by Rick Poldark
Jason sat up and looked over at Tracey, who was curled up on the ground, sound asleep. “I thought you weren’t supposed to be left alone.”
“Nazimaa came to test me,” said Peter. “She posed as Tracey.”
“What did she want?”
“I don’t know. To torment me. She told me I was going to get her off this island. That it was why she brought me here.”
Jason looked around, alert. “She’s going to come for me, isn’t she?”
“Probably. You should wake Mary up. I’m going to get some shut eye.”
Jason nodded. He stood, brushing himself off. As he walked over to Mary, shaking her gently, Peter lay back and closed his eyes. Although he was rattled, he was totally and truly exhausted. Sleep took him quickly, and he drifted off into a dreamless oblivion.
*
When he opened his eyes, everyone else was gone. Peter sat up, rubbing his eyes. The campfire had been extinguished, the kindling smoking. The ground felt wet.
Jason burst out of the jungle clasping his spear. His shirt was out of his pants, his hair was a mess, and he looked panicked. “Jesus, Peter, you’re finally awake.”
Peter sat up, rubbing his eyes. He felt groggy. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
“The girls are gone. I tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t wake up.”
Peter tried to stand. He felt woozy, and the jungle spun around him. “Where’d they go?”
Jason’s eyes darted around their campsite. He looked like a madman. “I was visited by Nazimaa last night. She appeared as Joey, but I knew better. When she saw I wasn’t taking the bait, she became enraged…and that’s the last thing I remember.”
“Three guesses where she’s taken them.”
Jason nodded. “Well, now we know she really wants us to go to the temple.”
“The both of us,” added Peter. “We have to go now.”
“Agreed,” said Jason. “She’ll have two advantages: she’ll be ready for us, and she has our friends.”
“We’ll have to be careful,” said Peter.
“Come on,” said Jason. “We’ll come up with a plan as we go.”
*
Peter pointed ahead. “We have to go this way.”
“I know,” said Jason. Peter looked at him, surprised. Jason pointed to his head. “She put the map in my brain, too. Just in case.”
They traipsed through the jungle, careful not to stray too far from the river. They had to cut further into the jungle as the riverbank gave way to a rocky cliff that rose up between seventy-five and a hundred feet into the air, but neither was worried. They had an internal, cognitive navigation directing them.
“How did you resist her?” asked Peter.
“Nazimaa?”
Peter nodded.
Jason huffed. “You know, I’m not as weak-brained as everyone thinks I am.”
Peter shot him a sideways look. “Oh, come on. I never said you were.”
“You used to think I was a moron,” said Jason. “When we first met.”
Peter smirked back. “And you thought I was a geek.”
“Still do,” said Jason.
They both shared a chuckle.
“I know the difference between fantasy and reality,” said Jason.
Peter raised both eyebrows. “She can be pretty convincing. She got me.”
“Pretending to be Tracey?”
“Yup. It felt so…”
“Good?” offered Jason, finishing his thought.
Peter blushed. “I was going to say real, but yeah. It felt good.”
“She really does care about you, you know. And I mean as more than a friend.”
“I know,” said Peter. “I’ve always felt the same way about her. It was just never reciprocated.”
Jason pondered this idea as he swept hanging vines away with his right hand. “Did it ever occur to you that she wasn’t in a good position to reciprocate?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the two of you worked together, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Does the university have a no fraternizing rule?”
Peter shrugged his shoulders. “Between faculty and students. Not really between professors, although it’s discouraged.”
“You also have to think of it this way,” said Jason. “What if it didn’t work out? Then the two of you would be stuck working together. It would be awkward, to say the least.”
Peter nodded. “That’s exactly what she said. I guess there could be some truth to that.”
Jason waved his hand in front of him, as if he was clearing an imaginary chalkboard. “Okay, let’s look at it from an animalistic point of view.”
“Okay…” Peter was unsure of where his friend was going with this.
“You know that animals have mating rituals, some very elaborate.”
“Okay. Sure.”
“Well, you know what happens if one little detail is off.”
“The mating doesn’t happen.”
“Right. People aren’t so different. We’re all animals. There are certain requirements or conditions that have to be met before mating occurs.”
“Okay…” Peter was sure Jason knew what these conditions were, and he was sure the hunter exploited them whenever possible.
“Timing is important. She likes you, but before now the timing wasn’t right.”
“It still might not be right,” said Peter. “Now I’m with Mary.”
“That is a complication,” agreed Jason. “You have a big decision to make, assuming we all make it out of this alive.”
“That’s a big assumption.”
The two men traded smiles. Peter had grown to like Jason. It was true, when they’d first met, he didn’t like the man. The hunter reminded him of the jock douchebags that had always tormented him when he was younger. But there was more to Jason than met the eye, and they had become close friends. They’d saved each other’s skins a few times whilst on the island.
“Why do you think Nazimaa separated the two orbs?” asked Peter. “Wouldn’t the death orb be harmless with me?”
“I don’t think she fears the death orb,” said Jason. “I think she needs someone to access its power. She wouldn’t have that if it remained with you.”
“That makes sense,” said Peter. “The question is, how is she going to make us use the orbs to free her?”
