Shadows of the Past
Star lounged on the grass feeling extremely bored. It was Saturday. The sky was clear and the sun was bright and warm. She was waiting for her best friend Lee to turn up, as they were taking a ferry trip to Dior Island, which was just visible from the Port of Pepfill. They had arrived from London separately and he had promised to meet her at twelve ‘O’ clock in the afternoon but it was nearing twelve thirty. That was typical Lee; he was always late.
Star and Lee were both fifteen. They went to the same school and had been best friends for two years. Star had dark brown hair and green eyes whereas Lee's hair was light brown and his eyes were hazel. They were both very active and as a result were very fit. Star acted like a tomboy although she did wear dresses and makeup for special occasions. In school she was always classified as ‘one of the guys.’
“BOO!”,
Star started and sat up twisting around to face her friend. She watched him cross his arms and pout.
“What?” she asked grinning. “And you're late.”
“You never scare,” he replied. She shrugged and stood up.
“That's because you're not scary, mate,” she said and dragged him closer to the ferry.
“Are we boarding yet?” Lee asked Star.
“No there's fifteen minutes before the ferry leaves,” Star replied and plonked herself down on a bench. Lee seated himself between her and an elderly man and gazed absentmindedly into the distance. The old man turned to survey them. He was wearing a well-ironed white shirt, black trousers and polished black shoes. But his grey hair was ruffled and he looked tired.
“Hello.” the man said pleasantly “are you going to the island?” He was smiling and any one looking at him from a distance would mistake him for a happy man but Star could tell that from the inside he was pained about a memory he had not forgotten. He looked sad.
Lee remained silent so Star smiled and replied,
“Yeah, what about you?” she asked, elbowing Lee gently in the ribs.
“I’m waiting for Jocelyn,” the old man replied and he began to survey the groups of people who were steadily streaming out of another ferry.
“Who's Jocelyn?” Star asked a while later, but the old man was still surveying the people streaming off the ferries and didn't reply. Just then an announcement from the ferry rang out saying it would leave in five minutes. Star elbowed Lee in the ribs again.
“What?” he asked.
“Welcome back to earth, mate,” she replied dryly and dragged him to the awaiting ferry, casting a worried glance at the old man.
“What do you want to do next?” Lee asked Star as he polished off his slice of pizza. As soon as they arrived at the island the first thing they did was eat. The island was small, housing only five hundred people. It had originally belonged to a rich businessman. It had various mansions on it in which members of his extended family lived. But over the years more houses had been built, which had been sold to people from the mainland and the businessman had given the island to the public when he had gone overseas seven years ago. It was a beautiful place and perfect for getting away from every day life. It also held various fun activities, which was why the two friends had chosen it.
“Why don't we hire some bikes?” Star suggested gulping down the last of her cola and eyeing Lee's last bite of pizza longingly.
“Hands off,” Lee laughed and popped it in his mouth. “And don't give me that look.”
She laughed as they went to find a bike hire.
The two friends wheeled their bikes away from the hire shop to the edge of field in which a path was cut. They hopped on to their bikes.
“Race you,” they said in unison and sped off down the path laughing. They cycled for an hour then stopped to rest in a park. The park wasn’t large. To one side were the swings and other apparatus and to the other were a few flowerbeds. Benches were placed at intervals around the sides near the fence and there were two picnic benches near the slide. In the centre was a statue of a young girl riding a pony.
“Lets see what that statue's for,” Lee said pointing at the memorial. They walked around it so they could see the engraving on the plaque:
1986 - 1998
“Jocelyn?” Lee said “that old man!” Star's eyes filled with tears in realisation. She sniffed.
“Come on, let’s go,” Lee said gently and led her away. He was startled. He had never seen Star cry.
They returned their bikes to the owner and were about to leave when Lee turned around and asked him something. He was a local and new the islands history well, A result of living on it most of his life.
“Do you know who Jocelyn Birk is?”
“Ah,” the man said “Jocelyn. Disappeared when she was twelve. Her grandfather never forgave himself.” Lee thanked the man and they left.
The journey back to the mainland was fairly quiet. Both friends were too absorbed in the Jocelyn mystery to notice it. Star had an odd feeling in her stomach. As they neared land she knew the old man would be there, waiting for Jocelyn.
As the ferry came in to dock they could see other boats leaving and arriving and people scurrying around. Mountains loomed ahead in the distance their peaks already shrouded in the dying light.
They were in a hurry when they landed as they had so catch a train home to London. As they passed a bench they heard the man talking to the person next to him.
“I'm waiting for Jocelyn.”
Next weekend the two of them together with the rest of their group went on a tour to a new leisure centre that had just opened near their school. It had the normal attractions like swimming, ball games and exercise machines. But it also had facilities for archery and sword fighting. It was these facilities that had caught the attention of the group.
In school all the males of the group had the knack of getting in to trouble with the teachers. They always insisted they had done nothing wrong. The females were all tomboys and like Star only wore makeup on special occasions. The group was popular in school and everyone tried to suck up to them. Even mow one of the prissy girls had latched herself on to Lee's arm and was fluttering her eyelashes at him. Star was grinning madly at his expense and he was scowling back at her. They stood with a group and were waiting for their guide when an old woman leaned over to them.
“Lost her memory that one,” she said indicating one of the guides. “She was washed ashore, found on a beach, only remembered her name.” Lee nodded shaking the ‘priss’ off his arm as the woman shuffled away.
Just then the girl the woman was talking about walked up to them. She was about eighteen and looked oddly familiar. Lee and Star shared a startled glance.
“Hi,” the girl said cheerfully “I’m Jocelyn...”
© Copyright 2005 Eliwen