Clarksport - A short novel by Meg James by Meg James

D arting away from her angry foster father; Mina realised that her life wasn’t what most people would call ordinary.

At 13, Mina had now lived with seventeen different foster families, each one completely wrong for her. Some left her alone, some forced her to interact and some were cruel. She learnt early how to deal with difficult adults. But with all the terrible families she had lived with over the years, the Morgan’s had to be the most evil of all. Kevin Morgan, a very overweight and angry man, had never been interested in helping anyone but himself. He had a huge bent nose and was always very red in the face. His wife Jean didn’t like to help people either, but she was cleverer than her husband and knew that important people would pay them to look after children, so they had added five foster children to their family. After being forced to ride in the boot of their car to the nearest town’s market, Mina had decided that enough was enough. They pulled up alongside the harbour, thick black smoke pouring out of the exhaust. As the other foster children walked to the vegetable stall, Mina had decided to put her plan into action. She wasn’t sure yet what she was going to do, but she knew that wherever she was going she would need money. Sidestepping her foster mother, she reached carefully into the ugly tapestry handbag that she seemed to be always clutching. Mina pulled out a small coin purse which Jean kept the house’s money in and stuffed it into her pocket. She smiled to herself. It was always easy to steal from her foster parents. She felt guilty of course, as you always do when you do something you know to be wrong. But wrong as it may be, Mina often had to steal to eat. Disadvantaged kids have to make their own way in life, that’s what her old house mother, Mrs Hargreaves, had always said. She joined her foster siblings at a nearby stall, gazing at the nearby pastry stall longingly. The firm grip of Mr Morgan’s hand on her shoulder was enough to bring her crashing back down to earth. “Where’s Jean’s purse?” He barked. Mina’s heart sank as she realised she had been caught. Putting on an innocent smile, she looked up at him.

“Is it not in her handbag Kev?”

“You bloody well know it’s not in her handbag, because you stole it.” “Me? Stealing?” Mina said in her best shocked tone, “how could you think I would do such a terrible thing?”

The vein in his forehead started to bulge as he scowled down at Mina, his skin turning a dangerous shade of red as he attempted to stay calm. Although he was a terrible man, he hated to be embarrassed and other shoppers were already glancing over at them.

“So if I check your pockets,” he hissed, “I won’t find my wife’s purse will I?” Mina’s smile vanished as he stepped closer to her, arm outstretched. She had two options - fight or run. She decided to run. As he moved towards her, Mina aimed a swift kick at his right knee, causing him to double over in pain. Cursing, he stumbled forward to try and grab her, but she darted to the right and took off down the high street. She ran between other shoppers, shouting out a sorry every few seconds. Passing the same old ladies from earlier, Mina looked over her shoulder to see Kevin close behind her. They edged closer and closer to the harbour as they ran, passing several holiday makers who were carrying towels and picnic baskets. Mina frowned at them as she passed, sure that no one actually used picnic baskets anymore. In her haste to escape Kevin, she realised that she was quickly running out of land to run on, and would soon be at the waters edge. Glancing back she saw he was stuck behind a tour group that had just ambled sleepily off a huge coach. Taking a moment to think, she looked left and then right, glancing at the undecipherable street signs above her. Panting, she decided that neither way looked all too promising and turned quickly to the right, taking off again towards the dock.

As he moved towards her, Mina aimed a swift kick at his right knee, causing him to double over in pain. Cursing, he stumbled forward to try and grab her, but she darted to the right and took off down the high street. She ran between other shoppers, shouting out a sorry every few seconds. Passing the same old ladies from earlier, Mina looked over her shoulder to see Kevin close behind her. They edged closer and closer to the harbour as they ran, passing several holiday makers who were carrying towels and picnic baskets. Mina frowned at them as she passed, sure that no one actually used picnic baskets anymore. In her haste to escape Kevin, she realised that she was quickly running out of land to run on, and would soon be at the waters edge. Glancing back she saw hea moment was stucktobehind tour groupleft that had justright, ambled sleepily Taking think, ashe looked and then glancing at off thea huge coach. undecipherable street signs above her. Panting, she decided that neither way looked all too promising and turned quickly to the right, taking off again towards the dock. “Oi!” A burly fisherman shouted as Mina sprinted past him, knocking a bag of fish from his hands. “Sorry mate!” Mina shouted over her shoulder.

She continued down the dock, the wooden planks creaking under her feet. There was a large fishing boat preparing to move off from the dock which had a rickety looking sailboat tied to it. It bobbed gently on the water, the oars slapping the wood of the boat. Mina she realised if she was quick, she would be able to jump on before it sailed away. This seemed like a crazy idea, especially because Mina could not swim. However Kevin was fast approaching and she did not have much of a choice. As she got closer, the boats motor suddenly started, splashing water up onto the dock. It jolted forward and started to pull away from the dock. Mina sped up, her knees aching and her heart racing. “I’ve got you now” Kevin laughed as the boat started to gain speed. Mina knew she probably wouldn’t make the jump. She also knew that she didn’t want to live with these people any more. They would not forgive her for stealing her foster mother’s purse, which meant one of two things. Either they would punish her, or they would send her back to the home. Neither of those were good options and Mina knew she would need to be brave. Taking a deep breath, Mina leapt onto the moving boat. For a couple of seconds, she led on the cold wooden floor of the sailboat, gazing up at the seagulls flying overhead. She had made it. She had managed to land on the boat. She scrambled to her feet, looking back at the dock. Kevin was stood on the edge, mouth hanging open. Mina laughed, quietly first and then louder and louder. She was finally free. As the boat pulled away, waves splashing the dock, Mina waved to her foster father as he became smaller and smaller. Mina had finally escaped her horrible life and as she watched the town fade into the distance, she wondered what would happen next. She untied the thick rope that tethered the sailboat and watched as the fishing boat drifted away, motor still spluttering. The boat bobbed up and down on the water smoothly as she looked around for some sign of land. But a thick fog was starting to creep in and Mina was struggling to see two feet in front of her, let alone two hundred feet. Heading in the opposite direction to the island she had just escaped, she pulled the oars out of their rests and started to row north.

