6 Chapters 14, 15, and 16

God and Jay shuffled away from the camp, towels draped over their shoulders and their flip-flops clapping with each step. Whispers traveled across the arts and crafts table as children worked on popsicle stick houses and talked about the previous day's mini-rebellion. The children had watched from afar as Edward and Tommy challenged God in the lake, but no one really knew what had happened aside from the exploding tendril of water.

Edward returned to Cabin Five and, within an hour, felt fully recovered from the intense fever. Tommy stayed by his side the rest of the day. Just as on Earth, pain and mortality bonds human relationships tighter.

Billy and Raul had only seen God pull Petrov into Cabin One after the failed robbery. They couldn't tell what was happening inside, but heard Petrov's screams.

A chill had spread throughout the campground.

Edward began to feel a sense of inevitable doom on the Island as he feared the worst was still ahead of them. He saw Tommy and God as two forces that could not co-exist. There would come a time where one force would have to be taken out of the equation.

That inspired an urgency to his affection for Tommy. He was shaken by God's viciousness, awed by the omnipotence demonstrated in the lake, but he felt even more distanced from his Creator.

Nothing more was discussed about the failed attempt to sneak into God's cabin and Edward guessed it was because of the group's collective guilt over leaving Petrov behind.

For his part, Billy was unnerved by how quickly the group was discovered, almost as if they had been lured into a trap. The moment Billy had slipped into the window, he heard Petrov's voice approaching from outside, trying to warn him just before the front door burst open.

Billy had just enough time to run. No one knew what happened after that aside from God screaming at Petrov and then pulling him by the arm into the cabin.

When Petrov returned to Cabin Five, he had changed. He was still quiet, but no longer a timid mouse, but something seething and coiled.

Now they were set on going up the mountain, which Billy was starting to second-guess. Petrov insisted they go as soon as possible and Billy felt obligated to lead them there. Yet, Billy recognized that both sides were escalating.

Billy, Simon, and Ossie discussed the plan as they cobbled together rickety shakes using sticks and Elmer's glue. Tommy, Edward, and Petrov had nothing to offer but resolve as they listened intently.

Simon floated the idea of including Raul, Todd, or any of the other campers, but it was quickly discarded. To get away with such a brazen infraction, Billy insisted the group stay as small as possible to attract the least amount of attention.

Billy developed the plan fast. The mission to the top of the mountain took on an importance as if the mystery perched on the summit would unravel the complexities knotting up their lives. God's show of force might terrify some children into obedience, but Billy and his cabinmates were rallying.

The denial of something as fundamental as freedom could rally the children in a bond so feral at its core and so doomed. Spurning the comfort and authority of the campground for such ill-defined and distant ideals was a quality that could never be civilized out of the species by the advances of technology and society nor could the perfect haze of Heaven.

It was always thrilling to watch, like a tight-rope walker defying gravity and mortality for no better reason than to demonstrate his fate his own.

Could I have prevented this equally fool-hardy ascent up the mountain? Could I have reasoned with the children and brought them back into God's flock?

Yes.

But that wasn't ever my job.

Despite Billy's reticence about the mission, he did feel invigorated by being useful again. He was needed; he had a purpose. He knew this could cost him Sophia, but he wasn't exactly sure that she was his in the first place. Their connection still seemed so vague and undefined that he wasn't sure exactly what he would be losing.

It would be bitter, of course, but so would be the regret of not trying to attack the mountain and the secrets it might be hiding.

Edward wasn't sure what they'd find, but he was desperate for any kind of answer, even just a hint that helped explain why God was putting them all through this. He also needed a purpose, one that involved more than ridiculous crafts, T-shirts, and inane Bible lectures. He needed something to focus on other than the confusions of the flesh that were only amplified by idleness.

Edward finished his popsicle stick cabin first, an unstable shotgun house that leaned to the left so severely it teetered at the point of a catastrophic failure. He held it up for me to see, and I nodded despite my reservations about its structural integrity.

He sat it on the table and began working on Petrov's sticks which the artist had only glared at as if he saw within the pile the face of the God that had failed him. Billy finished and then helped Edward complete Petrov's house. Simon and Ossie just shrugged off their unfinished cabin and retreated with the others to plan. Altogether, the houses abandoned by Cabin Five appeared like a shanty town that even I wouldn't dare explore.

The dinner bell rang as God and Jay returned from the mountain. God looked over the table full of popsicle cabins and He was pleased. Even with Cabin Five's. It was enough that the children had tried and, more importantly, followed directions.

For once, Billy's cabinmates managed to keep up with Billy's ravenous appetite as they consumed dinner quickly and haphazardly. Hurrying out of the mess hall, they ducked their heads to avoid raising suspicion and disappeared into the woods.

After they found the trail, Edward glanced up into the sky. "Look at the sun."

The sun sat at the center of the sky, straight above them as if it were the middle of the day.

"That's weird," Tommy said.

"Yeah, it hasn't moved all day, not since noon," Edward said.

Billy shielded his eyes with his hand. "Do you think it'll go down tonight?"

"Why?" Simon asked. "Can't miss your starlight date with what's-her-name?"

"Shut up," Billy said, slugging Simon in the arm. "And her name is Sophia."

"Billy and Sophia sittin' in a tree," Ossie sang. Billy turned and slugged Ossie harder, making Ossie wince and then laugh.

"I can do this all day, you jealous bastards," Billy said, presenting his fists.

