by A. Anders
To my surprise, it didn’t. Out of nowhere, Brad leaped in, knocking Gray to the ground. Still stunned by the hit across the head, I wanted to turn and watch but I couldn’t. Someone was winning soundly though, and I was cheering for Brad. More precisely, I was cheering for not being shot in the face.
“You alright?” Brad asked, coming into sight.
I wasn’t alright. Someone had brained me, twice. If there was one thing that I wasn’t, it was “alright.”
“Stay here,” Brad commanded. “I still have to find Bob. I’ll be right back.”
Brad ran off, and I did what I could to remain conscious. I reminded myself of everything that had just happened. Sam, Carl, and Gray were lying next to me. I hadn’t taken them all out, but I was responsible for some of them. And damn, was I having a hard time remembering which.
It wasn’t long after that that I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, it was morning. I could see the blue sky above me through the canopy of leaves. The sounds of squawking birds surrounded me, and the smell of rich, moist earth enveloped me.
I shifted my legs triggering a shot of pain. My legs hurt. Why? When did I get hit in the legs?
Much of my body hurt now. The muscles between my ribs were screaming. My shoulder was stiff, and there was a deafening ringing in my ears. Why did I hurt so much?
I rolled over remembering the guys that laid beside me. They were all gone. As I shifted to get up, I felt a shooting pain in my side.
It was then that I realized what had happened. Gray, Sam, and Carl had all woken up together. Finding me unconscious, they got their payback by beating on my unconscious body.
Okay, I could understand why they did that. They were getting their revenge. Fair enough. But did any of them have the decency to shoot me before they left? No, they didn’t. It would have taken them two seconds. That was just inconsiderate.
With a spear in the leg, I could get a little magic dust, and I would be fine. I would be feeling one hundred percent within hours. But instead, they left me to suffer through the soreness until I healed naturally.
Healing naturally? What were they, monsters? Hey, we might have drugged them, set them on fire, and sent them adrift in shark-infested waters, but at least we were never cruel.
Eventually, I fought my way to my feet. I hurt all over. Looking down at my practically naked body, I found bruises everywhere.
Remembering where I had put my clothes, I got dressed. The walk back to camp was slow and painful. When I entered the clearing in front of the resort, the first thing I saw was Pete.
If it not for his robotic body, I would have sworn that he had been worried about me. Rushing over, he scanned me.
“No, Pete. It’s nothing that you can help me with,” I informed him.
I left him and checked out the commissary. Everyone was there. Gray and his group were at one table while Brad and the others were at another. We all looked like crap. That is, all of us except for Brad.
I headed to the buffet, dished up a plate and joined my allies.
“Hey, morning!” Brad said, looking like he had a full night’s rest.
I gave him a sneer and focused on my food.
“Last night was something else, right” Brad continued, giving me one of his annoyingly charming smiles.
“Weren’t you supposed to come back for me?” I barked.
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I got deep into something else.”
Brad smirked at me like I would know what he was talking about and then looked across the commissary at Bob. Bob, who was staring back at us, sheepishly hung his head, much the way Freddy had the morning after the Viking funeral.
Wait, had Brad had sex with Bob? Damn, man! How the hell did he keep doing that? Wasn’t anyone here interested in being with Rose?
Just as I finished my eggs, Pete approached me. His front panel was open, displaying a blue sheet of paper. I took it out and read it.
“Group date,” Brad announced, summoning the others.
“What’s love got to do with a mad world? I invite Gray, Bob, Brad, Freddy, and Ford to find out,” I read.
“What’s love got to do with a mad world?” Brad repeated to the other daters.
To me, the clue was obvious, so I headed to my cabin to get ready. “What’s Love Got to do with It” was a famous song by a twentieth-century singer named Tina Turner. She starred in a classic movie called “Mad Max.” It looked like we were headed for Thunderdome.
