Evil in Arcadia

Gary & Israel - Phone Call

The dark men in camouflage rounded up the children. Girls to one side, boys to the other. The girls were screaming, they knew what was coming for them. They writhed in the powerful hands of their captors. But the strong hands held firm and the girls were beaten until they fell silent or passed out. The small boy in ragged shorts watched on, frozen in his hiding place deep in a thicket of sickle-bush thorns. He wanted to scream out, he wanted to tell them no. But he knew he would pay with his life and he couldn’t bring himself to make a sound. 

The leader of the dark men swaggered in front of the line of boys. They all watched him, wide-eyed and fearful as he strode amongst them, assessing them, looking for something. He seemed to find what he was looking for in the tallest and broadest of his captives. He took the boy roughly by the shoulder and pulled him out in front of the others. He turned slowly, drawing his pistol out of its holster. 

The small boy almost cried out as he saw the man’s face. He had no eyes, just empty, bleeding sockets. But how can he see.

The man cocked his weapon with a flourish and held it at the temple of his prisoner.

‘You will fight for us.’

The frightened young man turned his head slowly towards his captor. ‘I would rather die.’

The man laughed out loud, as if the boy had told a good joke. ‘Then you will get your wish.’ He pulled the trigger.

The body of the young man flopped to the ground like a sack of maize, his head tilted back towards the hiding place in the thorns. His eyes did not see, his chest did not rise and fall, his mouth did not move — but Israel heard him speak anyway.

‘You are my saviour, you are my saviour, you are my saviour.’

 

He sat up in bed, the darkness thick and warm around him. The sheets were moist with his sweat.

You are my saviour rang in his head. He reached for the glass of water by his bed and moistened his dry lips and throat. He leaned back against the bed-head, the hand holding the water trembled slightly. Minutes later he flicked the switch of the bedside light so he could find his way to the toilet in this unfamiliar place. All nightmares came from wanting to go to the toilet, that was Gary’s theory. He was sure Gary didn’t have this kind of nightmare though. 

He watched the curtains as the darkness began to resolve itself into the dim grey light of dawn outside his window. Just as he was contemplated an early morning stroll down to the ocean he was surprised by a knock on the door.

Elise's clear diction sounded through the closed bedroom door: 'Mr Wren, I hope I'm not bothering you but there's someone on the phone for you... they say it's urgent.'

'Hullo Iz, sorry to bother you mate, I know its early. I tried your mobile and I even sent you a few texts but then I remembered they take all your phones and stuff off you at that joint don't they.'

'Hello Gary, don't worry about the time. What has happened? Has anything gone wrong with Sindiswa?'

'What? Nah, sorry, nothing like that. Sorry, I'm not thinking clearly, I've been up all night with Karli.'

'Ah yes, Karli, I hope nothing has happened to her?'

'Well, not to her—to her dad, he was murdered.'

'That is terrible news... but why are you contacting me?'

'Yeah, that's just it. He was murdered a couple of nights ago and the cops have gone and put Zane in the can for it today. He couldn't have done it Iz, he couldn't of done it! I know this kid really well. He's gone off the rails a bit in the last couple of years but he wouldn't hurt a fly—let alone his own dad.'

'I see, I see. Well, yes, in that case maybe I can help you. I will be there later today as long as I can get a seat on an aeroplane.'

'Ah jeez mate, thank you so much. I told Karli "If anyone can dig Zane out of this mess its Israel" didn't I Karls? She's nodding, she's nodding.'

Israel smiled to himself at the relief in his friend's voice. He hoped that he would be able to live up to his frien’s expectations and that he wouldn't have to tell the lovely Karli that her brother had murdered her father. Now to ask Elise for his phone and laptop back.