"I'm just concerned, seeing how we never got inoculated against cooties," Simon said in earnest.

Billy swung at Simon, but he dodged away, laughing.

"Do you think He's just trying to keep the Island warm after that one night?" Tommy whispered to Edward.

"Maybe."

"Let's get moving," Billy said, leading them along the trail.

Simon jogged up to Billy and put his arm around Billy.

"Billy," Simon began solemnly. "Cooties strike one in three sexually active adults."

Billy pushed Simon away, but Ossie appeared on his other side.

"Even with continued use of preventative treatments, it's still possible to spread cooties to your partner," Ossie said.

Billy raised his fist, but then shook his head and continued walking up the trail. From a safe distance Ossie continued:

"Sexual activity should be avoided during cootie flare-ups, and side effects can include vaginal discharge, testicular elephantiasis, and anal malaise."

******

The clearing at the base of the mountain came into view and Billy paused to search the tree line. They'd hurried along the path to the mountain in hopes of getting to the top and back before anyone noticed they were gone. Once Billy stopped to look across the landscape, the others sank to the ground and gasped for breath.

"Hey there, champ," Tommy wheezed. "Let's pace ourselves a little, okay?"

"Do you want to see the top or not?" Billy asked, scanning the clearing. Satisfied they weren't being followed, he strode out toward a trail winding up the side of the mountain.

The others sighed, but struggled to their feet and followed.

Billy was annoyed with himself that he'd forgotten to bring any extra water or look around the campground for sunblock. He thought about slowing down so as not to push the others to exhaustion, but was also thinking that if he pushed Simon and Ossie hard enough, they would be too tired to start singing again.

They reached a path leading up the face of the mountain which was paved in long shards of obsidian that reflected the heat of the sun back up at the children.

If the children would have had their eyes on the path rather than the top of the mountain, they would have seen one of God's little hints. The placement of the shards, the size, the groupings, it was all methodically arranged. These same hints could be seen amidst the trees, the placement of the cabins and all across the Island. It all had something to do with the mathematical relationships of the Island.

God explained the path to me once, brimming with pride over His cleverness. He worried that it might be too obvious, but after hearing Him explain it, I still had no idea how the designs, dimensions, and spacing communicated anything. I could see that there was some sort of pattern, but what it meant was entirely beyond me as was whatever celestial or spiritual spoiler that was hidden within. I just smiled and nodded and said things like "You are so clever" and "I would have never guessed." He must have known I was humoring Him because he didn't bother explaining the trees, which was fine.

I can't say for certain why he chose to infuse so many symbols in the landscape. Perhaps he'd been annoyed with humans' inability to see the patterns hidden on Earth, and he'd decided to make them more obvious on the Island. Mathematics, as it turns out, was meant to be the definitive proof of God's existence and He couldn't fathom why mankind never figured it out.

Because math is only obvious in hindsight, I suspect.

Billy's furious ascent up the mountain slowed when he realized the others had given up trying to keep pace. He stopped and looked out across the forest and down into the campground. He could see the other campers scurrying about. It looked like they'd found a Frisbee, but it was hard to tell from so far up.

Billy liked Frisbees. He appreciated how just a few small tweaks could turn a piece of plastic into something bordering on magic. That pretty much summed up the 1950's for him.

The rest of Cabin Five caught up, sweat soaking through their shirts, leaving large, dark saddle bags under their armpits. Edward leaned against the wall and used his shirt to clear sweat off his face. He scanned the Island and wondered if angels were tracking them. But, if they were, surely they would have stopped them by now.

Of course, they nearly made it halfway across the lake yesterday, so either the angels were not as ubiquitous as the children were led to believe or they are letting them go to the top of the mountain. Edward was troubled by both of these thoughts and who God would choose to punish this time and how he would punish them.

At this elevation, Edward could make out more of the far side of the lake, seeing that the forest stretched out farther than he had thought. It was hard to pick up the details on the plane ride in because nothing made sense at that moment. Now that he had time to take it in, Edward saw that the Island was vast. There seemed to be some gaps in the canopy of trees. One particularly large, grassy patch was not far from the shoreline, like the Island had a bald spot.

On the far shore of the lake between both sides of the Island, Edward examined the gap where the trees and water seemed to fade into fog. On the other side of the fog was another vast expanse of trees.

"When we got close to that fog," Tommy said between gasps for breath. He pointed to the edge of the lake. "There was a current pulling us toward it."

"Any idea why?" Billy asked.

Tommy shook his head.

"Well, we'll put it on our to-do list," Billy grunted. "How's everyone doing? Ok?"

Edward nodded with the others.

"Come on," Billy said. Edward cast one more look at the fog, then followed the others up.

Their mouths were dry, their feet were sore but they were finally approaching the end of the path where it disappeared into the clouds above them.

Edward glanced at his forearms. They were turning pink. He looked back up at the sun, still affixed straight above them. It wasn't moving at all.

"How the hell do they take this path in flip-flops?" Billy asked.

"Language," Ossie replied, deflated by exhaustion.

"God can fly," Tommy said. "So maybe they just magic carpet ride their way up the mountain."

Ossie and Simon dove into a clumsy melody of the Aladdin soundtrack, which was abbreviated by their exhaustion.

They continued on, their pace slowing. They were taking more break. As they reached the cloud cover, Edward paused.

"Guys," he called to the others.

They slowed and turned to look down at him.

"Is this a bad idea?"

