Oops, I did it again.
Just when you thought you'd done your reading, I publish moar! It won't last forever I promise ;) I've just gone ahead of myself for once and have been writing chapters in advance. Things are about to get serious, and sh** is about to go down. 10 chapters in. This is a slow burner :)
Again, I really want to thank you for the growing support with this story, it's amazing, it's just absolutely brilliant and I just squeal and jump around everytime I get a review, literally. Then I just smile to myself like a doof.
This story really is a challenge, but hopefully I'll do the idea justice.
Hope you enjoy :)
The rest of the day, Alice is left alone in the shack, and when night comes Vaas doesn't arrive. She hangs around for a bit before deciding to go to bed. She realises that she truly isn't fond of this, it is like being back to square one, when she had to spend days waiting around in the shack, not knowing if Vaas was coming to hurt her. Not knowing Vaas' name. She shakes the thought off, tries to focus on the good things that happened, tries to think about her plan. She's got one, at least, she is heading somewhere. It's nothing like what it was a week or so ago, and this is a reassuring thought.
Eventually Alice drifts into a light sleep, interrupted by the crunching sound of a nose being broken. She sits up, looks wildly around the room but there is no one there. She counts four seconds then lies back down. She must have slept for a while, because the camp is fairly quiet, and there is hardly any light filtering through the bamboo walls and ceiling. At night, it is the insects that are the loudest, shrieking from up in the trees. Occasionally, there is shuffling in the bushes, and sometimes a creature runs along the roof. It is kind if scary how familiar these noises have become to Alice.
She sinks back into a peaceful sleep, when a loud, heavy, wet pile of something falls somewhere in the bathroom. Alice jerks awake, decides to investigate. In the bathroom there is nothing, apart from the occasional drops of water coming out of the tap. She knows but chooses the ignore what the thing sounded like. There's nothing here.
CRUNCH
That came from the bedroom, she is sure of it. Alice rushes back to it, and of course, there is nothing there. Of course. When the next wet sound is heard near the door this time, Alice just gets into bed. She clasps her hands to her ears, ignores everything. Just sleep.
The noises still ring, still hit her head, but how can she hear them when her hands are covering her ears and she is humming to herself? They sound like they are in the room with her but that's not possible because these sounds occurred hours earlier and surely noses don't break the same every time, right? And guts don't all fall the same, do they? It's unlikely, unlikely, it's so unlikely. What's likely then? What's likely is PTSD. That's likely right, that's likely. You hear noises but that's ok, they'll fade, and they mean nothing because I know what's likely I am not crazy am I. Did I eat today? She's had a mango before bed. That was a nice mango. Is she vegetarian now? It's good for you isn't it? One, two,three, four. One, two,three, four.
There's someone in the room.
One, two, three, four.
There's a weight on her bed.
Vaas, Vaas,it's Vaas' bed, it's not your bed. My bed smells nice I put lavender in it.
This is sleep hallucination, or whatever that thing is called when you think there's something in with you, people get that. Your body is asleep but your brain is awake or something like that, it happens. It's fine.
It's holding her hand now. Is that normal?
Let's just sleep, you'll be fine. You choose to be scared or not.
Oh god, it's squeezing her hand now, for real! It's kissing it. It's so real, she can feel how hot its mouth is, how rough its lips are, the stubble on its face.
She can't help it. Alice whimpers and pulls her hand back to her, against her chest, then over her ear again. The weight leaves the bed.
It's gone! It's fine, it's walking away!
There's dogs crying outside. Is it attaching the dogs?
For god' sake, Alice, it's not attacking anything it's not even real, just sleep you'll feel better soon.
It's walking towards her again now, angry steps, and then there's a light weight that drops on her bed and the thing walks away, but the weight remains. It walks to her, licks her face. Licks her face! Alice opens her eyes and backs away, and it is her puppy, the cute ugly one, in bed with her. It looks so happy to see her. It's even barking its tiny bark, and Alice cannot hear any more breaking noses and falling guts.
She holds her puppy.
The next morning Alice sleeps in a bit, the puppy's warm body lying as close to her face as possible. When she wakes and walks out, she is surprised to see Vaas still there, all smiles. Alice knows he's brought the puppy,and she thanks him silently, by holding his hand. They don't speak of it.
For a few nights, the puppy stays with Alice, otherwise she cannot sleep. Vaas kicks it out of the shack in the morning, and throws it back in in the evening. The puppy is always just pleased to be near her, and it almost makes her cry because it's just so little, and so kind. So genuine. She sleeps well.
About four days later, Vaas tells her they are going to a place called Badtown to give a message from Hoyt to a man called Buck. Vaas promises Alice a drink at a local bar.
They drive along the coast, and Alice is once again struck by the sheer beauty of the island. How can a place so heavenly be the setting for so much evil?
Badtown itself is not so lovely. At first sight, it looks similar to the pirate camp, but a closer look reveals the town' share of drunkards and sleazy looking individuals, strip bars and a number of half dressed local girls and women walking around and cat calling men. None of them call Vaas, however, and Alice briefly wonders if his murderous, sadistic tendencies reveal themselves in the bedroom as well.
They walk into a quiet bar, where a woman is sitting on a man's lap in the corner of the room, and she has her hand in his trousers. There are three guys sitting at a table and playing cards. And in the corner, there is a white man in his forties, wearing jeans and an open short sleeved shirt. There is a bright, colourful tattoo on his chest. He stands, opens his arms.
"Aaah, Vaas! It's nice to see you mate." Australian accent. "Come on take a seat mate, what are you drinking? And who's this?"
"Alice."
