by Sophia Sharp
Ashley bit her lip. Her dark hair swung around her shoulders as she looked around the room. “I have an idea…” she began.
“Yes?” Rob and I said at the same time.
“We’ll have to wait for the others. But… you guys know of the caves that run under the island?” Obviously I knew, so I assumed Ashley was only making sure Rob did, too.
“Sure,” Rob said. “They’ve all been closed up ages ago.”
“Not quite,” Ashley said, sneaking me a knowing glance. “I know of an entrance that can take us down there. We can keep him there—away from prying eyes. That might be the best solution for now.”
Rob exhaled and rubbed his temples. “You’re saying you know of a way into the caves? How? Does anybody else know?”
Ashley sneaked me another glance, and I gave her a surreptitious nod. “The other girls do. Liz… was the one who found the entrance. I don’t know how.”
“They’re on their way here now?” Rob asked.
“Yes,” Ashley replied. “I called them right after Tracy phoned me. They were getting dinner in the main yard. They’ll be here soon.”
“Even if you do know of an entrance to the caves,” Rob said, “how do we get him out of the dorm? Surely somebody’s going to see and ask questions.”
“That could be easier than you think,” Ashley said. “But we’ll have to wait for nightfall, first.” I looked out the window, and realized that darkness was no more than half an hour away. “That way there’ll be less of a chance of anybody noticing us.”
“Right. But, how do we get out of the building?” Rob asked. “We can’t just carry him, bound up like that, down the stairs and through the foyer.”
“There’s a service elevator in the rear of the dorm that the janitors use,” Ashley said without missing a beat. “They’re only here in the mornings. Right now, nobody’s going to be there.”
“I didn’t know that,” Rob professed.
“You live in the senior dorm,” Ashley shrugged. “Anyway, we need a key to access it, but I know for a fact Liz has one.” I eyed her questioningly, and Ashley shrugged again. “Student council stuff. She’s got access to all types of things you’d never even think of. Anyway, the best part is that the elevators go to a private exit at the back of the dorm. If we’re lucky, there’s not going to be anyone out there in the dark.”
“And then we can go into the forest,” I said, catching on. “We won’t need to take the main path.”
“Right,” Ashley said. “From there, it won’t be far to the caves.”
Just then, an urgent knock sounded at the door. I jumped, and my heart jumped with me. Ashley’s head spun around. After a moment, Rob went to the door again.
“Yes?” he said cautiously.
“Rob?” came the reply from the other side. “It’s Liz. Madison and Eve are with me. What’s going on?”
“You’ll see soon enough,” Rob muttered as he opened the door to let the three girls in. Liz was wearing a licorice drape trench over white jeans and a red blouse cut deep to the neck. Madison, who sometimes reminded me of Liz’s shorter twin, had her hair swept back over a ruffled brown jacket. Eve, dressed all in black with her hair spiked dangerously to the side, held a casual aloofness that she usually assumed. But that evaporated when she saw the inside of the room.
“What happened?” Eve quickly demanded.
Once more, I found myself retelling the story of coming back to my room, of being attacked, and of being saved by Rob. The girls listened silently as I talked and sneaked anxious looks at each other. Once I concluded with how Rob tied the attacker up, Ashley spoke.
“We need to get him out of here,” she said. “The best option that I can think of is the caves. We can keep him there until morning, at least, and figure out what to do next then.”
“That’s a good idea,” Eve said simply. “But how do we get him out of the room?”
“The janitor’s elevator. Liz, you have your key?”
Liz nodded absently. Most of her attention had shifted to the man. “It’s upstairs in my room. I can go grab it.”
“I’ll go with you,” I quickly volunteered. “I don’t want you to be alone.” I also needed to tell Liz that I suspected the crystals had some part in this.
Rob shook his head. “If there’s anybody else out there, I should be the one to go.” He retrieved his baseball bat from the floor. “This has served me well so far.”
