by Ky Tyrand
Lexi finally got frustrated and stopped when she saw some thin vines dangling down from some branches near the edge of the water. She wasn’t sure if they were as strong as the bamboo whips, but were plenty pliable. Lexi used them to tie the bottom of the water bottle to her poncho belt to keep it from hopping around. Much better.
Her sandals were working great except for the odd pebble that got flicked up between her foot and the sole, which brought with it pain similar to that of stepping on a piece of Lego. But the traction was way better on the slippery rocks than bare feet alone, and there was less fear of squishing in something “spooky”.
At one point the girl found a patch of straw/raspberries along the shore, and devoured a bunch of them, taking a handful to nibble on as she waded down the waterway. Between that and the fish, Lexi wasn’t the least bit hungry.
She was getting anxious, though, certain that every curve in the creek was the one that hid the ocean, only to be disappointed each time to find that it was just another bend. The path of water and pebbles was getting increasingly snaky. But Lexi was beginning to see more and more blue sky through the trees, and knew that she was getting close.
Another bend and – oh, crap! Lexi stopped in her tracks.
White-eyes, right in her path.
He stood motionless in the water, with his chin sagging to his chest, his eyes staring down at … who knows?
The creek was narrow here, with steep banks and thick walls of foliage towering up on either side. If Lexi was able to get up a bank, she was confident that the Imperative Rod could carve her a path through the jungle. The girl could go right around this half-wit without disturbing him.
But that would be a lot of work, and what would be waiting for her in the jungle? At least this monster she could see.
The zombie’s head came up with a huge whiff of air, his eyes landing on … still, who knows? Nevertheless, her decision had been made for her. The zombie guy came to life, trudging up the water toward her.
17
Blue plasma hummed from the end of the Imperative Rod as Lexi hiked up her skirt and waded through the water to face him.
Truth be told, these monsters scared the heck out of her. But the alien device she wielded had saved her both times she had faced them, and the girl hadn’t known how to use it on either occasion. Now, not only did she understand how to draw the energy out, her time spent building a fort and crafting clothes had given Lexi an excellent feel for how fast to speed the plasma particles in order to cut certain things, such as bamboo, leather, and white-eyed zombie dudes.
The man splashed through the water at her, lunging with his claws the moment he was close.
Lexi stepped to the side and swung her blade, knocking his hand away before plunging the blade into his side.
Too easy.
She backed away as he began to change, just like the previous two. It wasn’t shocking this time, to see his bones grow and his skin harden, twisting into the shape of a tree. It was anti-climactic enough that she wanted to keep going while he did his thing, but – Wait, is that a belt?
… And there’s something on it.
Lexi dove forward, spearing her weapon into the leather. She knew that it would have split anyways – might as well cut it near the buckle so that it kept some length. The belt dropped into her hand, along with the hard leather tube attached to it.
There was no doubt that the strap would come in handy, but what is this pouchy thing? It was less than a foot in length, cylindrical, with three distinct steps where it shrunk down to a smaller diameter.
There was a cap at the top – the widest end – which unclipped and hinged open and – holy crap! … It’s a telescope!
Lexi snatched it out of the case and had it to her eye in an instant. She let out a breath. I can see!
It was compact at its smallest size, but more than doubled in length when she extended the silver tubes to their maximum length. She wanted to get out of the enclosed jungle to try it out properly. But even within the tight confines of thick foliage it helped her see.
The girl was downright giddy. Of all the things that Lexi could have found, she didn’t think anything could possibly be as valuable to her at that moment. Well, except for maybe my glasses. And my cellphone – DEFINITELY my phone. Oh, and a pizza.
Lexi slid the spyglass together and dropped it safely into the pouch. After having sliced the belt apart, she needed the Imperative Rod to poke a new hole in the end so that she could buckle it back together. If she ever found a break in the jungle, or a spot to sit down, Lexi would have to find a way to weave the belt through her skirt to keep it from falling down. But for now, she would sling it over her shoulder and keep the telescope safely at her side.
The girl didn’t know why she had been frantic about cutting the belt for maximum length. It was still about three times too long for her. Maybe she could find a better use for it than the skirt.
Less than ten steps later Lexi was hiking up the sodden brown fabric around her waist.
Nope. Definitely using it for the skirt.
18
The OCEAN!
Lexi crouched at the edge of the creek, fumbling to get the spyglass to her eye.
The sound of waves rolling onto the shore was a relief, but it put her on edge nonetheless. Her last experience in the ocean was something she was trying hard to forget. The waves were a terrible reminder.
Not only that, it was the sounds she couldn’t hear that concerned her. With her vision being less than perfect, Lexi had come to depend on her ears to help her spot dangers in the jungle. What noises was she missing under the sounds of the surf?
Monkeys, or zombies, or dragons, trying to sneak up on her?
This place was sketchy, and she had to be cautious.
Which was why she didn’t go running down to lay on the sand in the sun.
Instead, she peered through the telescope, thrilled that she wasn’t trying to focus through the gaps in her hand.
Everything was so much clearer through the lenses!
