Chapter 09

Never heard before

Days have passed since that night.

Camilla can't understand why her only friend, Mandingo, avoids her. He can't even look her in the eyes when they talk. And they really talk little in these days.

So, one morning, Camilla reaches Mandingo while he's fishing in the sea.

- Good morning Mandingo! How is fishing going?

Manigo hesitates and then turn his eyes away.

- Could be better. Why are you up so early? Don't you have any other things to do than making fish swim away?

Camilla starts to cry and swims away, screaming out - Why don't you like me anymore! Why don't you want ot talk to me anymore! There's only you and me here! 

Mandingo understands how much hurt she is, and follows her to the beach.

- Stop Camilla, I need to explain. You know.. it's not that I don't like you anymore.. it's that I like you too much now! 

- What do you mean you like me too much?

- I mean.. I think I love you. I don't know, every time I look at you, I feel a strange heat in my stomach and all my body and I imagine things... - he looks away embarassed.

- But I love you too! You've always been my best friend, and now that I'm not a child anymore I think I feel the same... strange wave of feeling you told me.

- So... do you love me too? I'm too happy!!! Can I... can I kiss you?

He lightly puts his lips on hers.

The Camilla pulls him towards her and kiss him properly.

There's nothing like the first kiss on a tropical beach.

Chapter 08

Discovering differences

At dusk, both Camilla and Mandingo spend some time at the beach.

It started like a way to find some signs of other people and Cherles to com back, but quicly it became their freedom hour, playing in the water, making sand castels, playing hide and seek.

One night, Mandingo is playing naked alone in the water, after a long swim.

Camilla was giving dinner to little Luna, then she reached Mandingo.

She takes away her clothes and joins Mandingo in the water. 

- No, don't you dare to splash me! - says Mandingo teasing her.

- Oh come on, you're already naked and wet!! 

She starts to splash him, and he gets back.

It's not the firsst time they play together naked, they did even when they were kids - when Charlotte wasn't around since she wasn't very happy to see them going around without clothes.

But this is the very first time that they notice that they are not children anymore. They look at each other and realise the dufferences in their bodies.

- So, ehm, what's happening to your... well. That? - asks Camilla sneering and pointing at his penis.

- I think I'm just happy to pass time with you! - nervously sneers Mandingo.

Then he runs away to the toilet, leaving a puzzled Camilla.

He locks himself in the toilet, and let himself go.

- She is so beautiful now... aw.

Chapter 07

Growing Fast

Over a year has passed.

Mandngo and Camilla have not been counting the moon phases as Charlotte did, then they have lost the count of the actual months after Charlotte's death.

But months and months HAVE passed, looking at how fast little Luna grows.

She has turned from a tiny baby to a playful toddler.

Luckily the slight strabisms she had when she was younger is now gone and luckily her sight will be good.

Camilla made her a rag doll. Luna plays with her only toy all day.

Then, suddenly, one morning Camilla feels a pain in her low belly. She checks out and sees blood coming out her vagina. She can't believe her eyes, she doesn't know what's happening. She runs back home in fear to ask Mandingo to help her.

- I don't know what this blood is Camilla, but look at yourself... I don't think you are a child anymore.

- Not at all, no. You are a really beautiful woman now!

Camilla is shocked. She runs out again to see herself in the mirror anche she just can't recognise the teenager she sees now. She goes to her mother's tomb and she bursts in tears.

- Oh mother, why aren't you here? What's happening te me? Look at this body, all te pain in my belly and the blood... Mom I am scared, I don't know what is going to happen here. And where is father? Is he dead too? Why he's never come back?

Thoughts like these kepps company to her while she keeps on her daily duties.

Fixing things...

Working on the garden...

Collecting edible vegetables for dinner...

And still trying to become friend with that dammit horse, but always with no results.

Luckily not all day is only bad thought and duties...

Chapter 06

Death comes without mercy

The next morning, while Mandingo still tries to take confidence with his new grown body and Camilla is having breakfast, Charlotte wakes up with heavy pains in her belly.

She gets up just to see that the mattress is stained with blood.

- Oh my God, I have a after birth hemorrhage, oh no, oh no...

- I... can't... my children.... Camilla... Luna....

She screams and she falls on her knees, not having any strength left.

- Please... help... Charles!!!

But no one can help. She's lost too much blood.

Death comes for Charlotte.

Camilla and Mandingo run as they hear Charlotte screaming, but it's already too late. They can see her spirit leave this world with Death.

They are left with Charlotte's remains, that they are going to bury in a simple tomb with a tombstone by the beach.

- What are we going to do now? Mom is dead, dad is disappeared! We are going to die!

- No, Camilla, WE are not going to die. I promised your father I would have watched over you and your family, and I will. But we all need to take our responsibilities. You will need to grow quickly, Camilla.

- I will try, Mandingo.

Chapter 05

A birth, a birthday, a strange dream

Months have passed since Charles' departure, more than eight, less than nine.

That's why CHarlotte didn't expect, that night of full moon, to fell the pain in her belly.

- Oh no, it's too early! Mandingo, stop playing the King of the island and go find Camilla! Hurry, I will need your help!

Mandingo runs away, while Charlotte walks back and forth between contractions.

- Quiiiiiick Mandingo, gooo! - Charlotte screams. It's happening too fast, too. She's really scared, the other time it tooks her hours to have Camilla, now it feels like the baby is about to come out ini minutes.

The children come back in less than five minutes, just in time to see Charlotte give birth among atrocious pain, to a little baby girl, as the full moon rises over the ocean.

- Go get some clean towel. Baby girl, you look so like your father. What will be your name, my little dughter? Do you like the name Luna? It means "Moon" in italian, I think it suits you, you are born with a full moon rising.

Yes, Luna.

She cuddles Luna  a bit, breastfeeds her, then she puts the baby in the cradle.

- I really don't feel good. It was too quick, too painful. I need to rest. Maybe tomorrow I'll be better.

Charlotte goes to bed, and the two children, Mandingo and Camilla, go to sleep as well.

At one point of the night, Mandingo hears some noises from the other room. He gets up, and finds a woman eating the leftovers in the kitchen.

- Who are you?! - asks Mandingo

The woman stays silent. She exits the house, opens a colourful umbrella, and takes the dish with her. Then she stops and look back at Mandingo, staring.

Mandingo follows her to the exterior toilet.

He tries to talk to her, telling her name, trying to point out at the big moon tonight, but the woman remains quiet.

Then, suddenly, she starts to play a strange musical instrument. Mandingo feels like something exploding from inside of him.

And he grows up.

And I mean he grows up, a lot, everywhere.

The woman talks for the first time. He doesn't understand her words, but he can understand the meaning. It's all so strange.

The strange woman takes him inside the toilet,

and they have sex. And....

And?

The next morning, Mandingo awakens in his bedroll, wet. 

He can't remeber the rest of the.. dream? 

Was it really a dream? He can't tell. 

The only sure thing is that now he's a teenager.