There was no way for me to argue without seeming confrontational, so I nodded my consent. At least, with Rob out of the room, I’d be able to speak to the other girls freely.
“Let’s go,” Liz said, starting for the door. “We’ll be back in a few minutes.”
With both of them out of the room, an uneasy silence descended upon the four of us. Madison shifted her feet uncomfortably. Ashley cleared her throat. Even Eve looked a little disturbed. I fingered the crystal in my pocket. It did not quite give me the peace of mind I was hoping for.
“So,” Ashley said after a long moment, “it looks like things are starting to get dangerous around here.”
“Do you think it has something to do with the crystals?” Madison asked suddenly. It was the first time she had spoken since coming to my room. Her voice came as a tiny peep.
“Of course it has something to do with the crystals!” Eve exploded, causing Madison to jump back. Eve continued on without softening her tone. “The question is, was this man after Tracy in particular, or could it have been any one of us? How safe are we here anymore?”
“We don’t know everything,” Ashley said in a mediating voice. “We don’t know anything! We can’t presume it was about the crystals without proof. All we really know is that a man just tried kidnapping Tracy.”
“Well, what else would it be about?” Eve demanded. “What—” she cut off at a knock on the door, and Liz’s voice on the other side. Shooting Ashley and Madison a look that said the discussion wasn’t even close to over, Eve went to open the door.
Rob and Liz slipped inside. “I got the key,” Liz said. “We have to move fast. Now’s the best time. Most of the dorm’s empty because everyone’s out for dinner. Eve, you go outside and stand at the stairs. Make sure nobody comes on this floor without us knowing.”
Eve nodded so quickly that I was surprised she was the same girl who just had that mini-outburst.
“Rob, can you pick him up?” Liz continued as Eve went outside. She was the one taking charge of the situation now. “Can you carry him?”
“Sure,” Rob said hesitantly. “Over a shoulder. But the bonds are obvious if anybody sees.”
Liz tapped her lips in thought, but an idea burst in my head before she could say anything. “Roll him up in the carpet!” I said. Everyone turned to stare at me as if I’d gone mad. “Seriously,” I defended. “It’s already stained with blood, so I won’t need it anymore, plus it’s big enough to cover him. Rob, if anyone sees you carrying a carpet over your shoulders, they might think it unusual, but I doubt they’d look twice. At least, nobody would look close enough to notice a body inside.”
“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Liz said. “Let’s do it.”
Rob hefted the guy to the edge of the carpet, where he and Ashley began to roll him up. It took a few attempts, but eventually the carpet covered his entire body, hiding his shape inside. While they did that, Liz gave Madison the key so she could run and call the elevator. I stood watch for a bit, then, after deciding I’d had almost all I could take for the evening, collapsed onto my bed. The adrenaline that had masked my tiredness since the attack was wearing off. I felt the fatigue coming back with double force. I doubted I could sleep anytime soon, though.
Madison came running back a few minutes later. “The elevator’s ready,” she said. “And there’s no one around. We have to hurry.”
Rob grunted as he picked the man up, and it took him a few efforts to position him across his shoulders without losing balance, but he managed it eventually. From where I sat, I
could not say that there was a body hidden in the carpet. That was a relief. If we met anyone on our way to the caves, things would be suspicious. Well, not that suspicious.
“Alright,” Ashley said. “Everything’s ready. Tracy, you’re going to stay here?”
“She’s been through enough in one night,” Liz volunteered before I could answer. “I’ll stay with her for a bit. Ashley, you know the way there? You can lead Rob and everyone?” Ashley nodded. “Make sure Eve comes with you, too. And Madison. I’ll show up after I talk to Tracy.”
“Alright,” Ashley said. Everyone turned to leave. Before they could go I burst out, “Wait! If any of you come back, knock on my door three times. Like this.” I demonstrated. “That way I’ll know it’s you.”
“Good thinking,” Liz said. “You guys let Eve know, too.”
“Of course,” Madison said quickly. “She’ll know. Rob?”
