Page 46 of The Unknown

She instructed me to sit on a rock while she sat on the ground and, sketchbook balanced on her knees, proceeded to draw.

“Do you like it here?” she asked as she sketched.

“Yes, very much.”

“And what do you think of the others? Do you like them as well?”

“Oh, I do,” I replied, even though that’s not entirely the truth. So far, Katrina has been mean and cruel. I find Phoebe Minafer to be quite nice, although she can also be a stick-in-the-mud. As for Jonquil, she strikes me as a combination of the two. A bit too forthright at times, but generally agreeable company.

Mrs. Semple remained quiet for a moment, the scratch of pencil on paper the only sound I heard. Eventually she casually said, “What are your thoughts about Azra?”

Just hearing the name sent a fearful shudder through me. Instantly I recalled the way they sounded. That horrible whisper! I doubt I will ever forget it, even though I’d like to.

“I do not care to think about them,” I said.

“But you must, my dear. There had to have been a reason Azra wanted to speak to us.”

I didn’t want to think about that, either. I continued to feel revulsion about what had happened the night before, despite being in the bright light of the beautiful afternoon. Even then, I keenly recalled the horror I felt when I saw my own name being spelled out.

“And what reason would that be?” I said, my voice harsh, even though I had no reason to be mad at Mrs. Semple. She was only trying to help me make sense of the situation.

“Clearly, Azra has something to say.”

Yes, awful things. Vile things. And it wasn’t just me they spoke to. I’m certain Azra said something to Katrina, too. From her horrified reaction, I can only assume it was something terrible.

“I don’t care what they have to say. I hope to never hear from Azra again.”

“Sometimes we are forced to listen to things we don’t want to hear,” Mrs. Semple said. “It’s one of the things we do on New Avalon. Listen, no matter how unsavory it might be.”

“Even if they mean to do us harm?” I asked.

Mrs. Semple gave me a sharp look. “Is that what you think Azra intends?”

I had no proof, just an anxious sense that Azra was up to no good.

“I don’t know,” I replied, hedging. “I just think it would be better if we never spoke to them again.”

With a few more strokes of her pencil and one final flourish, Mrs. Semple finished drawing. She turned the sketchbook around so that I could see her handiwork. The likeness was so wonderful it took my breath away. I was amazed at how she had captured every detail of my appearance. It was just like looking in a mirror!

“It’s lovely!” I exclaimed.

“Thank you, dear,” Mrs. Semple said, closing the sketchbook. “I daresay it might be my finest work. Now let us continue our walk.”

We did just that, eventually reaching the cliff behind the house that overlooked the lake. It was my first time there, and the view took my breath away. From such a high perch, I felt like a bird about to soar into the sky. The clouds seemed so close that I was certain I could reach out and grab one.

Then there was the lake itself, which sparkled in the afternoon sun. The mainland, though visible, looked so far away. Much farther than the clouds. That’s what I was thinking about—how we seemed closer to the clouds than to land—when I spotted something on the water. A triangle of white surrounded by the sunshine’s diamond sparkle.

“What do you think that is?” I said while pointing it out to Mrs. Semple.

She moved to the edge of the cliff, shielded her eyes, and squinted at the water. Then she let out a little choked cry of surprise and said, “Gracious! It’s our boat!”

“Ourboat?” I said, suddenly worried because I, like Mrs. Semple, knew that it was our only form of transportation between here and the mainland.

Mrs. Semple dropped the sketchbook, turned away from the cliff, and started to hurry away. I grabbed the sketchbook and followed, barely able to keep up as she lifted the hem of her skirt and dashed through the trees.Although I’d assumed she’d stop when we reached the village, Mrs. Semple passed through it on her way to the other end of the island.

I continued to follow her, hurrying down the winding path to the dock. Katrina, Jonquil, and Mrs. Minafer, sensing something was wrong, came with me.

“Hey, what’s the rush?” Jonquil said.