Island Girls

by Rodzil LaBraun

  "Yes, please," he responded with an uncomfortable expression. He followed me to the bar and placed his empty on the rail. I grabbed another bottle of the lager for him and asked again if he was alright. Again, he claimed to be fine. I didn't know what else to do, so I let him be. Lin looked at me with a hint of shine to her eyes as she raised her glass. She wanted another drink, as did Nancy. If it were my bar, I could water down the drink without them noticing. Short pouring instead could be insulting.

  I retrieved their glass and went for ice. This time they each got four pieces. I poured a little less liquor and the drink looked roughly the same as the first one. Both girls urged me to pour myself another, so I did. The ice dispenser only gave my three spheres, though. I couldn't tell if there was a malfunction or if maybe it was just coincidence. The machine couldn't possibly be adding extra ice for the lightweights, could it? How would it know whose glass was whose? Was there someone watching and making that decision instead? I pictured a miserable little troll behind the wall pushing buttons each time.

  The beat increased again. There were still no vocals and I didn't recognize any of the pieces of music. I thought that I was familiar with a wide variety of dance and trance from my club jobs. This stuff didn't sound remotely the same. It was good, though, once you got used it.

  The girls were bouncing a little more aggressively now, even moving their feet some. When Lin turned around in front of me to whine that tight ass just a few inches away, I was mesmerized. I stood completely still until she turned around again laughing. Then she gestured for Nancy to join us. It wasn't long before I was getting my step on as well.

  I could feel a buzz from the liquor, but I was far from drunk. I couldn't say the same about the ladies. I sat our empty glasses aside and was glad that no one asked for another. When Zach went for his third beer, I thought I'd try one last time. He was practically avoiding us.

  "Hey buddy," I said as I rested my hand on his shoulder. "Something is wrong. Tell me what it is."

  I could see the struggle in his eyes. He was embarrassed about something. Telling me might even make it worse. Just when it looked like he was going to walk away, he turned back and said, "I can't dance."

  I stifled my laughter. "Is that all? It's no big deal. Women don't need you to dance. Just move a little and stand close by so you don't look anti-social."

  "I don't have any rhythm."

  "You don't need it. Just watch one of the girls. When they dip down, you dip down. When they bounce back up, you follow. Just stand in place. You'll be fine. They are getting drunk anyway. They won't even notice if you are not keeping with the beat."

  Zach shrugged and decided to give it a try. He was right about his lack of rhythm, but it was a big improvement over avoiding us. The girls smiled at him a few times, but they didn't give him near the amount of dance floor love that they were giving me. Before the buzz could dissipate the music shifted once again. The beat decreased to resemble something more like a slow dance. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Was all this part of the grand plan that our captors had for us?

  Everyone slowed their movement to the beat, and Zach started to stand out again. The lighting changed in color and the place got a little darker. When Nancy approached me and leaned against my chest, I was surprised. I held her gently in my arms as we swayed to the soft sounds the speaker was putting out. Lin took the opportunity to dance closer to Zach but did not come close to making contact. I could tell that it was taking concerted effort on her part.

  The song changed and we released as we smiled at each other. When Lin slid in to take her place I was delighted and concerned. Fortunately, Nancy went to Zach and held him. It didn't look right, but my teammate was doing her best to make him comfortable. I could tell that he was happy to have her in his arms, though terrified that he might look stupid.

  The music changed once more after that song and the lights brightened slowly. Looking around the room I realized that all the food, bottles, and dirty dishes were gone. The wall must have consumed them as we were dancing. There was no way that another person had entered the room without me noticing. I was tempted to scurry over to the drink rail and pat down all the surfaces. There had to be a hidden compartment somewhere.

  After some brief conversation the music faded away and the lights brightened again. The disco ball retracted into the ceiling like it was a bubble rejoining the water. Mirrors darkened until they were black. The dance club was gone. We had loosened up a lot more than I had expected. Perhaps there was more than just alcohol in those drinks. The agenda of the prison administration was difficult for me to determine. That made me nervous.

  When we parted ways, the men shook hands as the women hugged. Each man then embraced the female of the other team briefly. Apparently, we had become friends during the social event. I wondered how this would change the dynamic of the arena competitions. Obviously, things went the way that our jailers wanted. They were shockingly good at guiding us down the path that they had chosen for us.

  As each team walked toward the open door to their barracks, a wall silently slid into place in the middle separating us. The same happened on our side once we were back on the sand. Shira was awake and hungry when we returned inside, but too weak to walk just yet. Nancy heated her food and served it to her in bed. Shira then fell asleep again quickly after finishing the meal. We weren't able to have much conversation before she did. We'd have to wait until tomorrow to learn more about her.

  The sun was setting somewhere. I couldn't see it, but the sky resembled twilight. I decided against taking another shower. I usually get really sweaty when I dance, but the club they assembled for us was cooled to at least five degrees lower than the evening island air. Air conditioning, though I didn’t see any vents or feel a breeze.

