Living Legends

28) The Final Clue

As expected, the l’eau d’or was harder to find than the Silver River, Spotted Rock, Water Grotto, and Tree of Death all thrown in together.  The group spent the rest of the day and night walking the circumference of the island.  They crossed the bay at twilight, and a few minutes later, they also crossed paths with the Silver River.  Once they rounded the southeast tip of the island, they set up camp and decided to wait until morning.

            Naturally, Jack and Hayley tried to stay as far away from Clyde as possible.  Unfortunately, Clyde made it his personal duty to supervise them at all times.  The last thing Hayley saw before she drifted off to sleep was the burly man’s silhouette outlined by the crackling flames of their bonfire.  Every few seconds, a sharp scraping sound could be heard thanks to Clyde whittling away at a rock with his knife.  Hayley slept fitfully that night.

            When she awoke, she was relieved to see Jack snoring softly across from her.  She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up, wincing at the pain that shot down her back.  When was the last time she had slept in a real bed? Would she ever get that luxury again?

            Jack’s guttural breathing was quickly swallowed by the other men’s snores.  Hayley frowned when she got to her feet.  All around her were Clyde’s goonies, sleeping the day away as if they had nothing better to do.  Even the sentry, whose watch hours ended just after sunrise, was still asleep.

            A gentle breeze reached Hayley’s bare arms, and she shivered.  Though her eyes were used to the hazy darkness, she spotted a thin arc of light rising from the east.  The sun would rise within the hour.

            Though her stomach growled and her throat was parched, Hayley needed to get away.  She couldn’t stand the sight of Clyde, and after her small falling-out with Jack, she could no longer confide in him.  Despite their converging pasts, she knew she couldn’t trust him until he explained what was going on.  Secrets don’t make friends, Jack, they make enemies.

            As she zig-zagged her way through the sleeping camp, Hayley’s thoughts drifted to her parents, and then to her Gran.  She wondered what they would think of her now.  “This wasn’t my idea of an adventure,” she whispered.  “If I ever get home, I’ll do my best to tell you all about it.  Maybe then you’ll realize I should have stayed in my apartment.”

            Suddenly, a loud boom erupted through the clearing, followed by a loud hissing and spraying of water.  Hayley froze.  What was that? It sounded like a bomb, gunshot, and stampede all at once, with a tidal wave thrown in.

            Her skin crawling, Hayley glanced over her shoulder at the men.  A few grunted in their sleep and turned over.  The sentry continued to nod into his chest.  Hayley briefly wondered if she should alert Jack, but when the sounds of the jungle continued as if nothing had happened, she relaxed.  I’m just making a mountain out of a molehill.  There’s nothing to worry about.

            Still on her guard, Hayley tiptoed through the jungle for a hundred yards until she reached the sand.  Though the sun was still below the horizon, it was already humid.  She pinched her tank top and waved it in and out, hoping to catch a breeze down her chest.  As she tried to cool herself down, she glanced warily to her left and right, wondering where the source of the bomb/gunshot/stampede/tidal wave noise had come from.

            There was nothing but sand and water in front of her, the jungle to her right, and tidepools to her left.  She could even make out the Spotted Rock where it stood like a sentinel over the glittering sand.  Everything looked completely normal—and beautiful, of course, in the early morning glow.