As we walked north into the woods, a structure became visible in the distance. It was a square three-story building that had been painted to blend into the trees. I wondered how many other places like this one were on the island. The bear cage, Thunderdome—each would have taken dozens of people to build.
We entered the outer structure before entering a dome lattice built within. Flashes of the movie came back to me. My father had been a big fan of classic movies. He had forced me to watch this one with him when I was a kid. As Rose appeared from a platform just outside of the monkey bars looking dome, I remembered a little more.
Draped in a chain link dress, Rose theatrically bellowed, “Welcome… to Thunderdome!”
I turned to the guys, looking for recognition. Gray was the only one to react.
“I’m a fan of classic movies, especially the ones with crazy visions of the future. And out of all of them, ‘Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome’ was my favorite. So now, you all will get the chance to compete in Thunderdome. The winner of this challenge gets a one-on-one date.”
I scanned the dome. It was twenty feet high and thirty feet wide. From the top, five thick elastic bands hung that ended with leather diapers. Along the sides were weapons: jagged clubs, axes, spears, and on the very top of the dome, a chainsaw. They gave us so many ways to kill each other that it was hard to believe that everyone would walk out in one piece.
“Those of you who would like to compete for a one-on-one date with me can attach yourself to one of the bands. I don’t wanna see you all hurt each other,” she said as I eyed a jagged club. “But I do have a big weakness for champions.”
Rose was so excited that she looked giddy. I hoped her excitement came from pretending to be in her favorite movie. The alternative would mean that she was a complete psychopath.
But even if she was insane, I remembered why Ian was eliminated. There was no way I would take the risk of sitting out this challenge. No, I was going to do the sensible thing. I was going to attach myself to the giant elastic band, grab a club, and fight four men to impress a girl.
Once we were all strapped into our harnesses, we were lifted to the center of the dome. From there, we were dropped. Before we hit the ground, the bands retracted, and we shot back up. They were bouncing us. As I was the first person to find my timing, I aimed myself towards the chainsaw.
“Five men enter, one man leaves,” Rose began quoting the movie. “Ladies and gentleman, dying time is here. Begin!”
Everyone scattered. I bounced toward the ceiling and missed. Bob sprung towards the surrounding weapons, followed by Gray and Brad. Bouncing wildly, Freddy was the only one left behind.
After my feet touched the ground, I crouched and shot back up. I grazed the chainsaw but grabbed a bar near the top. I held on, knowing I couldn’t stay there forever, but tightening my grip, I knew I could hang on for now.
Below, the carnage began quickly. Bob grabbed an ax and was the first to attack. With his sights locked on Brad, he shot across the dome, slicing his target’s chest.
Startled, Brad latched onto a sidebar and stopped. He looked down at his shirt, which had a thin red stain. When Brad looked back up, he was pissed.
Immediately grabbing a spear, Brad threw it at Bob. He missed. He then grabbed a jagged club and swung across the dome. Their two paths crossed, but it was too far to land a blow.
Both men swung freely after that. They passed each other again and again. Each time, they got closer until whack! The sound of shattering bone echoed across the dome.
/> Bob released his ax. Caught across the chin, his big body swung limp. Still swinging, his elastic band released. When his barrel-shaped chest hit the ground, he rolled ten feet across the dirt.
It was as I watched Bob’s band retract into the ceiling that I saw Gray. While I had been distracted, he had climbed the opposite side of the dome, and now he was retrieving the chainsaw. When he started it, it released a blood-curdling whine.
As soon as his eyes locked on me, he pounced. Hurling towards me, I lifted my legs. He flew past me by an inch. He was headed for the ground, and he fell blade first.
Freddy!
Still out of control, Freddy bounced up as Gray charged down. The chainsaw caught the young man below his shoulder. Unable to stop it, his muscular arm flung through the air like discarded beef.
Blood sprayed everywhere. Freddy screeched. Dropped from the elastic band, he hit the dirt with a thud. Flailing frantically, he was out of his mind with terror.