The girl could see a nice-looking beach full of golden sand that stretched out in both directions, and faded into teal blue water. The islands that she had spotted from Alien Hill were poking out of the sea in tall columns of rock; not far from the shore, but impossible to climb onto. And, just like it had appeared from above, the sheer cliffs of the valley sides jutted way out into the ocean.
Her heart sank.
Lexi had come to the shore expecting to find civilization. A village. A hut. A luxury resort. A Tardis. She wasn’t fussy; she just wanted a way to get back home.
Instead she found that, not only were there no signs of any people, she was trapped in this valley, with its dragons and zombie-trees and weirdness.
This is punishment, she realized. This is punishment for what I did to Parma.
Lexi got up from her position and crept closer to the shore, to a pair of large black rocks that were resting in the sand. She was out of the jungle, now, and had to keep an eye to the sky for Smaug. Satisfied that the dragon wasn’t going to swoop down and pluck her off the beach, she put the spyglass back to her eye to see if her new location would provide any better intel.
Still no signs of anything important, except … What is that? Partly blocked by the rocky banks, there was something in the water off to one side. She thought it was a tall mast. A ship, perhaps!
She moved out onto the beach, trying to see around the rocky crag.
Holy crap …
With one eye shut tight, and the other pressed to the telescope, Lexi became completely oblivious to her immediate surroundings. She felt something against her thigh, stopping her in a way that caused her to lose her balance.
Adrenaline shot through her as she twisted and fell, dropping the spyglass with a clunk as the Imperative Rod flashed to life. She realized that she was staring at the inside of a wooden rowboat.
With her thighs still teetering on the edge of the boat, she pushed herself up until her sa
ndals were back in the sand. Holy crap! Lexi couldn’t believe what she was seeing. A freaking rowboat!
It wasn’t much bigger than her dad’s fishing boat.
The girl released the plasma beam from the alien rod and reached in to grab the telescope, afraid that she might have broken the lens. The boat was a huge discovery. It meant that there were people around. I’m still on Earth, baby! But what she really wanted to see was behind her …
If there really was a ship out there, she could signal it. Heck, with a boat I can row out to it!
Lexi inspected the spyglass. Whew, it was fine, and back up to her eye. She was trying to get a better look at the ship, but the stupid rocks were right in her way. She had to get closer …
The girl was out in the open, completely exposed to the hungry monsters that seemed to be everywhere in this place. She had to be wary, especially of that dragon. But it didn’t seem to be coming around; even though it felt to Lexi like she was ripe pickin’s out here on the beach.
Nah, who am I kidding. Lexi was certain that her skin and bones wouldn’t be worth the dragon’s while. Nevertheless, she kept an eye to the sky as she trotted over to end of the beach, where the outcropping of black lava rock blocked out the view of the rescue ship.
She considered trying to climb it, but was sure that she wouldn’t have the strength to pull herself up. Some of the areas looked really difficult. Besides, there appeared to be a trail that skirted up the side of the rocks, and back into the jungle. Lexi found an easy way onto a higher part of the lava rock from there. And once she got around a particularly tall one, she had a clear view across the bay. And there it was … wait, is that … her telescope shot to her face … a PIRATE ship?
Lexi dropped the spyglass to her side, and stared at the ship through her blurry eyes, not knowing what to make of it. Really?
She didn’t know what she was expecting. A cruise liner. A coastguard ship. A fishing boat. A yacht. The girl brought the telescope back up. A pirate ship?
It looked old, but new. Like it had been refurbished with fresh wood and paint. Or was it old? Galleon – is that a word? Maybe. That was the word that was in her head. It just looked … wrong.
There were sounds below her. Lexi was so curious about the ship that she hadn’t noticed at first, but they were getting louder. Waves were hitting the rocks, but that’s not what it sounded like.
There was still a fair bit of distance between the rocky peninsula she was on and the cliff face at the edge of the valley. But the smooth sands of the beach ended behind her. There appeared to be a cove of black lava rock between her perch and the rock face that marked the end of the valley.
She wouldn’t have thought anything of it were it not for the strange noises. The girl could hear the sounds, but she’d have to climb farther out onto the rocks if she hoped to see over the ledge and figure out what was making them. Don’t climb out onto the rocks, Lex, she told herself as she edged her way out. To her surprise, she began to see sand at the bottom of the little bay. She had assumed that it was all lava rock.
The sound was booming. Groaning. No, more of a howl.
It reminded her of the white-eyed zombies, but much, much louder. A voice in the back of her head was telling her to turn around and run, but the curiosity was getting the better of her.
The Imperative Rod went into her teeth so she could keep a hand gripping the rocks without setting her telescope back into its case. If her eyesight wasn’t so poor, Lexi would feel better about putting the spyglass away. But she was constantly checking things with it. As awkward as it was, she sure appreciated being able to see things clearly for a change, even if they were always magnified.
Lexi spotted strips of something in the sand and against the rocks. Wood?
Not just wood … Boats. Several of them! Some as small as the one she found on the beach, but most were much larger. All were damaged by the waves and the rocks, some completely smashed.
The girl began to see clothes, and supplies, and … oh no.