After rowing for what seemed like hours, she was exhausted. A loud rumble of thunder made Mina look up in time to see a flash of lightening. A splash of water landed on her nose as another rumble of thunder sounded. She had rowed a long way and still couldn’t see any land. With daylight fading, she realised that she had no idea where she was heading, and what was worse, she wasn’t sure she had the energy to carry on. As the rain started to pour down, Mina sat and thought about everything that had happened in the last few hours. This morning she had woken up in the box room she shared with the family’s dog, her back hurting rom sleeping on a bed frame without a mattress. Since then she had ditched her awful foster family and hitched a ride on a boat. She knew the Morgan’s probably wouldn’t even report her missing. This was good because it meant she could make a fresh start. She was finally alone. This was what Mina had wished for, to escape her horrible life. However, with her arms aching from rowing for hours, and her knee still throbbing, she realised how lonely she felt, in the middle of the ocean with not a friend in the world. She wasn’t the kind of person to dwell on her problems, and she definitely wasn’t soft, thank you very much. But sat in that little rowing boat, with the rain pouring down on her, Mina started to cry.

It was very dark now. The rain was still pouring down and there was no sign of it letting up. Mina was hunched over, shivering through her wet clothes. This, she thought, wasn’t the way her escape was meant to go. Maybe she should have climbed onto the fishing boat and asked the captain to take her to the nearest island. Maybe she should have turned left at that sign. Every thought she had made her feel worse and worse, so she decided not to think at all. A bright light suddenly passed over her, illuminating her shadow against the water. Mina spun around and was faced with a blinding light. She shielded her eyes, squinting through the darkness. A looming shadow of a hook appeared over the light, magnified onto the water. Panic started to rise in Mina’s chest. “You alright there?” A deep voice bellowed through the mist, As the light panned to the left, the outline of a fishing boat appeared. Mina blinked a few times, her eyes still adjusting. She wondered if it was the same boat as earlier. But this one seemed in much worse dition, the paint faded over time. Lightning struck again and in the light, she saw a tall man with hooks where his hands should be. He stood on the stern, leaning forward as if to get a better look.

condition, the paint faded over time. Lightning struck again and in the light, she saw a tall man with hooks where his hands should be. He stood on the stern, leaning forward as if to get a better look. “What you doing out here?” He spoke again. Mina stood, the boat rocking under her feet. “Who are you?” She shouted back at him. She heard a chuckle. “The real question is… who are you?” The boat pulled alongside her and Mina frowned up at the man. She could see his face now, the moonlight shining off of his bald head. He had a crooked nose and one pierced ear. He didn’t seem that threatening, although his hook hands still made her feel uneasy. For a couple seconds they stared at each other, neither wanting to be the first to speak. With a sigh, Mina spoke. “Please. I’ve been rowing for hours, Can you take me to the shore?” “Well you’re miles away from the town girl.” His voice was quiet but it cut through the cold air easily. “I’m heading the opposite way, no going back now.” “Well take me where you’re going then, I don’t want to go back there anyway.” She snapped, hugging her arms around herself. She was mad now. It was still raining hard and she wondered why he was being so difficult. The man looked at her for a while. “I’m soaked, and cold and I can’t row any more mister,” she begged, “please help me.” He looked off into the distance, sighing. He clearly didn’t feel comfortable letting her on the boat but it seemed as though He looked back at Mina, outstretching a hook towards her. Mina grinned. She grabbed her bag, leaning over to take the hook where his hand should have been. The metal was cold to the touch, but she was so cold from sitting in the rain for so long, that she barely noticed.

He was stronger than he looked and easily pulled her onto the boat. They stepped into the covered part of the boat, the huge steering wheel taking up most of the space. He turned to search through an old trunk, retrieving a large knitted jumper, long brown trousers and a leather belt. He smiled apologetically at Mina as he passed them over, “Bit big for you of course, but I reckon they’ll do ‘till your clothes dry.” Mina nodded a thanks as she shut herself in the boats small toilet. The clothes were huge on her, just like the fisherman had said, but they were warm and comfortable. She left her clothes to dry on the radiator in the toilet and opened the door to find him holding two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, the handles balanced precariously on his hooks. “Thank you,” Mina said. “I’m Mina by the way”. “Ah, best if I don’t know your name sweetheart.” “Why?” Mina was confused. “It’s just… well I...” He shook his head. “They wouldn’t like me doing what I’m doing… we don’t get new people on the island, you see.” They sat in silence for a while, each sipping their drinks. Mina wished she had some biscuits to go with it. After a while, Mina spoke up. “So, where are we heading?” The man looked over his shoulder at her. “It’s not important.” “Wait, so first you don’t want me to tell you my name and now you won’t tell me where you’re taking me. This is not fair, I want to know!” Mina was furious, why was every adult she met so difficult? “Ok. Ok,” he said, “you have to promise me not to tell.” “Tell what?”

“Tell them.” “Who?” “Them!”, he shouted. “You don’t understand. Like I said we don’t get visitors on the island. We haven’t had anyone new for years. Not since... well that doesn’t matter. The island’s a bit weird. Lots of strange characters.” He paused for a moment. “It’s called ‘Clarksport’, the island. Folks are nice, if a little suspicious. Keep your head down and you’ll be alright.” “Well I just want to get away.” Mina said sadly. “What you running from anyway girl?” “Doesn’t matter,” Mina said defiantly. “So, what do I call you?” The man looked at her, smiling sadly. “Billy. Billy the Fish.” Mina laughed. “Great name for a fisherman.” Billy nodded, laughing along with her. The cabin filled with light as the sun rose. Mina stood, moving to the large windows. There in the distance was the outline of an island.

“Look! Billy!” He pulled the steering wheel to the left as the boat began to slow down. Soon they had reached the port. Billy stepped out onto the bow to tie up the boat to the dock. It was silent apart from a few seagulls overhead. Mina emerged from the toilet again, wearing her now dry clothes. “It’s early.” Billy muttered. “No one will be around for a while.” She passed the clothes to him as he stepped back onto the boat. He took them, pushing a yellow raincoat into her arms in return. “Keep it, might rain again soon.” “Are you sure?” Mina was shocked, she wasn’t used to such kindness. “Yeah, seeing as I gotta ask something of you too,” “Oh..” Mina though this may be coming. She tightened her hand around her trouser pocket where her foster mother’s purse was. “Yeah, I’m sorry kid. I wouldn’t normally ask it’s just.. I need you to forget you met me.” “What?” “Forget my name, don’t tell anyone how you got here. If they find out, they’ll… well let’s just say I won’t get off lightly. If people ask, just say you swam.” “I swam?” Mina laughed. “Billy that’s crazy. It’s miles from the nearest town.” “Make something up then, you’re a smart kid. Just never speak my name alright?” “Um… alright.” “Promise?” “Yes, I promise.” Mina sighed.

