Academy Island

Double-take

Nathan POV

"Her eyes dripped gore, a stench of half rotted corpse oozing off of her putrid skin in waves. Bony hands, skeletal and too soft all at once, shackled themselves to his arms, no escape possible as she pressed harder and harder around his ribcage."

I had my brothers now, Gabe especially, lost in the horror of my story. I loved it when it was my turn to entertain everyone around the campfire at the end of the day. We needed a bit of fun in this godforsaken place to spice things up. I paused dramatically, trying to emulate Gabe's flamboyant style by acting the part of my protagonist, making my breathing shallow and labored and letting the fire's crackle add to the tension. Gabe widened his eyes and he clutched at his log, leaning forward so he could catch every word. I had him hook, line, and sinker.

"His last painful breath was spent inhaling her evaporating gore, the regret of every time he'd impaled her stabbing at his sense of smell when there was no more room in her pythonic hold to take breath. It was his fate now, one chosen by himself when he decided to off her. A last shiver racked his body, hell his only hope of escape..."

Silas had my signal, a widening of my hands as I emphasized my story. He reached around a bored Victor slowly, aiming for our more sensitive brother. It was cruel, really cruel. We would laugh it off in the morning though, so it was fine. I inhaled deeply, letting my voice become breathy and whispered.

"Eyes lit only with fire found his as his vision faded around the edges, his bones cracking one by one as his lungs collapsed under her inhuman strength. She brushed her decaying lips across his cheek, finding his ear, whispering the last words he would ever hear again..."

"I've got you!"

Laughter filled the air as Gabriel was pulled back off of the log by the back of his shirt, swearing his head off as usual. Silas set him back on the log, his laugh a cheerful rumble. Gabe took a swing at his retreating arm, missing.

"Damn shit fuck, Silas! Now look what you made me do!"

Silas looked around the back of the log he, Victor and Gabe had sat on for the evening and covered his mouth, looking apologetic. I got up off of my own log to take a look, a puddle quickly soaking into the soil and an overturned pot meant for washing up before bed the only things behind them.

Oops.

Silas reached for it but Gabe batted his hands away, picking it up and inspecting it for cracks with a scowl. I felt kinda bad. Silas rubbed at the back of his messy shock of black curls, his face contrite.

"I can go refill it for you Gabe, sorry."

"Never mind, you big oaf. I've got it. Who has guard duty tonight?"

I raised my hand, wiggling my fingers goofily to try and lift the mood. He looked up from his inspection and got one of those looks that told me something was nagging at the back of his mind. He scrunched up his nose. "Just keep your eyes peeled. I keep getting the feeling we're being watched or something. Gives me the jivvers."

He ran a hand over the pot, drumming his fingers over it to make a hallow tapping from inside it, lost in whatever had spooked him yesterday. Victor had already gotten up to put another palm log on the fire, but paused, giving Gabe a once over.

"If you want to get your bath underway, you'd better go fetch that. It's getting pretty dark."

Gabe stared out towards the lagoon and let the pot hang loosely to his side. He looked torn.

"Maybe I'll skip the bath tonight. Just go straight to bed."

Gabriel? Not taking a bath? Something must have really scared him to avoid getting water when it was dark. I pondered my choice of stories when he had been jumpy since yesterday, but I hadn't thought he was that upset. Everyone, including myself, looked him over. He always was out of sorts when Luke wasn't around to keep his mind busy. I probably hadn't helped with that when I decided a spooky story was the way to go around the fire.