ground melted, took flight, and the next thing you knew, you were burning and blacked out. And then you woke up naked.” His tone was so nonchalant he may as well have been describing the menu at the local Chick-fil-A.
“Pretty much. Is that what happened to you?” I asked.
“Different verse, same song.”
I shot Thad a puzzled look.
He smiled. “Everyone’s story is pretty much the same. Different places, different countries, but it’s always noon, it’s always sunny. There’s always a gate and then—poof. You wake up naked. Here on Nil.”
You forgot alone.
“Okay, Charley, it’s just through these trees.”
The trees were green and lush. The ground sloped down, then the trees gave way to a vast pool nestled in black rock, like some exotic swimming hole straight from a Hollywood movie. The water was clear and sparkling, except for the ripples of white stretching from the far side where a waterfall at least three stories high cascaded down a wall of black; it poured into the pool with a steady roar—like the ocean, but more constant, less rhythmic.
“This is it,” Thad said. “Crystal Cove.”
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered. Another piece of my tropical paradise, worthy of a postcard, not that I could send one from here. I thought of Em, and a lump rose in my throat.
“You okay? You look pale. Did we walk too far?”
“No. I’m fine. I just”—I swallowed—“I wish my sister could see this.” I pictured Em tilting her camera, the one with the fancy lens she got for her birthday, snapping shot after shot. The lump in my throat grew. “She’d love this.”
Thad’s voice was quiet. “She’s better off where she is.”
I looked at Thad. He was reaching into his satchel, his face hidden.
“Okay,” he said, looking up with a grin. “I’ve got coconut soap, a towel, and new clothes. The pool’s shallow. But be careful. Over by the waterfall, it drops fast to overhead. Behind the waterfall is a small ledge. I’ll leave your stuff at the edge here, then I’ll turn around.” His deep blue eyes turned playful. “I promise not to peek.”
My cheeks burned. “Definitely no peeking.” My mouth felt dry and yucky, and suddenly I felt icky all over again. “Crazy question. Do y’all have any toothbrushes?”
“Sort of. They’re rough, but they work.” Thad pulled a contraption from his satchel. It was a stick with some spiky things on one end. “The bristles don’t last that long; they’re plants. This one’s yours. Natalie made it.”
“Thanks.” I felt incredibly grateful to a girl I didn’t even know. Then I had a thought. “Do objects come through the gates too? Like toothbrushes?” I smiled.
“Nope. No objects. Just living things, like people. Everything here in Nil City has been made by us or those who have come before.” His voice was unmistakably proud, but sad, making me wonder what he was thinking.
He looked down, and a ray of light glinted off his hair, gold on gold. And in that moment, I’d never felt filthier in my entire life.
I took one step toward the pool and stopped. Rocks lined the edge, full of nooks and crannies—perfect hideouts for water moccasins. “Thad,” I said slowly, eyeing the water, “are there snakes in there?”
“Nope.” He grinned, and the mischievous glint in his eyes returned. “No snakes. Not in the Cove, not anywhere on Nil.”
“ None? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. There’s nothing cold-blooded on the island. No snakes, no lizards. No reptiles of any sort. Only warm-blooded creatures make it to Nil.”
“Huh. No snakes.” Nil instantly was less scary. I took another step toward the Cove, then turned back again.
“Aliens? What about aliens?”
“There are no aliens in the Cove,” Thad answered straight-faced.
“Not in the Cove. I meant on Nil.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s just—the first day I was here, I saw some creatures, flying. Like birds, but I swear they had heads. Human heads. And well,
“Pretty much. Is that what happened to you?” I asked.
“Different verse, same song.”
I shot Thad a puzzled look.
He smiled. “Everyone’s story is pretty much the same. Different places, different countries, but it’s always noon, it’s always sunny. There’s always a gate and then—poof. You wake up naked. Here on Nil.”
You forgot alone.
“Okay, Charley, it’s just through these trees.”
The trees were green and lush. The ground sloped down, then the trees gave way to a vast pool nestled in black rock, like some exotic swimming hole straight from a Hollywood movie. The water was clear and sparkling, except for the ripples of white stretching from the far side where a waterfall at least three stories high cascaded down a wall of black; it poured into the pool with a steady roar—like the ocean, but more constant, less rhythmic.
“This is it,” Thad said. “Crystal Cove.”
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered. Another piece of my tropical paradise, worthy of a postcard, not that I could send one from here. I thought of Em, and a lump rose in my throat.
“You okay? You look pale. Did we walk too far?”
“No. I’m fine. I just”—I swallowed—“I wish my sister could see this.” I pictured Em tilting her camera, the one with the fancy lens she got for her birthday, snapping shot after shot. The lump in my throat grew. “She’d love this.”
Thad’s voice was quiet. “She’s better off where she is.”
I looked at Thad. He was reaching into his satchel, his face hidden.
“Okay,” he said, looking up with a grin. “I’ve got coconut soap, a towel, and new clothes. The pool’s shallow. But be careful. Over by the waterfall, it drops fast to overhead. Behind the waterfall is a small ledge. I’ll leave your stuff at the edge here, then I’ll turn around.” His deep blue eyes turned playful. “I promise not to peek.”
My cheeks burned. “Definitely no peeking.” My mouth felt dry and yucky, and suddenly I felt icky all over again. “Crazy question. Do y’all have any toothbrushes?”
“Sort of. They’re rough, but they work.” Thad pulled a contraption from his satchel. It was a stick with some spiky things on one end. “The bristles don’t last that long; they’re plants. This one’s yours. Natalie made it.”
“Thanks.” I felt incredibly grateful to a girl I didn’t even know. Then I had a thought. “Do objects come through the gates too? Like toothbrushes?” I smiled.
“Nope. No objects. Just living things, like people. Everything here in Nil City has been made by us or those who have come before.” His voice was unmistakably proud, but sad, making me wonder what he was thinking.
He looked down, and a ray of light glinted off his hair, gold on gold. And in that moment, I’d never felt filthier in my entire life.
I took one step toward the pool and stopped. Rocks lined the edge, full of nooks and crannies—perfect hideouts for water moccasins. “Thad,” I said slowly, eyeing the water, “are there snakes in there?”
“Nope.” He grinned, and the mischievous glint in his eyes returned. “No snakes. Not in the Cove, not anywhere on Nil.”
“ None? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. There’s nothing cold-blooded on the island. No snakes, no lizards. No reptiles of any sort. Only warm-blooded creatures make it to Nil.”
“Huh. No snakes.” Nil instantly was less scary. I took another step toward the Cove, then turned back again.
“Aliens? What about aliens?”
“There are no aliens in the Cove,” Thad answered straight-faced.
“Not in the Cove. I meant on Nil.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s just—the first day I was here, I saw some creatures, flying. Like birds, but I swear they had heads. Human heads. And well,
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