"You waited until we were on top of the mountain to ask if this was a bad idea?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, my timing is not the best," Edward said. "But still, is this a bad idea?"

"It's an absolutely horrible idea," Simon replied. "So let's hurry up and get it over with."

Edward grinned weakly, then followed the others into the fog.

The mist swept over them with a cool, moist relief. Their pace quickened. Whatever was waiting for them at the top, felt close and the anxiety energized them.

"How much farther do you think it is?" Simon asked.

"No idea," Billy said. "Let's go on for about another thirty minutes, if we don't find anything, we'll head back."

"Pussy," Ossie said.

"Kiss my ass. Actually, forget I said that."

"You sure?" Ossie asked sweetly.

"Positive."

Edward noticed a light above them through the thick mist. "Does anyone else see that?"

"Yeah," Billy said. "That might be what we're looking for."

Billy began striding up the hill and the others struggled to keep up. The path leveled out as it wound toward the light. The water vapor warmed as they neared, beading on their faces and soaking their shirts. The bluish-white light moved and flickered above. Billy was almost jogging, pulling away from the others and disappearing into the fog.

"Oh, my God."

"What?" Tommy asked.

"Just get up here!"

They ran to catch up, emerging out of the fog and into the light. Thousands of fireflies fluttered just above a pool of water. The fireflies cast a light-blue shimmer on the water and on the children. Steam rose from the water, drifting up and joining the clouds above the fireflies.

"God's own private hot tub," Ossie said.

The others chuckled. Billy walked up to the pool, knelt down, and dipped his fingers into the water.

"It's warm," he said.

"How warm?" Tommy asked as he followed Billy.

"Bathtub warm."

"Hot tub warm, you mean," Ossie said, wiggling his eyebrows knowingly.

"I don't understand the difference," Billy said.

Tommy and Ossie smiled at each other. "Guys, I think God might be a swinger."

Edward burped out a laugh, composed himself, and muttered "gross."

"Well," Simon said, kicking off his shoes and pulling off his socks. "We came this far, let's take a dip."

He jumped, splashing water up into the air. The fireflies fluttered up and away, but settled back into their halo above the pool. Simon surfaced with a grin. He spit water out at the others.

"I wouldn't drink it, might give you the shits," Billy said.

"And if God is a swinger, then …" Tommy let the comment hang as the other children considered the pool.

"Damnit, let's just get this over with," Billy said. The children quickly shed their shoes and socks and eased into the pool.

Edward settled into the water and dipped his hair back. He then swallowed a mouthful of water, despite Billy's warning. It tasted clean and smooth, as if it'd been filtered. He drank more, his dehydration fading, a hum of energy seeming to glow throughout his body. Petrov stood on the shore, his shoes and socks still on.

"You coming?" Ossie asked.

Petrov shook his head and then sat down to watch them.

Ossie shrugged, then dipped his head below the water. His head jerked back out of the water.

"Shit!" he gasped.

"What?" Edward asked, then looked down into the water.

A thick, red fluid was rising from the bottom of the pool.

"Jesus H. Christ!" Simon gasped as they watched the red fluid overtake the pool.

"What's going on?" Billy panted as he backed away from the liquid. It flowed around him and he lifted his hand from the water. The red fluid dripped in heavy, thick drops.

"It's blood."

The fireflies above them flickered and then disappeared. The fog overtook them. Edward looked back across the pool, but could only see shadows.

"Shit," Simon said. "What do we do now?"

Light burst from the water. They all swam quickly to the edge of the pool and climbed out. They turned back to the light and saw an image shining on the surface of the water. It was a middle-aged man with closely cropped hair, wearing a suit with the tie undone and walking with a limp. He was shouting and the sound was distant and thin, like an old, tin can recording from the advent of the record player. He strode through a house looking from room to room with frantic urgency.

"Fuck," Billy said. "That's me."

The man kicked open a door, limped in, then pulled open a closet. Curled inside was a woman crying and protecting her head with her hands. The man reached in, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her out of the closet. He picked her up and threw her against the bed. She backed against the wall as the man shouted at her. He lunged, raised his fist to hit her, but stopped. He punched the wall instead, leaving a mark of blood. He leaned off the bed and limped out of the room, his bleeding knuckles leaving a trail behind him. He opened a hall closet, pulled a pistol off a shelf, checked the chamber, and shuffled back to where the weeping woman still cowered. He grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head up, shouting indistinctly at her. Everyone watched in silent horror as he put the barrel of the gun against her forehead and held it there for a long moment.

He released her, put the muzzle in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The blast sent the image to all white and the fireflies glittered for a few moments, but faded away again.

A dim light glowed across the water. The other children glanced at Billy, who had his face hidden in his hands.

"I guess that explains the nightmares," Ossie said.

Billy grunted and wiped his eyes. "You don't know the half of it."

Light flickered on the pool; another image appeared—a different man, this one a strikingly handsome but dirty and underfed with long, ratty blond hair, wearing a loose-fitting and stained sweatshirt. He sat in the front seat of a car, his hands twitching as he rocked back and forth behind the wheel. The car was parked along the side of a neighborhood street at night. The man was watching a house. Another person came walking along the street toward the car.

"That's me," Tommy said. "The one in the car."

The figure waved to Tommy's image. Tommy got out of the car and walked over to the house. They crept to the side, jumped the fence, and hurried to the back door. The other figure had a crowbar and forced it into the doorjamb. He broke the door open and they ran in, closing the door behind him. The figure went to the living room, Tommy ran upstairs. When he got to the second floor, he saw a shadow move behind a bedroom door. Tommy pulled a knife out of his back pocket and walked toward the room.

