Chapter 12: Chapter 12

“No. I'm a human in a wolf suit. Totally ordinary.”

For a split second there, she almost believed him. That he was truly human in a wolf's suit. But she immediately reasoned. What would a human be doing on the island alone? And it was way too huge to be a human. Also, she had rode on him and he felt real and was extremely fast. Certainly, a human couldn't do that.

“Oops! You're supposed to be showering or taking a hot bath now. My bad. I apologise. If you want a shower just pull that rectangular rock there on the wall. It will rain on you the exact type of water you want. Also the bathtub, just step in and the type of water you desire fills it. Have a nice time!” he cooed and dropped on all fours then took slow strides out of the room. The rock at the entrance of the bathroom began to shut and she ran there, panicking. But fortunately, it opened as she got closer. She moved back again and it began to shut. With a sigh of relief, she turned towards the tub. She took off her dress and stepped into the tub. She gave an exciting yelp when silvery sparkling water rose up to her neck out of the blues. The water was rather on the hotter side than the warm and bubbles kept rising out of it. She settled in and stayed in that one spot for long minutes. Soon, the bathroom was covered in stream and the smell of soapy fragrance.

After feeling fresher, she rubbed her skin with a nice sponge from the water and stepped out. She saw a set of clean towels hanging from a carved out handle, and she was sure they weren't there when she first entered. She grabbed one and inhaled it on first instincts. After wrapping up, she walked to the door and it opened up as it sensed her near.

Few minutes later, she had worn the dress that looked magically cleaner, pulled her damp hair into a ponytail (she used strands of her own hair to wrap it up), and decorated it with little daisies from one of the flower baskets and walked out of the room.

There was no sign of Dakar in the bright living room, only colourful birds fluttering in and out the open windows. She walked up to one and a cool breeze greeted her still moist skin. The view was excellent. She could see the tall statue of the warrior and even beyond that. She saw the trees and gardens but couldn't really see the waterfall.

“Wait!” She blurted out suddenly. Her expression changed to horror mixed with surprise.

“This window wasn't here when I first came in,” she said and stepped back from it as if it had burned her.

“That's because I just opened it. The same way the bathroom door opens.”

She looked back and saw Dakar standing with a basket of fruits in his right paw.

“I went to get these for you. I'm preparing lunch but you might be really hungry. So, you can have them,” he said and placed the basket in her hand. How he got so close, Avril couldn't comprehend.

“Thank you. But—”

“I got that mango for you. The one you like. I went back to that exact tree.”

“Oh really! It's in here?” She looked into the basket and caught sight of it underneath. She smiled and sat down on one of the rock-sofas and brought it out. She began to eat and forgot all her curiosity and questions she wanted to ask Dakar.

An hour later, she was sitting down in front of a long table made of long sticks like bamboos. They were tied strongly together and very firm. Her jaw had dropped open as she stared at dishes of different delicacies. All smelling and looking delicious. Dakar was sitting at the other end of the table and had a somewhat grin on his face, a satisfactory grin. He had done a good job.

“How did you—”

“Oh just dig in! You're so hungry! Try one of my pork chops, they're delicious. Have you tried my rice cakes? Come on, try 'em!”

Once more, Avril swallowed her questions. She began to eat the rice cakes first and surprisingly, they were the best she ever had. All the food tasted exceptionally well.

After lunch, their desserts were just freshly made fruit juice but Avril testified that she had never had such a hearty meal in her life. Not even on the ship with Freddie's help. She suddenly wished the girls were there with her, on the island.

“So, you never really told me your name,” he said as they made their way outside.

“Avril Henderson,” she simply replied.

“Pretty name, there.”

Dakar took her to sit under an enormous tree after they got outside. Finally, she decided to ask her questions.

“Mind telling me what you are now, Dakar? How did you get her? What are you even doing here? How did you do all those stuff?”

He stared at her as if looking right through her. He lifted his paw and a yellow coloured bird flew and stood on it.

“I was cursed,” he breathed out and the bird flew away into a branch.

“Cursed?”

“Yes. By an old hag who hated me. She created a trap and I stupidly fell for it. She cursed me, made me stay in this form and sent me here. I have the power to create things, to do things normal humans can't. But I can't find my way home,” he said that last sentence with a grim face, his ears fell backwards.

“Can't you create a boat and sail off?” Avril asked.

“The ocean, it burns me. It's like lava to me. I can't touch it even if I'm hidden in the thickest ship.”

“How long have you been here again?”

“Fifty three years now.”

For the next few seconds none of them spoke.

“The first few years was hell. This place was worst than a desert. I couldn't believe I was trapped. I tried to find my way out, but I forgot everything about the location of my former home. All I knew was I had another home and family. I forgot the name of my place.” He made a sad chuckle then continued, “I had no choice but to make this place my home. I took care of it and now I love it.”

“You created the food too? And the lights, towels—”

“Oh no. I got the lights from human cities. They are solar panels on the mountain top. I send my friends to buy them with human money. They then bring them all the way here. But as for the food, I rear animals and I plant crops.”

“You have friends.”

“Dolphins. They visit every evening from the ocean. They get those things for me and bring them here in waterproof bags.”

Avril looked at him like he had said something extremely crazy. But after remembering the events of the day, she realized that she shouldn’t see things the normal way anymore.

“But how do they buy them?”

Dakar chortled and said, “They actually steal them from stalls by the beach. They're very good at it, especially with their merfriends.”

“Merfriends?”

“Two mermen. They're very mischievous.”

“Wow. This is all too much to take in. Feels so unrealistic.”

“Yeah. Nice dress though. Fits you perfectly.”

“You knew I was coming, right? How?”

“I got a weird prophecy ten years ago. That a certain lady will appear on my island one day, and break the curse.”

Avril's eyes widened. “Me? I'm the lady? How sure are you?’

“I also got the time and date. The exact date you were washed ashore. I almost couldn't believe the prophecy came to pass. I left you in a cave thinking you would disappear but, you were still there the next day. I kept throwing huge rocks on the ground the next morning, thinking you would just fly away. But no, you were for real. And human.”

But Avril wasn't listening anymore. Her mind was clouding up. How on Earth would she break a fifty-three year old curse? One she knew nothing about and only just entered into a world that’s freaking her out.