Billy nodded once, moving so Mina could step off of the boat. She smiled back at him, pulling the raincoat on. It fit pretty well compared to Billy’s other clothes, but the sleeves were still far too long. She hopped off the boat onto the dock. There wasn’t anyone else around and that made Mina feel uneasy. Ever since she was born she had been around other people, foster families, other kids in group homes; she wasn’t used to silence. At the end of the dock was a tall steel sign that read : CLARKSPORT It towered above Mina, the metal letters caked in rust. Beyond the sign was a long paved road that led towards a group of buildings. She turned to wave at Billy, who was carrying large sacks off of the boat. They nodded to each other, a silent promise to stay quiet. “Well this is it,” she breathed, “this is home now.”

As the town woke, Mina wandered through the cobbled streets, making her way into the centre of the town. The whole town seemed to be stuck in the 70’s; from the old brick buildings to the wooden slatted walls of the abandoned fishing factory. Mina could tell that in its heyday this place would have been nice, but now the bright red and blue paint was faded. The whole town felt tired. As she moved further into the centre, she could hear a quiet tune playing It sounded familiar to Mina but she couldn’t place it. She decided to investigate. Following the sound, she turned the corner and walked into the centre of the town. The centre was a large square with five different roads coming off of it. None of the shops were names that Mina recognised. It seemed odd that even such a tired looking town wouldn’t have the normal shops. Directly in the middle was a huge stone statue of a man riding a swordfish. He looked very stern, frowning down at Mina. She laughed out loud, wondering who on earth would pay for a statue like that.

The music had gotten louder and seemed to be behind her now. The tune sounded familiar. There was something about it that was off though, it was like a mix between a violin and a wheezing old man. Mina walked around the statue to see something she hadn’t expected. There were four animatronic robots who were all dressed in the same cherry red pinstripe suits. They held two violins, a saxophone and an accordion. Each member of the group had rusted over, their uniforms dirty from rain and dust. They still jerked in time with the music, but the accordionist was the only one whose instrument still played, the haunting music wheezing out of it. A sharp crackling sound behind her made Mina jump. The noise came from an old speaker mounted on the wall. It crackled once more, then a screeching soprano voice came floating out. There were in fact several speakers around the centre, a complicated PA system was set up as a morning wake up call for the residents. A poster underneath every speaker showed the anonymous singer. Barbara Clementine III, the most popular opera singer of her day. A very tall woman with a pointed nose emerged from the pink tea room opposite Mina, carrying three folded tables. She didn’t look like she was strong enough to manage one. “Hello!” Mina called over to her, waving. The woman’s head snapped up, her eyes squinted. She looked over at Mina for a moment, her face frowning in confusion. Mina lowered her arm, wondering why she seemed so unfriendly. The woman glared at Mina, finished putting the tables out and headed back into her tea room without another look. “Hhmph,” Mina shrugged. She reminded herself of what Billy had said, the people here were suspicious. A young couple came walking around the corner, dressed entirely in different shades of blue. When they saw Mina they sped up, whispering quietly as they hurried past her. She checked her reflection in a shop window to see if maybe it was her appearance that was scaring everyone off. Sure her hair had dried a bit weird so it stuck up at the back but she looked pretty normal. She walked down the nearest street, desperate to get away from the stares. After a while, she came across a towering wooden building sat a few metres away from the rest of the shops. It had one large circular window and a very narrow front door.

Through the window she could see huge metal machines that looked like the old printing presses Mina had seen in school textbooks. They couldn’t still be in use though could they? Mina wondered. Everything was digital now. There was a wooden sign hanging off of the building, it had a drawing of two feather quills crossed over one another, it reminded Mina of a pirate flag. Under the logo was the name “Comley”. The door swung open suddenly and a very tall man with curly brown hair and a long nose stepped out. He was dressed in a brown and dark blue suit. He eyed her curiously, his greasy brown hair slicked back. Mina wondered if he knew how shifty he looked. He turned back to look into the dark doorway. “Do come along” He drawled. Behind him appeared two more men in similar three piece suits. They looked very similar to the first man; same hair, same faces. Identical triplets, the Comley brothers were responsible for producing the town’s newspaper – ‘The Ruffler. The one nearest the back pulled out a wooden pipe and lit it as he glanced at his brothers. They shared a look, then all turned to face Mina. The triplets loomed over her, sharing the same expression – one of disapproval. Mina was so busy trying to work out what the black marks on the first brothers hands were that she didn’t hear the third brother speak until he cleared his throat. “And who are you?” He breathed through the smoke. She turned to look at him, noticing he had the same black marks on his nose. It was a short and stubby nose with a patch of freckles. It would have been cute if he wasn’t so intimidating.

Mina said nothing for a moment, wondering how to react. “Oh. I’m no one.” She knew from experience that if you don’t give your name, people can’t trace you, and these three men were people that she didn’t ever want to see again. “Couldn’t have put it better myself,” the first brother muttered. The three of them sniggered. Mina was furious. She opened her mouth several times to say something, looking oddly like a fish as she gaped at them. How dare they talk to her like that? Mina had no time for rudeness, and she was happy to give them a good thump. She opened her mouth to speak, trying to stay calm, but the tallest triplet had leaned forward, his nose inches from hers. “Where did you come from?” He asked slowly. His eyes were cold, darting quickly trying to see if there waa any sign of fear in Mina’a eyes. If she had grown up in a different life, Mina would have been scared. But she stared him down as well as anyone could when they were at least two feet shorter. His brothers shifted behind him, clearly wanting to move on but Drew continued to eye Mina. Mina wondered if she should repeat Billy’s rdiclous lie about swimming to the island, but thought it best to stay quiet. Seeming to understand that Mina wasn’t going to tell him how she arrived here, he stood to his full height, sneered and turned on his heel. His brothers followed him, whispering furiously between themselves. Mina let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding in, her shoulders slumping in relief. Thst had clearly been the reason Billy didn’t want to be associated with her, that man looked confused and angry to see her. Normally Mina would have taken this personally, but she could tell that his sudden hatred of her meant more than just a clash of personalities.

