It was getting late in the day and Sam still hadn’t returned from the bank. I was starting to get concerned, mostly because I was starving and wanted my lunch break – but still, a little concerned. I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain the new crack in the window, now held together by sticky tape, but I figured I could feign innocence.
I was leaning against the counter, watching the wildlife whirl around outside, when I saw Bruce walking along the street, his head down concentrating on his phone. He looked as though he had finished up from work.
I cringed visibly when I saw him head towards the shop door.
‘Bruce,’ I sighed as he entered.
Bruce smirked, ‘How’s it going there, little lady?’
I could barely contain an eye roll.
‘Don’t call me that.’
Bruce chuckled and I could smell his breath from across the counter. Coffee. Gross.
‘You are a feisty one, aren’t you?’
Yep, I thought, this is exactly what I need today.
‘What do you want?’ I asked.
‘Here to see my dad.’
‘He’s at the bank.’
‘He just texted me to meet him here, so he can’t be too far away. What happened with the front door?’
‘Huh?’ I said, pulling down on my sleeve.
‘The glass in the front door’s cracked?’
‘Hadn’t noticed,’ I said. Bruce smiled like he knew I was lying. ‘Okay, fine. The door banged against the jamb and it cracked. It was an accident.’
Bruce kept smiling, but he changed the subject.
‘You look like shit.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, looking around for anything to do and get me away from him.
‘Don’t be offended. Aren’t you sleeping or something?’
I looked up at Bruce.
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘I mean, you look like shit. You need beauty sleep.’ I scowled. ‘And to smile more,’ Bruce added laughing.
I had a moment of weakness. Perhaps it was Bruce’s lack of charm, or his ability to make me want to vomit, but for some reason, Bruce was the only one in this place who felt genuine – genuinely a douche, but still, genuine. Like maybe Bruce might understand what I’ve been experiencing.
‘Do you notice weird things happening around here?’
‘Define ‘weird’,’ Bruce said, digging at the grime under his nails.
‘Like glass cracking, or crazy weather patterns.’
‘It’s called living on an island, sweetheart.’
‘No, I’m serious. Something… I had a dream the other night, like someone or something was in my room. There was a note.’
‘A note?’
‘Yeah, telling me that someone was watching me.’
‘Babe, I think you’re overreacting. Is that why you’re not sleeping?’
‘Don’t tell me I’m overreacting. Look at my arms!’ I yelled, pulling up one of my sleeves. In the bright daylight of the shop, the inside of my arm was purple and blue with bruises, multiple puncture marks lining the crease of my elbow.
‘Fuck me,’ Bruce said, looking alarmed. ‘What have you done to yourself?’
‘I didn’t do it,’ I said, knowing I sounded defensive. ‘I woke up with it.’
‘Woke up with it? That’s some crazy sleepwalking.’ Bruce looked down at me and for the first time since I’d met him, I thought he was hiding something.
‘I didn’t sleepwalk.’
Bruce didn’t say anything else, but his eyes betrayed him. He knew something.
Sam decided to walk in at that moment – I pulled my sleeves down, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was walking tall, proudly, without his cane. He looked as though he’d grown over two inches.
‘Hello, my children,’ Sam said smiling.
‘Sup Dad,’ Bruce said, pulling out his phone and burying his eyes.
‘Where’s your cane?’ I asked, not caring if I sounded rude.
‘My cane? Oh, yes, my cane. We have a wonderful rehabilitation program here at Clear Mountain Island. Got me walking again. It’s a miracle.’
I looked over to Bruce, but he had turned his back to me.
‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘A miracle.’
‘Oh, Val, my dear. Could you please clean the windows before your lunch break? I noticed they had fingerprints from the children.’
Wordlessly, I went to the back to get a bucket of soapy water and a rag.
I could hear Bruce and Sam talking in the office out the back. I decided to just keep my head down as I cleaned the windows.
After a few minutes, Bruce came up behind me.
‘We’ll talk later,’ he whispered.
I didn’t respond, just kept cleaning the window. With a bang, a bird flew directly at me, smashing straight into the glass. Its body splattered blood, feathers and flesh across the outside window.
‘Oh fuck,’ Bruce said. He started laughing. ‘That scared the shit out of me!’
‘What was that?’ Sam called out from his office.
