AncilWe went back upstairs and we all told Sam farewell. Well, all except Sara who quietly waited at the door for us to finish. We set out back into the forests once again with newfound hope that the rest were still alive. Their names signed in three weeks ago in the visitors’ book of the village gave us a bit more hope that they were still alive. If we could have found Sam then surely we could find the others. My only concern was that there was a slight possibility that they were in Mas Camp or captured by the coast guards. The coast guards seemed like a very possible threat, but I convinced myself that Mama Glow and Bookman were tough and would have protected them. I comforted Sara every so often reassuring her that her siblings would be alright. She looked distressed. Justin and Saraya were all that she had. Clive’s death affected her but she wasn’t as mopey and sulky as she was now. She remained quiet, kept her distance behind us and left her head down as she walked through the forest. Ronald made a joke about a mango tree in an attempt to cheer her up but she didn’t even take notice. I was getting worried.
“Now you’re scaring me,” I said to Sara.
She didn’t respond.
“I think we should……”
“What are we doing out here Jed?” She asked, distressed.
“We’re looking for the others.”
“We’re looking for ghosts. There’s no way they could have survived out here. The jumbies, the douens, the lagahoo.”
“How are you so sure?” I asked.
“You saw for yourself what happened to those people in the village. That beast must have gotten Justin and Saraya too. I was a fool to think that we could find them.” Sara turned her head away from me and her eyes watered as she spoke.
“That beast didn’t kill Justin and Saraya,”
“And how are you so sure?” Sara asked.
“Because….” I hesitated. “Because I’m the beast. I’m the monster. I’m the one who killed those people.”
Her eyes widened.
“I talked to Sam and she said that I could control it if I concentrate hard enough. I could do it much better next time. I could use the beast to our advantage. I know I could. I know I could,” I said.
I didn’t know what she was thinking. She kept staring at me with her eyes wide opened like if I was a ghost or something.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“You lied to me?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I trusted you Jed. I gave you the benefit of the doubt. When I asked you if it was who killed those people you told me that it wasn’t you and I believed you. I believed you because I thought that you wouldn’t lie to me especially after all that we went through together. After everyone and everything that we lost to get here. I trusted you Jed.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t say sorry. Sorry is only good for one thing. Getting you killed,” Sara said before storming off.
I chased her and tried to get her to stop but she didn’t. She just kept walking and pushing me away.
“Get away from me Jed.”
I kept running after her but I abruptly stopped when she took out her gun and pointed it at me. I knew that she wouldn’t have hesitated to pull the trigger.
“Stay away from me. And if you find Justin and Saraya, stay away from them too. If I ever see or hear you again I will kill you and don’t think for a second that I won’t.”
“I’m not going to hurt you Sara.”
She cocked the gun, gritted her teeth and said, “But I will hurt you.”
Jinx and Ronald watched on from behind Sara. They tagged along to protect Sara so they were definitely on her side. I couldn’t win. Arguing with Sara was a lost cause.
“Well if this is how you’re going to treat the man who saved your life. Then so be it. Hope we meet again someday,” I said.
“The next time we meet will be in the fiery pits of hell.” Her eyes burned with rage.
She, along with Jinx and Ronald then walked away leaving me behind in the forest.
I was now alone.
