Betty's Story, or The Island of Bones and Ashes

Betty packs up her make-up kit and looks around to make sure the other artists are out of earshot.

“You wanna know what the Dirt says? Here's a story. A few hundred years ago, the Red Coral Society, picking up where Ponce de Leon left off, found Bottle #3, the first of three keys to unlocking the Fountain.”

“The first point,” I say. Betty looks at me. “Nothing.”

“At first, the Society celebrated its find and swore, in a blood oath, to guard it at all costs. But then some members started to change with the discovery. They became cautious, paranoid, threatening their fellow members, convinced that a group of traitors was planning to steal the bottle, find the second two keys, and claim the Fountain for themselves."

“The Dirt says (and don’t ask me know they know this) that Juan Rosado, founder of the Red Coral Society, called a meeting. He thought he could address the rival faction head-on.”

“I think I know where this is going,” I say.

“Let me finish,” says Betty. “I know I’m not as good at stories as you. The Red Coral Society met at the Old Fort, in heart of the Glades. In attendance were Juan, his right-hand man, a Spaniard named Luis Delgado--”

“--the Architect--”

“--ten members of the Red Coral Society, and ten members of the Calusa Indian tribe.”

“The meeting quickly turned violent. Several of the men accused of betraying the Society turned around and accused the Calusas using their ‘witchcraft’ to keep them from finding the Fountain. Of course, the Calusas, who already didn’t have such a stellar view of the Spanish, denied this. No one knows what really happened that night, but according to the Dirt, someone at that meeting, probably drunk on Spanish rum, grabbed one of the Society’s most sacred objects, the Map of Hidden Places, and held it in the air, threatening to light it on fire and destroy all record of the search for the Fountain.”

“The meeting dissolved into chaos, and somehow, someone started a fire. It spread quickly, enveloping the Old Fort in flames, and trapping several Red Coral Society members and Calusas inside, while the others fled. The Dirt says maybe half of the original Red Coral Society and several Calusas died that night, and the rest were forever changed. Juan Rosado survived, but was badly scarred.”

“And the Map of Hidden Places?” I ask.

“Destroyed,” says Betty.

“From that night on, the Calusas called the Island where the fort once stood the Island of Bones and Ashes, and the Seminoles, who now live in the Glades, don’t go anywhere near it.”

“This sounds like a ghost story,” I say.

“All I know is, I caught Eva on the phone the other day saying something about a bottle, which I assumed was the bottle you showed me at Havana, and how the Red Coral Society needed to arrange a meeting, to take place at the next full moon, on the Island of Bones and Ashes. I’m telling you Francie, you don’t wanna get involved with the Red Coral Society. It’s dark stuff. I don’t know about you, but I generally stay away from places with the word ‘bones’ in them,” Betty finishes. “What?”

“Nothing,” I say, grimacing, “just a cramp.”

“I didn’t want to tell you all this. Let’s get you ready for the Gala, I’ll give you my bird from last year, if it fits. You’re really not sleeping with Brad?” says Betty.

“Not even cuddling,” I say, gloomily.