Jason’s grin faded quickly from his face. He stopped dead in his tracks and extended his left arm out in front of Peter.
Peter stopped short. “What? What is it?” he whispered, his eyes searching all around them. Was it a dinosaur? Something else?”
Before Jason could respond, a hunting party of Zehhaki burst out of the vegetation, surrounding them. They flared their dewlaps, hissing at the two humans and jabbing at them with sharp spear tips.
“Stay close,” said Jason, jabbing back at them with his own spear to create distance.
Peter went back-to-back with the hunter as the Zehhaki formed a semi-circle around them. “Use the death orb.”
“Okay.” Jason reached deep within himself, but that sensation he’d experienced when Susan was being mauled wasn’t there. He even closed his eyes, focusing intently, but it was as if his focus had no target. He opened his eyes again. “Problem.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I can’t feel it.”
“What do you mean, you can’t feel it? You felt it before.”
“That was different.”
“How was it different?”
“I have no idea.”
The Zehhaki tightened the circle, pushing Peter and Jason to the cliff’s edge. Peter heard the river flowing down below. “We’re out of wiggle room.”
Jason looked over his shoulder and saw the drop. “We’re going to have to fight our way out.”
“We could jump,” offered Peter.
Jason looked back over his shoulder. “That’s a big drop, man. I think we can fight our way out.”
“Only you’re armed,” said Peter. He counted in his mind. “There’s ten of them. They must’ve been following us.”
Two rushed in, lunging with their spears. Jason pushed his spear tip into one Zehhaki’s stomach, but he was stabbed simultaneously by the others. He cried out in pain.
Peter stumbled backwards, teetering on the edge of the rocky cliff. His heels knocked loose pebbles off the side, sending them falling to the river below. He reached out and grabbed Jason to steady himself, but it was too late. He stumbled backwards off the cliff, taking his friend with him.
After a few seconds of terrifying freefall, they plunged into the river. Peter turned head over heels underwater as the strong current rolled him. He quickly became disoriented, not knowing which way was up. He had also lost track of Jason.
He unfurled his body and kicked, breaching the surface and filling his lungs with much needed air. He bobbed up and down as the river took him south. He searched for Jason, wiping the water out of his eyes. However, the act of rubbing his eyes caused him to sink, and he needed to tread water just to stay afloat. As far as he could tell, Jason was nowhere to be found.
After the river snaked left and then right, the current slowed and Peter was able to breathe and regain his bearings. He looked around but didn’t see anything. “Jason!” he called out. “Jason! Where are you?”
For a moment, he thought of the Spinosaurus, but he fought down panic. He needed to find his friend. He closed his eyes and reached out, harnessing the power of the life orb. He felt Jason. He was close. Peter opened his eyes and looked beneath him. He drew in a deep breath and dipped under the surface.
Closing his eyes, he used the life orb to locate his friend. Jason was rolling, unconscious, underwater. Peter didn’t sense any large aquatic predators, which was encouraging. He reached out, grabbed Jason, and pulled him to the surface.
Peter gasped for air as he lay on his back, grabbing his friend. When he located Jason, he also felt that his lifeforce was weak and fading fast. Peter kicked his legs, swimming in a perpendicular line, making his way towards the eastern shore. Once again, the current turned his vector into a hypotenuse, only the current was weak and the angle more acute.
As he crawled onto shore, he dragged Jason with him. He knelt in the silt and pulled his friend, dragging him out of the water and onto the riverbed. He rolled Jason onto his back and placed an ear to his chest. Jason’s sides bled out onto the silt, staining it crimson. He had suffered so many stab wounds.
Peter closed his eyes and summoned the power within him. He felt the life orb illuminate. It was a warm sensation. He felt Jason’s lifeforce beneath him, growing smaller. He touched its essence with his power, infusing it. He pushed the water from out of his lungs and infused Jason’s stopped heart with the power of life. He then repaired Jason’s wounds from the inside out, first replenishing the damaged organs and then mending flesh and skin.
When Peter opened his eyes, Jason was sitting up. Peter smiled.
Jason rubbed his forehead. “My head is pounding.”
“That’s four you owe me now.”
Jason grimaced as he struggled to stand. “Four? Wait…you’re not counting that time with the Compys, are you?”
Peter smirked. “Of course I am.”
Jason wagged a finger. “I had that under control. They were tiny little buggers. I would’ve taken them.”
Peter laughed. “Good to have you back amongst the living…again.”
“You were right,” said Jason. “We should’ve jumped.”
Peter didn’t mention that he actually fell. He’d never live it down. “I think we can still make it to the temple fairly easily.”
“Yeah, but now we know the lizard men are following us. They don’t want us to make it.”
“That was when I was going to awaken their rivals,” explained Peter. “I’m not doing that now.”
“Yeah, well you try explaining that to them.” He looked around. “Dammit, I lost my spear.”
Peter puffed his chest out and grinned. “We have all we need. We have the life and death orbs.”
Jason shot Peter a weary glance. “Yeah, I just have to figure out how to use mine.”
Peter shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe that’s a good thing. If you don’t know how to use it, you can’t use it to free Nazimaa. Oh, and now you know how I feel. Isn’t so easy, is it?”