Her foot slipped. She hadn’t realized how close she was getting to the ledge. With her heart jumping, Lexi scrambled back, nearly dropping the telescope.
She scampered to safety. But she’d seen the source of the noise.
Zombies.
There were dozens of them. And they all smelled her.
19
Lexi got back to a safe position. The groaning zombies couldn’t get to her while she was up on the rocks. But if she slipped …
The Imperative Rod couldn’t save her from that many of them.
She took a breath and tried to make sense of the situation.
A boat offshore. No, not just any boat – a freaking Jack Sparrow Special.
The girl stretched the spyglass out, focusing it on the ship. There were three tall masts, full of ropes and rigging, but the sails were down. The sides were curved with wooden panels and wide metal straps, and lined with small square doors from which Lexi envisioned canons firing.
It’s a pirate ship. That’s all there is to it.
The only thing missing was a skull and crossbones flag – the international symbol for pirate ship – but it might as well be there. Oh, and a monkey up in the crow’s-nest. Lexi guessed that there had been one, but the dragon ate it.
I’m in freaking Neverland. All I need now is for Tinkerbell to drop some pixie dust on me, so I can fly myself home.
Lexi put the telescope down as she tried to reason things out.
A pirate ship off shore and a rocky horseshoe shaped cove filled with smashed boats and white-eyed zombies.
Perhaps the ship had run aground and these zombies were its crew. That had to be it. Their boats couldn’t make it past the rocks, and they ended up trapped within the cove. A few of them made it beyond the rocks to the beach. And those were the ones that she’d encountered in the jungle.
Wait a minute … wouldn’t that make them … Pirate Zombies?
Lexi banged her head against her hand.
What is wrong with this place?
She felt like Alice in Wonderland. Or Dorothy in Oz. This is messed UP! I need to get out of here.
One thing was certain: There was nobody around that was going to rescue her.
It was disappointing. But in truth, Lexi had known it all along, despite telling herself otherwise.
She was stuck in a giant trap. The valley she was in was just a larger version of the rocky cove that imprisoned the pirate zombies. There was nothing for her here, except for certain death.
The rowboat.
There was no doubt in her mind that this was her ticket out of here. It might not take her straight to the doorstep of her house, but if she could use it to get away from this damned valley, it wouldn’t suck. Even if she could row out a bit, and see around the rocky bluffs, at least she would know if the grass was greener on the other side. It has to be.
With that thought in mind, Lexi wasted no time getting back down to the sand. She followed her footprints back up the beach to the little wooden rowboat.
Inside, there were two oars that she could see would drop into collars on the top edge of the boat.
What more do I need?
Lexi placed the spyglass back into its pouch, and lifted the belt over her head, setting it carefully inside the boat.
She still had some smoked fish, which had been wrapped in a leaf and folded under her tunic belt. She took it out and set it on the front bench. Her water bottle was still almost full. The girl shrunk out of the straps and took a sip before leaning the bamboo tube up in the bow, which was the only place that it stood a chance of not spilling.
Lexi unstrapped her boots and tossed them in. The sand felt so good on her feet that she found herself stopping what she was doing to curl her toes around it. It was impossible not to think of Parma and the times they spent on the beaches during their stopovers.
The girl shook the thoughts out of her head. She didn’t want to start to cry. Not now. I’m so close. Keep it together a little
longer.
A rope at the front of the boat was looped around a tall rock. After struggling to untie it, she finally cut it with the Imperative Rod, tossing the long length into the front of the boat.
She was about to lean the alien rod beside it, but decided to put it in her teeth instead. There was no way it was leaving her grip, even for a moment.
Okay. Here we go.
Lexi pushed on the front of the boat, expecting it to slide straight into the water so she could be on her way.
The boat didn’t budge. Not even a little.
Lexi’s heels sunk into the sand.
She pushed as hard has she could, from every angle imaginable, only to be reminded of how little strength she had.
The girl dropped to the sand, leaning her head against the back of the boat. She could feel that she was overdoing it, and had to force herself to stop. If she powered down again, it would be devastating. And Lexi didn’t have any shelter nearby to retreat to.
Water touched her feet.
Waves were getting closer to the boat.
The tide was coming in.
Lexi pulled herself to her feet. With the help of the tide, she stood a chance. But she would need all the strength she could get. She needed to eat.
Reaching into the boat, Lexi unfolded the leaf pouch and dug into the fish, surprised by how much flavor the smoke had added to the otherwise bland taste. She drank some water, which was nowhere near as good as the fish. By the time the girl was finished, she figured she’d eaten about half the fish, and at least a third of her water supply. Hopefully that would keep her going.
As she was wrapping up her remaining food, Lexi noticed a shimmer under the platform at the rear of the boat. Upon closer inspection, she realized that there was a large pool of water that had settled at the back, which she hadn’t noticed under the seating.
Her heart sank at the thought of the boat having a hole in it. Surely it would sink the moment she got it into the water. But then it occurred to her that the water was actually a good sign. The boat was sitting upright, and had been collecting rainwater. If there was a hole, then the boat would be empty. Right?