A loud thud interrupted her thoughts as a huge bundle of newspapers shot out of a narrow hole in the side of the building. They were wrapped in thick string. Mina bent down and pulled a paper from the top of the stack. These papers were clearly made by someone who knew what they were doing. The title - “The Ruffler” - at the top of the page was printed in gold ink which was raised slightly off of the page. Each page was filled with different articles, some accompanied by an illustration. As she reached the end, she turned the paper over and saw an old black and white photo tucked into the corner of the page. The triplets stared out at her from the photograph, their mouths stretched into tight, sinister smiles. Mina shuddered at the sight of them. As she rolled up the paper and took her backpack off of her shoulder to store it, Mina made a mental note to avoid the triplets from now on. Although clearly unpleasant, there was something about the men that made her skin crawl. She headed back the way she had come. Her stomach gave a loud growl and she clutched it as she walked. As she arrived back in the centre she passed a tall white building with large windows. A sign above the door read

The Brie - lient Cheesemongers She scoffed at the pun when she noticed a splash of red paint on the alley wall beside the shop. She walked down the alley, it opened up onto several shop fronts but that’s not what Mina was looking at. Staring up at the alley wall, Mina saw a circular symbol painted onto the wall. She knew the paint was fresh because the falling drips were still wet. There was an eye painted in the middle of a triangle which was linked by five lines to the circle. As the eye stared at her, Mina got the same feeling she always did when something bad was about to happen. The head care worker at her third group home had said it was nothing more than “intuition” – which she said meant understanding something without having proof – but Mina always liked to think she had a kind of superpower. I t had been very helpful when she was trying to figure out who the thief in the Jacobson family was and would help her now too.

Mina had a feeling that whoever painted this had a reason for doing so. She knew that when things were painted on walls that they could be threats, or statements or just lovely art. But although the symbol was nice to look at, she somehow knew it was meant as a threat. The vibrant red paint looked like blood. As she looked at it, Mina thought it looked oddly familiar, She wondered if she had seen it before. She moved closer, squinting her eyes. Just then, the cheesemonger left his shop, carrying several large boxes down the alley. “Oi!” He shouted when he saw Mina, his silver moustache quivering with fury. She glanced at the graffiti. It was clear that no matter what she said, he would assume she had painted the symbol. Mina’s feet slapped the cobbles as she ran down the alleyway.

She was leaning against a wall gasping for breath, when Mina heard muffled voices coming towards her. Grabbing her backpack, she walked quickly around the corner. Mina was used to feeling unwelcome in a new place; starting so many new schools had introduced her to plenty of unpleasant kids. But wherever she had found herself, Mina knew that there was always someone who she could turn to for advice. Maybe a teacher, or care worker, or a friendly kid. But here there didn’t seem to be anyone on this island who wanted to be anywhere near her, let alone help her. Gulls cried overhead as Mina emerged from the alley onto a busy street full of people. The buildings were even more wonky than the ones in the square. Window frames jutted out from the walls, the wood rotted from damp. Each shop had a large glass window at the front, most of which were smudged with black dust. However one shop was as clean as if it had just been washed down moments before. It stuck out like a sore thumb; a very clean sore thumb, from the rest of the street. A large red sign above the door read;

“BARTHOLEMEW & SON’S Finest quality meat from ambiguous sources”

Mina looked up at the white and gold painted letters as the loud ‘ding’ of a bell rang out. A very tall boy, with long skinny limbs and a mess of curly blonde hair was stumbling out of the shop door. He was wearing a stained apron with a large “B” sewn onto the front pocket. He bent down to pick up a large box left under the window, his face screwing up as he lifted the obviously heavy package. “Hey!” Mina shouted, waving her arm quickly. This was the first kid her age that she had seen and she was sure that she could ask him what that symbol was. The boy had dropped the box in shock at the sound of Mina’s shout. Glancing up at her, his cheeks turned bright red and he fell to his knees, his hands moving quickly, picking up little packages wrapped in white paper and threw them quickly into the open box. “Let me help” Mina crouched next to him, picking up a small package next to her foot. The boy wouldn’t look at her but said quietly’

“It’s..no..it’s fine, you don’t have to” “I want to,” Mina smiled at him. She held out the package in front of him. “I’m Mina.” The boy looked at her now, pushing the blonde curls out of his eyes. He had the most unfortunate case of acne Mina had ever seen and she forced herself to look straight in his eyes, instead of his spots. It’s not polite to look at someone’s imperfections. He smiled a big toothy grin at Mina, taking the parcel from her. “BARTHOLEMEW!!” A voice bellowed from the door. They both jumped and the boy dropped the package again. Grabbing it quickly, he shoved it into the box, stood and made his way over to the door. A short man with a huge pot belly was stood in the doorway, his face a big ball of rage. “You’ll damage the meat boy” He frowned at Bartholemew, not seeming to notice Mina. Turning on his heel, he disappeared into the shop again. The boy turned back to look at Mina. “Don’t mind my dad,” he said, “He’s always grumpy. I’m Bartie” “Bartie?!” Mina giggled. It was a silly name. He blushed again, looking a bit miffed to be laughed at for something as silly as a name. It’s not like he chose it. “Well I’ve got to work now, see you.” With that, he disappeared into the shop after his father Across the street several people peered over their newspapers at Mina, their noses practically brushing the paper as they tried to pretend they were reading instead of staring at her. Mina glared over at them, sticking up her fingers in a very rude gesture. They gasped loudly, all turning quickly away.

A thought suddenly hit her as hard as a bolt of lightning would have. Mina pulled off her backpack with such force that the left strap tore a little. Yanking open the zip, she pulled out the newspaper and unfolded it. Mina flipped through the pages quickly until she reached the second to last one. “There it is,” she breathed. There, in the top right corner, next to the three brother’s names was a small black symbol that looked very much like the one on the wall.

Mina had run to the dock as fast as her legs could carry her, newspaper clutched tightly in her hand. On the way, she had noticed that symbol everywhere. It was painted on a few more walls, carved into trees and a particularly large red circle had been painted onto a huge billboard which was advertising security cameras. Billy was hanging out of the fishing factory’s window when he saw Mina coming. He ran downstairs quickly, peering out of the door, watching as she walked over to his boat. Mina peered in through the boat window, her breath fogging up the glass. “Billy” She hissed. She looked around her, checking to see if anyone was around. With the coast clear, she headed over to the rundown fishing factory, wondering if Billy was in there for some reason. A long arm reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hard into the open door. “Ow!” Mina yelled, yanking her arm back.