A man with an aluminum baseball bat leapt out of the bedroom, swinging wildly for Tommy's skull but missing. Tommy jumped at him, jamming the knife into the man's chest. Tommy left the knife in the man and ran downstairs and out the front door. The image faded.

"He was a teenager," Tommy muttered. "His parents came home to find him a few days later. They'd gone on vacation; I thought he'd gone with them."

Another image surfaced. It was a casino.

"My turn," Simon said.

A man in a glittery white suit walked across the casino floor. He stopped at a blackjack table, pulled out a deck of cards, spread them out, and held them out to an elderly woman. She pulled out a card, looked at it and then replaced it. The man in the glittery suit made a card appear behind her ear. The people at the table clapped and the woman gave the man a chip.

"I don't get it," Billy said. "You're doing magic?"

"We're also stealing," Simon sighed. "You can't see it, but my girlfriend is stealing chips as I'm distracting tables. We did it for years."

Simon in the glittery suit walked to another table. He held out the chip, threw it up in the air, caught it and then opened his hand. It had disappeared. He waved his hand around, but the chip fell out of his sleeve. The table laughed.

Simon shrugged to the table bashfully. He then walked up to a security guard and pointed at a brunette woman walking away from the blackjack tables. She looked back over her shoulder to see Simon talking to the guard. She hurried her pace.

"We'd stolen over $90,000 from casinos," Simon said. "We'd had a good year, and I got greedy. The casino offered a reward for information leading to an arrest, and that's me turning her in. She died in prison."

The image disappeared.

"These are our sins," Billy said. "I guess the lowest points in our life."

"What is this place?" Edward asked.

Another image appeared. There were men in tuxedos, women in dresses. A black man stood next to a preacher.

"Bullshit," Ossie said. "Bullshit!"

"So that's you?" Edward asked.

"That's the day I got married. Why is that showing? Is that really the worst thing I did on Earth? God, I hate this fucking place!"

Ossie threw a lava rock into the water, and the image fluttered from the waves. He grabbed another rock and flung it into the fog.

"Why?" Ossie yelled at the pool, then turned back to the fog. "Damn you!"

The other children held their heads down until Ossie sat down in a heap.

"You actually got married to a guy, huh?" Tommy asked, and Ossie nodded.

"When did that become a thing?" Billy asked.

"The twenty-first century was a strange time," Petrov said. The children considered the subtle significance of the statement as the image faded. The next was of Tommy as a young adult.

"What?" Tommy asked. "Why me again?"

"Maybe you just had a more eventful life?" Simon asked.

Tommy was sitting in an office, talking. He stood and took off his shirt, then his pants.

"Christ," Billy grunted.

Tommy walked around the desk and a man's hand appeared, running along Tommy's chest.

Edward paled.

"You're gay too?" Billy asked.

Edward began to nod, but realized Billy was talking to Tommy. They didn't know that it was Edward's hand, it was Edward's office, it was Edward's sin.

"I've been a lot of things," Tommy said. "I was 19 or 20, on the streets, starving and strung out. I just—this is all so fucking stupid. Why is this that bad? Why is this as bad as killing someone?"

Tommy stood up, spit into the pool and began walking back down the mountain. The others stood as well to follow.

Petrov stopped, turned around and leaned toward the water. He dipped his finger into the water. The blood swirled around his fingertip and another image appeared. The children stopped and Tommy shuffled back up the mountain to see.

The image showed a thin, bearded man running through the streets of a small town. As the man ran, he would duck behind cars and hide from groups of soldiers being led by priests. The priests led the soldiers house to house, pulling out men and women. Long lines of people would be laid down in the street, then shot in the back of the head.

The man ran through an alleyway and into a house.

"That is me," Petrov said. "Of course."

Petrov closed the door behind him. A woman came up to him and was speaking Russian. He waved her away as he ran through the house. A younger woman looked up from a book as Petrov passed. He went to the back door, ran out, and opened up the door to a storm cellar. He ran down the stairs and shouted. Another man stepped out of the shadows of the cellar, leaning on a cane. Petrov pulled the man out of the cellar and pushed him outside. He motioned for the man to leave, the man pleaded with him. Petrov pulled out a pistol and pointed it. The man backed away. Petrov shot in the air, and the man hobbled away.

��I couldn't hide him; they would have killed us, too," Petrov said as the image disappeared. "But, death came anyway. To everyone."

The fireflies lit up again, the blood faded and the water was clear again.

"What was that, Petrov?" Simon asked.

"The rapture."

"No, it couldn't be," Edward whispered.

Petrov didn't answer.

"I thought you lived way off into the future," Simon said. "But that didn't look too futuristic to me. When did you die?"

Petrov sighed, stood up, and began walking back down the path.

Chapter 15

Billy's fork clinked against his tray as he stared down at the mush of lasagna and green beans. His hands were crusted with dried mud and dirt, as were everyone else's who'd climbed the volcano. The collective smell of the residents of Cabin Five had allowed them a wide berth in the mess hall.

"Hey Tommy, like the new look," a girl called, then giggled. Tommy responded with only a nod.

"Unbelievable, doesn't matter what we do to you," Billy said.

"If they only knew," Simon said, but Tommy shot him a sharp glare.

