As they emerged from the front door, they passed many other clutches of bodies, smoking, snogging. Karabo felt as if she had tumbled out of the house and she struggled to keep up with the pace at which her legs were meant to be moving, which was in time with Isla’s, who wasn’t going to allow them to be a minute late for their curfew.

‘Isla, slow down…please’ whined Karabo coming to a halt. Isla turned around and looked at her, her hands on her hips. ‘Ha, and you’re supposed to be so fit!’ she said, a huge grin across her face.

‘Ya … ya. I’m just not crazy dancing fit, that’s all’ said Karabo, trying to find an excuse for herself, as she started walking again, but at a slower pace. There was hardly any wind as they made their way home, and all they heard was the crunching of their shoes on the pavement.

‘That was fun!’ stated Isla, wrapping her arms around herself and looking up at the pitch-black night.

‘Yes it was’ agreed Karabo, thinking about the great music the DJ had been playing. Suddenly, they heard feet running towards them. They quickly looked behind them, surprised and very aware they were very alone.

‘Karabo!’ a voice called. Karabo and Isla peered into the darkness between two street lamps. A figure was running after them. Maybe one of the guys who she had spoken to on the dance floor was going to walk them home? Perhaps chivalry wasn’t dead, or perhaps one of them was a psycho and was going to kill them. Karabo stood frozen, unable to make a rational plan. The light peeled back to reveal his face as he came closer.

‘William?’ asked Karabo, disbelieving ‘What the hell?’ she stated flatly. She hadn’t seen William the whole time they had been at the party, after they had spotted him from the deck.

Isla raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest. Karabo was certain that if Isla had been carrying a handbag, she would have slapped William with it. ‘Oh please, now what?’ said Isla.

William stopped unsteadily. He swayed back and forth, clearly struggling to get his footing. He was sweaty and his eyes were large black holes in his damp face. ‘Karabo’ he said again. ‘why are you going so early?’ he said, his words slurred and loud. Karabo’s earlier light-headed dancing-bliss-feeling evaporated. She felt stone cold sober, and slightly sick. She saw William for what he was, a mess of a boy.

‘Hey, Will listen, we have a curfew, so ya, that’s why we have to go. Thanks for a great party. We had a very cool time, see you around, OK?’ Karabo said, hoping he would accept her explanation and go back to his party. She turned to carry on her walk back to Isla’s folks’ place. He grabbed her wrist, forcing her to catch her breath and turn to look at him. He was so close she could see the vapour of his breath meet hers. He stank of alcohol and sweat. ‘What do you want Will?’ she asked, looking straight into his eyes, her voice a whisper. The seconds ticked past loudly in Karabo’s mind. He was so close. Eventually he spoke.

‘That time we were in the hut. I know what it means. It’s not good, Karabo. It’s a stuff up. I don’t know why you’re involved, but you are now. Stay away from Mzi. Stay away from me. It’s better that way for everyone,’ he said slowly, his eyes blinking hard to try and concentrate on what he was trying to say. Karabo backed away, pulling her arm from his grip. He held on tightly and came close again. ‘Promise!’ he hissed, the foul stench of his breath covering her face.

Isla had had enough. She walked up to William and pushed him back, causing him to let go of Karabo’s wrists in order to try and get his balance again. ‘Leave her alone you creep!’ shouted Isla. William steadied himself and turned to Isla. ‘Stupid little bitch. Think you’re so smart and all little Miss Princess because Mzi is taking you to the dance – believe me, Princess Isla, the party is just getting started!’ He slurred before turning to look at Karabo. ‘Remember what I said Karabo, you’re a nice girl. Stay clear,’ said William, as he turned around and started to walk back to the party.

Isla was seething. ‘That guy! I can’t stand him!’ she shouted as she marched all the way back to the house. Karabo agreed with her and hoped that Isla didn’t ask her what he had said to her. She knew Isla would become obsessed with wanting to know what he meant. Luckily, Isla was so angry at being called a princess that she forgot all about William’s conversation with Karabo.

Once they were in their pjs, Karabo pretended to collapse into sleep so Isla would stop talking. Isla had been rambling on and on, about what a twit William was and how she would tell Mzi what he had said, on and on. But she finally stopped, rolled over and fell instantly asleep. The only sound was the ringing in Karabo’s ears from the loud music, matched to the spinning of her thoughts.

Karabo awoke late the next morning and found the room empty. Isla had obviously gotten up before her, and she could hear the Hepworths chatting happily downstairs, the familiar clinking of breakfast plates in tune with their voices.

She felt relieved to have a few moments to herself. She needed to try and shake the feeling of heaviness from her chest before she saw Isla. The sangoma dream had come again last night, but it didn’t choke her anymore. She felt as though she was on a journey, and with each dream, a step closer to something she needed to learn. The heaviness in her chest wasn’t from these dreams, it was from William, and what he had been trying to say. Karabo rolled onto her back and put her hand on her heart, closing her eyes. Why was it that every time she tried to get William English out of her system, he just came back and tore away all her resolve?

She hated the way he made her feel unsteady about herself and her world. She moaned and rolled over to stare out the window, drawing the duvet up closer around her, curling her thighs into her tummy. Telling herself to stay away from him only made her want to be near him, and understand him even more. The fact that he understood the meaning of the stories in the sangoma’s smoke made her desperate to know how he knew what they meant. She had to find out more. There was no way she was staying away from him, even though her very logical mind advised strongly against it.