I turned to Gray. He wasn’t done yet. Gray bounced towards Brad to attack, and clack!
Brad had been prepared. As the two met, Brad had swung his club. The chainsaw shot out of Gray’s hands. Thinking he had won, Brad cheered.
Gray didn’t give up. Again near the ground, Gray grabbed the spear, turned, and threw.
His aim was perfect. The spear pierced Brad through the stomach. The avalanche of pain silenced him. Stunned, Brad swung until the elastic band released him and he dropped.
Gray didn’t stop, though. He had rage in his eyes. After a few bounces, he got the chainsaw and maneuvered to attack.
Brad laid on the ground shivering. He could see Gray coming, but he couldn’t move. Gray bounced up and was about to return for his final blow when I took a deep breath and let go.
As soon as I released my grip, I realized that my timing was off. I would hit the blade missing Gray completely. All I could do was bend my legs and hope.
When my boot hit, it was against something hard. It was the handle and not the blade. Gray lost his grip and dropped the saw.
When his body slid against mine, I grabbed whatever I could. My arm slipped around his neck. Rebounding, I twisted with a jerk. His body fell limp.
He was stunned, but I knew it wouldn’t last long. I had to do more if I wanted to win. As we bounced into the air, I released him.
I scanned the ground and found two options: the jagged club and the chainsaw. Could I do to him what he had done to Freddy? No.
Touching ground, I picked up the club and swung. Thwack! I caught him across the leg.
We both bounced into the air and fell. Thwack! Thwack!
I caught him twice in the chest. I had heard something break. Would I have to hit him again?
No. Gray didn’t move after that. My bouncing stopped abruptly, and Gray’s body hit the dirt. I hung with my club in hand looking for whoever was next. No one was left.
“Ladies and gentleman, the winner of Thunderdome!” I heard Rose say, reciting the line from the movie.
I threw my arms into the air, feeling the adrenaline coursing through me. I could only imagine the millions of viewers watching me, screaming, cheering for me. I was a champion. I had won. When I saw the pawns enter to attend to the fallen, I felt even better.
Mercifully, I had been nicked somewhere along the way, and Pete rewarded me with magic dust. It wasn’t much, but it did soothe the pain from the night before. The relief came like a warm wave washing over me. Again, I felt good.
Leaving the other guys behind, Pete led me out of the build. In front, I waited for Rose. I guessed that she had a costume change, and I was right. She was now wearing a bikini with a sarong wrapped around her waist. Man, was she gorgeous.
“My hero,” she said.
I bristled at that. I couldn’t tell you why. Nonetheless, I liked the way her smile beamed as she said it. She glided towards me, getting closer and closer until her lips were on mine.
Her kiss was intoxicating. I grabbed her behind the neck and kissed her hard. When our tongues touched, warmth trickled over me like honey. Gripping her soft, smooth waist with my free hand, I could have undressed her and taken her right there.
“Wait,” I heard her say. It took everything in me to stop.
I let her go and watched her as she lowered her head and brushed her lips with her fingertips. My chest heaved, wanting so much more. She gave it to me when, without a word, she wrapped her leg around me and grabbed me again.
Wrapping my arm around her, I grabbed her ass. Lifting her to my lips, I was ready for anything. My body throbbed with desire. Her body was undulating on mine.
It was only when I felt an electric pulse on my leg that I stopped. It was making me weak. Simply put, I couldn’t lift her anymore. As Rose’s bot was doing the same to her, I returned her to her feet. Our lusts were dampened but not gone.
“Where did that come from?” I asked her, not expecting such passion.
“I don’t know,” she replied unconvincingly.
Rose’s larger pawn lead us away as Pete trailed behind us. I had a strange feeling walking next to her. She reminded me of a teenaged girl: her movement, her smile. She had something youthful about her.
I felt a tickle as Rose’s fingers touched mine. She wanted me to hold her hand, so I did. Looking at her again, she was blushing. I found her openness incredibly sexy.
