by William King
“You are asking me why I am screaming out your name! Well I will tell you why I was screaming out your name! First off, when I walked into the living room, you were nowhere to be found, and when you did not answer when I called out your name, I went to look for you. That is when I heard the gunfire and thought that something awful had happened. Secondly, why in the hell are you out here in the jungle alone when the sun is about to set, firing a shotgun?”
“Elizabeth, I could strangle you myself!”
“I am sorry Mason, really I am. I just thought that since we are in the jungle and have been eating out of tin cans ever since leaving the compound. I just thought that it might be nice if we had something other than can food to make a decent meal out of. I had not thought about you worrying about me in the short amount of time that I had been gone.”
“I suppose I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill, but please, do not ever do that again.”
She promised that it would never happen again and we walked off into the jungle, quickly disappearing into the dense overgrowth. It had not taken very long before we came upon a game trail, and heard the sounds of a wild turkey. She put out her hand and gave me the gesture for me to stop and be quiet. As I stood there motionless the sound of the shotgun startled me, as the firing of it was most unexpected since I never seen a single turkey, only the sounds of them.
“Yes!” Elizabeth replied, “I got it, damn I am a good shot!”
We walked over, and sure enough, there was a good-sized wild turkey lying on the ground, dead.
“Well Elizabeth, it looks like you have indeed hit the jackpot,” I said with surprise and laughter.
“As soon as we get this turkey back to the shack, I will help you prepare it for our dinner, and when it is done we shall feast upon your bounty.”
“Mason do not be silly. Have you ever prepared a chicken or a turkey to eat in your life?”
“What do you mean do not be silly? Have you ever prepared a chicken or a turkey to eat?”
“Well, now that you have mentioned it, no I have not. As a matter of fact, this is the first time that I have ever shot and killed an animal to eat it.”
“Just as I suspected, so neither of us have prepared a chicken or a turkey, but that does not mean that we cannot assist each other in preparing this wild turkey for us to eat tonight!”
Elizabeth curled up her fist and playfully punched me in the stomach and said, “Are you sure about that, as plucking a wild turkey will not be an easy task.”
I laughed and said, “So you have already picked out a job for me to do, huh bring it on. I will pluck this wild turkey for you.”
Once back at the old shack I watched and laughed as Elizabeth began to prepare the turkey, and then joined in, preparing it for the old wood stove. It felt good just knowing that Elizabeth was here with me, and I felt great pride in knowing that I would soon become her husband, and eventually the father of many children. There was only one thing that brought a little sadness to me, and that was knowing that our children would never know their grandparents.
Elizabeth looked at me, smiled, and walked over to me, gave me a kiss and said, “Mason, you never cease to amaze me.”
“Elizabeth, I had almost forgotten, would you care for a fresh cup of hot tea. I had started making some just prior to noticing that you were nowhere to be seen, and with all the confusion I had completely forgotten that I had made some.”
“Yes, I think I would enjoy a nice cup of hot tea.”
I poured us both some hot tea, added some honey, and we sat down at the kitchen table and talked. Since the old shack had no electricity I lit the candles that were spread out in different locations throughout the place to give us some light, for when darkness does engulf us we will have enough light to see. The savoring turkey began to fill the little shack with its aroma, making the both of us even hungrier than we were when Elizabeth said, “Mason, it sure has been a long and tiresome day, and I’m looking forward to a good hot meal along with a good night’s sleep.”
I nodded my head in agreement and said, “I second that. Boy I hope I can get some sleep tonight after all that has happened to us today.”
We had a very satisfying conversation for the better part of an hour, and I hated for it to end, but Elizabeth had asked me to check on the turkey. The turkey was almost done, so while it finished cooking Elizabeth made some sweat potatoes and I made some dressing, in which I used the bread that we had left over from yesterday’s breakfast, and as soon as the turkey was done I used the left over drippings to make some gravy.
I sampled the dressing, and thought to myself, not bad at all, and we both dug right in to our helpings, lavishly, until most of the food had been consumed.
When we had finished eating I cleared away all the left over’s from the table and then washed her aunt Cassandra’s dishes, and put them back in the cupboard where I had found them. Elizabeth must have added another log or two into the wood burning stove, as she was seated on the sofa next to it when I came back into the living room. I walked in, sat down beside Elizabeth in the living room, and said, “The candle light dinner was very romantic, didn’t you think?”
I smiled as she jumped to her feet and said, “I almost forgot something, I will be right back, do not move an inch.”
Elizabeth went outside, very mysteriously, and when she returned, I noticed that she was hiding something under her shirt as she headed straight into the kitchen. I could hear her rattling something around, but could not make it out. Although it sounded like she was mixing something in a glass. My curiosity was getting the better of me, and I was just about to go have a look when I saw her coming back into the living room. She handed me a glass of something, but did not say what it was, as I looked at her with a puzzled look on my face.
“It is alright Mason, I tested it out myself, and it is alright to drink. I suppose it must have been a part of my uncle’s private stash.”
“Elizabeth, what is it?”
