Page 133 of The Island

Heather went over to look at the snake. “Where did you learn how to do that?”

“My snake book and the Primitive Technology channel on YouTube. That guy does a million things with rocks. You should watch it. I don’t think it was completely awake. They’re cold-blooded. They need to warm up. So not really a fair fight.”

Olivia stirred. “You’re back,” she said.

“Owen, tell her what you did while I search the rest of the cave for any other guests.”

“I don’t, um, like…I don’t want to brag or anything.”

“For once in your life, brag.”

Owen told Olivia about the snake. Olivia didn’t believe it until he showed her. She hugged him and Owen didn’t believe that. Heather didn’t find any other snakes in the cave.

“I forgot to tell you guys, I found a can of peaches,” she said, removing it from her bag.

“Wow, those must be fifty years old,” Owen said.

“Do you think they’re safe to eat?” Olivia asked.

“One way to find out.”

Heather stabbed the machete into the lid and carefully opened the tin.

They ate the peaches.

They were the best-tasting peaches in the history of Earth.

The kids drank the peach juice and talked and even laughed.

They sat around the fire and Heather glanced at Owen’s science homework. It was beyond her, but Olivia and Owen explained it.

“We need some music,” Olivia said.

“Go on, then,” Heather said.

At first shyly but then with more confidence, Olivia sang and rapped all of Pink Friday by Nicki Minaj with Owen joining in on the choruses.

“What about your stuff?” Olivia said.

“You wouldn’t like it. I’m a woman out of time. Mostly.”

But they insisted as she stoked the fire. They wanted a story or a song. She offered to sing them Greta Van Fleet or Tame Impala or Lana, but now Olivia actually wanted the retro-hipster stuff, so she ended up singing them the whole of the White Album, including the shit songs.

“You can really sing,” Olivia said and meant it.

“Yeah,” Owen agreed.

“Thank you.”

They yawned and stretched and talked and fell asleep next to each other. Kids have the gift of sleep. They were so peaceful, they were part of a tomorrow when all of this was over.

Heather cleaned her rifle and put it within easy reach.

She had one bullet left.

She closed her eyes and lay down on the sandy cave floor, and within minutes she too fell through the dark blue midnight into a deep sleep.

She dreamed. The kids dreamed. The dreams syncopated.

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