Island of the Unemployed

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River and Kadee returned to camp later than usual that evening. Lum had brought them several logs that afternoon and Kadee wanted to keep working on the raft as long as there was daylight. By the time they arrived at camp, everyone had already eaten.

"Don't worry. We saved you some." Vladi said with her typical smile. They sat at the table and she placed some pineapple and coconut on the table in front of them.

"Thank you." Kadee said.

"Yeah. Thanks." River said. The words were directed to Vladi, but his attention was fixed on Mila. She was talking to Kylee under the pavilion. It was the first time he had seen her when she wasn't sobbing.

She was wearing her glasses. They were huge! She talked in a very animated fashion, frequently reaching out to Kylee, touching her arm. Occasionally, a smile came across her face, and they both laughed. He found it difficult to take his eyes off of her. She was so interesting. And cute! He wanted badly to meet her, but he suddenly felt anxiety coming back. He felt nervous and self-conscious. He looked down at the bloodstains on his shirt. Oh, no! I can't meet her like this!

"River!" Cian called. "I've been wantin' ye to meet someone." He walked over to Mila, took her by the hand, and led her in River's direction "Mila, dear girl. Ah don't think you've met River. He's the one that found ye, and brought ye to camp."

"Oh, my God! You're River?" She grabbed his arm and squeezed hard. Then her expression quickly changed to a quizzical look. "Have I met you before?"

"No. Why?"

"There's something familiar about you. Strange. It seems like we've met before."

She became super attentive, peering at him through her mammoth glasses. He gave a nervous laugh, and felt his face heat up.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh huh," he replied.

"Are you not in the mood for conversation right now?"

"No. Sure I am. I mean...I'm not in that kind of mood." Oh my God! That must have sounded really stupid!

"So, you want to talk?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh, good! 'Cause I've been wanting to talk to you!" Mila smiled and backed off to a more comfortable distance.

"Okay," he replied.

"River! Can I ask you something? What do you suppose is going on here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Here. Let's sit over here and talk." She led him to some chairs separated from the group. "I mean our situation! Being away from home! Having to live on this awful island! Why is it happening? Hasn't this been a complete nightmare?"

"I don't' know. I don't think it's so bad here."

"And that thing they put us in! It was horrible! And, did you see the people they sent with us?" She clenched River's arm so tight he felt a loss of blood flow. The pace of her speech picked up speed and momentum. "Those poor things! What was wrong with them? Wait. What did you say?"

"What?"

"You said it's not so bad here?"

"Oh. Yeah. You mean about living on the island? I don't mind it here so much here."

"Really?" She looked at him curiously, then moved on. "What is going on? Why do you suppose they sent us to this terrible place?"

"They sent us here to punish us!" That was the one thing River was sure of.