Chapter 23 Divided Camp
I said to Alice, “Don’t worry. We got here first. That gives us some edge. First, we need to explore the island further–find two or three places to hide, and locate alternate sources of water.”
Faye fully supported my suggestion. “Yes… we need to be prepared. If killers land on Shadow Island, we’ll need to move inland. We should stock clean water and food in hidden spots.”
In short, survivors had to stockpile supplies and continue mapping out the island’s terrain to be ready for anything.
The next day, Alice and I ventured deeper into the island.
As we went farther inland, the forest got denser. There were more animals and plant varieties than near the coast.
The ground was still clean and grassy, and here and there, we saw small herbivores.
To avoid getting lost, I carved markers into trees with my knife.
After over an hour, we climbed a small hill.
It was more than sixty meters higher than our camp–one of the tallest in the area.
From the top, we could finally see how big Shadow Island really was.
It wasn’t narrow, nor was it a neatly shaped island. Shadow Island looked like a clump of clay tossed into the ocean by God–full of uneven peaks and jagged coastlines.
From our curved exploration path, we had now mapped out all areas surrounding the cave.
When Alice and I returned, we saw Elsa in the distance.
Her hair was messy and crusted with salt. Her clothes were torn.
She looked thinner, though her face was still relatively clean.
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She stood just outside the camp, seemingly begging for something.
After a while, Hailey came out and handed her a piece of fish, about 500 grams.
Elsa accepted it gratefully and left.
Alice asked me, “Mr. Leon, should we stop her?”
I hesitated, then shook my head.
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Ever since I’d been with Lily, my hatred for Elsa had lessened.
Killing Elsa or letting her starve wouldn’t help us.
On the contrary, her presence nearby might draw any outside attackers to her first.
In that way, she was like a warning signal.
Even though Alice and I didn’t speak up about it, someone else noticed Hailey giving food to Elsa.
While fishing by the sea, Ginnie had seen Elsa. She stormed back into camp and confronted Hailey.
Ginnie shouted, “Hailey, you piece of crap! You gave our precious food to that filthy bitch Elsa!”
Hailey kept her head down. “She looked so pitiful… she’s clearly malnourished.”
Ginnie sneered. “Pitiful? We’re all pitiful! What gives you the right to give away the fish I caught to that tramp?”
Ginnie kept screaming that Hailey had to be punished.
I didn’t think it was that serious and suggested a warning instead,
Ginnie wasn’t satisfied. “A warning? That’ll just make her more arrogant!”
Some survivors nodded. Others remained silent.
It was the first time our group had been divided.
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We decided to vote openly.
Faye, dressed in black lace, voted for punishment.
Alice, kind–hearted as always, voted against it.
Ginnie, the one who proposed it, obviously voted yes.
I voted against it–I felt it was unnecessary.
Jean, timid as ever, abstained.
To my surprise, Lily voted in favor of punishment.
The final count: majority in favor of punishing Hailey.
I stepped in to calm things down. “Fine. But we can’t hurt Hailey physically. We don’t have medicine. We don’t even have spare clothes. No injuries.”
Hailey gave me a grateful look.
Ginnie, smiling smugly, said, “Alright then–Hailey, you can perform masturbation in front of us.”
Hailey was stunned. “What? Masturbate in front of everyone?”
Ginnie sneered. “Don’t act innocent. You think I don’t know? You do it almost every night. You look all sweet and gentle, but you’re just a dirty little slut.”
Hailey’s face turned red. I was stunned too.
She masturbates every night? I’m on night watch–I never noticed.
Ginnie forced her to sit on a rock. “Come on, get started.”
Reluctantly, Hailey took off her clothes and sat there naked.
She spread her legs, feet on the edge of the stone.
We could all see her private parts.
Her pubic region was covered in thick black hair, extending all the way to her anus.
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I’d heard other mercs say that women with large patches of pubic hair tend to have high sex drives.
Hailey closed her eyes. One hand cupped her breasts, playing with her nipples.
Her other hand moved to her private parts, rubbing a few times before opening herself.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