She turned to see Billy, who somehow looked furious and concerned all at once. “What did I say girl?” He demanded Mina glared up at him, “I know Billy, but I had to ask you something.” “Were you followed?”

Billy narrowed his eyes at her, then sighed, flopping down onto a rather shabby looking couch. Mina sat down next to him, the leather cushions wheezing under her weight. She thrust the newspaper at him, pointing excitedly to the symbol. “I want to know what this means” “I told you not to ask questions.” “Oh Billy come on. I met those triplets and they were really rude and then I started to see this symbol everywhere and I think it’s some sort of warning.” She spoke fast. “It’s their symbol, they’re behind something. I just know it!” “Why do you care?” Mina shook her head. This was the first exciting thing to ever happen to her. Mina had always loved detective stories and longed to solve a mystery of her own. She was sure she could solve it, if Billy would just stop being so difficult. “I just need you to tell me what this says, I need to understand who these guys are, in order to solve the mystery. Maybe they are doing some shady deals.” “Why can’t you just read it ‘urself? You seem a smart one, you should be able to figure it out.” Mina blushed. She could feel him watching her but did not want to look at him. She suddenly felt very embarrassed and wanted to go home. She didn’t know where home was, but she was sure it wasn’t here. He was still looking at her expectantly and she knew she had to tell him. “I..I don’t know..” She muttered. “I don’t know how to read.”

She looked up at him and wished she hadn’t. He had this stupid sad smile on his face. Mina realised that he pitied her. “Well that’s nothing to be asham…” “I’m NOT ashamed!” Mina interrupted, her voice cracking. “No…” Billy started. “No, it’s not. Erm alright lass, just show me the bit you mean then. But like I said, tell no one.” He took the paper from her, his hook piercing the page. He held the paper close to his face, squinting his eyes as he read;

Dear readers, We, the Comley Brothers are Clarksport’s most esteemed writers, whose job it is to bring the truth to our humble island. Working in perfect harmony, we report on the important stories every other day, striving to cultivate excellence. Drew Comley – editor – is in charge of “The Ruffler”. He works tirelessly to create a vision of truth and order. Dominic Comley – reporter – is the leading man on the beat, collecting stories from you, the public. Dan Comley – Photographer/reporter – takes incriminating photographs and reports on the latest news. We work tirelessly to bring you the real stories of Clarksport, make sure to support us by always purchasing ‘The Ruffler’. Special thanks to Clark Tennison for all his support through the years, this town would not be how it is today without you. Sincerely, The Comley Bro’s

Mina was confused. Yes that was the most pompous thing she had ever heard, but it hadn’t explained how those horrible men were linked to the symbol. “Not what you were expecting huh?” Billy asked, smiling. “No” Mina admitted. “There was no mention of it.” Billy shrugged. “But..hang on. They thanked Clark whats-his-face. Maybe he knows something.” Billy shook his head. “Ohh no girl, stay well away from that one. Nasty piece of work he is.” Mina stood, shoving the now slightly torn paper back into her bag. She knew that name, it was the same name that was written on the swordfish statue she had laughed at earlier. Clark was the founder of this town and she was going to find out how he was involved in this. Billy pleaded with her to drop it, saying it was far more trouble than it was worth, but Mina was too excited to listen. Finally, a lead. “I mean it kid, don’t ask any more questions, you could get yourself hurt. Promise you won’t go poking around?” “Cross my heart.” Mina lied.

She had seen the imposing building earlier looming over the cheesemongers shop. Although there was some fire damage to the left side, the building was still beautiful. The huge front doors towered over Mina as she walked up the steps. After finding out the town’s history section was located in the back of the building from a snooty librarian who looked like she had escaped from a storybook; Mina made her way over to the bookshelves, pulling several volumes off the shelves and seting them down on a long table. The room was hot and she removed her jumper, the mottled red birthmark on the back of her neck exposed in the bright sun.

She flicked through the books, not able to read them but searching for pictures or any words she may recognise, like ‘Comley’ or ‘founder. After a while she became frustrated and threw the book she had been searching through down with a heavy thump. This earned her a stern glare and a warning to stay quiet or leave from the cranky librarian. The book had landed open on a page with an old black and white photograph. It showed Clark, who’s face Mina had quickly grown to hate, and another man who was bouncing a small girl on his knee. The man had short brown hair, small eyes and was grinning out at Mina.

But Mina was not looking at the friendly man, or the grumpy old man she had seen so much of in the past hour. Instead, her focus was on the little girl. The little girl who had a mottle red birthmark on her neck. Mina was looking, for the first time in her life, at a picture of her as a young girl. Her mouth hanging open, Mina blinked a few times, trying to understand what she was seeing. She had never know where she was from, the orphanage had said she was dumped on the doorstep twelve years ago with no hints about where she was actually from. Could it be that this was Mina’s real home? Under the image was a small caption. She screwed her face up trying to work out what it said, sounding out the syllables. “C..Clark…and..T..T..Tim.. Tenn..i..son..and..b…a..by..Mina”

She stared down at the page. This was it. This was definitely her. This is where she was born then, this strange unfriendly island. “Who is Tim Tennison?” Mina whispered. She turned the page, hoping for answers but there were no more photographs and all the letters made her eyes hurt. She was never going to able to read this and she knew Billy wasn’t going to tell her anymore so she stuffed the book into her bag and took off, running out the huge doors, ignoring the quiet but firm protests of the librarian who couldn’t bear to break her own rules about noise levels. As she hopped down the steps, her stomach gave a loud grumble. Mina pulled the ugly coin purse out of her jeans and headed over to the tea room she saw earlier. The tables outside were all taken by customers who eyed her suspiciously. The tea room was the pinkest room Mina had ever seen in her life. The walls were pink, the tables had pink tablecloths and the floor was an ugly light pink and white chequered pattern. The room smelled very strongly of lavender and roses, although the flowers in the window were plastic. The bell over the door had signalled her arrival and the thin lady from before glared at Mina as she sat at the only remaining table. Although busy, the café was silent. All customers eyes were on Mina as she sat down. The woman slowly made her way over to the table, her movements forced. “Yes?” Mina took a piece of paper from the table that only listed drinks. She held it up to the woman, asking if she had a food menu. The small amount of chatter that had begun quickly stopped. “…Food…menu?” Mrs Drake asked. She glared down her long nose at Mina, the disgust she felt was clear to see. “We don’t serve food here. Eating is abhorrent.”