Rob nodded. The next thing I knew, he was carrying the body out of the room. Madison stepped up behind him, with Ashley at her side. As the door swung shut, I exhaled a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. Having the man, unconscious or not, out of my room felt like the first step to recovering from this nightmare.
Chapter Three – A Feeling of Safety
Liz went over to the door and clicked it shut. When she turned to face me, her eyes were wide. It was the first time I’d ever seen her actually look… frightened.
“You alright?” she asked, walking over to me. She began wringing her hands, something I’d never seen her do before. “Seeing that man in your room… unnerved me,” she admitted.
“You didn’t show it earlier,” I said.
Liz waved away the remark. “I couldn’t in front of the other girls. Whether I like it or not, they tend to look to me as their… leader. In a way. You’ve been here long enough to see that. I guess it’s something I inherited because I was the one to discover the crystals. But you – you’re the only person I look up to.”
“Me?” I said incredulously. “What do you mean?”
Liz gave a slightly nervous laugh. “You saved me in the caves. That’s one. But, how calmly you’ve taken this in makes two. I mean, look at you! Somebody came after you in your own room and you seem just fine! I’d be hysterical if I were in your situation.”
I gave a small, uneasy laugh. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. Everything happened so fast. I was so lucky Rob came up to my room. He took control over the situation. And then you guys showed up. I… I don’t know if I even had time to process everything yet.”
“But you do know something,” Liz said, taking a seat on the bed next to me. “You wanted to speak to me privately when I went to get the key, didn’t you? Before Rob jumped in.”
“I didn’t think you picked up on it,” I said. “That’s very astute of you. You’re right. I wanted to talk to you. Eve basically said it while you and Rob were out of the room, anyway. I… don’t think the attack was random. And I don’t think the man was trying to kill me. He wanted me unconscious, although I don’t know why. But I suspect it has something to do with the crystals.”
“Do you have yours with you?” Liz asked.
I nodded, pulling out the small bag from my pocket. “Right here. If I had it on me when the man attacked, I’m sure I could have done something to ward him off. But it was out of reach.”
“You don’t think he came to steal the crystal, do you?”
“Maybe. But that doesn’t make much sense. If he wanted it, he could have taken it. Even if he sneaked into my room a half hour before me, that’d give him plenty of time to search my belongings and find it.”
“So then he wanted you,” Liz said.
“Or any of us,” I answered. “The thing is, we don’t know anything right now. We don’t know who he was. We don’t know if he was acting alone. We don’t even know how he got on the island!”
“Or past the front door and into your room,” Liz said.
“Or that,” I agreed. “But that’s not what I wanted to tell you. I think, after tonight, none of us should take any chances. Any of us could be targeted in another attack. We have only our crystals as protection.”
“You’re the only one who has hers…” Liz said slowly.
“I know. But I think we all need to have them on hand now. If someone else comes, we won’t be able to defend ourselves without the crystals. The only reason I survived was because of Rob. I don’t think he can take care of all of us at once.”
“That’s… unprecedented,” Liz said. “I don’t know if the girls can control the desire well enough. I don’t know if I can.”
“Just for tonight?” I begged. “Until we figure out more about the man. Please. It’ll give me peace of mind. Knowing that someone came after me… we all need to be protected. The crystals are the only way to do it.”
“Right,” Liz nodded. “No, I understand.” She took a deep breath. “In fact, I think I agree with you. Tonight… well, tonight, a lot has changed.”
“Tomorrow, we can decide what to do,” I said. “But for me, the other girls’ safety is a priority right now. If they have their crystals, I’ll be able to sleep easy. Well, easier.”
“Alright,” Liz said, pushing herself from the bed. “I’ll go get the crystals and bring them to the girls in the caves.”