By my estimation, it should have been just past midnight on the Island. The children were supposed to be sleeping, but the sun hadn't set. Instead, I'd decided to bring them to the mess hall for a second dinner, hoping the sun would drop into the horizon eventually. I'd written God a note and had it delivered by an angel, but the sun still hung above us.

Billy stirred his fork down into the glop, pulling out a limp noodle, then dropping it back into the swill. The other cabinmates shared his faraway stare while they sat at the table letting their food congeal. They all kept their distance from me once they returned from the volcano, and I was relieved that there were six fewer people that would be asking impossible questions that night.

All their impossible questions would instead be aimed at each other.

The rest of the mess hall buzzed about the sun and how it related to the storm just two nights ago, about Jay and God who hadn't been seen in hours, about what had happened in the lake, and about where Billy and his cabinmates might have gone.

But not even Raul or Todd dared approach the campers who kept finding themselves in the crosshairs of God's fury.

I was left alone to field questions and assure the children that, though I knew as little as they did, things were really going to be okay; that they weren't being punished; and no, sacrificing something to God wouldn't get the sun to start moving again. I then ushered them outside and told them to play, like a weary older brother who didn't have the energy to further deny that their family was falling apart.

Ossie sighed, finished his milk and then stood up with his still-full tray.

"Stick around, Ossie," Billy said. "All of you, hang out for just a little longer."

Ossie nodded and sat back down. Billy watched the last of the other children file out. He pushed away his tray and motioned Cabin Five into a huddle.

"Okay, first things first," he whispered. "Who else is gay?"

The others glanced around at each other, except for Ossie who avoided all of their eyes because he knew he didn't have a good poker face. Tommy glanced up briefly at Edward. Edward looked away.

"No one else?" Billy asked. "Just Ossie and Tommy? That's right, Tommy, you're gay, right?"

Tommy sighed. "I've been a lot of things."

"Spectacular," Billy said. "Clearly, we can't just pretend what we saw up there didn't happen, so let's just get this shit settled between us right now. Okay?"

They nodded with their eyes fixed on the table.

"Not you, though," Billy said to Edward. "You need to go ahead and leave."

Edward looked up at Billy, and then around to the others.

"You got to see our dirty little secrets, but we didn't see yours. So I don't think you have the right to be a part of this conversation."

"Unless you are going to add something to it," Tommy added, his eyes steady on Edward.

Edward couldn't tell if Tommy knew about the vision. Edward's legs were shaking and his palms were sweating.

"Well, Eddie?" Simon asked. "Are you going to throw into the pot like the rest of us?"

"You can trust us," Petrov whispered.

Edward met Petrov's eyes, considered it, but shook his head. He grabbed his tray and walked away. Tommy was the only one who watched him go. Edward quickly retreated towards the exit of the mess hall.

"Edward!" I called. He turned and walked back to me. "Let your cabinmates know that they have dish duty at breakfast tomorrow."

"Okay. Is there anything else?"

"Guess not."

Edward walked out of the mess hall and planted himself on the outside wall while he waited for the others. He slid down the wall, sat in a heap, and hid his head in his hands so he could cry without being bothered.

"Okay," Billy said inside as he watched to see if I was eavesdropping. I had my nose buried in the Bible. "What you guys saw from me is by far not the worst thing I did in my life. I guess it's what God disliked the most, but if I hadn't killed myself, I'd have killed her. She didn't deserve it. She stayed, took care of me, and withstood all my crap, and that made me hate her more than anything. I was hurting really bad at that time and killing myself was probably the only decent thing I'd done in years."

"Yeah, I'm pretty pissed about mine," Ossie said. "You know, I'd honestly thought that marrying Isaac was the right thing to do, God-wise. When I found myself in Heaven, I'd really thought God agreed. I'm livid right now."

"At least you guys only had to see one of your mistakes," Tommy said as he pulled his tray back in front of him and forked up a lump of pasta. He put it in his mouth and chewed while the others nodded in agreement.

"Well, I think we all know that I was a scumbag for a good deal of my life," Simon said then laughed. "Billy offed himself, Ossie was gay, and Tommy was a druggie gigolo. Petrov was just born in the wrong time. I'm okay with all that."

"Me, too," Ossie said. "I really feel comfortable with you guys, but I'm really starting not to like God so much."

They chuckled and leaned back from their huddle. Billy glanced back at me.

"Okay," Billy said. "If any of you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll be as honest as I can be. And as far as Edward goes, he can stay on the outside of all this. Agreed?"

"Yeah," Simon said. "He's pretty boring but he's also hiding something."

"He is," Petrov said. "I don't think it's as bad as he thinks it is."

"You don't think he diddled kids do you?" Simon asked.

"No," Tommy said, shaking his head. "Not Edward."

"He was a preacher, though," Simon countered. "Not unheard of."

"No," Tommy said. "I think, whatever it is, he got really good at suppressing it."

Billy grunted, then stuffed a forkful of lasagna into his mouth. He grabbed his tray, swallowed hard, then stood up. "Let's get out of here."

Simon grabbed his tray and skipped behind Billy. "Yeah, pretty boy's gotta get cleaned up for his date!"

"Go to hell."

"Bali!" Simon called to me. "Billy's got a potty mouth!"

******

The campground was restless. By my count, it should have been 4 a.m., but the sun was still fixed in the center of the sky. The temperature had climbed to one hundred degrees. The cabins were ovens, and the children were lounging outside in whatever shade they could find. Some had pulled out their pillows and were sleeping in the woods.

