Poison Paradise - Damned of the 2/19th

Morning

Sarah woke up slowly, the bright light of dawn spearing into her eyes. She sat up, groaning, sore all over. The sand had been so soft when she'd first gone to sleep, but now it felt like solid rock as she got to her feet and stretched. Realizing she had to pee, she hurried into the bushes at the edge of the lagoon and did what she needed to do. She wasn't too thrilled about having to 'drip dry', but it wasn't like any toilet paper had survived the crash.

When she came back she saw that everyone else was starting to stir. Eleven other adults, five women, six me, and the baby swaddled in clothing taken from suitcases.

"Morning, Sarah," Don said, looking at the firepit. "We should probably collect driftwood for tonight. It got pretty cold after it went out."

Sarah nodded. "After we eat," she headed to where the baby had been laid down, surrounded by suitcases to keep her from wandering around if she woke up before everyone else. "I'm gonna check of the baby."

"We'll need to name her," Don said, heading for the bushes. He stopped and cocked his head. "You hear that?"

Sarah stopped, looking around. She could hear it faintly, a knocking sound. Steady, rhythmic, a sharp knock every second or so.

"Yeah. Bird?" She said.

"Huh, maybe," Don waved, smiling. "Back in a second."

Sarah moved over to the suitcase ring and looked down. What she saw made her go rigid with shock.

They had piled clothing at the bottom of the circle for the baby to sleep on after she had eaten her fill of fruit, then covered her up with a windbreaker after putting a makeshift diaper on her crafted from a t-shirt.

The baby was still in there, but laying in... a crib was the best description Sarah could think of. A round bamboo frame, with shoelaces holding layered palm leaves to the bamboo, giving the baby a round bowl to sleep in.

That wasn't the only thing.

The baby had designs painted on her stomach. A spiral with a line through it around her belly button, an eight pointed star on her chest, and three lines across her forehead.

The baby was sleeping, breathing gently, and obviously unharmed.

"Morning," Raincloud said, yawning and stretching. Charlie was standing up just past him, rubbing her shoulder and wincing.

"Rain..." Sarah said slowly, drawing out the vowel.

"Yeah, Sarah?" He asked, walking around the ash filled pit.

"Did you see anyone last night? Anyone at all?" Sarah asked.

"Just us," Raincloud said, heading toward her. His dredlocks waved in the morning breeze as he stepped up next to Sarah and looked down.

"Um..." he said, staring.

"What? What's wrong with the baby?" Charlie asked, hurrying over.

"There's something wrong with the baby?" Lori asked, her face twisting with fear as she rushed over.

Sarah stood with the other three castaways, staring down at the painted baby in its palm leaf crib.

"Who did this?" Lori asked softly, staring down.

"Nobody here," Raincloud said. He knelt down, looking at the 'crib'. "The bamboo is fresh cut, they used shoelaces to bind the bamboo as well as the leaves. Someone made this, came in here, and put her in it."

"And painted her," Sarah added.

"And painted her," Raincloud said. "Those are... odd runes."

"Nobody saw anyone?" Lori asked, looking around. "How could someone just walk in, do this, and walk away without anyone seeing them?"