“I’ll come with—”
“No,” Liz shook her head. “You stay here. You’ve been through enough. I’m sure you’re exhausted. And it’s a long way to the lake.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. I really was exhausted. But, at the same time, I didn’t want Liz to go by herself. “I can muster up enough strength—”
“It’s fine, really,” Liz said. She bent down to give me a little hug. “You worry about yourself tonight. I’m going to run. The more I think about it, the more I realize how right you are about all of us needing protection.” She gave a small laugh. “Then again, maybe we’re just overreacting. But I don’t think anybody could have expected what happened tonight.”
“Definitely not,” I said.
“Call me right away if you need anything,” Liz said, before turning and half-running to the door. “And don’t worry. Rob and the girls will take care of the man tonight. Tomorrow morning, we’ll regroup. I’ll see you then.”
“Bye—” I began, but Liz was already out the door. I stood up, walked over, and threw the dead bolt on. Just for good measure, I pushed my wardrobe in front of the door, too. Nobody was going to come in without me knowing.
The tiredness I was feeling all day was quickly becoming more pronounced. I returned to my bed, intending to go to sleep, but relaxation was a long time coming. My mind was racing. Who was the man? What did he want? How were Rob and Eve and Madison and Ashley faring with him right now? Was the attack a solitary occurrence, or would it come again? I took the crystal out of its bag and held it tight in my palm. Feeling it against my skin gave me some peace of mind against disturbing thoughts. But even if someone else came again, how much could the crystal really help? I had some control over it, but the other girls had barely any. It was distressing how little we knew about the one thing that could protect us.
After ruminating on that for few minutes, I got up and retrieved Rob’s baseball bat from the floor. It felt better to have a good, solid object in my hands.
It was dark outside, but no matter how tired I felt, sleep would not come. I propped myself against the headboard of the bed and waited for something to happen. One of the girls would return after they got the man into the caves, I was sure. Waiting for that put me on edge.
Every minute seemed to drag. Even worse, my nerves were shot again. I jumped every time the wind blew against the side of the dorm or somebody passed my door. I began checking my phone compulsively, hoping for a text message or a call from one of the girls, just to update me on what was going on.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, a knock came at the door. My heart jumped to my throat, but the anxiety swooshed out of me when
I recognized the knocking pattern. I went to the door, pushed the wardrobe out of the way, and opened it. I was expecting one of the girls, perhaps all of them, but there, at the door, stood Rob. He looked… haggard. Tired. Unlike I’d ever seen him before. The energy had clearly been yanked right out of him. The spirit his eyes usually showed was barely visible.
He exhaled deeply when he saw me, as if in relief, and allowed himself in. I stepped back to let him through. He closed the door gently, taking extra care to tighten the lock.
“It’s done,” he said as he turned to face me. “We brought him right to the caves.” He gave a forced laugh. “I’d heard the stories of what was going on down there before the school was here, but I never believed them. Now I’ve seen it with my own eyes! There was a prison cell down there, Tracy. With iron bars! The lock had long since rusted, but Ashley had had the presence of mind to grab her bike lock on the way. She knew all about it! We put the man in there. The bars are still strong. Even if he somehow writhes out of his bonds, he won’t be getting out of the cell.” Rob exhaled, and ran a hand through his hair. “My phone’s blowing up with all the guys wondering where I am. I’ve never missed a pickup game before. But after what happened tonight, I don’t know if I can look at a baseball bat the same way again…” he shook his head, “… that’s not the point. Madison and Eve are both still down there.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah. Said they were going to meet Liz. And the look that Eve had in her eyes… Well, I wouldn’t want to be that man when he wakes up. She seems to have taken a very personal interest in what he did to you. I didn’t even know you two were that close! Anyway, Ashley came back to the dorm with me. Said she needed to get something from her room. She ran straight up when we arrived. I think she’s going to meet Liz and go back down to the caves. But, I wanted to stop and check on you. With the way everyone’s running around, it almost seems like they’ve forgotten about you.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that…” I started.
“I haven’t forgotten,” Rob emphasized in a strangely reassuring way. “—how are you doing?”