She started to laugh and said, “It is brandy silly, what do you think it is, poison?”
“No, but I really do not care for the taste of whisky, would you mind if I do not drink this?”
“Of course not Mason, but it is not whiskey, it is brandy, and has a rather mild and warm taste to it.”
I looked at the glass and decided what the hell. I would try it, as long as it did not taste like whiskey. I had been totally mistaken about the taste, for I found the taste to be rather pleasant. Elizabeth had said that this was the last step to an enjoyable evening, and I was inclined to agree with her without question.
“Mason, I have something to ask you, and I wish you would think very hard about it before you answer.”
“Alright Elizabeth, what is it that you want to ask me?”
I thought I knew exactly what she was going to ask, but I could not have been farther off.
“Mason, I love you to death, and I want to marry you as soon as possible. Therefore, I want us both to return to the Nickel’s tomorrow and be married before another night has passed.”
Shocked, I walked over, put my arms around her, and said, “Elizabeth, I love you too, but do you really believe that Bastelet is going to let us get that far?”
“Mason, that evil bitch does not have a thing to say in the matter, if only you would agree with me.”
I knew it was going to be the wrong thing to say, but I said, “Yes Elizabeth, I will go back to the Nickels with you tomorrow and marry you. That is if you are positive that is what you really want.”
I had no sooner given Elizabeth her answer than that evil bitch Bastelet gave us her own opinion.
It was as if a tornado had whipped up inside the old shack. Objects started to be thrown around the room, and Bastelet’s atrocious screams could be heard by any ones ears just as plain as day. The wind was fierce, blowing violently against the little old house, I was sure that this was the end of us. Bastelet was going to destroy this little old shack with the both of us in it, bec
oming our tomb forever.
Giant trees could be heard being snapped in two like sticks and crashing onto the ground as she screamed, “I will see the both of you in Hell before I will let the two of you get married.”
Elizabeth and I stood silent long after she was gone, looking down at the devastating path of destruction that she had left behind.
“Well Elizabeth, do you still believe that she will let us get married on this island?”
“Mason, that evil bitch will not stop me from marrying you. I am determined more than ever to get married to you. That villainous demon will have to kill us both tonight, as we are going to get married tomorrow! She will have to make her move tonight.”
I could not believe what I was hearing, Elizabeth was directly challenging Bastelet.
“Elizabeth, you do realize that she has the power to destroy us both whenever she wants, and then where would we be. If we are dead, how can we get married and have a life together?”
Elizabeth’s face held only the look of rage, as I could do nothing at all but pray to God Almighty himself to help protect us during the night.
Elizabeth placed her arms around me and said, “Come on Mason lets at least try to get some rest before daylight comes.”
As soon as she finished those words, the drums began to beat so loudly that it seemed like our ear drums were going to burst.
“She will never let us rest Elizabeth! We will see no peace until she has been destroyed once and for all.”
Bastelet began to laugh, and mockingly mimicked me. “No rest, see no peace, no rest, see no peace. You poor defenseless mortals! When will you ever get it through your thick skulls that I cannot, and will not ever be destroyed? It is with such pity that you both have to die, but your fate was cast into play a millennia before you were even born.”
I screamed out at the top of my lungs, “I’ve had a great deal of pleasure playing your little games Bastelet, but why don’t you go back to Hell where you belong, you evil bitch! I call upon all the powers of the Almighty God to rid us of your evil presence.”
Her infelicitous laughter finally stopped, and at last there was a peaceful silence throughout the little shack.
“Elizabeth, we must search harder for your uncle Laurence’s hiding place. If we cannot find a way to destroy Bastelet, she is going to destroy us.”
“Alright Mason, I am open to suggestions, where in the world do you suppose we start looking?”
“Let’s try looking inside the volcano. We have been over this place, what seems to be a hundred times and still have come up empty. Therefore, the volcano would be as good a place as any to start looking. It is quite plausible that your uncle figured out that the volcano would have been the least likely spot for anyone to come snooping around. Therefore, if your uncle Laurence had started a rumor that the volcano was still active, especially with all the lava beds being around, it would not be too difficult to convince the natives that it was true.”
“Mason, you might just have something there, we can check it out in the morning, but now let’s get some sleep, it’s been a long and dreadful day.”
I walked down to the end of the short and narrow hallway to the small bedroom that Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle had shared years ago. As I looked around the room I thought if only these walls could talk, what kind of secretes would they have to tell. The dreams and plans of a young married couple had been entrusted to these old walls, and then knowing that those secretes were never going to be revealed. I knew that Cassandra had truly loved Laurence, and that the only thing that I had to do was reach out and I could feel their presence hovering above the little old house like a shining Halo, lying dominate, as if it was waiting for them to return someday. I also knew that I could not destroy that love, for to do so would bring about my own destruction.
