by James Holler
One thing about this type of living was that there was never a day off. A day off might mean not having enough water, a fire, or something to eat. He bent over to check the temperature of the water. It was still too hot. When he straightened up, his boxers slipped, going down about half way on his butt cheeks before he caught them. He had gone a couple of days without them, but he still wasn't ready to do that full time.
Growing impatient to get started, John decided to drink the water in his pot when he got back from gathering fruit. He grabbed his spear in one hand and picked up his shirt and knife with the other. He usually used his shirt to carry things in. The closest tree was to the north, so he headed in that direction, which was about a twenty minute walk.
His walks through the jungle were different than when he first arrived. Now his moves are more calculated, because he is no longer just an observer, he was part of this place. Like it or not, he was part of the jungle, and it had become part of him. Looking ahead, from side to side, and occasionally behind him, he made slow progress toward his destination. His skin was darkened from sun exposure, with smudges of dirt and grime here and there, allowing him to blend in with his surroundings much better than when he was pearly white and clean.
About halfway there, John paused for a short break, wiping some sweat from his forehead. Without warning, a sharp pain surged from the front of his head to the back. He had felt that pain once before, but this time it was worse. He dropped his things and grabbed his head with both hands. The pain was intense, but short. When it subsided, he picked up his things, and without even giving it a thought, took a right turn toward the beach.
He walked about twenty feet before he even realized he was walking away from where he planned to go. He was aware of the direction he was heading, but strangely, he had no desire to change direction, as he picked up his pace.
Once John reached the beach, he stood there much like a person does when they walk into a room, and forgot what they went there for. He started to walk south along the beach. When on the beach, it was a habit now for John to look for anything that might be useful. Scanning from side to side, what he saw next almost didn't register at first. It was something he'd seen many times, but not here.
Foot prints....there were real foot prints. It wasn't just one set of prints, but it looked like two. I'm not alone. What does this mean, he wondered. How many people are here? Maybe there is a village. I hope they have food, he thought. Like the day he arrived, his mind was full of questions and thoughts.
With excitement, John looked up ahead, and saw nobody in sight. The shoreline had a curve to it that he couldn't see past. He moved closer to the tree line where the walking was a little easier. He started to jog, constantly checking for tracks near him, and trying not to lose track of the footprints in the sand, farther out on the beach.
His heart was pounding, partly from the physical exertion, and partly from excitement. As he neared the curve, his excitement built. He wanted to see people more than anything he had ever wanted before. He sprinted the final one hundred feet, and as he rounded the curve, he could see two people in the distance. "Hey, hey, hey," he yelled so loudly that it hurt his throat. Being too far away, they couldn't hear him. This is going to take a while, he thought.
John hadn't brought any water with him, because he wasn't planning on being gone very long. He was already thirsty, but for now, catching up to the two strangers was more important to him. They were probably a mile or more away. He would have to pace himself, while still trying to gain ground. Staying close to the tree line to take advantage of shade, he walked at a fast pace, always looking ahead.
Occasionally running for short bursts, he had to hold the waist band of his boxers to keep them from falling down. The two people ahead were walking slowly, so in a short time, he was making noticeable gains. He could see them better now, and they looked like two women. Quickly analyzing the facts, he came to a conclusion, as to why these women might be here on this beach. He hoped that he was wrong, for himself, and for them.
John tried yelling again. "Hey," he screamed with all the effort he could muster. They still couldn't hear him because the ocean was muffling the sound of his voice. As he got closer he could see that they were both young. They stopped walking, and were talking to each other. One of them looked black, and the other one looked either really tan, or some race other than white. They were in the middle of the beach, but now they headed toward the tree line.
When they reached the edge of the vegetation, they stopped and both sat down. Turn this way, he thought. They were both looking out toward the ocean, but then one of them turned her head in his direction. He quickly ran out on the beach and began to wave his arms, hoping to catch her attention. She pointed at him, and the other woman looked. He felt relieved that they finally knew he was here and began to jog towards them, as they both stood up.
He felt an instant shot of adrenalin from the anticipation he felt. All the positive feelings he was experiencing were instantly dashed when they started to run in the opposite direction. The possibility that they might be afraid of him hadn't crossed his mind till this moment.
Why wouldn't they be afraid, he thought. He hadn't shaved, had a haircut, or even combed his hair for months. And if that wasn't enough to frighten them off, he was in his boxer shorts and carrying a spear and a knife. He immediately dropped his spear, wrapped his knife with his shirt, and ran after them. Every few seconds, one or the other of the two women would look over their shoulder to see if John was still there.
They stopped, talked for a few seconds, then ran into the jungle. "No," John screamed. It was a scream of frustration as much as anything. OK, I need to keep an eye on the spot where they went in, he thought. He stopped running, and focused on the spot, as he walked toward it. After a tiring twenty minute walk, he was nearing the tree where he'd seen them enter the undergrowth. He stopped to rest and think of some kind of plan.
Did they go deeper into the jungle, he wondered. Remembering his first day here, he thought they might be afraid to go too far away from the beach. His throat was very dry from the yelling, running, and walking. He could see that they weren't carrying anything, so he knew that they probably needed a drink as badly as he did. I'll offer them water, he thought.
