance and I couldn’t wait to talk to her about my surprise. When she heard the grass separate beneath my footsteps, she whipped around quickly to see me standing there. I pulled the twine from my backpack and held it up.
“What’s that?” she questioned.
“It’s your ticket out.”
• • •
That was the day we began building our raft. Every night as I lay in bed thinking of how I was going to surprise her, the anticipation built. Every afternoon when I got to her, her reaction didn’t disappoint. The way she looked at me set me on fire. I was enraptured by her disbelieving stare. It was always accompanied by a thankful grin. The way she leaned forward and ran to give me those bear hugs motivated me to come up with new surprises daily. It started with the twine. It cracked me up that she was excited over something so simple. I’d have thought I brought her a spool of gold the way she made such a huge deal over it. That’s what made me want to bring her a new treat every day. Something she couldn’t get within the confines of the prison fences. Something from the outside world.
That entire summer Ava Grace replayed in my thoughts over and over like an old movie reel that wouldn’t stop spinning. I’d never met anyone like her before. She didn’t act like the girls back home. The ones in their high dollar jeans, manicures, and name brand shoes. No, she was different. Exciting. I would never forget the time she dragged me through the pasture on the way home. We played frisbee with the cow pies. I hadn’t had that much fun in all the time I’d been on the island. She didn’t mind getting a little dirt under her nails or a little manure between her toes. My time with her became an addiction. I couldn’t wait to finish my morning assignments each day so I could rush back for more.
I wasn’t the only one who showed up with gifts. One afternoon, as I pulled a leftover cinnamon roll from my bag and handed it to her, I was surprised to find she had brought me a present too. “Take it,” she said as she held out a hand-sewn handkerchief. “I made it for you … you got a little sweaty yesterday … kind of gross.” She laughed as she shoved it into my hand. I was flattered by the time and thought she’d put into the intricate gift. It must’ve taken her days. I thanked her as I rolled it into a buff and tied it around my head. The blush in her cheeks as the corners of her lips turned into a small grin didn’t escape my notice. “Looks good on you,” she winked as she lowered her eyes and went back to work.
My heart fluttered as I quickly knelt to the ground to grab my tools. I couldn’t let her see the reaction she’d caused. That would’ve been embarrassing. We sat in silence a few moments before returning to our now easy banter. She held the small tree trunks as I delimbed them with my ax. She tied. I tied. And sometimes, we even found our hands a little more tangled than necessary as we worked together to tie those knots. We had become a strong team. As we made our final tie, the sun began to set. Testing the raft would have to wait another day. It was time for me to get back to my father. He wouldn’t think to question my whereabouts unless I broke curfew, which I promised myself I would never do. Not as long as I could spend time with Ava Grace.
The last morning of our first summer, I raced to our spot. I knew I was early, but it was my last full day on the island before I had to return home for the school year. I didn’t want to waste a second. If our raft was seaworthy, it could be our biggest day of adventure yet. I filled my backpack with some leftover fried chicken, a couple sodas, some chips, and a blanket.
After hopping the fence, I ran down the dirt path. Grabbing a small bunch of wildflowers from the meadow, I made my way to our raft. From the thicket of tall grass, I pulled the box of treasures we’d been collecting over the summer. I popped it open and checked the contents: A conch shell horn, a pair of puka shell necklaces we’d strung one afternoon while we were taking a break, the spearhead she’d held to my back the first time we’d met, along with many more treasures that had special meaning to us. Though our gifts were simple, they were ours. Each one had meaning. Today, we were off to find them a hiding place. And, if we were lucky, to find an escape for my sweet Ava Grace.
Time was of the essence. I wanted to surprise her by decorating the raft with the wildflowers and setting up a picnic before she arrived. For all I knew, I wouldn’t see her again until the next summer … if I got to see her again at all. I’d had a growing crush on Ms. Ava Grace. It was time I let her know, and I wanted to make the day special for her. For both of us.
With my grin spreading from ear to ear, she made her way toward me. I knew I had done something pretty special when she covered her mouth and looked up at me. Astonishment grew in her eyes. “You did all this?” she half whispered as she dropped to her knees before the raft and began to pick up the wildflowers. Looking over her shoulder she grinned, “It’s amazing!”
“For you,” I gestured, moving my hand above the spread. “Shall we?”
We sat at our small clearing on the beach and ate our lunch on the raft before the maiden voyage. As we ate, we plotted on how to get to the other side of the peninsula, the side you could see from our spot on the beach but couldn’t get to by foot. When our picnic was done, we knew the time had come to find out if our raft would float. I had faith we had built a strong, sturdy vessel. We were excited to jump on and discover the adventure that was waiting for us offshore.