I laid down on the old rustic bed and started thinking about the unhappiness that I could cause to even the dead. My heart ached for Cassandra, Elizabeth, and yes, even the two brothers because they were truthfully only victims themselves, of their own time. I knew, had they lived in today’s world of modern sciences, things would have turned out differently for them. I blew out the candle beside me and a strong aroma of roses filled the tiny room. It was her way I suppose of giving me courage and reassurance that she was there with us. I smiled and whispered thank you into the darkness of the room, closed my eyes and fell into a deep peaceful sleep.
I awoke sometime before dawn. I had been dreaming again, but the dream was not very clear within my mind. I could only remember that Elizabeth and I had been on a mountain, and Elizabeth had been extremely excited over something she had found. What was it? I could not make it out so I tried to clear the unwanted thoughts from my mind when it all started coming back to me. It was a circle made out of many stones, it was an altar of some sort, exactly like the one I had dreamt of before. I laid there in the dark wondering where and when we would find this sacred place when a voice that I had recognized as Cassandra’s say, “On the mountain you will find everything you need to know, but you must hurry, time is running out for the both of you.”
She gave me another warning as well, one in which I had heard before. The exact same one that Elizabeth’s mother Gwendolyn had given to me, “Remember to see everything not only for what it is, but for what it might later become.”
I had received that warning now for the second time, and still had no idea what it meant. I was now more confused than ever, and whatever this strange warning meant, I guess only time would reveal its true meaning.
I watched as dawn showed itself with the rising sun slowly peaking over the island mountaintops, lighting up the forest and with that light the awakening of all Gods creations. It was a wonderful feeling just to be alive to see the sunrise another day. I knew that even if the end should bring us terrible pain and maybe even our death I would have changed nothing at all, but I also knew that I had lived my life to the fullest in the short time that I had been here on this planet.
The way that I looked at things was that I had been fortunate enough to have something that people had at times killed for, which was love. I had very loving foster parents who raised me and given me what knowledge they had acquired in their lifetime to help me grow and mature. I had indeed been very fortunate in my life, and now I had Elizabeth in my life. I tried to prepare myself mentally to meet whatever evil forces may lay ahead of me with confidence.
I walked into the kitchen and the first thing that I did was fill the kettle with water using the old pump, and placed it on the wood burning stove to heat for a nice cup of hot tea. I was suddenly aware that I loved being here on the island, and I truly wished it were possible to stay here forever. I could completely understand why Cassandra and Laurence had wanted to make it their home, well that is before he had got so involved with his work.
The whistling of the kettle brought my thoughts to an abrupt halt, and as I made the morning tea I let my eyes wonder into the small but very comfortable living room where Elizabeth was now sitting. She looked so beautiful sitting in the chair with the sun’s rays shining through the window onto her, just like an angel. I loved her so much that I hoped that I could protect her from that evil bitch Bastelet. God knows I would die for her. I know that for sure, so Bastelet would have to kill me before she would ever get her hands on Elizabeth.
I walked over to the cupboard and removed two cups from the shelf. It was obvious that the smell of the strong morning tea must have spread throughout the little house because Elizabeth walked into the kitchen and said, “Hi there, good morning Mason. That hot tea sure smells good”, with a slight grin on her face that reminded me of how much we both had meant to one another. She gave me a light kiss on my lips and said, “That tea better taste as good as it smells.”
“Good morning yourself,” I replied. “Sit down and I
will pour you a cup. What makes you so chipper this morning? I know it’s not because you slept so well last night with your feet dangling off the bed like a
puppet on a string.”
We both started laughing as I said, “Elizabeth, do you want to know something?”
“Sure Mason, what is it.”
“I have got a good feeling about today. I have always heard that every cloud has a silver lining, and I think the volcano is where we will definitely find ours”, as I pointed towards the mountain.“I do not just think so. I know for sure it will be.”
“What makes you so sure Mason?” Elizabeth asked although I think she already knew.
“I had a visit from your aunt Cassandra last night, and she told me that on the mountain we would find out everything that we wanted to know.”
I knew it was as good of time as any to tell Elizabeth about the second part of her warning.
“Elizabeth, do you remember when I first started having these weird dreams about Devil’s Island?”
“Well yes, I do vaguely remember. Why do you ask?”
“Well last night just before your aunt Cassandra left me, she gave me the same warning.”
“Mason, what was the warning that she gave you?”
“She said see everything not only for what it is, but for what it might become.”
“I have tried time and time again to think of anything that it could mean, but each time I come up with a complete blank.”
“I am so sorry Mason, but I have not a clue to what it could mean either. I am pretty sure of one thing, if it were not that important she would have never given you the warning. Ok, let’s get on our way shall we. I have a very strong feeling that we are about to find out what your destiny is going to be.”
I went outside, brought over the pack mules while Elizabeth packed up our gear and enough food to last for several days, tied them up to the mules, then we set off to the volcano. The journey to the base of the mountain took less than two hours despite the high humidity on the island and the sun beating down upon us. I thought I was going to pass out. We had stopped only twice along the way, taking only enough time to give the pack mules enough time to replenish their thirst, then we were on our way again. Once we reached our destination Elizabeth tied the pack mules up a short distance from our camp then fed and watered them while I started unpacking and setup camp.