John walked as close to where the two women had entered the jungle as he could. "Hello, are you in there?" he shouted. He waited for a response. He heard nothing but the usual sounds of birds, and the ocean in the background. "I have water," he shouted, after only a few seconds. Again he waited, hoping to hear the sound of a human voice. It was apparent that the women were more afraid of him than they were of the jungle.
Fearing that he would drive them farther away from the beach, he didn't want to pressure them. "I'll come back tomorrow with water. If you want it, I'll be here then," he yelled out, then walked fifty feet or so away. "See you tomorrow," he said, not as loudly, so they could tell that he was walking away. He kept walking until he reached a vantage point that allowed him to view the area where he had seen them leave the beach, found a place to sit, and waited.
He remembered his first day here, and he knew how they must be feeling. He thought of how the noises of the night were a little scary for him. He guessed that it would have the same effect on these strangers, from who knows where. He stayed hidden, hoping his plan would work, since daylight was running out.
After what seemed like several hours, he saw a woman's head peek out from behind some leaves. She was looking in his direction, but he was confident that she couldn't see him. She disappeared back into the bushes. A minute or two later, she appeared again, this time sticking her head out all the way. She looked both ways, checking to see if John was gone. She turned her head, and said something, then cautiously stepped out in the open. John could see that she was very tan and athletic looking, with long, dark brown hair. She was taller than the other woman, but not by much. Right behind her was the second woman. She had attractive features, and was also very fit
looking. She was black, with very short hair, and was carrying her shoes in her hand.
Both women walked out away from the trees, to get a better look down the beach. They each looked in both directions several times. John was close enough to barely hear their voices, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. Satisfied that he was gone, they moved closer to the edge of the vegetation, and proceeded to walk away from where John was hiding. John quietly rose to his feet. He knew that could make better time on the solid floor of the jungle than they could in the sand. He quickly walked deeper into the jungle, then began to run. With bare feet, he made almost no noise.
In no time he had passed them, and was at least fifty yards ahead of them. Once he was confident that he was far enough ahead, he stopped running. At a brisk pace, he then walked toward the beach. Staying low, and moving as if he were hunting prey, he eased his way closer to the edge of the tree line. That's perfect, he thought, as he noticed a thick heavy bush near where the sand began. Feeling the excitement building, he crawled on his hands and knees for most of the last twenty feet, then inched along on his stomach for the last few feet. Careful not to expose his position, he found a spot that allowed him to see through small openings between the leaves of the bush.
Just barely out on the sand, they were coming his way, and would soon be coming right by him. Suddenly John became aware of how he would look to these women. As he was lying there, he could smell his own body odor, and knew how filthy he looked. He had smelled bad for months and rarely even tried to wash up. He never saw much point in cleaning up, since he was alone. Things were different now, soon another person would see him and smell him. He was embarrassed and ashamed, but still very excited. The feeling he had now reminded him of the first time he shot a deer. He got buck fever so bad, that it was hard to hold his rifle still enough to shoot. Now, as then, he was shaking. He didn't want to scare them, but he knew he didn't have a choice.
As the two women neared, he pulled his head back out of sight. Pushing his shirt and knife to one side, he got up from his prone position, to his hands and knees. At the first glimpse of clothing through the leaves, he jumped out and grabbed the nearest woman. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said quickly, as he held onto the frightened woman. He barely got the words out of his mouth, when she bit him hard, causing him to yell out, in pain. He let her go, and at the same moment, he felt a flurry of blows hitting him in the face and head. "Leave us alone," the woman hitting him said, with a mixture of fear and anger in her voice.
"I don't want to hurt you," John said, as he jumped back. "My name is John, and I'm from Colorado. I've been stuck here for months. Who are you, and where are you from?" He could tell from the expressions on their faces that his appearance and odor must be repulsive. "Just stay back," said the one he had grabbed. The short but intense encounter had them all breathing hard.
"I'm Hailey, from California. Where are we?" the one who had hit him said, while taking a few more steps back from John. "I don't know, let me guess. You both just woke up on the beach here. Right?" said John. The two women looked at each other. "Same thing happened to me," said John, hoping to gain their trust. "What's your name?" asked John, looking at the one who had bitten him. "Katie, I'm from Florida," she responded. John felt moisture trickle from his nose. He rubbed it with the back of his hand, confirming that his nose was bleeding, as he suspected.
John already had an idea why the women were here, and he didn't like what he was thinking. How much should I tell them, and how soon, he wondered. One thing is for sure, I have to break the news to them before the moon comes out tonight. John was feeling genuine empathy for these women, because he had been in their shoes just months before. This is going to be hard for them to hear, and it will be hard for me to tell them, he thought.
"Was that your signal fire, and arrow in the sand, back where we came from?" Hailey asked. "Yes, I set that up a while back," said John. "Do you know how we got here?" asked Katie. "Nope, don't have a clue," said John. "Look, if you two are half as thirsty as I am, then I know you could use some water. Why don't we go to my camp and get some," he said, trying to avoid more questions. "I guess we don't really have another option right now," Hailey said, looking at Katie.