Gingerly, we pushed the raft to the edge of the water, easing it in until we were waist deep. It was a beauty, glistening in the sun, adorned with our treasures and colorful wildflowers. As Ava climbed on and turned to face me, I continued to push until I was brave enough to join her. When the time was right, I eased my way onto the raft beside her. We both took a deep breath as it plunged slightly and rocked her into me. Though it quickly popped back to the surface, the swi
ft movement had left us touching. The slight pressure of her shoulder next to mine sent a shiver through my cold, wet skin. When she traced the goosebumps on my arm and looked up at me with a grin, I knew she was onto me. I couldn’t hide the way she made my body react.
We were so close now, I could feel her soft breath against my lips. Slowly, I scanned the outline of her face, her round, brown eyes, her dainty nose, the fullness of her lips. I had studied them before, all those days on the beach. I’d also studied them in my dreams. Sitting beside her now, they were like a magnet, pulling me in. I couldn’t help but lean into her. Her nervous glance tracked my face as I drew in closer. I paused for a moment, but she didn’t back away. Before I knew it, my forehead was resting against hers.
Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I finally came up with the right words. “You ever kissed a boy?” I whispered.
The words didn’t leave her mouth, but the way her forehead turned against mine, I could tell she was answering me with a no.
Hesitating a moment, I added, “Do you want to?”
I could hear her swallow as her forehead moved up and down against mine. The tingling heat I had grown to know so well when we were together, found its way back to my chest, exploding as I tilted my head to take her lips into mine. In all honesty, I’d never kissed a girl before, and I wondered if I was even doing it right. It sure felt right. The soft brush of her sweet tongue against mine, the way our lips moved together like they were dancing to a sweet country song. Everything came together perfectly, only better than I could’ve imagined. It took everything in me to pull back and check to see if she was okay. Judging from the smile on her face, she was just fine.
As the water carried us past the reef, I took her hand in mine and pulled her in closer. With her now resting against my chest, we both looked toward the high afternoon sun and shyly back toward each other. We’d never been that quiet before, but our continuous ping-pong game of staring, looking away, and smiling said all it needed to. We were okay with what we’d done and I was sure we would do it again before I left in the morning. With a reassuring squeeze of my hand, she laid her head against me and drifted off to sleep on my shoulder.
• • •
After traveling for what must’ve been an hour, the rolling tide finally pushed us onto the opposite shoreline of the peninsula. Uncurling my fingers from hers, I nudged her awake. “We’re here,” I exclaimed. Excitedly, she crawled out of my arms. We slid from the raft and pulled it onto the sandy beach. Then, grabbing our treasures, we ventured toward what looked to be a rounded bluff.
I took Ava by the hand as we crossed the sandy beach and moved inland. Our eyes grew wide as we suspected from the geography of the rock, there might be a small cave tucked away behind one of the crevices. We ran the rest of the way, hoping we were right. When we reached the crevice, there looked to be a deep opening. I tugged back on her arm and asked her to wait outside. I knew she was tough. I’d been on the opposite end of her adrenaline. Nonetheless, I wanted to make sure it was safe before she went in.
I grabbed the spear from our treasure chest. Inspecting the sandy ground, there was no sign that anyone had been there before us. I was more than eager to get Ava’s hand back in mine. I didn’t want to go one more step without her. Deeper into the cave, light shone from an opening overhead. It lit the small stream of water, trickling to a shallow pool below. It was the perfect getaway. More likely, an ideal escape for Ava Grace needed one.
Behind the waterfall, we placed our treasures. We were happy with our hiding spot. With huge smiles and a victorious hug, we found each other’s lips once more. Standing in the beam of sunlight, tangled together, her racing heart pounded in sync with mine. We had done it. Our journey was a success. We had found our safe place on Tabu Island. A place that would become our time-capsule. Over the next few summers, we would continue to share our adventures at our special cavern. It would be in that cave, beside the flowing water, where Ava and I would completely lose ourselves to each other and she would steal my heart forever.
• • •
Each summer when I returned to the island, we would sail to the other side where Ava could escape the ever-growing danger of prison life and find refuge in my arms. There, we would reminisce, laugh, and confide about our struggles, until we could no longer keep our hands to ourselves. No matter how many days in a row I saw her, my heart raced each time. My body craved her in every way. She was no longer that cute soft island girl. She had blossomed into the most beautiful woman. A woman who had never lost her childlike innocence and appreciation for the simple things. My favorite part of each reunion was the look on her face when I brought her a special gift to add to our growing bounty of treasures.
