Page 34 of Dance Practice, Marooned: Part 2

Once darkness hits, we won’t be able to climb down without using a flashlight. We can’t risk that, so the only option is to get back down to ground level. Riskier, but easier.

“Let’s move then,” Rachel says, gathering what she can in her arms.

The guys help Adrian down, and then we retrace the path on the edge of the cliffs, past all the landmarks we’d imprinted into our memories over the last month or so. I think about Zeke. I hope he’s still okay out there, and not just buying us time with his own life. I hope he’s not suffering, but that feels stupid. Of course he’s suffering. That’s all this place ever gives us.

Fucking suffering.

The last hundred metres, Ace slows us down, motioning for total silence. We are far down the east of the island, behind a row of thick trees, but it allows us to see better while we can. The pirate ship has crept almost to the mouth of the cove—close enough that we can hear the splutter of the engines and voices from the deck.

It feels like standing at the edge of the world, knowing that if you so much as breathe too loud, you fall off.

We wait there.

The moon rises and the sun disappears. We wait. All of us pressed together, hiding in a clump of undergrowth like prey animals, and I realise for the first time that this is what we are now—just things waiting to be wiped out by something faster and crueler.

I don’t know what the plan is, but Kellen and Ace have something up their sleeves.

We just have to trust it.

“Ace?” I whisper, into the darkness.

“Mmmm?”

“What is the plan here?”

“You’ll know when it is time,” he murmurs, curling a hand around mine. “But know this, Gracie. Tonight... tonight we’re fuckin’ going home.”

We’re going home?

Oh god.

We’re going home.

“I’M GOIN’ IN NOW,” Kellen says, his voice low. “I need to scope out the situation, see where Zeke is so we can go onto the next part of the plan.”

We’re just sitting, all of us, bums in the dirt, darkness consuming us. We can’t see, the only thing we have is the distant sounds of pirates yelling and partying. I have to assume that’s a good sign, that they haven’t come looking for us. What does that mean for Zeke, though? Have they done something awful to him?

Ace still hasn’t told us.

I’m not entirely certain why.

Maybe he hasn’t come up with a plan yet, or maybe he’s scared everyone will argue with him and they’ll be left empty-handed. Either way, they’re about to do something. What, I don’t know, but something.

“Go,” Ace nods. “Stay covered, don’t let anyone see you. Not yet.”

Not yet? Are we not letting them assume we’re not here?

“Are you going to tell us what’s going on?” Tati asks from the darkness. “Or do we just sit here, in the dark, guessing?”

Everyone falls silent.

“We need to confirm Zeke is still kickin’ first, then, we’ll ensure you all know the plan,” Kellen answers her. “Just sit tight.”

Easy for him to say.

“There has to be something we can do?” I pipe up. “Surely you two aren’t the only ones carrying out this plan?”

Ace squeezes my hand. “We’re goin’ to need all of you soon, but for right now, we just need to work out the situation and then we can ensure our plan will work.”