"Let me get my shirt first," said John, as he jogged over to where he left it. Not wanting to worry his new guests, he kept his knife carefully wrapped, and out of sight. "Listen, I've got a lot to tell you two, but I'd rather not get started in a long question and answer session until we get something to drink. Then I'll explain everything," said John, taking a few steps in the direction they had just come from.
Katie couldn't wait for answers. "Do you have any idea where we are?" she asked John. "Not really," he answered. "I'll tell you what I know, and what I don't know, when we get back to my camp." He intentionally didn't call it home, because he didn't want them to know yet that this was now their home too. John felt relieved and happy that he wasn't alone anymore. Any positive feelings he had though, were dampened by the guilt he felt for having them.
The end of his solitude came at the cost of Katie's and Hailey's freedom. They didn't know yet that they would never be going home, or that life as they once knew it ended today. Giving up on getting any answers, Hailey and Katie kept silent, except to ask how much farther it was. On the way back, John tried to go over in his mind how he would break the bad news to them, but decided there wasn't a good way. With all the added walking, the three had built up a serious thirst. "Let's get some water," said John, as his hut came into sight.
The water was still in his pot, just as he had left it that morning. Picking up his drinking cup, he poured from the pot till the cup was full. He handed the cup to Katie, then he handed what was left in the pot to Hailey, and said, "Go ahead and drink out of the pot."
Katie had hers gone in seconds. Hailey, aware that John was probably thirsty too, drank about half of what was in the pot, and then handed the rest to John. John filled Katie's cup again, then drank what was left in the pot. Between the three of them, the water in the pot wasn't enough to quench their thirst. John walked over and got his plastic water container and they continued to drink until they were all satisfied.
"We better get some more water going," said John, as he threw his shirt down and walked toward the pool. When the shirt hit the ground, the knife rolled out. Both women noticed it, and glanced at each other to see if the other had seen it too. After filling the pot with water, John checked for hot embers in the fire, and found none. He was gone much longer than he planned, so the wood he put on the fire when he left wasn't enough to keep it going.
He went into his hut for some fire starting material. This was a special occasion, so he would use one of his remaining matches to get the fire going again. In a few minutes he had it going, and positioned his newly filled pot over the edge.
He had an overwhelming feeling of self-consciousness. Before the women arrived, it never mattered that he hadn't taken a bath since he woke up on the beach, or that the back of his boxers were badly soiled from sitting in the dirt. He thought back to the day when he looked at his reflection in the pool, and realized, that was the image they were seeing now. He felt embarrassed and ashamed.
It seemed like an eternity since he had seen a woman. He was trying not to stare at them, but couldn't help himself. They both looked like they just dropped in from a trip to the mall. They were both pretty, and it took all the willpower that he had to keep from being mesmerized.
"OK, now that we have that going, I will fill you in on what I know, and what I don't," said John, looking at his guests. Eager for answers, they both listened intently. "Months ago, I went to sleep in Colorado, and woke up here. I have no idea how I got here, where we are, or who is behind this. I haven't seen another person since I've been here, until today, when you arrived. There is a pretty good reason why I haven't seen anyone here. You are going to think I'm nuts when I tell you this, but we aren't on earth anymore," said John. Katie and Hailey looked at each other.
John could tell by their expressions that they thought he was insane, or lying.
"I know what you are probably thinking. You will see tonight when the moon comes out. It will convince you," said John. "How will the moon convince us?" asked Hailey. "It's huge," said John. "Much bigger than the moon you are used to seeing." Again the women looked at each other. "Do you remember how far the water was from the tree line?" asked John, looking at Hailey, and then Katie. They both nodded. "I think that is because of the big moon. There is a huge difference between high tide, and low tide," said John. "Oh, that makes sense," Hailey said, trying her best to convince John that she believed him, even though she didn't.
"Is that where you always get your water," Hailey asked John. "Yes, it's the only place I know of," he replied. "Let's take a look," Hailey said to Katie, motioning for her to come with her. The two women walked over to the pool of water. Looking back, to see if they were far enough away from John, so he wouldn't hear, Hailey said, "We can't stay here, this guy is crazy. As soon as he goes to sleep tonight, we'll get the hell out of here. For now though, we'll play along with him, so he won't go off or something." Katie nodded in agreement. "If he tries anything crazy, I'll distract him, and you go for his knife. Let's get back, before he gets suspicious," said Katie, as she began to walk back to where John was seated.
"So, what have you been eating around here," asked Katie, as the two women joined John by the fire. "Mostly fruit and fish, but I did get one tiny deer," said John. "I was going out for fruit today, when I found your footprints in the sand, so I haven't had anything to eat yet. I still have three pieces of fruit left, so we can each have one."
Going into his hut, he brought back the fruit, and handed one to each of the women. John took a big bite out of his, and the women followed his lead, although showing a little caution, by nibbling first. After they had finished their meager meal, John broke the awkward silence. "I still might have enough time to catch a fish or two today, but by the time I got it cooked, I know it would be dark. Once you see the moon, I'm pretty sure you won't feel like eating." Trying not to make it obvious, Hailey and Katie snuck another look at each other.