"Alice? Welcome to wonderland." He laughs. "We've never met before have we? I don't forget a face. Not such a lovely one anyway. You're British?"
"Yes."
"I'm Bambi Hughes." He smiles at Vaas. "Who is she then?".
"Let's cut the bullshit, Buck, I got a request from Hoyt."
"Alright, we'll get to that, no need to be rude. What are you drinking? Beer? What about you, love? Beer?"
He gets up, goes to the bar. Vaas drags a chair around until it is facing the room and sits on it. When Alice makes no movement to sit down, he gestures to her, somewhat abruptly. For some reason he doesn't seem too fond of Buck, or perhaps it is the place he dislikes. Or maybe it is because she is there, perhaps he is regretting bringing her out here. He reaches out for her hands which are clasped onto her lap. She jumps, as this means he is now almost touching her thighs. How many lights in the room? One, two, three, four...
"Here you go, lovebirds. Two beers."
Vaas retracts his hand and reaches into his pocket to retrieve a neatly folded piece of paper. He pushes it over to Buck who opens it, reads it, then puts it into the pocket of his shirt.
"I need to know it's going to be done." Says Vaas, and Buck waves a hand dismissively.
"Come on, mate." His blue eyes focus on Alice again. "So," he takes a sip of his beer, and she does the same. "How came you here, love?"
"Um..."
"Ok it's better you don't talk to her, hermano."
"Ok!" Buck raises his hands in submission. The tattoo on his chest is that of a deer.
"Are you satisfied with your price?" Asks Vaas.
"Yeah. I am actually quite pleased. Don't worry about the job mate, tell Hoyt it's going to get done soon."
"Ok that's good."
"Does Hoyt know about this bird?" Asks Buck, refusing to let go.
Vaas makes everyone jump as he stands, knocking his chair down.
"Ok, ok! Let's keep it cool mate, I'm only asking, really."
"We're leaving. Come on let's go, " he whistles, showing the door.
"You haven't touched your beer, and look, the poor darling has hardly had a sip. Sit down, mate, I'm really sorry. I was teasing you alright? You know you can trust me, mate. I mind my own business. Please, sit down. You enjoying that beer, love?"
"Yes thank you, it's very nice. Very, uh... Refreshing."
"See? The girl's happy. Sit down, mate, I won't mention it again I promise."
Vaas looks like he's about to murder someone, and Alice reaches up to his hand. He picks his chair up, sits back down, squeezes her hand when she tries to retrieve it. The noises of the bar start again.
Buck's eyes flick back and forth between them, and when Vaas takes a sip of his drink the Australian winks at her.
"Sorry mate, I've been a bit cranky these days."
"Why, are you not getting enough pussy?"
Buck laughs without joy.
"Don't you worry about that, mate. No. See, Keith's been a bit of a pain in the arse, so bloody demanding mate you know? Always wants more, more, more."
As Buck keeps talking about this Keith, Alice finds it really hard to determine who that is. From the way the Australian speaks about them, Keith could either be a lover, a child, or maybe even a dog. Alice takes her time drinking her beer, because, once the initial creepiness of Buck wears off, he turns out to be good company, and it is nice to be out of the camp for a while and do something remotely normal. She needs a wee, but is not sure if Vaas will just let her go.
"Um, Vaas?"
He turns to her.
"I'm s-I mean, could I use the bathroom? If that's ok?"
"God, love, if you need to go you need to go!" Chuckles Buck.
She sees that Vaas hesitates. This is the furthest they've been away from camp, and he is probably considering going in with her.
"I'll just be a minute, I promise." She looks him in the eyes, rubs her thumb on the back his hand. "I just... Need a tinkle."
"A tinkle!" Buck is very amused.
"Ok." Agrees Vaas, at last. "You got two minutes."
"Thank you. Two minutes, thank you." She turns to Buck, pulls her hand away. "Is it this way?"
"Just round behind the bar, love."
Alice throws one last reassuring smile at Vaas from above her shoulder as she disappears into the bathroom. Alice has a wee, then takes her time washing her hands and brushing her hair. This is nice, she thinks. She could almost believe that when she walks out again, her friends will be there, diving gear ready, and they'll all go to a site together, and this was all just a weird dream. Someone walks in behind her. It is the local woman, the one who had her hand in the man's trousers. Instead of going to the loo though, the woman walks over to Alice' side and stares at her awkwardly.
Alice gives her a tight smile, dries her hands.
"Excuse me. You Alice?"
"Pardon?"
"You Alice?"
"Um... Yes."
Alice makes her way to the door.
"You know Tim?"
"Pardon?" Alice stops dead in her tracks. The woman, a girl really walks over to her and whispers in a hushed tone:
"You know Tim and Jessica?"
"Yes. Why?"
"They ok. Tim ask me to give you a message. He is.. Ah.. Tinggalkan, the island? You know what mean, tinggalkan?"
"He's leaving?"
"Yes. He leaving. He tell you to come with he. He with Rakyat people. He leaving. I am rakyat."
"What? When?"
"Esok pagi."
"What, you mean tomorrow morning or afternoon?"
"Pagi."
"I don't know if that's morning, please...!"
"You go to doctor house, esok pagi. He find you, you leaving."
"Wait...!"
The girl hurries out of the room.
"Fuck!" Breathes Alice, looking at herself in the mirror.
"Jesus!"
She splashes her face with water. Slaps herself. Slaps herself with both hands. Get it together Alice, come on.
Oh god.
This could go so, so wrong. It could be a trap. Maybe Vaas planned it all out. Or maybe Buck did this. Fuck!
This could be true. What's rakyat?
Tomorrow morning. Fuck.
She's got to try it. Shit. She's got to.