When we got to the house in question and the helicopter came in to land, it was clear that we were expected since it seemed that Jim’s parents were waiting for us. We had no sooner landed and gotten out of the helicopter when they started to discipline Jim, scolding him for interfering with the pilot’s instructions. But once I approached, with the pilot’s help and they saw my bloody clothing, they stopped. Jim’s mother graciously invited me inside, offering to have their personal maid re-bandage my wounds and provide me with clean clothing to wear.
I didn’t like the idea and even Jim seemed reluctant to let me out of his sight, but it was clear that the offer was not negotiable so I simply nodded and let the pilot help me into the house, to a small private room. Once I was sitting on the bed, a maid entered the room, carrying a clean shirt along with what had to be medical supplies. It was obvious that she knew what she was doing as she quickly and carefully helped me remove my shirt and then cleaned me up. Then and after putting something on the wound she re-bandaged it before helping me into the clean shirt.
“There you go miss,” The maid said as she started to prepare some sort of drink for me. “Now you drink this up, it will help with the pain.”
“What did you do?” I didn’t know what was in the stuff she put on the wound, but it was amazing how much better I felt. Enough that I started drinking what seemed to be tea without giving it a second thought.
“Just a little something to stop the bleeding and calm things down miss.” She gathered my dirty shirt and the supplies and then left as Jim entered the room.
“How do you feel?” He asked once he sat down on the bed next to me.
“Much better thank you.” We then launched into a discussion about the odd behavior we had seen while I finished up the drink the maid had given me. A moment later and Jim’s parents arrived, only to politely explain that the pilot had to rest ten hours per flight regulations before he could take me anywhere.
I felt a thrill of alarm run through me as the feeling that whatever was causing the problems at the island didn’t want me to leave. I knew I needed to, but Jim’s parents just kept droning on about how I could stay in that guest room and that they would see to me being taken to the mainland first thing in the morning. I need to leave, I can’t stay! But even as I thought that, I knew I could do nothing. I couldn’t get anywhere with my injury.
“Can I go with her?” Jim asked his parents in a pleading voice.
“Of course dear,” his mother assured him. “Now run along, she needs to rest.”
Jim turned and carefully hugged me. “You’ll be okay, the stuff the maid uses works great. So get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.” He let go and got up and then left the room, but for some reason his parents stayed. And when the door closed behind Jim a chill ran through my body as both of his parents dropped the fake smiles that they had been presenting.
“I don’t know why you were unaffected,” Jim’s father said coldly. “Or how you freed Jim from the influence, but we‘ll find out.”
His words only confirmed my earlier feeling that whatever was behind the strange behavior didn’t want me to leave. It was in it’s own way a bit shocking and surreal to hear him admitting to it. But even that couldn’t seem to truly shake the feeling of detachment and fear that was settling in and I found myself feeling tired in spite of what was going on.
It seemed as if Jim’s father could see the fear in my eyes and he smiled cruelly, “Don’t worry, for tonight at least, you are safe.” He smiled again. “Once the medicine has restored you enough for questioning, we will find out just how much you really know. By now you must be feeling very sleepy.”
He paused as if waiting for my horrified reaction. In truth, I couldn’t hide it at that point. Fear so horrible that it left a bitter taste in my mouth ran through me. I knew at that moment that there had to have been something in the tea the maid had given me. I couldn’t help myself, I was still holding the glass in my right hand and I looked down at it. There was but a tiny amount left, I had drunk nearly the entire thing. I wanted at that moment to toss it at them, but it slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor with a loud clatter.
Jim’s father just laughed at me and then Jim’s mother spoke. “If you know what’s best for Jim, you will cooperate and not do anything foolish. And don’t think you can escape either. There will be armed guards keeping watch all night. If you should manage to shake off the drug…” She paused, her expression turning cold. “Any attempts to escape will result in not only you being punished but Jim as well.”
I tried to fight whatever had been in the tea, but the room began to spin and moments later, I fell into darkness.
