Island Voices

6- Bombshell

I finished the tour. Casey, the second in command from Sadie took me on the rest. The weapons room, filled with gleaming metal and twinkling blades, the farm and its natural aurora of shit, and of course, the Drop Zone. She told me about how Tessa's sister had been caught in a drop. How she was frantically running to the girl, screaming her name and forgetting the other girls cries for her to stop and realise she wasn't able to be saved. For days she just sat. Only ate when pushed and never left the camp. All the features on her face hanging. She did everything slowly, even her breathing.
"She would have committed if we weren't watching her 24/7".
Casey's words rang through my ears. I had been here less than a week and yet the news shocked me.

I was told not to speak about the trauma she went through to any of the girls. In fear of surfacing Tessa's emotions, driving her back to suicide all over again.

No one knew for sure if the girl who died that day was blood related to Tessa. They both had the same flicked birthmark on their legs, Tessa's on the right and the other girls on the left. Their hair was a similar shade of night sky and both eyes shined like the moon. It was hardly scientific, but no one argued the fact. The bond between the two was unbreakable, until someone tore it apart.
"The only family I had. The one person who allowed me to truly live, ripped away by something allowing us to merely survive." That's all she kept mumbling as her dark days began to regain their light lost colour.

                 ~~~A day later~~~

With my hand running through my hair, brushing the strands out of my face I padded to the toilets. Yes it was manky, no, no one really liked being in it, but there was nothing anyone could do to attempt in a quality upgrade.

Returning to the camp I flopped back down face first into my hammock, the ropes swinging upon impact.

"Its time..."
Though still face first into the green fabric my face scrunched up, confused.
"It's time..."
Again I waited. Focusing on the sounds around me. Soft voices, claws into dirt, calls of feathered birds above and the sizzling of-
"Its time Aspen..."
Aspen? Who the holy fuck was Aspen? Maybe it was another girl in the camp, one of the ones that venture. Maybe it was a slang term for something here?
"ASPEN!!"
I sat bolt upright, startled and looked round, searching for the source even though realisation dawned on me, it was my Guider...
"ANSWER ME ASPEN!!"
How in hell was I supposed to reply!? I tried it out loud, "what...!?" But although my mouth moved, not a single sound left my lips. Again I tried, "hello...!?" And again I was left speechless, literally.

"Oh, enough! I warned you back out at sea about the dangers of this quality you posses. If you carry on to speak out loud to me, what do you think would happen?"
How could I reply without actually replying? I thought.
"Don't play dumb now little Aspen..."
Oh so I was this Aspen? OHMYGAWD! I HAVE A NAME!! My face broke into a maddening smile, unbreakable.
"Of course you have... Now enough games. You've got work to do. Your first assignment is to become a venturer. Venturers go out into the island and this will be crucial to maintaining your work. As its your first assignment you receive a longer time period. One week."
What!? How the holy hell am I supposed to get that job in a tiny little week? It's a voting system here, you can't just choose your job!

With the task set and time ticking down, I got up from the rough, scratchy hammock and started to think about how I was going to achieve it. Although most of all, what would happen if I didn't.

HEY AGAIN!! I hope you do all actually enjoy my story. As always plzzzzzz vote and leave a comment or whatever your in the mood for and yeah, thanks!
Btw I'm trying to update more regularly so plz just bare with me okay? I'm tryingggggg. 💩💩📝📖