She didn’t know what abhorrent meant but she was sure by the tone Mrs Drake had used, it wasn’t a good thing. “But you’re a café” Mina exclaimed. Mina hadn’t eaten in a very long time now and was quickly losing her patience. She looked around, sure that someone must be eating. But sure enough, each table was empty, except for a few teacups here and there. A tall cake stand looked promosing but as Mina looked closer she realised it was empty, expect for a small piece of paper that simply read, ‘no food’. “This is ridiculous!” Mrs Drake’s face flushed as she straightened her back. “This is my establishment and I will not be spoken to in this manner.” She spat, her voice high pitched and cutting. “You have turned up out of nowhere. How did you even get onto this island?” Furious whispers broke out among the tearoom. “Mr Tennisson and his nephews won’t be pleased when I tell them about this. You’ll be for it then.” Her mouth curled up into a cruel smile as she eyed Mina. Pushing back her chair, Mina pushed past Mrs Drake and stormed out of the tearoom. As she stomped away, she wondered who Tennissons nephews where and why they would care about someone just turning up. Mina suddenly remembered the paper’s tribute to Mr Tennison, thanking him for all his help. Was the founder of the town, an uncle to the triplets? Mina was damn sure going to find out. After managing to buy a couple of bread rolls from the baker down the street, making sure to keep her hood pulled down over her eyes to avoid questions, Mina headed towards the park she had seen earlier that day. There was an old wooden shed there, the door buckled from water damage. It looked like it hadn’t been opened in a long time and as Mina forced the door open slighty, a large spider crawled out from the roof and scuttled along her hand. It had started to rain and small drops of water fell on her head from a hole in the roof. The shed smelt of mould and soil. It had once been used as a garderners storage shed and there were still lots of rakes and shovels which Mina pushed up against a wall so she could sit on the floor.

Pulling the coat Billy had given her tight around her, Mina grabbed an old green blanket that had been left there which was somehow still dry. When this day had begun, Mina had thought all her problems were solved. She certainly managed to escape the foster family she hated so much. For years, she had known that she could definitely take care of herself in the “real world”; but now she was in it, she felt that she had been cheated. She regretted ever convincing Billy to save her from that rickety old sailboat. Maybe if she had just kept rowing, she would have ended up somewhere much nicer than this place. Mina wasn’t sure if the people on this island hated her because she asked too many questions or if they had figured out who she was. She hadn’t seen any record of her father anywhere other than that book and she wondered if he had done something bad that meant that they had to move away. But if they left the island, then why didn’t he take care of Mina himself. instead of putting her into the care system? Mina thought this place would be a fresh start, but instead there were so many questions unanswered that she felt like she would have been better off staying with the Morgans. Curled up in Billys old coat, Mina fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning was as cold and grey as the last and as Mina climbed out of the warped shed door, she made her way towards the centre of town. Overnight, the square had been transformed. Red paint dripped onto the ground and mixed with the rainwater to create large red puddles of water. Each shop door had been painted with the symbol Mina had seen before. The square was completely deserted, and as the PA Speaker system started up again, the soprano’s voices screeched out as usual. But this time, no one stirred. The birds didn’t start to sing as they had done before. Minutes passed and the shops didn’t open. Mina knew this was meant for her. She knew the triplets were behind this. Knowing exactly where to go, she strutted across the square, disappearing down the narrow street. As she approached the wooden slatted building once more, Mina pulled a paperclip out of her jeans and unfolded it. Forcing it into the look on the narrow door, she wiggled it around a little until she heard a quiet click. The printing factory was much bigger than it had seemed from the outside. There were several huge printing presses, their handles bigger than Mina’s full height. The smell of ink was almost overpowering. There were piles and piles of papers, most shoved into corners, the stacks towering high above Mina.

Everything was very clean, but the low wooden beams and lack of natural light meant that the room looked dark and gloomy. When the lights were on and presses running, she was sure that this building could be a beautiful place. A small office was tucked away in the corner of the room, away from the ink and paper. Mina pushed open the door with a creak and the small room was cast in shadow. As she entered, she flicked on the desk lamp. On the left wall was a small framed photograph of Clark Tennisson and the triplets, each wearing a lapel pin on their suit with the eye symbol. A small inscription below read: “Uncle Tennisson joins us to celebrate our first issue.” So they are family, Mina thought. Turning, she noticed a long purple curtain that she hadn’t seen before. Pulling it back, she discovered a hidden closet, filled with boxes and boxes all stacked on top of each other. The boxes each had a name of someone who she assumed live on the island. A box with the name Tim Tennisson caught Minas eye. Mina took out a brown file which had the symbol stamped onto the front. It was full of pictures. In some he was smiling out at the camera, in others he was clearly unaware that a photograph had been taken. The file had a lot of writing in and Mina was furious at herself that she couldn’t understand what it said. Looking through the rest of the box, Mina found a a thin metal plaque that was scratched badly. It had clearly been attached to a wall of some kind as there was still dust on the surface. It read,

Tim Tennisson, Founder of Pike Harbour Mina could hardly breathe. This meant her father was the true founder of this town. Why were there so many books about Clark Tennison then? His statue was in the square and his picture was in every shop. What had happened to Tim? She began searching through other boxes, flinging paper everywhere until the small office was a mess. In the last box, she found a leather bound book. It looked very out of place among the paper rolls and cardboard boxes. She picked it up carefully, the soft leather cool on her skin. Inside, each page had a picture of a resident. As she flicked through, Mina noticed that there were red crosses on top of some of the photographs.

