‘What are you doing?’ June laughed. ‘It’s a million degrees outside.’
‘I’m cold,’ I said, avoiding eye contact. I’d emerged into the kitchen wearing a long-sleeved blue top – the first warm clothing I’d worn since moving to the tropical island. I pulled down on the sleeves, a feeling of discomfort sliding down my spine.
‘Are you sick?’ June asked. I could hear the concern in her words.
‘No. I’m fine.’ I looked up at my sister. I knew I had darkening shadows under my eyes, my face so pale it was almost green. June dropped her spoon into her near-empty cereal bowl.
‘Geez, Val! You look like you haven’t slept in a week.’
‘I’m fine,’ I said again, opening the fridge. The cool air was an instant relief. Even in the early hours of the morning, the temperature had risen well over 30 degrees.
‘Are you sure you’re not sick?’
‘Pretty sure.’
Sweat dripped from my forehead, even as I stood in the cold refrigerator air. I didn’t know how I was going to make it through the hot day working in Sam’s stupid tiny shop.
As I made myself breakfast, my mind flashed to the long night before.
Who had written me that note?
What did they do to my arms?
Why did they choose me?
All I knew was that I couldn’t tell June.
‘Sam rang here this morning.’
‘What?’ I asked, looking back at my sister.
‘Yeah, he wanted to tell me the process for our coronation this week.’
I didn’t say anything, just continued buttering my toast. I couldn’t begrudge the council’s bizarre rituals, not when I had something much bigger to worry about.
June tapped her teaspoon on her ‘Best Sister’ mug. I looked up again and could tell she was fast losing her patience with me.
‘I heard you,’ I said. ‘Coronation this week.’
‘You could at least pretend to be interested.’
‘Okay. What does this coronation entail?’
‘The council leaders will read out the Clear Mountain Island oath and we must sign our names to the official text which documents all living residents.’
‘Sorry,’ I laughed, ‘but why would we sign anything?’
‘It’s so our names are written in history. Doesn’t that sound exciting? Don’t you want that to be recorded forever? Grandma signed it. People in generations to come will know the founding residents’ names.’
June stood up and took her bowl to the kitchen sink. With her back to me, it was easier to argue.
‘Forgive me if I think that this whole coronation thing sounds like a load of bullshit.’
I saw June’s shoulders drop, her hands gripping the edge of the silver sink, turning her knuckles white. Perhaps she wasn’t in the mood for our usual bickering.
‘Fine,’ she said. ‘Forget it. We’ll be the first residents to opt out. Happy?’
I felt a wave of resentment rise up through me.
‘Never,’ I replied, mouth full of toast.
~~~
I couldn’t concentrate over the next few days. Every small movement made me twitch. I stopped sleeping at night altogether and caught myself drifting off, still standing at the store register.
The dream I'd had was so real, I could feel the vines wrapping themselves around me, gripping my body. Could they have been human hands?
My paranoia only reminded me that there was no one I could talk to. June already thought something was up and she would never believe me, even if I tried to convince her. I knew it had taken her a long time to trust in me again. Plus, it didn’t help that I had no friends on the island.
I was restocking the shelves in the shop by myself when the store bell sounded. Eleanor walked in, her demeanour buzzing with excitement.
‘Hey there new girl. How’s it hanging?’
I finished lining up the new watches on the shelves and started to break down the empty cardboard box.
‘Fine. How’s life treating you at Tourist Information?’
‘Pretty good. I got a hot date tonight,’ she beamed. There was something different about her, something I couldn’t put my finger on.
‘Hey,’ I said, before I could stop myself. ‘I thought your eyes were brown.’
Eleanor’s deep brown eyes were no more. Ocean blue stared back at me now. Eleanor stopped smiling.
‘Contacts.’
Awkward silence followed. Eleanor had a blank look on her face, before it broke out into another smile.
‘Where’s Sam?’
‘He’s at the bank,’ I said slowly.
‘Gosh, with you around, it’s like the man is on holiday. Never see him anymore!’
I didn’t know how to reply. Could Eleanor be one of the people the note was referring to? Was she watching me?
‘Good luck with your date, I guess.’
‘Aw, you’re so sweet!’ Eleanor said, lightly punching me in the arm. A jolt of static shocked me with the contact, even through my long-sleeved top.
With that, Eleanor turned on her heel and left, the bell chiming again. The door banged against the frame, once, twice – on the third time, the glass pane cracked with a sharpness that sliced through the silence of the store.
Clouds Behind the Moon is written by Olivia Hides and will be published serially throughout the year.