Jason shook his head. “No, I guess not.”
Peter pointed up ahead. “All we have to do is follow the river south.”
“I know,” reminded Jason, pointing his index finger to his temple. “I have the map, too. Remember? It’s on the other side of the river. We’ll have to cross it at some point.”
They started to walk.
“How do you suppose Nazimaa dragged two unwilling women to the temple?” asked Peter.
“She is powerful,” said Jason.
Peter wore a pained expression on his face. “I…I just don’t understand this place. I can feel everything, but I don’t understand any of it.”
“You didn’t feel that this wasn’t an island,” said Jason. “Maybe you’re not as omnipotent as you thought.”
“Omniscient,” corrected Peter.
“Whatever.”
Peter chuckled to himself. “I guess not.”
“We do have one thing going for us, though.”
“What’s that?”
Jason winked. “We haven’t run into any dinosaurs since we saw the gibbons.”
Peter sighed. “I’m really sorry about Susan. If there was anything I could’ve done…”
Jason held up a hand, palm facing out. “Forget it. I totally get it, mate. It wasn’t your fault.”
Peter felt relieved. The last thing he wanted to do was lose Jason’s friendship. The only thing was, he couldn’t forget it. Susan was torn to pieces, and he was powerless to stop it. What if…?
“We’ll save Tracey and Mary,” said Jason, as if he had read Peter’s mind. “We won’t let anything happen to them.”
Peter wondered if Jason could read his mind, having the other orb and all. Maybe they were now connected in some way, brothers in orbs. “How do we know they’re still alive? How do we know Nazimaa didn’t just kill them and cast their bodies into the jungle?”
“One, because she needs them alive to dangle in front of us. Two, I’d feel them.”
This startled Peter. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I’d feel them. I can feel all the dead things around me, just as you feel all life. I can’t feel them. Therefore, they must be alive.”
“Fascinating,” gasped Peter. “Do you think…?”
“I could awaken the dead as zombies?” said Jason, finishing Peter’s thought. “Just like Mike Deluca? I’m not sure, and I’m not sure I want to find out.”
“Agreed.”
“Hey, do you think that we can get rid of these orbs, once we’re done with all of this?”
“Like remove them from our bodies?” asked Peter.
Jason nodded. “Nazimaa pulled the death orb out of you. Maybe they can be removed, and we can be…”
“Normal,” said Peter.
Jason flinched. “I’ve never used that word to describe myself before, but yes.”
“Maybe it’s possible,” said Peter. “But first thing’s first.”
“Rescue the women,” said Jason.
They trekked south, following the river. Peter and Jason cast nervous glances up at the cliffs to the west. They didn’t see any Zehhaki following them. Peter reached out with his senses and confirmed it.
Eventually, they came to a point where the river snaked east, but across the river they saw what was undoubtedly the Temple of the Simian King. A large relief of a massive ape was carved into the side of the rock cliff. Its arms were raised above its head, its eyes wide, and its massive mouth complete with sharp teeth agape. The yawning mouth had to have been fifteen feet high, and within was pitch darkness. It was the entrance.
&nbs
p; “Well, there it is,” said Peter. “What’s the plan?”
Jason scratched his head, surveying the area. “First, we have to cross the river.”
“Okay…then what?”
“We know it’s a trap. So, we spring the trap.”
“That’s not much of a plan,” remarked Peter. “In fact, I don’t even think that qualifies as a plan at all.”
“Well, what’s your idea, Einstein?”
“Don’t call me that.” Peter looked around, thinking. “We won’t need torches, because I can sense anything living in there.”
“And I can sense anything dead,” added Jason.
“Right. I’m guessing there shouldn’t be much of either in there. But, if it’s anything like the Zehhaki temple, there’ll be traps.”
“Right, so we proceed with extreme caution.”
“She’ll be waiting for us,” said Peter. “She’ll threaten Mary and Tracey to bend us to her will.”
“That does present a problem…What if only one of us goes in there? Say, me. When she finds me, I’ll tell her you didn’t survive. If she thinks you’re dead, she won’t be looking for you.”
“That’s not going to work.”
“Why is that?” Jason appeared annoyed by Peter’s immediate dismissal of his plan.
“Number one, she won’t believe you. Number two, she’s always found me before. I don’t think I can hide from her.”
Jason squinted in the hot sun, swatting a mosquito off the back of his neck. “Okay, so we don’t hide from her. We let her lead us right to her body. Then, instead of helping free her, we destroy it.”
“How do you propose we do that?” asked Peter. “We don’t have any fire, and all you have is a hunting knife.”
“If she’s been entombed for a really long time, maybe she’s like a mummy or something. Her body should be delicate. I bet it would crumble easily.”
“I don’t think she’ll give us the chance to destroy it.”
“She can’t handle the both of us,” said Jason. “We’ll have to work as a team. Whichever of us can keep her attention, the other will destroy the body.”
“How will we know who will do what?”
Jason shrugged his shoulders. “We won’t. We’ll have to wait and see how things unfold.” He saw Peter’s discomfort with the plan and added, “It’s our only play.”