  I removed my clothes and slid under my thin, incredibly soft blanket. I preferred to sleep in the nude when possible. I laid there thinking about our prison for a while, and my cell mates. This was a real weird situation. I was starting to doubt my ability to stay completely focused on the escape effort. We were being treated very well and becoming friends. I didn't really have anyone to go back to either, once we escape. I wasn't sure so much about the others, though.

  The sound of footsteps caught my attention as I saw Nancy's form enter the main room. Perhaps she needed to use the bathroom. Instead, though, she turned and entered my room. I stayed still wondering what she wanted. She approached my bed hesitantly, possibly thinking of what to say.

  She was still wearing the clothes from before. Maybe she slept in hers. They did not provide us with any pajamas. In strange places people tended to wear more to bed than usual anyway.

  The light was dim in the room for sleep time, but I could still see her face reasonably clear. The shadows and lit features resembled art, making her look as classy as she was pretty. The alcohol induced glassy eyed look had faded away for the most part. In its place was new expression. Maybe loneliness?

  "Can I lay in your bed with you, Joah?"

  "Sure," I replied as I slid over. The bed wasn't made to occupy two people, but we could both fit on the mattress. But not without touching. I was not one to turn down a bedroom visit from someone as attractive as Nancy. Getting more familiar with her personality only made her more desirable.

  "I don't want sex," she clarified before climbing into the space I left her. I was ready for sex, if she wanted it, but content just to take another step closer. "At least not tonight. I just need some companionship if that's okay."

  "That's fine. I would like that, too. Will it be okay if I wrap my arm around you?" I asked as she slid in with her back against me, the spooning position. Her skin was soft and warm. Her natural scent arousing. The contour of her sexy body begged for contact. I would have a difficult time refraining if she said no.

  "Please do." Then a moment later she felt my privates nuzzle against her clothed ass. Stiffening a bit, she asked. "Are you naked again?"

  CHAPTER SIX:

&nbs
p; I woke to the voices of two women. They were in the other bedroom from the sound of it. Nancy must have departed from my bed stealthily while I was sleeping. Looking down at my impressive morning wood, I wondered if it was the cause. I felt the sheet for warmth and had to guess that she hadn’t left very long ago.

  I put on a fresh set of clothes and headed to the common area to peek in on them. Shira was sitting up on the side of the bed with her legs dangling. She was too short to reach the floor. Her casts had been removed overnight, and she was touching the colorful dots on her arms. Nancy was in the process of explaining that we all had the six circles embedded into our arms, the same colors in the same order.

  Nancy's back was to me, so I waited until Shira noticed me in the doorway before I spoke. She was not shocked to see me standing there. Nor was she delighted. She simply made eye contact and maintained it for a brief moment. I wasn’t sure what to make of that.

  Her narrow face was accented with large brown eyes and full lips. Her posture was very good despite her condition. Her blanket was wrapped around her meager breasts and hung down to her thighs. Nancy hadn't gotten to the point of helping her get dressed yet, apparently. Or, Shira refused her assistance. From the look on her face that was a real possibility. The new woman was not happy, and evidently not coming to terms with her imprisonment quickly.

  I knew that many women from the middle east were ultra conservative concerning body exposure. I was able to clearly see the bare skin of most of her legs as well as her shoulders. Her long black hair draped down her back for the most part. Her inaction to cover herself in my presence indicated that she was not one of those. At least not fanatical about it.

  "Hi, Shira. I'm Joah."

  "Hi," she replied quietly, barely opening her mouth.

  "Good morning, Joah," Nancy said as she turned to see me. When she stood, I remembered the feel of her body against mine last night. It was really nice to hold her in my arms. We didn't know each other very well, but situations like these brought people together at a rapid rate. At least, they could if they were inclined toward it.

  "Good morning," I replied. "How did you sleep?" I searched her face for any indication that my dream time arousal had offended her.

  "Well, thank you. And you?"

  "It was good. How much have you told her so far?"

  "I explained that we are in a nice but confusing prison. I told her about the other barracks and how we are formed into teams. We were about to check on the food, but she needs to get dressed first."

  "Is she strong enough to dress herself yet?"

  "She says that she feels fine. The drugs have completely worn off. If maybe you could go outside, I'll stand in the doorway with my back to her in case she ends up needing my help."

  I stepped out onto the sand walked three steps to the right before taking in the sights. I didn't want to linger on the doorway and make our new recruit uncomfortable. I looked around to see if anything in our area was different. Aside from an extremely faint breeze, everything was the same as the day before. Feeling the slight wind against my skin was enough, though. Until this morning there had been no wind whatsoever, which I though weird for an island.

  Circling the barracks, I examined the other sections to find nothing new. When I eventually returned to the common room, I found Shira in one of the chairs waiting for her food to be ready. Nancy had already placed it in the cooking contraption.

