Eden's Isle

Chapter 3

The alleys of the island were dirty, as they always were, to the point that I was sure if I didn't wear shoes, I would step on something and catch tetanus. Well, I wasn't only sure, I knew I would. Tetanus was an illness that ran rabid among the children that didn't listen to their parents and ran around without shoes.

I had learned from a young age to always listen to the words of safety from my parents. I had seen second hand a boy my age who had caught the illness. His mother went to Lucifer and pleaded for her son's life. Eventually, he relented, but not without making a deal with her. If her son were to live, she were to die.

Of course, she took it, and after seeing that the boy had made a full recovery, she planted a kiss on his forehead and turned to dust. At least, that's what I had been told. The only truth I knew was that the boy did in fact live, and I never saw his mother again.

Now he sat in his office looking up at me with cold eyes. "Well, Miss Whitelock you are two months behind on rent. What do you have to show for it?"

I sighed and dug the envelope out of my bag. "It's all here, Clark. The two months I missed, this month, and one month ahead." He took the envelope from me and flitted through it, and looked up at me before removing his Bill Counter, and sat the money on the scale without the envelope.

There was a moment of silence as we watched it count. Finally, it stopped and Clark looked at me once more. "Well done, Miss Whitelock, it's all here. I must ask you, how did you come up with so much money so quickly?"

I sighed, glad that I was finally ahead on something. "I've been picking up some double shifts down at the restaurant. Hoping to get Papi to finally retire."

"Ah, yes. You know your father. He won't retire until he's ready." He looked at me, his eyes lingering maybe a little too long. "But you know, Aria, if there is ever a month or two that you can't come up with rent," He paused, giving me a moment to think about that, while he eyed me. "I'm sure we could figure out some other form of payment."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, feeling the weight of Clark's gaze on me like a physical presence. His offer hung in the air, laden with implications that made my skin crawl. I knew exactly what he was insinuating, and the thought made my stomach churn.

"Thank you, Clark, but I hope it never comes to that," I replied, forcing a polite smile. My voice wavered slightly, betraying the unease that gnawed at me from within.

His lips curled into a smirk, revealing a glint of something predatory beneath the facade of civility. "Of course, Aria. Just remember, I'm always here to help," he said, his tone dripping with a sickening sweetness that sent shivers down my spine.

I nodded, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere of his office. As I rose from my chair, Clark's gaze followed me, lingering on the curve of my figure in a way that made my skin crawl. Hastily grabbing my bag, I made a hasty retreat, the weight of his suggestive words heavy on my mind.

Once outside, I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, feeling the cool breeze of the island's alleys wash over me. Despite the grime and squalor that surrounded me, it was a welcome reprieve from the suffocating presence of Clark and his insidious offers.

I knew I had to be careful. Clark was a man of influence on this island, and crossing him could have dire consequences. But I refused to compromise myself, to stoop to his level and sacrifice my dignity for the sake of a few months' rent. Papi and I would figure it out. We always did.

I was quick at the grocery store, getting what I needed for home and for abuelo. He had only recently been living alone, but he refused to leave the house that abuela had spent so much time in. So, for the past six months, I had been carrying groceries halfway across the island so that he wouldn't go hungry.