Billy sat just outside of his cabin, waiting for Sophia to emerge from hers. He yawned, he rubbed at his eyes and shook his head. His body was tired, his mind was numbing from the experience at the volcano, but he refused to sleep until he saw Sophia.

Sophia was inside her cabin, watching Billy, and waiting for him to start walking to the lake. Once she couldn't stand any more of the other teasing girls in Cabin Eight, she decided to join Billy. She walked nervously toward the lake and was relieved when Billy jogged to meet her.

Barry and Mary had already beaten them to the shore and were cuddled tightly in the shade of the pier with the waves licking their bare feet.

"It feels really nice over here," Mary called, waving the new couple over.

Billy glanced at Sophia, who wrinkled her brow and ever so slightly shook her head.

"No, that's okay," Billy called back. "It looks a little cramped. Maybe in a little while, though."

"Suit yourself," Barry said.

Billy led Sophia to a tree near the shore and they sat down in the shade. The lake lost a lot of its serenity in the baking daylight. It was hard to watch the water due to the glaring reflection, but Billy was still glad to be there with Sophia. He needed time away from the cabin, time to let his mind untangle.

He leaned back against the tree trunk and glanced at Sophia's thin back and long brown hair. Before she could catch him, he looked back out to the restless water.

After a few moments, he yawned.

"Tired?" Sophia asked.

"It's been a long day."

"I'm sorry. Wanna talk about it?"

"Eh," Billy shrugged. "Have you heard anything about the sun?"

"Bali said it'll go down soon. He's not sure when, though."

"This whole swing from cold to warm is making me a bit nervous," Billy said. "Do you think He's testing us?"

Sophia shrugged, then glanced over at Barry and Mary under the pier.

"What?" Billy asked.

"They're kissing," Sophia grimaced.

Billy leaned forward and looked over at the couple under the pier. They were trading pecking kisses, the kind children attempt when they don't know how to kiss yet.

Billy wanted to ask, "Wanna try?" but instead he looked across the water and the campground and asked: "Where are the angels at? Why aren't they breaking up the lovebirds?"

"I don't know," Sophia answered, then giggled as she held up her hand between her eyes and the kissing couple.

Billy laughed as he watched her, his body sparkling with nervous energy.

"Do you think they'll get in trouble later?" Billy asked, careful.

Sophia laughed briefly, but her body stiffened. She lowered her hand and looked back at Billy. His breath turned into a lump in his lungs, he fought to keep his face blank.

"I guess I should tell you," Sophia whispered, her face heavy and suddenly older. "I'm not interested in kissing, or anything like that. I had bad experiences. That sort of thing makes me uncomfortable."

She said it so matter of fact that the finality of the statement sent Billy's body sinking into a slouch. He felt bad for showing his reaction, so he pushed up a smile.

"That's okay. They'll probably get in trouble anyway."

"Yeah. She looked back out to the waves.

Her head dropped and she pulled her knees up to her chest.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he whispered. He wanted to stroke her hair, hold her hand, or slug her in the shoulder. Anything to make her okay, but she was so closed off that he had no idea what she needed.

And the insurmountable challenge of that distance only made her more irresistible.

"If you want to leave …" she began.

"No. I like being here. It really is okay. I've kissed tons of girls."

"Oh," Sophia whispered. "Well. Good for you."

Billy grimaced, then tried a casual chuckle that wasn't casual at all.

"I'm just saying I don't really care about that," Billy said, which wasn't a complete lie. "I like being here with you. It reminds me of when I used to hang out with my mom on the front porch of our house. She was a smoker, but she didn't smoke inside, so she'd sit outside and we'd talk about all kinds of things. It was one of my favorite memories of her."

"Oh," Sophia whispered, looking back at him with a timid smile. She turned back to the waves. "You don't care if you ever kiss me because I remind you of your mom."

Billy bumped his head back against the tree and grit his teeth.

"That's not what I meant." Billy sighed, scratched his head, and tried to figure out how to dig himself out of the moment.

Sophia leaned back next to him, revealing a wide smirk. Billy saw it, laughed, then slugged her shoulder softly.

"You suck," Billy said, but gently.

"I know."

Chapter 16

Edward had given up on sleep. The sunlight still poured through the window. He tried to ignore the heat while he scanned the springs of the top bunk. The sweat beaded on his forehead and soaked his pillow. He couldn't muster the energy to wipe the sweat away, even as it rolled into his eyes and burned under his eyelids.

The cabin was flooded with the rank, salty smell of armpits. Tommy shifted on the bunk above him and his hand draped over the side.

"Are you awake?" Edward called.

"Yeah," Tommy mumbled.

"What time do you think it is?"

"No idea." Tommy sat up on his bed, swung his legs over the edge, and dropped to the floor.

"Wanna go swimming?" Tommy asked.

"Um, yeah," Edward said, standing. "Do you think we'll get sunburned?"

"Probably."

Edward jogged to catch up with him. He managed to match Tommy's stride and glanced over at his face. Tommy didn't acknowledge him.

Tommy walked to a tree near the shore and sat down under it. Edward sat next to him, and they both stared across the water.

"I'm leaving, Eddie."

"To go where?"

"Across the lake. It has to be better over there."

Edward sighed and shook his head.

"You don't know that."

"I don't care, Eddie. I can't stay here."

Edward inched closer to Tommy.