We walked in silence as the sexual tension again blossomed between us. With only the sound of the jungle in my ears and the feeling of her hand in mine, I considered what I knew about her. Other than a few tidbits, I didn’t really know much.
“So, a corporate recruiter, huh?” she asked, beating me to the punch. “What’s that like?”
“You ever babysit a fourteen-year-old for six weeks while their parents offered to do anything to please you?”
“Anything?” Rose asked with a smile.
“Anything. I have never been propositioned by so many married women in my life.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“And did you partake in the cuisine?” she asked, delightfully intrigued.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because it wouldn’t be right.”
“And you always do what’s right? You never break the rules?” Rose looked at me with a knowing smile. I could tell that she was thinking about my visit to her cabin. Technically, it was against the rules.
“Not always,” I offered with a smile.
With Rose’s hand still in mine, we stepped onto the white sands of a perfect beach. The pungent smell of saltwater wafted through the air. The pale blue water was calm enough to see through. And the splash as the waves gently rolled to shore, drowned out the sound of the jungle.
Rose let go of my hand, drawing my attention.
“Let’s see you break the rules,” she said, walking backward towards the water.
Rose removed the sheer cloth from around her waist and released it to the breeze. Turning her back to me, she walked towards the sea.
“What are you doing?” I asked as casually as I could.
“Going for a swim.”
For a moment, I froze. And it wasn’t just the sultry swaying of her hips that left me speechless. It was what I knew about the beach: As seductive as it looked, the water around the island was littered with man-eating sharks.
My heart raced the closer she got to the shoreline. I had to say something. “You know there are sharks around here, right?” I asked, forcing a smile.
“Are you scared of a few sharks?” she playfully taunted as she glanced back.
“I wrestled a bear,” I replied, feeling cocky.
“I saw you,” she said before turning to me flirtatiously.
The sexual energy between us was inescapable. She made me feel like a man, and I wanted to protect her. So when her feet entered the water, it took everything in me to not sprint across the beach and drag her out.
“Join me. The water’s warm.”
“I wou
ld, but I don’t have a suit,” I replied.
“Sure you do. You have your birthday suit, don’t you?” she suggested before taking a few steps and diving under.
My heart pounded as I frantically scanned around her for slithering, dark objects. Brad’s Viking funeral had taught me how close to shore the sharks got. Rose’s life was in danger, even if she didn’t know it.
She resurfaced, and her dark curly hair was slicked down against her neck. “So, are you gonna make me swim alone?”
So many questions flooded my mind as I stared at the beautiful woman in front of me. Were there sharks in the water or not? Should I join her or demand that she come out? Were we actually in a game show, or was something else going?
Watching the beautiful woman wade in the turquoise water, I realized that there was only one question that was important: what did I want? That was simple.
I wanted to strip down and dive into that water with her. I wanted to pull her soft curves against my naked body and feel the warm current wash between us, and I wanted to hold her in my arms and kiss her hard.
As I kicked off my shoes and pulled off my t-shirt, Rose hooted at me. Dropping my pants and underwear, she howled. Actually, she sounded more like a drowning cat. It made me laugh. Scanning the water a final time, I ran across the beach and dove in.
Rose was right. The water was warm. It had been forever since I had swum in the Pacific. It was like heaven.
I opened my eyes underwater looking for Rose’s legs. I saw them ten feet away. Swimming over, I pinched her ankles. She responded with a twitch and then playfully pulled away.
Not letting her go, I grabbed her calf. Her body relaxed. Wanting more, I pulled my face to her thigh. She didn’t move. Feeling frisky, I nipped her.
Rose pushed my head away as her body wriggled. She was giggling. Holding her toned thighs in my large palms, I pushed my hands up the back of her legs. My nose traced the front of her leg as I did.
I felt a rush as my hands brushed her ass. Clutching her soft flesh, the tip of my nose touched the swollen narrows of her bikini. Her body twitched, revealing what she wanted me to do. I paused.