As she neared the end of the book Mina began to realise that those red crosses, like the painted symbol, meant something far more sinister than they seemed. As she got to the middle page, she saw a picture of her father with a thick red cross on the photograph. The page opposite showed a beautiful woman in a wedding dress. She had the same eyes as Mina. This was her mother. Underneath the photograph there was something written in the same thick red pen. Mina screwed up her face in concentration. “Ex..extermi..nation success..ss.ful. The town is o.ours.” The leather book made a soft noise as it hit the carpet. Mina finally understood what had happened. A large hand clamped around Mina’s mouth, pulling her small body backwards. Mina thrashed around, her arms swinging wildly as she tried to escape. However Daniel Comley had always been the “muscle” of the three, and was able to hold onto her without much effort. He spun Mina round to face Drew, who had picked up the book and was tracing his finger along the spine. “I see you’ve been digging” He drawled. “Proper little reporter aren’t you?” He sneered at Mina as she glared right back at him. “Seems mummy and daddy weren’t quite as smart as you, didn’t figure it out in time did they?” He chuckled. “When our step-uncle told me about the plan, I wasn’t sure at first, seemed a bit too ambitious. But I’ve always like to set my dreams high. He was a coward in the end, your dad. Cried more than the day your mum died giving birth to….ugh! That’s disgusting!” Mina had managed to wrestle Dan’s hand away from her mouth and spat into Drew’s face. He wiped his face with a silk handkerchief from his top pocket and with a nasty smirk, waved his hand toward the door. Dominic moved towards her, grabbing Mina’s legs before she had a chance to realise what was happening, The men carried her through the factory as she thrashed and thrashed, her little legs kicking as hard as she could. Drew led them, stopping in front of a small door and pushing it open, to reveal a small broom closet. The other brother swung Mina twice, then released her and she flew through the air, colliding with a large stack of papers. Cackling, they slammed shut the door and Mina heard the lock.

“We keep her in there, give her time to think. Let her enjoy what time she has left before she ends up like her father”

The closet floor was hard against her bum and Mina had been sat for so long that it felt numb. It had been twelve hours since they had locked her in the closet. She knew that, because she had been checking her pocket watch every hour. She had fought tooth and nail over this watch many times, it had been stolen by jealous kids more times than she could remember. The watch had been her fathers and was the only thing she had when she was dumped at the orphanage all those years ago. It was a tatty old thing, and the glass was cracked, but Mina thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. All the black eyes and bruises suddenly seemed worth it. This was all she had of her family, and now she knew the terrible secret of her past, it felt more important than ever. Quiet voices on the other side of the door made Mina sit up. She crawled to the door, putting her ear to the rough wood to hear better. The brothers were plotting to tie Mina to a chair, so when their step-uncle arrived he could “properly interrogate her”. As the door opened, she sprung forward, trying to slip between the brothers. Drew caught her and she turned quickly, kicking him in the shin. He screamed in pain and released her as Daniel moved forward, she darted to the left, as he moved to the right and pushed his chest hard so he fell back into Dominic. They all collapsed in a heap on the floor, groaning and trying to grab Mina. She stepped over them, hurrying to escape, when a thin hand closed around her ankle. Drew pulled hard and Mina came crashing down, smacking her nose on the hard ground. Blood spurted from her nose, covering the floor in front of her. Groaning in pain, Mina kicked backwards, her foot colliding with Drew’s head and stood again, this time successful in escaping their clutches. She bolted out of the door and ran down the street, clutching her nose. It was dark now and the few people still out stared as she ran past.

Mina was not sure where she was heading. She couldn’t go to Billy, she made a promise that she wouldn’t tell. Taking side street after side street, she looked for one that was familiar. As she ran out into a clearing, there in front of her was the butchers shop. Without pausing for thought, she busted through the door, the bell ringing wildly as she dropped to the ground, hiding behind the door. Breathing hard, she hung her head as she slid down the wall. “Ahem.” A small cough made her look up in surprise. The boy, Bartie, was stood behind the counter, watching Mina curiously. “Need help cleaning your nose?” He led her into a small room at the back of the shop where they had a first aid kit. When she had cleaned all the dried blood off her face, Bartie asked her what on earth had happened. going against her instincts, Mina decided to tell Bartie everything in glorious detail. At first he didnt believe her; saying the triplets were horrible sometimes yes, but they weren’t kidnappers. Mina was furious, he hadn’t even been there. In a fit of anger, Mina pulled the library book she had stolen from her bag and opened it to the photograph of her, her father and the Clark Tennison. Pulling her shirt off of her shoulder, she showed Bartie her birthmark. Bartie was quiet for a long time. The silence stretched out as the minutes passed and Mina didn’t know whether she should say something. He seemed to be far more affected by this news than Mina had expected, he was acting like he had been there instead of her. A quiet voice broke the silence behind them. “Time to go.” Bartholomew senior said. “Dad, no. You don’t understand...” Mina shook her head, “he’s right, I don’t want to put you all in danger. They probably followed me.” “It’s not us that’s at risk of danger”. Bartholomew Senior said, glancing towards the front of the shop. There in the window, stood three towering shadows.

The sun was beginning to rise over the island as the three brothers dragged Mina through the square. People started to gather, stood on the edge of the square. They all looked horrified, but did not come forward to help. Mina screamed out to them, all the while trying to kick and punch and bite Daniel and Dominic. They held onto her tightly, fingernails digging into her arm. Drew followed them slowly, each step a deliberate movement. “This is what happens,” Drew announced loudly, his voice carrying easily across the silent square. “This is what happens when you disrespect my family.” He gestured to Dominic who released his grip on Mina and slammed his fist into her ribs. With a gasp of pain, Mina’s knees buckled and she sank to the floor. “This girl has been causing trouble ever since she turned up two days ago. Today she broke into our headquarters, defacing my office and exposing our secret work. This is not acceptable.” The shock of such a blow had winded Mina. Furious, she tried to get up but Dominic aimed three more punches at her stomach and face. “We have been isolated from the rest of the world for eleven years now. Clark Tennisson made this decision to protect us after what happened with his villainous step brother. Now this girl has suddenly turned up.” He paused, pointing a long bony finger at the crowd. “One of you helped her. I want to know who it was.” Lying in a pool of her own blood, Mina used the only energy she had left to look up towards the crowd. She pleaded for mercy in a quiet voice, that she wasn’t sure anyone could even hear. No one would meet her eye. Bartie stepped forward, his face contorted with anger. Drew raised an eyebrow. Bartie’s father grabbed him by the back of his shirt and yanked him back into the crowd. Nodding, Drew turned to look at Mina, an evil smile curling his lips. “Looks like you’re on your own.” He sneered. “Now don’t be shy,” He jeered at the crowd. “One of you must know something. She didn’t swim here.”

