The Forgotten Island

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

IT PUTS THE LOTION ON THE SKIN

-Arya-

It was another beautiful day on the beach. I was laying on a blanket in camp, reading a book by an author named Nora Roberts, waiting for Nate’a and Reggie to return from their scouting trip. Next to me on my blanket was my pack, all ready to go as it was Fish and I’s turn to go scout next. Being that this would be our third trip out together, I had an idea of what to expect and packed accordingly. In my backpack was two changes of clothes, soap, a journal, flashlight, dried pork jerky, two bottles of water, a small sleeping roll, some rope, and a tarp; the last of which we could use to make a shelter from the rain if necessary. I was also planning on taking this book, as I was engrossed with the characters. In Robert’s world, the humans didn’t have elemental abilities, and the idea fascinated me. There were, however, witches and vampires; something I was familiar with reading about. I sighed and rolled onto my back, reflecting on an odd dream I had last night about a demon woman ripping some poor guards throat out. Uncomfortable with the memory, I daydreamed about true love instead. I was envious of Fish and Darnell’s relationship, and now that Tammy and Chris had gotten together it made it all the more obvious how alone I was.

Fish plopped down beside me, tossing her pack next to mine before laying down next to me and looking towards the forest line. I followed her gaze, knowing what was on her mind. Nate’a and Reggie were a day late returning, something that hadn’t happened before in the months we had been going out in search of help.

“They should have been back by now” she said for what felt like the hundredth time. I reached out and took her hand “Try not to stress, I’m sure they are fine and will be back any minute now.” She squeezed my hand in acknowledgment of my attempt to console her, and I turned my attention back to the sky. “So” she said changing the subject “What’s happening in your smut book?” I didn’t have to see her face to know there was a smirk on it. Using the book in question, I swatted her while laughing. “It’s not smut!” I argued “The storyline and plot are awesome! This wizard guy just traveled forward in time to recruit his brother, who happens to be a vampire, to join him in a war against vampires.” Fish listened intently as I continued to gush about the progression of the book, smiling when I started talking excitedly with my hands.

The rest of the group was scattered around us in the camp, all keeping themselves occupied as we waited for our tardy scouts. Chris and Tammy were sitting side by side on the bench at the front of the boat, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Val was sorting through some newly arrived boxes while Darnell worked on a puzzle of some puppies in a wicker basket.

I was just getting to a juicy part of Robert’s book when I was interrupted by a yell from down the beach. Sitting up we saw Nate’a, supporting a wounded Reggie as best she could, struggling to jog towards us. Just as I was registering Reggie’s wounds and blood-soaked shirt, the sounds of indigenous war cries floated towards us on the wind. In an instant, we were all on our feet, our guards up. Chris and Darnell ran towards Nate’a and Reggie, taking Reggie between the two of them and quickly returning to base.

“What the hell happened?” Chris yelled when they got back, laying Reggie down on my blanket where he immediately passed out while Tammy quickly started triage. His shirt was soaked through with blood, and an arrow was still sticking out of the shoulder joint on his right side. We all looked to Nate’a expectantly, but she was hysterical, her words coming out choked and frenzied. “They followed us, I don’t know how they found us. They eat people. THEY EAT PEOPLE!” She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she curled up into a fetal position. She had Reggie’s blood all over her and was clearly going into shock. I heard a snap as Tammy broke the arrow in Reggie’s shoulder, pulling the shaft out in one clean movement before applying pressure to the wound. Tammy’s tone was serious as she assessed the damage “He has lost too much blood, he likely won’t make it.”

Everything was happening too fast, and the war cries were getting louder. A large group of naked, ashen colored men came into view down the beach; crashing out of the forest to run towards us a little farther back from where Nate’a and Reggie had exited just a few minutes ago. None of the men had a single strand of hair on their bodies, and though I couldn’t make out what they were from this distance, strange accessories bounced against their skin as they ran. In their hands they wielded spears, bows, and an assortment of daggers. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize these were the people who had shot Reggie, and they were now coming after all of us.

At the appearance of the mob, Nate’a’s hysteria climbed as Fish knelt down to comfort her. Fighting against Fish’s hands, she stood up, a wild look in her eyes. “I don’t want to die here” she whispered, right before bolting out of the camp and back into the forest, leaving us behind.

I stared after her in disbelief, before turning to Darnell. His face was drained of color as he glanced between all the members of our group and the approaching horde. “There are too many. We must run.”

We each broke into action at his words, Fish and I throwing on our packs while the others grabbed handfuls of food and stored bottles of water. I will never know if those precious moments of hesitation were what killed them; if the outcome would have been different, had we just reacted quicker to the threat. I had reached down to grab my book, ready to follow Darnell when I saw him. His pale gray skin stood out as he revealed himself, showing rotted yellow rows of sharp teeth as he smiled. We had been tricked. The group on the beach had been a distraction while they crept up on us from behind. Time moved in slow motion as I watched him knock an arrow in his bow, aiming straight for Chris’s chest before letting it fly.

“NO!”

Tammy’s pained cry echoed in my heart as she threw herself in front of Chris, and I watched helplessly as the arrow went straight through her skull, the tip jutting out from her left eye socket. Chris roared as Tammy’s body fell to the ground in front of him, and the gray man laughed in delight at his pain. Fire erupted from Chris’s hands as he sent a bolt of flame right at the laughing devil’s face. The force of the flame, fueled by Chris’s rage, took the man’s head clean off his shoulders. The head, half melted, rolled towards us as the body crashed to the sand with a heavy thud. Slipping from the nub of his neck, the gray man’s necklace was easier to see; it was made of fingers, some so tiny they could only have belonged to children. Dozens more of the gray men slowly poured out of forest surrounding us. Forming a circle around Reggie and Tammy’s body, we put our backs to one another and prepared to fight.