The gifts were meant to show her that she’d never left my mind since the last time we were together. However, the more we talked, the more I realized that trinkets were no longer what she needed. What she needed was my presence. My protection. The first night I was back on the island, she had shown up at our meeting spot partially hiding her face beneath her long hair. When I pulled it back to greet her with a kiss, I found a black eye in the last stages of healing. She was hesitant to let me know that she’d narrowly escaped one of the prisoners. She finally admitted that the men of the island were becoming more aggressive with her. I’d often worried this would happen.
She had such an innocence. The perfect prey for the heathens that surrounded her. It wasn’t her fault. She did nothing to invite the attention, but with her natural beauty and radiant personality, she turned heads everywhere she went. The fact that Ava was the most gorgeous girl on the island meant life had gotten significantly more dangerous. As much as she could handle herself, some situations had made it impossible to leave her behind. That’s when I decided to stay permanently. I would take on a position that would allow me to protect her. Documentation. It was perfect.
And I had protected her. That is until I couldn’t anymore. It was no longer a matter of filthy, vile prisoners. Now the government had become her number one enemy. Only she didn’t know it. Nobody did.
The night I was in the culvert was the night I’d overheard it all. The plans for obliteration had been set. They were no longer willing to maintain the island. The Order had finally overtaken the people. There was no stopping the destruction they had planned. If only more people knew about the island, it might have stood a chance. Now, the only hope was to save one. My Ava Grace.
I did everything I could to set up an escape. Her documents were in place. I’d arranged to meet one of the helmsmen down at the east dock. Thankfully, I spent some time figuring out how to access the computer program and put in an order from my father’s desk. It simply stated that the Department of Documentation had a pick-up on the east dock at 1800 hours. My picture was the primary ID on the order. Since I had no access to a photo of Ava, I couldn’t make her an authentic ID. Rather, I used a photo of the closest match I could find. A stock photo I’d found online. Hopefully nobody would recognize the face was not hers and deny us entry. At least I had the right prints. I had lifted them from a music box I’d given her on my last trip to the island.
If only it was as simple as taking the raft the way we had talked about so many times as young teenagers. Such fools we were to think we could escape the security of the perimeter. Never once did it cross our minds that mines, explosives, and deadly gasses had been set in place. Not to mention, the aircraft carriers and countless weapons would be pointed at anyone who tried to flee the doomed island.
Seven years later, I was wise enough to internalize the reality of the situation. Sweat began to pour from my hands at the realization that every time we took that raft to the peninsula, we were just a half-mile away from termination. My time on the island had shown me that unless I made the proper connections and set every detail precisely, death was imminent not only for Ava Grace, but for both of us. I could only pray I hadn’t overlooked anything. Now, it was a matter of time. Hopefully there was enough of it left.
>
• • •
There I was looking into the dark chamber trying to pull my mask over my suffocating face. If I didn’t get to her soon, I’d be one of the lifeless bodies I was beginning to stumble over. The gas had begun to filter through the vents and into the passage, crawling its way up the dirt walls of the dark cave. Flashing the light of my phone, I searched the ground. Nothing resembled her. “Ava,” I whispered as I moved along. Trying not to call attention to anyone who might still be moving, I whispered again, “Ava Grace!”
I was met with silence.
Kneeling down, I began to crawl through the bodies, lifting arms and legs. Sifting through the remains, panic began to overtake me. Maybe I was too late. Maybe she was already gone. “Ava,” I whispered again.
Nothing.
My heart pounded as I checked my watch. There were only minutes left until the submarine would pull away from the dock without us. Frantically, I pushed and shoved bodies until at last, I saw what looked to be a shell necklace lying on the ground. It reminded me of the set we’d made years before on the beach. “Ava,” I whispered with desperation. “Ava Grace!” I couldn’t help the whimper in my voice as I continued to flip and turn bodies to get to the one I was looking for. And there, buried beneath one of the men, I saw a dainty hand.
As I tugged him from her, I unfurled his arm from the long, brown hair. The girl was lying face down. I pulled her into my arms and rolled her sideways, gently brushing the hair away from her forehead. Her beauty was unmistakable. “Ava,” I shook her. There was no response. Quickly, I leaned into her to listen for breath. There was only stillness. Desperately, I pulled her face to mine and set my ear to her lips. Through the heat of my pounding face, I felt a cool wisp of air sweep down my cheek. She might not have been conscious, but she was breathing. It was indubitable. I felt Ava’s breath against my face.
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