The Pole Shift

The Dam part 4

Mnem walked through the women, she wanted to get to the van and drive away, the realisation that Peter wasn't quite right dawned on her as she had walked up the hill and to the camp. His mother stood in her way, hands on hips.

                "Did he touch you?"

                "No."

                "Threaten you?" Mnem shook her head but remembered Peter's rough hand grabbing her arm. She had passed men running down with torches, Michael ran back with them shooting her a panicked and fearful glance, was something her fault? She began to feel uncomfortable.

                 Peter's mother tch tch'ed.  "What on earth did you think you were doing, swimming naked in front of a man?" Mnem felt a flash of rare anger, was it truly her fault then? She looked over to the van, the lights around the camp made it look alien, but for the first time she looked at it like refuge, a friend. She said:

                "He didn't hurt me, will he hurt Janet, she said she was old enough, old enough for what?"  Sharp breaths were taken amongst the women. This meant trouble, hurting a stranger was bearable to them, but hurting one of their own, the ones they protected most, was taboo.

                "What did he do to Janet!" A woman spoke from the back as she pushed forward,  the news had congealed the women with worry. Mnem explained the struggle on the banks of the dam, how Peter had wanted to talk to her, tell stories and make her laugh. Mnem said:

                "Janet was protecting me, we had made friends. She said to Peter to follow her instead and he did."

                "Was she naked too?" Mnem nodded, the firelight making the affirmation dark and ominous. There was real alarm. Torches came flashing up the track, two of the boys were with some of the men. They all looked to Mnem who had taken an offered t shirt and stood as one of the women. One of the boys had a bleeding nose and they both looked to her with confusion, at sunset they wouldn't have given a shit about her, but now they looked at her with as a companion. Peter's mother beckoned at them:

                "Look! She has cast a spell on the boys too, they are smitten!"

                "We can't find him, we thought he may have come back here, Mikey says he wanted to tell his fucking wallaby story around the campfire. Guess his got something else in mind first.This is your fault." The talker gestured at Mnem, but the boys protested, saying she was innocent, it was down to Peter. Peter's mother spoke very softly, and they all listened to the menace of it.

                "My boy has been led. A fly will land on uncovered meat. It is this loons fault Janet is in danger." She took a step towards Mnem,  there was muttering, then one of the boys yelled:

                "No. It isn't! We made friends. Peter is a freak!"  There was murmurs, some in agreement and the old woman played her trump.

                "You all owe me. I secured this hill. Bought it and the cops, no busy bodies, this is ours to face the storm. What chance will we have when a slip of a girl comes knocking and we fall off our perch? Stick together! Reject outsiders. No matter how pretty." She turned to Mnem, sure of herself. "You little Miss Missy are trespassing, and haven't you heard, it's martial law and that means a slapping and a half you weirdo."