Scar Island

When Jonathan returns from the library, Sebastian accuses him of collaborating with Colin to steal his chocolates. Sebastian explains that all the chocolates were taken while the boys were eating lunch and an origami paper crane, Colin’s calling card, was left in the empty basket. Jonathan tells Sebastian that Colin most likely took the chocolates, but he truthfully says that he does not know where Colin is.

Benny tells Sebastian that Jonathan can’t be trusted because of what he did. He says he saw Jonathan’s file in the Admiral’s office when Jonathan first arrived. Benny says, “Little Johnny here […] is a murderer […] He murdered his little sister. Sophia. Set a fire and burned their house down, with her trapped inside” (174). He orders Jonathan to lift his shirt sleeve. Jonathan screams, “No! […] Don’t!” (175).

Jonathan feels someone pull his shirt sleeves up, revealing his burn scars. A mortified Jonathan insists he loved his sister Sophia. Benny points out that he saw Jonathan’s psychiatrist’s report, which describes how Jonathan feels guilty over the burning death of his sister, and his sentencing papers, which list his crime as arson.

Sebastian expresses disgust about Jonathan’s alleged crimes. “God […] You’re a freak. No wonder you want to stay here” (176). He orders Jonathan to find Colin and bring him back. The revelations about Jonathan cause the other boys to shun him. Walter just shakes his head and leaves the room.

Jonathan finds Colin hiding in one of Slabhenge’s towers. Colin points out that all the hallways and rooms at Slabhenge are connected, and that there are almost no dead ends.

Jonathan tells Colin about Benny telling everyone that he had started a fire and killed his little sister. Colin asks Jonathan to tell his side of the story. Jonathan explains that he used to like to set fires: “I don’t know why. I don’t even remember how it started. I liked to... watch the flames […] See something that I’d build get hot and bright and alive” (183). He says he was kicked out of school for setting a fire in the bathroom. He stopped for a while but then started setting small fires again in wastebaskets. His sister Sophia caught him and was worried he would get in trouble. She took his matches.

One night, a fire blazed in the house, and he heard his sister screaming. He tried to save her, but the fire was too hot: “I could hear her. But I couldn’t save her. And she died in the fire. Screaming for me to save her” (184).

Colin says that the incident was a terrible accident. But Jonathan insists it was his fault: “I killed my sister! I let her die!” (184). Jonathan says he went to Sophia’s grave every day and put a flower on it, and his parents promised to do the same while he is at Slabhenge.

That night, Jonathan goes to his mattress to sleep and notices most of the boys had moved their mattresses away from his. Only Walter and David are still in his corner. The next morning, Jonathan awakes and finds a piece of paper shaped like a flower on his pillow and a square of chocolate next to it.

As the storm outside grows more ferocious, Sebastian demands that Jonathan tell him where Colin is. When Jonathan lies and tells Sebastian he doesn’t know Colin’s whereabouts, Sebastian makes him write a letter home saying he won’t be able to write for a while. He then banishes him. He gives Jonathan a couple of candles and some matches and sends him off to join Colin.

Jonathan joins Colin in his hiding place. He tells him he has come to stay with him because Sebastian kicked him out. Colin raises the possibility that Sebastian and his henchmen may have followed Jonathan. “I thought he wanted to catch me [...] Don’t you think he’d jutht follow you?” (193). Before Jonathan can answer, he hears a door open and footsteps running up the stairs.