There Is No Monster

A conversation between two women stranded on an island. For more of my writing, go to andrewhenlyewriting.wordpress.com

“You want one?” Katie said.

She held out the pack to Melissa. A single cigarette poked out, like an aerial on a radio. But it wasn’t.

“How come you’re always giving these away? Most girls hoard their valuables. What they’ve got left, anyway.”

“Don’t smoke,” Katie said.

Melissa took the pack and removed the aerial. She lit it by the flames of the small campfire at their feet, then tossed the box back to Katie.

Melissa inhaled then said, “What you got so many cigarettes for then?”

Her voice came out shrouded in smoke. Katie slid the box into her pocket and stared out to sea. The water was blue and green and beautiful. It would be like paradise, if only it ended.

“Damon used to smoke,” Katie said.

Her eyes never left the water. The sea was reflected in them.

“Oh,” Melissa said.

She took out her cigarette and ran her red tongue slowly across her pink lips.

 

Melissa’s toes curled into the soft white sand.

“So, are you coming to this… thing tonight?” she said.

Katie turned away from the ocean and looked at her.

“No.”

“C’mon, it’s the one year anniversary.”

“Anniversary of what? Of us being trapped on this island? Of the monster killing Damon?”

“There’s no monster,” Melissa said. Her voice became hard and cold.

Katie turned back to the sea, “You know what I used to be, back in the real world?”

She ran her hand through her knotted brown hair, her fingers getting trapped in the tangles.

“You were a magician, right?”

“Wrong. I was a magician’s assistant.”

“What’s the difference?” Melissa said.

“The difference is, Damon was the magician. The one with the talent. I just stood there in makeup and pointed at him. I was a f*****g picture frame!”

“Why are you getting so psycho? You’re not usually like this.”

“How do you know what I’m like? We’re stranded on a f*****g island together with about fifty other people!”

“Thirtyseven.”

“This is not ‘what I’m like’, okay? Back in the real world, I people liked me. I had friends. Here, I’m f*****g useless,” Katie said.

“That’s not true.”

“No? You used to be a cop. You know how to keep order. And George has his damn boy scout training. What use am I?”

“Those magician’s handcuffs you brought were pretty handy.”

“I am just the goddamn box that they came in!”

 

Katie picked up a pebble from the beach and threw it out to sea. She tried to skim it but it sank.

“I’m not doing any celebrating tonight. I might go back into the jungle and hunt for the monster,” She said.

“I told you, there is no monster.”

Melissa’s mouth distorted wide and grew jagged teeth. She bit down hard on Katie’s neck, tearing the flesh until it flapped loose like a flag. Melissa covered the bloodied sand with a fresh white layer as the tide carried Katie away.