The Midnight Robber: A Novel [ACT II: Jumbie Island]

“I get one of the kidsss.”

“For all it worth, I’ll give you two kids.”

Sara turned to me and said, “That traitor.”

“Shhhhh.” It was my turn to shush her.

“Deal,” Mama Glow said, licking her lips.

“If you could keep HE from my humble abode for the night I might even consider giving you three kids. Them good for nothing kids only galloping around my house causing a set of mess.”

“It hasssss been a while since I last tasted the ssssucculent flesh of chil……..”

“Tomorrow at dawn I’d have your kids for you,” Anansi interrupted abruptly.

Mama Glow pointed to a tree then said, “Have them tied to that tree over there. Make sure that they tie tight.”

“Deal.”

“I’d make sure that HE don’t bother you tonight,” Mama Glow said. She then turned and walked back into the river. She kept walking until the water covered her entirely. The last thing I saw of her was a snake tail that quickly disappeared into the depths of the Caura River.

“We need to go back and warn the others,” I told Sara.

“Yeah,” Sara agreed and we ran back to the house.

Back at the house everything was still relatively quiet. Everyone was sleeping, completely unaware of what had happened back at the Caura River. Sara and I woke Cornell up and told him what we saw at the Caura River. He questioned us a bit more basically to ensure that it was worth his time. I wasn’t sure if we had convinced him but shortly thereafter he opened up the bag that he had brought with him from the helicopter and emptied it out all over the floor, quietly enough to not wake the others. We had to wake them up eventually but Cornell suggested that we let them sleep a little while longer.

The only items in Cornell’s bag were guns. A lot of guns. About ten guns to be exact. There were three shotguns and the rest were handguns. I had seen the bag before and I assumed that he had other stuff in it. Clothes, food or books maybe. I had no idea it was just a bag of guns.

Sara and I each armed ourselves with a weapon, tucking them into our trousers.

“We never know what could happen but just to be safe, we should keep these. Only shoot if you have to. Don’t go shooting an innocent man,” Cornell said.

“He’s not innocent,” Sara said.

“Only shoot if you have to,” Cornell repeated.

Megan woke up and asked us what was going on. I told her about Anansi and what he had said to Mama Glow.

“We can’t let him do that,” Megan said. “He’s not taking my little sister.”

“Nor my siblings,” Sara said.

Sara and Megan hadn’t really agreed on anything since they had met, except that Anansi shouldn’t be allowed to take the children. Anansi had said to Mama Glow that he was going to have the children tied up at the tree at dawn so we all decided to stay up and wait till then. Cornell stayed at the door with his shotgun in hand and he kept reminding us to shoot only if necessary.

Sunrise was nearing and everyone was up at that point. Bookman, however, wasn’t in the room. He was somewhere around but out of sight, so out of mind.

We started hearing footsteps. Megan grabbed hold of Melanie, keeping her close and Sara did the same with Justin and Saraya. The footsteps got closer and louder and we all kept our attention focused on the door but Anansi didn’t use the door. The sly spider walked through the wall behind us and we didn’t even notice.

Ancil Gonzales is a Trinidadian writer and blogger with a love for Movies, TV Shows and Anime.

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