Red Sand by Ronan Cray Page A

ominous specter of death which hovered nearby. At first they made small-talk with each other, but by mid-morning that petered out into silent introspection.
    Carter approached Lauren in the afternoon under the pretense of watering the vegetables beside hers. Carter whispered to her, “I’ve been watching you. You always have a smile and something nice to say to everyone.”
    She smiled at him. She was glad for the company.
    “I’m not like that at all,” he said.
    Lauren blushed. “I’m not as innocent as you think. I have my own secrets.”
    “Really?” His eyes held hers as he looked for the way in. “Were you with someone on the cruise?”
    “No. I came alone.”
    “Is there a Mr. Lauren waiting back home for you?”
    “I had a boyfriend, but…” She could feel him close to her. “That feels like a long time ago.” She grinned. He didn’t smile back, but the back of his hand brushed hers before he moved on his way.
    Their lunch was small - bits of rock-hard, salty fish atop raw vegetables. After lunch, someone came to speak with Ados. He disappeared for over an hour. Work continued on without him. They had nowhere else to be.
    Stooping and bending to pluck and clean made Lauren’s back sore. The greenhouse was incredibly hot, even with the windows open. As the afternoon wore on, Lauren found herself hungry again. She drank water, which was plentiful in the greenhouse, but it didn’t ease the hunger. By late afternoon, food was all she thought about.
    Ados returned. Half an hour later, the door opened, and someone carried in a basket of dark meat, already starting to dry and rot. He dumped it on the compost heap and walked out.
    Lauren marveled at all the wasted food. Her stomach rumbled.  “What’s all that meat?”
    Ados did not interrupt his work to look at her as he responded, “Your friend, Max.”
    His casual delivery of this news delayed any reaction. Reality took on a dizziness of incomprehension. Several seconds of stunned silence ensued. Emily broke it when she retched into a patch of zucchinis. The other responses were more verbal.
    “What the f-!?”
    “Oh my god!”
    “Who did this to him!?”
    Ados’ eyebrow rose a quarter inch in surprise. “Your friend Max died this afternoon. We do not waste nutrients on the island. I believe I explained this quite clearly.”
    Only Carter remained calm. He moved forward to inspect the remains.
    Mason stood with his hand on his forehead. “That is just… wrong.”
    Ados looked offended. “It is essential. Dust to dust, as they say. The earth nourishes our bodies. We must give back. You will remember your friend every time you eat.”
    “I don’t think I’m ever eating again,” said Emily, still bent over.
    “Then you will sooner join him,” said Ados unsympathetically.
    They stood rooted in place, unsure how to respond.
    “I see that this disturbs you,” Ados remarked. “We are nearly done with our work. I believe you can retire for the day. You will not be reassigned here tomorrow, as we work on rotation. By the time you return, you will understand.”
    The compost heap now lay between them and the only door out. As much as they wanted to leave, they didn’t want to leave that way. Mason put his arm around Emily to shield her view. Carter mimicked this for Lauren. She was glad of it. Though she didn’t see the remains, she couldn’t block the pungent, warm smell of meat. Even worse, she couldn’t control the growl in her stomach as it recognized the smell of food.
     
    Back at Departure Camp, the sun set swiftly. Even after sunset, the flies kept biting. Everyone huddled around the fire pit where the noxious smoke deterred some percentage of insects. A chill breeze set in from the North. Their huts were designed to keep out the sun, not the wind. The warmest place to sleep would be near one another.
    Mason related the incident with Max to the others.
    Lauren sat beside Carter next to the fire. Despite the horror, the cold, and