Bruce continued laughing, but I just stood still.
~~~
I sat at the kitchen bench and watched June cook dinner, her attention fixed on the pasta sauce and the recipe she held in one hand. She was reading the recipe in her head, but her lips moved as she silently pronounced the words. She had read like that since she was a child.
For the first time since I’d awoken from my dream five nights ago, I felt more like my feisty self, almost as if I was bubbling on the inside along with the boiling water. My hands wrapped tightly around the cold glass of water in my hand.
‘You’ve been quiet this week,’ June remarked.
‘Since when do old men who require walking canes no longer require them?’ I said, not able to contain myself anymore.
‘What?’
‘Sam. Sam doesn’t limp anymore.’
‘Oh,’ June exclaimed. ‘Good for him!’
Anger ripped through me and I could barely control the volume of my voice.
‘Don’t you think that’s strange?’
‘Hmm?’ June looked up, pushing her reading glasses on top of her head.
‘Yesterday, the man could hardly walk. I was afraid the wicked wind would blow him away.’
‘I don’t think we should be putting our noses where they don’t belong, Val. He’s your boss. It’s rude to talk about him like this.’
I felt like screaming, but somehow managed to get my next words out through gritted teeth,
‘Can’t you tell that something is wrong? Haven’t you noticed how everything dies here?’
June turned off the stove and drained the pasta water through a sieve, leaving it to sit on top of the empty pot.
‘Keep talking like that and you’ll start making me worry about you.’
‘I’m not the problem.’
‘Sam did mention something about physiotherapy the other night at the coronation.’
‘What?’ I said.
June stopped stirring the sauce, knowing she had said too much. ‘Well, you were going to find out eventually. I already went, but don’t feel bad. You’re welcome to the next one.’
‘What do you mean you already went? I thought we agreed that these people are crazy.’
‘No Val, you agreed. And, quite frankly, you sound like the crazy one.’
‘You’re not–’
‘Don’t interrupt me. These people have welcomed us into their community. They loved grandma. They want us to build our lives here. You have been nothing but spiteful and rude at every opportunity. This is just like before.’
I chose my next words carefully.
‘How can you even bring that up right now?’
June threw her hands in the air.
‘Valentine, the fact you can’t recognise the signals just proves my own point. I spoke with Sam about your past–’
‘You did what?’
‘–and he was very understanding.’
I stood on the other side of the kitchen bench, my sister giving me her full attention now. I was stupid to think that she hadn’t noticed my behaviour, me drawing away from her. But she was misunderstanding the reason why.
‘You went behind my back, June.’
‘Sam told me he would look out for you at the store. He wants you to be part of our community.’
‘It’s our community now? There is something seriously wrong with these people June! Am I the only one who sees it?’
‘Sees what? Why are you fighting this? Are you… is this happening again?’
‘No. This has nothing to do with that.’
‘You were like this before, Valentine. Seeing things, being paranoid. You need to tell me the truth. Is this happening again?’
‘I wouldn’t lie about that.’
‘Then show me your arms.’ June pointed at my long-sleeved top.
‘No.’ It came out faster than I meant it to. I pulled at the end of one of my sleeves. I couldn’t let her see the puncture wounds.
‘Show. Me. Your. Arms.’
‘No. And anyway, you were the one spouting truths about trust five six months ago. How can we have trust if I have to prove myself to you?’
June let out an exasperated laugh.
‘You don’t get it, Val. You’re proving to me that I can’t trust you.’
‘That’s so unfair.’ I was yelling now. ‘They are turning you against me.’ I knew I sounded like a child, but I couldn’t help but feel the world was spinning out of my control.
‘Who is turning me against you? How?’
‘They’re a cult!’ I screamed, hurling my glass against the wall, not realising it had even left my hand.
‘Valentine!’ June cried out as glass rained over the tiled floor.
We stood in silence for a moment, before June started to cry.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said, going to reach for her, but I pulled my hand back. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Why are you doing this?’ June whispered, wiping her eyes. She took a deep breath in and lowered her shoulders. ‘Clean this up.’ Her blunt tone sounded just like our mother’s and I couldn’t help but feel like sobbing too.
Clouds Behind the Moon is written by Olivia Hides and will be published serially throughout the year.