"I know this is hard on you," Edward said. "I really, really feel bad for you. If there is any way I can make it easier ..."

"Go with me."

"What?" Edward asked, his heart palpitating. He began sweating.

"Go with me. We'll swim out across the water."

"I can't swim that far."

"Yeah, you can," Tommy said. "We'll get some wood, a log or something, anything to keep us afloat. We can't drown, right?"

Edward shrugged.

"Trust me, Eddie. I need to leave, and I can't leave you behind. Not after what God did to you."

Edward stared up at Tommy, his mouth beginning to move, the confession ready to surface.

A group of children approached on their way to the water. They waved at Edward. Tommy kept his eyes down. When they passed, Edward leaned close to Tommy. He wanted to confess, but instead he said:

"I've never had a friend like you before. If you go, I'll go, but I don't want to leave. Not yet, not until I understand more."

"Understand what? Understand God? You can't, Eddie. You couldn't back on Earth, you can't here."

"I …" Edward began, but he closed his eyes and ducked his head. "Give me a little more time, please."

"Why?"

"There is meaning here. I know there is. I just need some time to work it all out."

"Edward, you might be right. This island might make sense, but there are no answers here. If there are answers, I bet we'll find them on the other side."

Edward looked up at Tommy. His thoughts went back to the volcano.

"Just give me a little more time. I'm not ready."

Tommy kicked at the ground, then looked over at the water.

"Okay. But only if, when the time comes, you leave with me. No questions, no objections. We just leave."

"I will," Edward whispered, venturing his hand over to grasp Tommy's. Tommy let him. The moment was as exhilarating as the moment Edward decided to give his life to God. Tommy's fingers tightened and Edward nearly wilted.

"I promise," Edward said, finally and with more certainty than he'd ever thought possible.

A ringing ping drew Edward's attention back to the cabins. A few more pings rang out. Tommy squeezed Edward's fingers once more before unraveling the. Tommy stood and looked back into the campground. Edward folded his arms across his chest, smiling down at the sand.

On the porch of Cabin Four, Raul was cradling an acoustic guitar while sitting on the top step. Raul was tuning it string by string. A small group of children, mostly girls, were sitting on the shaded porch all around him.

He strummed all the strings at once, adjusted the low E string again and then took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and his fingers began dancing. A flurry of notes rolled out from the guitar. It was a furious, flamenco-style song. The children around him smiled while they watched his fingers slide up and down the neck, prancing and darting.

Many of the notes jangled and whined at first, but Raul grew progressively more precise. He paused, beat the rhythm into the body of the guitar, then clapped the beat in a quick, staggered pattern. The children clapped along and then he resumed jabbing at the strings.

His eyes were shut tight, his teeth grit as the showering notes swept out of the guitar which sent shivers through his face.

He missed a series of notes, laughed and opened his eyes. He wiped the sweat from his face and flexed his hands open and closed.

"Ow," he said, then grimaced and looked at his red fingertips. "I'm a bit out of practice."

He repositioned his hands, and began playing a slower, blues-tinged ballad. He bent the notes like the strings were spaghetti noodles, tapped his foot softly, and tensed his face each time he dove down to the base of the neck. The song hit a soaring note, and faded. He smiled and shook his hands and rubbed his fingertips.

"That was amazing," a girl swooned.

"How did you get a guitar?" a boy asked, eyeing the attentive girls.

Raul grinned. "Bali."

"It's so hot out, I'm surprised you even have the energy," Ossie said, swooning alongside the girls.

"This is my favorite time to play. The strings are warm and loose—I can make them do anything."

A couple girls blushed; a few boys walked off to find something else to occupy their time.

Raul began playing again, varying every song's style, from machine-gun surf songs to gypsy swing. Everyone was amazed with his talent, but only a few girls remained after the first half-hour. That was enough attention for Raul to continue playing, even after blood started dripping from his fingertips, staining the strings and neck of the guitar. The girls admired his dedication, and he basked in their sympathy which is why he didn't notice God walking through the campground toward him.

The Alpha and Omega wore pink volleyball shorts and a light blue muscle shirt. He had a line of white suntan lotion running along the bridge of His nose. His head was covered with a large Panama hat.

"Where did you get that?" God asked.

Raul's eyes shot open and the girls scattered. Raul didn't stand as he held the guitar tightly. The blood continued to drip down from his left hand. God stopped just in front of the cabin, glaring at Raul. Jay came running through the campground with a clipboard and stopped beside God.

"Where did you get that?" Jay asked, his face twisted in revulsion as if Raul were holding a dead animal.

Raul's hands moved around the guitar, gripping the body tight like a protective mother. He watched God carefully, but didn't answer.

"Tell me!" Jay said.

"I gave it to him," I answered, jogging from the mess hall over to Raul.

"I don't remember giving you permission to introduce music to the campground," God said, turning to me.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the cabin. Jay remained beside Raul but watched us. Jay had the same worried look he always got when he was afraid God was about to lose His temper.

God stopped near the volleyball court and looked around to make sure no kids were close enough to hear.

"You will not do this again, Bali," God grumbled.

"Do what, Sir?�� I asked, keeping my eyes down and away from His. I opened my organizer and flipped over the pages until I found the entry I was looking for. "Two days ago, just after lunch, approximately 12:30 pm, You instructed me to keep the children's time occupied and to do what I needed to in order for them to remain focused on the campground."

I closed the organizer and looked up to God.

