The Guadeloupe Squadeloupe

Chapter XVIII: Guad

"A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets."- Captain Hook, Once Upon a Time

"Guad, wake up."

My eyes flash open to see Bob above me, shaking my shoulder. "What?" I ask, clearing my throat.

Bob points to the front of the van, reminding me of where we are. The van is still chugging through the jungle with Perry at the wheel.

The loud rainstorm from earlier is gone, replaced by a quiet drizzle that softly taps on the window.

Alice is turned around in tht passenger seat, looking at everyone else all who seem to be awake. "We have something to tell you," she begins.

Rolling her eyes, Janis says, "Come on, guys, we already knew about you two."

"You were watching?" Alice says, looking surprised. Watching what? I think.

"No," Janis admits, "but it's so obvious. You guys hang out all the time."

"Are you talking about Perry and me?" Alice realizes, blushing. "No, that wasn't what I was going to tell you at all." Perry shifts uncomfortably in the driver's seat.

I can't help but grin at how awkward they are.

"We need to tell you about something a bit more important than Perry and me," Alice tells us, her face growing serious.

"This must be good," Janis whispers.

Diana giggles.

"Guys, seriously, stop," Alice snaps, more irritated than I've ever seen her. "Last night, when you guys were sleeping, Perry and I noticed a weird pattern of house lights. Like, all of a house's lights would flicker on and off."

I wring my hands in my sweater, balling the soft fabric in my fists.

"We found out that the pattern was morse code, and that it spelt out something," Alice continues. None of us move as she rummages through her pocket for something. I don't think to ask how she knows morse code, which is a topic I now nothing about.

We suddenly hear the sound of paper crumbling over the sound of the rain and Alice pulls out a wrinkled sheet of paper, showing it to us. Perry takes a deep breath from the front seat.

Although my education is limited, I can still read, and for a second I wish I can't.
On the wrinkled paper, in scrawled handwriting (you can tell the letters were written individually) are the words, "Bob I see you."

. . .

"What did the paper say, Guad?"

Bob and I are sitting alone outside a trashy convenience store on the edge of the jungle. The rain has stopped, and now the sky is just a grey overcast. The rest of the squad is at the restroom while Bob and I are stuck with watching the car. Bob insisted that he wanted to be outside, so we perched ourselves on a rock. I look at my friend curiously and he stares back. I forgot he is illiterate.

"Janis wouldn't tell me," Bob adds, reffering to the message on the paper.

I can see why Janis wouldn't want to talk to him about it. She's had weird enough experiences with the guy.

"The paper said, 'Bob I see you,'" I state.

Bob's normally colored face blanches, like someone came and powdered it with flour. "Who sees me? Why? Where? How?" Bob wonders, breathing frantically. He stops and whispers, "Delgato."

I shake my head. "I don't know."

For a few more moments, Bob stares helplessly into the jungle. It's always scary when he's the one afraid. He normally can keep the mood light when it's heavy, but if he goes down I get dragged a little too.