I walked quickly, tears streaming down my face.
I would've been so happy there!
Ayla began to squirm, so I pressed her mouth against my shoulder. We had to be silent.
I thought back to Teesha, lying dead on the floor of that secret little room. I hadn't seen anyone else in there. Perhaps there was another secret door? And Teesha's killer escaped through it after stabbing her?
I walked faster now, hoping the killer wouldn't find me. It was stupid to be walking this way, the way of the banana plantation. But at least I could find my way from there. I could steal some bananas. I could find a port and escape this island.
And then I remembered the baby! It was going to be so hard to leave with Ayla, but I couldn't just dump her somewhere. She whimpered just then, I realized she was probably cold. I held her tighter.
"I'm sorry, Ayla, but it looks like we're stuck together. I guess I'm sort of your mother... or sister."
I was only 13, too young to be a mother. Although, so much time had passed I probably turned 14.
"I'll protect you though," I whispered in her little ear, "I'll make sure you'll be okay. Nothing bad will happen to you, promise."
I walked until I could see the sun. My feet ached, my arms ached from carrying Ayla and I was exhausted.
"Let's take a nap," I whispered to her. I found a bent over tree, underneath the leaves was a small space, just big enough for both of us to sleep in, and it was dark and hard to see from where I walked.
I lay down, the baby next to me, the sun warming my back through the leaves.
When I woke up, the sun was much higher in the sky. My stomach growled and Ayla was crying softly.
"You must be hungry! But I can't feed you. I can't even feed myself. We'll find food, I promise."
I climbed out of the shelter, and I had an idea.
I reached down and ripped off the bottom part of my robe. It now came to the middle of my thighs, as opposed to my ankles. I used this fabric to make a sort of backpack, and I tied Ayla to my back.
It was much easier to walk, and I did so, turning east, west, north but never south.
Never back to that island hell.
I became dizzier as I walked, my stomach growled growled growled and my throat burned from thirst.
And then I saw it.
A small pond, a tiny oasis just a few feet away!
I ran to it, and spalshed some water on my face. It was icy, and made me shiver.
I drank a tiny bit, hoping it wasn't salt. To my delight, it was fresh. I drank and drank and drank, and then I poured some into Ayla's mouth.
"Isn't that good!"
I stared at the water, my throat cool and wonderful.
I saw a flicker of pink.
"Salmon!"
I took a big stick and used it as a spear to grab one.
It died instantly, and I placed it on a leaf.
"How to cook it, how to cook it?"
I took two small twigs and rubbed them together. In a matter of minutes I had a nice fire.
I found a big flat stone and I put the salmon on it, right in the middle of the fire.
The salmon started to cook, and gave off a tasty smell.
Ayla cooed with delight, knowing that soon both of us would have food in our bellies.
I cooked a few more fish, and used a little cloth to tie them up and save them for later. If I found some salt water, I could salt them and they'd last longer.
We drank some more water, and then headed on our way.