"So, I decided to give a few of the children things that would help them direct their energies at positive projects rather than in other unhealthy distractions," I said. Then added, "Sir."

God didn't respond, but he looked back up at Raul. He motioned for Raul to bring the guitar over. Raul hesitated, but then stood and approached.

"This is your fault," God whispered to me.

God snatched the guitar from his hands and waved him away.

"I will not have any distractions here!" He called to the children, then looked back down to me. "I thought we understood each other, Bali."

"Raul is a musician, Sir," I said. "It is in his nature. You created him that way."

"Don't tell me about what I created, Bali!"

"We cannot deny them their natures," I said, wincing in anticipation of His response, but none came. I looked up slightly and noticed God looking out across the lake. I decided to proceed. "I've looked over my notes, and they seem to indicate a pattern of behavior that is initiated by boredom and frustration. We've tried to keep them from what they are meant to be, but if we can embrace their true nature, perhaps that will be the best way to funnel their energy into more productive activities."

God frowned, glanced down at the guitar then handed it to me.

"Have him learn some decent songs. None of that vulgarity I heard before. Something pleasant, but not showy."

"But I don't think it was meant to be vulgar, Sir."

God swiveled toward me and moved close. He lowered his sunglasses, showing me His milky, blank eyes. I tried not to stare, but I couldn't stop myself.

God realized what I was looking at, so he backed away from me and raised the sunglasses back over his eyes.

"Sorry, Sir," I said, cowering slightly and holding the guitar behind my back.

Tommy leaned toward Edward to whisper "that is the Man you want to understand?"

God's eyes remained on me. I felt He wanted something else from me, but I couldn't tell what. Fortunately, His attention diverted back to the water. A speck appeared on the lake approaching our shore. The children noticed and began moving toward the water to see what it was.

God walked to the pier to watch a canoe with two people paddling it toward our shore.

"Who is that?" Edward asked me. I knew the answer, but I didn't know how to give it. Instead I followed God to the pier.

The children all moved toward the water but stayed far enough back that they could retreat to their cabins in case God became angry again. Jay walked as far as the mess hall, but he wouldn't get any closer to the water. I noticed Tommy wandering to the pier and motioned him over.

"Give this back to Raul," I told him, handing him the guitar. "Tell him to not play it until he talks to me."

Tommy nodded, grabbed the guitar and ran back into the campground. He slowed as he neared Jay and looked back at me. I motioned Tommy to keep going, even as Jay frowned at him. Raul was still on the cabin porch. He grabbed the guitar and quickly retreated inside.

As the canoe approached the pier, God shook his head. Two women in their early twenties, wearing brightly colored bikinis tops and khaki shorts were paddling the canoe toward the pier. I smirked, then glanced back at the children. The boys and girls gazed, their mouths agape, but for entirely different reasons.

Once the women reached the pier, they edged the canoe next to the rowboat. The girl in the front of the canoe was tall, lean, with dark caramel skin, a teased-out afro, and sharp, statuesque cheekbones. Her name was Livie and she'd once slapped Jay in the face. She tossed the rope to God. He caught it, but then dropped it into the water. He turned and walked away. I ran to the pier and reached down into the water, grabbed the rope and then tied it to the pier. I helped Livie out of the canoe, trying to catch the glint in her fierce green eyes, but they were directed at God. I then reached for the shorter, curvier blonde, named Summer. She'd been caught stealing from the mess hall on numerous occasions. Never taking anything of particular value, just wanting to get caught. I gave her a warm smile as I helped her out of the canoe. She pulled me into a tight hug.

"Good to see you again, Bali," she whispered.

"Always a pleasure, Summer."

Livie jogged after God as the boys' eyes were fixed helplessly on her body. The girls had turned their attention to the pathetic boys, and they murmured among themselves as girls always do.

Simon elbowed Ossie as Livie passed by them.

"Yes, I see," Ossie said with an eye roll. "Another black person exists."

"No longer a unicorn," Simon said.

"I guess not."

"Do you guys have to be friends now?" Simon asked.

Billy punched Simon in the arm.

"Ow," Simon groaned, holding his shoulder and turning away toward Edward. "For real, that freakin' hurt."

"It was probably meant to," Edward said.

I quickly scribbled in my organizer, but walked back to the canoe to see if they'd brought anything with them that would need to be hidden from the campers.

"Turn around, dammit!" Livie yelled at God.

He did, and Jay quickly ran to His side.

"Why are you here?" Jay asked.

"Why do you think?" she replied, pointing at the sun that was still in the center of the sky.

"Not here," God said. "Let's discuss this in Cabin One."

The blonde jogged to meet up with the others, glancing over at the gawking boys and giving them a sultry wink. Billy half waved and blushed. Ossie nudged Billy and nodded toward Sophia, who was walking back to her cabin.

"Damnit," Billy said.

Ossie nodded his head encouragingly. "Go get her, soldier."

Billy smiled and began walking after her. He stopped and turned around. "I'm not a soldier, I'm a Marine."

"You're an idiot, now go get your woman back."

Billy nodded and ran after Sophia. Once he caught up, she turned her face away, but Billy pleaded. She sighed and they walked away from the cabins to the woods beyond. Ossie saw Edward watching.

"Straight people problems," Ossie said. "Am I right?"

Edward nodded, uncertain, then looked back to God walking in long strides toward Cabin One.

They disappeared inside. As I walked toward Cabin One, Simon jogged to catch up with me. Simon nudged me on the shoulder.

"Can we keep em?"