I took Ava by the hand as we crossed the sandy beach and moved inland. Our eyes grew wide as we suspected from the geography of the rock, there might be a small cave tucked away behind one of the crevices. We ran the rest of the way, hoping we were right. When we reached the crevice, there looked to be a deep opening. I tugged back on her arm and asked her to wait outside. I knew she was tough. I’d been on the opposite end of her adrenaline. Nonetheless, I wanted to make sure it was safe before she went in.
I grabbed the spear from our treasure chest. Inspecting the sandy ground, there was no sign that anyone had been there before us. I was more than eager to get Ava’s hand back in mine. I didn’t want to go one more step without her. Deeper into the cave, light shone from an opening overhead. It lit the small stream of water, trickling to a shallow pool below. It was the perfect getaway. More likely, an ideal escape for Ava Grace needed one.
Behind the waterfall, we placed our treasures. We were happy with our hiding spot. With huge smiles and a victorious hug, we found each other’s lips once more. Standing in the beam of sunlight, tangled together, her racing heart pounded in sync with mine. We had done it. Our journey was a success. We had found our safe place on Tabu Island. A place that would become our time-capsule. Over the next few summers, we would continue to share our adventures at our special cavern. It would be in that cave, beside the flowing water, where Ava and I would completely lose ourselves to each other and she would steal my heart forever.
• • •
Each summer when I returned to the island, we would sail to the other side where Ava could escape the ever-growing danger of prison life and find refuge in my arms. There, we would reminisce, laugh, and confide about our struggles, until we could no longer keep our hands to ourselves. No matter how many days in a row I saw her, my heart raced each time. My body craved her in every way. She was no longer that cute soft island girl. She had blossomed into the most beautiful woman. A woman who had never lost her childlike innocence and appreciation for the simple things. My favorite part of each reunion was the look on her face when I brought her a special gift to add to our growing bounty of treasures.
The gifts were meant to show her that she’d never left my mind since the last time we were together. However, the more we talked, the more I realized that trinkets were no longer what she needed. What she needed was my presence. My protection. The first night I was back on the island, she had shown up at our meeting spot partially hiding her face beneath her long hair. When I pulled it back to greet her with a kiss, I found a black eye in the last stages of healing. She was hesitant to let me know that she’d narrowly escaped one of the prisoners. She finally admitted that the men of the island were becoming more aggressive with her. I’d often worried this would happen.
She had such an innocence. The perfect prey for the heathens that surrounded her. It wasn’t her fault. She did nothing to invite the attention, but with her natural beauty and radiant personality, she turned heads everywhere she went. The fact that Ava was the most gorgeous girl on the island meant life had gotten significantly more dangerous. As much as she could handle herself, some situations had made it impossible to leave her behind. That’s when I decided to stay permanently. I would take on a position that would allow me to protect her. Documentation. It was perfect.
And I had protected her. That is until I couldn’t anymore. It was no longer a matter of filthy, vile prisoners. Now the government had become her number one enemy. Only she didn’t know it. Nobody did.
The night I was in the culvert was the night I’d overheard it all. The plans for obliteration had been set. They were no longer willing to maintain the island. The Order had finally overtaken the people. There was no stopping the destruction they had planned. If only more people knew about the island, it might have stood