  "I imagine you are still pretty confused about where you are," I said to Shira as I sat down. I wanted to befriend her quickly, if that was possible. So far, it wasn’t going that well.

  "Yes," was all that she said in response.

  "The best that I can tell is that we all sustained an injury or fell really sick. We went to sleep in a hospital or at the scene of an accident, then woke up here. No one has shown up yet to explain why."

  "There are no guards?" she asked. There was no foreign accent. If anything, she sounded a little like my friend from Brooklynn. Though Arabian or Indian in appearance, I would guess that she had spent most of her life in the states, if not all of it.

  "No. Not that we can see. There have been a few announcements over a speaker, but no explanations. They just tell us where to go. Doors open and close on some sort of schedule, limiting our access to different areas. The central zone that connects us to the other barracks was a sports arena yesterday morning. But when it opened up again in the evening, it was more like a nightclub."

  "These are team uniforms?" she asked, tugging on the high-quality fabric of her shirt. The ensemble pattern of hers matched what Nancy and I both wore my first day here. It must have been on the top of the pile.

  I nodded in response as Nancy placed the food dish in front of her. It was one of Shira's favorite meals, of course. And turned out to be delicious. The two women talked while we ate, mostly about food. But I was done with that subject already. I was never a foodie before. Even though there was very little to do here, I could only get so excited about what I was going to eat.

  We guided our new team member outside so she could see for herself what we had been telling her. It wasn't long before we heard the horns to announce the wall dropping between us and the center space. Shira was hesitant, but finally followed us after enough encouragement. She did appear to be in good health. There were no issues with her balance in the sand.

  The arena was set up differently than the day before. There was no center table for one thing. There was instead a dividing wall between us and the other team about waist high. Above it was a grid of wire like a fence. The wires were so thin they that I'd bet they could slice you up like cheese. Orange players would be kept separate from blue players this time.

  To our left were three separate games along the wall, intended to occupy just one player at a time. There was the ring toss, and the hoop shot like yesterday. And between them was the climbing wall.

  There was just open sand in the middle. To the right was an obstacle course with lanes for three people to participate at once. There was a steep ramp, followed by a drop. Then a cargo net rising fifteen feet high. On top of it was a platform that connected the three players' paths. Three ropes then hung down in the middle. That was it. Looking closer at the three courses of obstacles, I noticed that they were not all equal. Just as I was about to point that out to my teammates, something completely unexpected happened.

  The grid of wires came alive like a television screen and showed examples of players participating in the games and the obstacle course. The videos looped and continued for several minutes. During that time, I inquired about Shira's strength and skill set. We decided to let her toss the rings while Nancy threw the balls into the hoops, basketball-style. I would climb the wall. Based on the videos it looked like players could help their teammates after they complete their own challenge.

  We would have to finish all three tasks before we could run through the sand to the obstacle course. Again, we predetermined who would take each path. To my surprise, Shira was absorbing the information and coming to terms with the situation quickly. I didn’t know if she played sports much in her previous life, but I could clearly see her putting on her game face.

  The video demonstration continued but slid to the sides of the screen. The center was then taken over by the images of a young man and a delightful woman. They appeared to be our masters of ceremony, just like on a game show. They then covered in detail with enthusiasm how we were to complete the tasks, climaxing with us all three pulling the ropes at the end in unison to ring a bell.

  The reward for the winning team would be a bottle of fresh juice in their barracks and an additional set of clothing suitable for relaxing. It sounded like a silly prize to me, but it was better than nothing. I imagined the juice would be a nice change from my daily sports drink. The change of clothes probably appealed more to the women than the men.

  When the screen disappeared, we were able to see Zach and Lin standing on the other side with their new teammate, Candice. She was a bit tal
ler than the other women and sort of stocky. She had short blond hair and a look of desperation on her face. I could see Zach mentally preparing himself for these challenges. Lin looked serious, but still managed to give us a meager wave.

  A loud disembodied voice told us to take our positions. Once we did, a wall rose up behind us. No doubt it was there to prevent us from going to the obstacle course until our initial tasks were completed. I saw Lin in front of the climbing wall. That was to be expected. She was a beast at it yesterday. Candice was at the ring toss, just like our new girl. That left the hoop shot game for Zach.

  A net stood in front of each of us blocking us from starting before the appropriate time. When the horn sounded, the net dropped to the ground and we all began. I was about two-thirds of the way up the wall when Lin reach the top. That was not surprising. She then went to the ring toss station to assist Candice. I did the same on my side with Shira, but she hooked her fifth ring as I arrived. So, I shifted over to Nancy instead. She had only made two baskets so far.

  Glancing over I saw that Zach had made all five baskets and was waiting for Lin or Candice to land the fifth ring on a post. Lin did just that roughly ten seconds before I made the fifth basket on our side. They beat us to the obstacle course by that much time.