The Stars Will Catch Me

Chapter 9

The phone booths are wall mounted telephones with a slab of wood placed in between each of them. They're all so dusty that I question whether I'll be able to talk with Charlie after all.

"What about you?" The tattoos on her leg are more visible when her shorts ride up as she reaches into each stall to try the phones. The two names are Micheal and John. "Who are the names on your thigh?"

She stiffens, pressing her lips together and not letting them go until she can produce a small smile. "The names of people I don't want to forget."

I don't say anything more and after a few moments of watching her listen to all three phones, she gives a sigh. Her hand is on her hip and for the first time all day, her shoulders are slumped. When she gazes out the window at the sun that is nearly completely out of sight, I am certain she's still thinking about my question.

"The landline phones are really spotty. They have a mind of their own and apparently they don't want to work today." She slams the last phone into the receiver and I flinch. "Listen, Aaron is the one that said you could call Charlie. Your best bet is to ask to use his cell."

"He has a cellphone?"

Why were we wasting our time with these ancient things?

"The only one on the island. He never lets anyone touch it for security purposes but he also doesn't go back on his promises. You can find him in the tower on the right." She makes a beeline out of the room and I am left in her dust - literally kicked up from the carpet. It's odd she isn't showing me there. She had fun playing tour guide today. It was probably my question that did this. I shouldn't have asked.

Hoping she's alright, I follow her directions to Aaron's room.

I find it quickly thanks to Willow's extensive tour from the morning. There isn't a door to his room but an archway leading to a staircase. I hesitate.

"Aaron?" I know my calls are pointless as his actual room must be several feet up but I feel better that I at least attempted to be polite. "Aaron, it's Dovie! I'm coming up . . ."

The stairs spiral and since there are no railings to protect me should I slip, I keep my hand against the wall as I ascend. There's a faint sound echoing off the walls and down to me. I'm near the top when I distinguish it as the sound of a little girl giggling.

I pause. My skin feels cold as I imagine something scary from the horror movie Charlie and I went to watch weeks ago. Amplified by the empty space, the giggle sounds like it belongs to the ghoulish girl with black hair cascading over her face. The mystery girl erupts into giggles again and this time I jump in surprise. I lose my footing on the step and shriek as I start to fall back.

I catch myself at the last second.

Aaron's figure materializes at the top of the steps. One of his eyebrows is raised. "What are you doing screaming in my tower?"

I give him a coy smile, embarrassed. "I was yodeling."

He laughs and it's a bouncy sound that fills the once chilling atmosphere with warmth.

"Why don't you yodel up here? The acoustics are better."

I climb the remainder of steps and follow him through another archway. His room is tiny. If we stood next to each other and both extended our arms, each of us would touch the other end of the wall. His bed is just a mattress on the floor with a bedsheet and a comforter neatly placed on top of it. He has an antique table to the right of it with a map laid across it. The various hills and meadows tell me it's of this island - Neverland.