of you?” I was shocked to think of all the teenagers who had committed the types of crimes that would exile them to Tabu Island. She must have read my troubled expression.
“I’m not a dangerous criminal, if that’s what you’re thinking.” She looked me up and down as though she was reading everything about me. My thoughts. My body language. My soul. “You’re one of those brainwashed official’s brats, aren’t you?”
I couldn’t help but stare, mesmerized by what I was seeing. Was this girl for real? She had her chance to let me go, and she called me back just to insult me? I was ready to give her a piece of my mind when she spoke again.
“I didn’t do anything wrong, you know. I was born here. An unfortunate side effect of exile. The Order’s plan never accounted for the kids who weren’t born yet. That’s just one of the things they overlooked with their brilliant plan. So, are you gonna judge me? Or do you want to hear the real story?”
• • •
Ava Grace could tell a tale, that was for sure. I was captivated by her every word as she told me how her parents ended up on Tabu Island. Back in the early thirties, after the old constitution had been deemed unfit for global society, all amendments had been repealed. There were no more freedoms, including the right to bear arms. The streets were wild. There were riots. Looting. Mass pandemonium across the country. The new government hadn’t yet gained complete control. That’s when the home of Ava’s parents was raided by the local police. They were conducting search and seizure of all illegal weapons. Apparently, one of the officers who’d had an attraction to Ava’s mom, thought he would have his way with her during the chaos of the raid. As her mom struggled on the kitchen floor, pinned by the officer who thought she was there alone, her father quietly grabbed a gun he’d hidden in the freezer and shot him from behind. Her mother had stabbed him just seconds before, buying her father just enough time to get to the gun.
For obvious reasons, they weren’t given a fair trial. They were barely given a trial at all. Weapons had been outlawed for all civilians. Anyone caught with a gun, knife, or explosive of any kind was automatically charged with a felony. The bottom line was, Ava’s parents had used an illegal firearm to kill an officer. It was not judged as self-defense. It was murder. A capital felony. Automatic exile. That’s how they had become prisoners of the island. Tossed out. Thrown away as though they never existed.
Life on the island sounded threatening for a young girl. Fourteen-year-old Ava Grace was constantly in danger from malicious criminals. There were those who eyed her when she walked by, waiting for the opportunity to get her alone. Her parents took every precaution to protect her, including teaching her self-defense and weapons handling. Not only did they strengthen her defenses, but her parents made it their mission to help the island culture by bringing faith to anyone willing to listen. They would have morning prayer time and preach weekly sermons for all the guards and prisoners who were willing to show up. They were devoted to making a good life on the island. They helped the guards when they found themselves in compromising situations. For these reasons, the family had earned the respect and protection of several officials.
Over the years, the guards had grown fond of Ava Grace. They had watched the curly haired infant go from crawling around in diapers to climbing coconut trees. She was an adventurous and curious child who didn’t seem to mind that she didn’t have items a normal child might have to entertain themselves. She didn’t know any different, but the guards did. They wanted her to have something of her own. Something that meant more than a bouncy ball or board game. They wanted her to have freedom.
That’s when they came up with a plan to make her a secret passage down to the ocean so she could get away for a bit every day. They wanted her to see more than the circle of run-down tents and tumbleweeds blowing through her little prison camp. They also wanted her to escape the dangers that loomed outside her door. Though it was a risk, they were willing to do it for her. She had won their hearts and risking their