Mina heard Billy’s voice before she saw him. “It was me.” The crowd parted slowly as he made his way to the centre of the square, not taking his eyes off of Mina. “I see you’re still using that stupid family symbol to scare everyone” Drew smiled at him, “It does seem to work well doesn’t it. Intimidation is the best way to run a town; any fool knows that.” “And you seem to think that you are running this town. But you’re not the big boss are you Andrew? That’s your step uncle. But he’s a bit old now to be beating up thirteen year olds. Guess he used up all his energy when he murdered his stepbrother.” The crowd gasped. Dominic and Daniel stared open mouthed at Drew who was glaring at Billy.. The sound of hooves on cobbles sounded as loud as thunder. A black victorian carriage pulled by a large black horse drove into the square, stopping next to where Mina was led crumpled on the floor. Through the window, she could see Clark Tennisson sat stiffly, watching her with cold grey eyes.

The carriage door opened slowly and Clark stepped out onto the square.. Several people in the crowd shrunk back in fear at the sight of him. Mina looked up at him, Daniels big hand gripping her shoulder to make sure she stayed down. He neededn’t have bothered, she had no energy to fight anymore. Tennisson looked frail. She didn’t know how this could be the man who murdered her father. In all the photographs she had seen, he had looked so much younger. His skin was so pale, Mina half expected to see the crowd through him as he walked past her. Billy straightened, pushing his chest out as if to say he was ready for whatever Tennisson would try and do. Drew was still stood close to Billy, staring him down. Clark waved him away silently. “Billy,” Tennison spoke quietly. “You suprise me. When Drew informed me of Mina’s presence on the island, I was curious as to how she could have arrived without help. I’m sure you informed her not to mention your name.” He turned to look at Mina now, his cold eyes narrowed. “You probably thought he said that to protect himself, but I imagine he wouldn’t like you to know of his involvement in your fathers...unfortunate death.” Mina felt her heart drop. She stared up at Billy who merely looked down at her sadly. She had never felt more betrayed by anyone. “Yes,” Clark drawled. “Your friend Billy helped us dispose of the body. You may not have been involved in the violence Billy, but you were an accessory and that makes you just as guilty as I.” He turned away from Billy and walked slowly towards Mina. Daniel pulled her to her feet and she groaned in pain. “Unfortunately my dear, you will be meeting the same fate as your father. You have found out too much about our little island and you can’t be allowed to continue to cause trouble. We have to set an example you see. Your father couldn’t understand that.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Tim believed that empathy and forgiveness was the way to run a town and refused to take my opinions on anything. When my beloved sister died giving birth to you, he lost his nerve, refused to take a stand. So I had to take control.” Billy scoffed loudly. Clark ignored him.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t take pleasure in this. When I made Billy take you away from this place, I hoped you would live a life of ignorance. But like us all, you seemed to find your way back.” He pulled a short silver knife from a sheath that was hanging off of his belt and moved toward Mina. “No!” Billy shouted. He lurched towards Clark, one of his hooks slicing a deep cut in the old mans cheek. Drew tried to grab him, but Billy elbowed him in the face, pushing him to the ground as he clutched his nose. Clark held the knife high in the air. “Alright, let’s see if anyone agrees with Billy. We’re supposed to be a democracy after all. Who here would spare the girl?” For a few moments, nothing happened. A sly smile crept onto Clarks face. Then, Bartie stepped forward again. Slipping away from his father, he walked forward and joined Billy. Slowly, more people joined them. Soon the whole crowd were stood behind them. “Uncle...” Drew whispered. A low rumble started as the group started to shout. Billy moved forward, staring down Daniel - who stepped back when Clark nodded - and put out a hook for Mina to grab. She watched him sadly. She knew that it wasn’t his fault that her father died, but he still helped Clark and the triplets. Sighing, she took the outstretched hook and he pulled her into his arms. She buried her bruised face in his chest. “You won’t intimidate this town anymore Tennisson. I won’t allow it.” The triplets all laughed, looking between Billy and Clark. Their smiles faded as Clark looked over his shoulder at them. “Best make a move boys.” He said sadly. Drew went white as a sheet when he understood what his uncle had said. He spoke in quiet, furious whispers to his brothers, and when they didn’t move he snapped at them. With one last look at their uncle, they retreated, walking quickly to the dock. The crowd watched them go. Clark smiled at Billy.

“Look who finally stepped up. Never thought you had the backbone” Billy scoffed, “If you were more like your stepbrother, I wouldn’t need to step up.” Clark smiled sadly at this. He no longer looked scary, Mina thought, he looked a bit pathetic. “I’ll leave you to the mercy of your beloved island” Billy whispered, his face inches from Clarks. Stepping back, he put a hook around Mina’s shoulders and steered her away from the crowd. As they left the square the crowd swarmed around Clark. Mina could hear his tortured screams long after they had turned the corner, but she couldn’t muster up any sympathy for the man who murdered her father.

They were heading to the other side of the island. Mina hadn’t been here before and wondered why Billy was taking her. She assumed it was to get her as far away from the square as possible, but when she saw the two small gravestones poking out of the small hillside, she understood. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to see the place where her parents wwere buried, but taking a deep breath she reminded herself to be brave. The stones were simple, just the names and dates carved into the thick stone. “Sorry it ain’t posh or anything” Billy muttered. “Had to do it myself.” “They’re perfect.” Mina smiled at him, tears in her eyes. Billy smiled back at her, his eyes crinkling. “Good man, your father, we were friends. I never wanted to help Clark but I couldn’t risk them hurting you.”

Mina nodded. She didn’t feel anything but love for Billy. He had saved her life. Twice. After a while, Mina stepped back from the graves. “So, now what?” She asked, looking over at Billy who was leant against a nearby tree. Billy watched her for a moment, smiling. “Well the trout season starts soon... I’m going to be needin’ some help. I was thinking about getting an apprentice, know anyone who might be interested?” He gave her a sly smile, his eyes crinkling. Mina grinned back at him. “I may have someone in mind.”

“Well tell whoever it is we start at 5:30 tomorrow morning.” He strode away, his hooks swinging as he walked. Mina looked out at the ocean, the same ocean she had been floating on a few days before. So much had happened in the past three days. This was the new start she had wanted and although she had to fight evil triplets and a murderer, she wouldn’t change it for the world. She ran after Billy. “5:30 is far too early you know. 10am would be better for me.” “Don’t push your luck kid.” Billy smiled.