Part 17: The Unexpected Guest

Yolanda and Marita continued to pile the AOL CD’s in a circular pattern on the beach. It was growing tiresome but the reason for placing them here, made the most perfect sense they had heard yet. Marita did have to find them some sunglasses. The glare was starting to give them both headaches.

Marita ripped open another package, pulled out the CD and placed it on the ground. She wiped her sweat and took a deep breath. “I swear if this works, “she smiled, “I am subscribing to AOL when we get back home.”

“I hear ya,” Yolanda said, getting the joke.

The girls continued on their constructing the giant mirror. Elsewhere around the beach, John was waking the wet sand. Most of the other survivors continued to make use of the items they scavenged. Taylor tied a bright green shirt around her chest, to cover her swimsuit. It looked like it was one size too big. John smirked, as he was aware of what it meant usually for a woman to wear a man’s shirt.

Up ahead on the beach, John saw the thin man, the Sony Bono look-a-like. Augustus had retrieved a long black metal case from the water. By the sound of his grunting, it looked like he had been trying to open it for some time and wasn’t getting anywhere. He even took a rock and tried to bash it open but all that did was shatter the rock in two. John grew interested, cause he was familiar with the black case. “You won’t open it,” he told him.

Augustus took a deep breath and looked at the man. “What makes you think so?” he asked.

“It a Tridonite Case, sold in Spain. They make them out of Spanish steel, some of the hardest metal on Earth. The only way to open it is with the combination.”

“And I suppose you know it?”

“I do.”

“Is this your case?”

“No, mine is green. That based belonged to my friend Ramon Vega.”

“Belonged? Past tense?” Augustus was puzzled.

“Yes, he was one of the few that died in the plane crash.”

Augustus stood up, brushing the sand off his hands to the sides of his thighs. He motioned to the case and walked away. John smiled, as it seemed it was his silent way of telling him the case was his now. The man kneeled down and looked at the case. It was covered with stickers of all the places he and Ramon visited. Each one of them held a special memory. John so much wanted his own case back but it would be good to see Ramon’s belongings.

John clicked off the combinations to the case. An Eight, then a fifteen and then a seventy two, the birthday of Ramon’s sister Angela. He opened the case and smiled at the contents.

Up on the beach Eddie walked with his new pal Mr. Kangaroo. It felt a little dryer after letting it sit in the sun. He enjoyed how soft the toy felt and how it seemed to come to him in a time of need. Plus, he’d make a good pillow. He enjoyed sleeping with Tony and Marita but Tony’s shoulder was not comfortable. Mr. Kangaroo would be more than happy to help him in that regard. Eddie leisurely walked down the beach toward his friend Marita. He was delivering a bottle of water to both her and Yolanda, at Tony’s request. Then a snorting sound caught his attention.

From the woods emerged a big hairy boar. The tusked animal snorted, looking around. Then it spotted Eddie. The little boy stared wild eyed at the creature, only seeing a board once in a Zoo. The hairy beast looked at him, then snorted, then spit. Eddie began to back off slowly. Then the boar started to charge him. Eddie turned around and ran for his life.

Marita heard the screaming and then looked up. She was thrown back to see a boar chasing Eddie. She quickly dropped her cds and ran to him.

McKay leaned up and heard the screaming of the little boy. He saw the hairy little monster chasing his young friend. The Australian then grabbed his machete and ran toward the boar. He grunted, diving for it but missed it. Coughing up sand, he quickly got to his feet and ran after the boar. He wasn’t about to let it hurt Eddie.

“TONY!” Eddie screamed, “HELP ME!”

Down the path of the beach, Tony was talking to one of the survivors. He then heard Eddie screaming for him. He asked the person next to him what was happening. They reluctantly told him a boar was chasing the little boy. Tony had to believe it because Eddie sounded really scared but what could a blind man do? He only knew one option. He couldn’t easily defend him from the boar and it must have been charging him. Tony’s plan was to grab Eddie and take the blunt of the boar’s attack. It was the only option. “EDDIE, COME TO ME!” he screamed.

The little boy ran as the boar snorted after him. McKay was closing the gap, trying to take a swing at the creature with his machete. Most of the other survivors got out of the way or just stood and watched. This standing up motion of all the people made John look up.

John saw what was happening from the water. Eddie was being chased by a boar with McKay in tow. The Australian was doing his best to get the animal but he wasn’t going to make it. A boar that size might even have the strength to kill someone. John had to act. He reached into the black case, pulling up a compound bow and one arrow.

He pulled back the string, getting the arrow in place. He concentrated on the boars in. Then he fired his arrow up the beach. A woman squeaked as she felt the sharp edge go under her legs. A loud thud echoed over the beach as the arrow struck the hairy pig in the head. It jerked to the side and landed hard on the beach, kicking up sand. McKay immeidatley stopped running. “WHOA!” he screamed.

Eddie leaped into Tony’s arms and the blind doctor turned around. He paused when he didn’t hear the animal anymore. In fact it should have struck him by then. “Where’s the boar?” asked the blind doctor.

“He’s dead.” Eddie said, a little shocked.

“How?” asked Tony.

“WHOA!” McKay screamed a second time.

“John shot him with an arrow.” Kristy said nearby.

The crowed turned to look at the archer walking up the beach, compound bow in one hand and black case in the other. Most were amazed about what they saw. Some others even began to clap. Tony gently led down Eddie from his embrace, while Marita approached them both. She hugged Eddie, almost to let her know he’s okay. McKay walked over to the boar who was definitely dead, with the arrow in it’s brain. The Australian turned to his friend, “how did you do that?”

“I didn’t do anything, “ John huffed, “I just killed a boar.”

“You killed a boar that was, what, thirty feet away. Not everybody can do such a thing, John!”

“John Riggs!” Martin laughed, “I knew I knew you! You were in the Olympics, archery tournament.”

“You were in the Olympics, John?” asked Tony.

“Yeah, I competed in the Olympics when it was in Sydney.”

“Yeah, you got the silver metal!” Martin pointed out.

“Could have fooled me.” McKay said, staring at the big.

“Anyway, thank you, John.” Tony said.

“You all right, Eddie?” the archer asked.

“Thanks, Mr. John. I didn’t want to get anywhere near that pig.” The Little boy said, hugging his toy kangaroo.

“Well, “ McKay laughed, “It just so happens this boar is big enough to feed 22 people. Who is up for some bar-b-q?”

The group laughed, and applauded. Most patted John on the back. All he did was smile. He was pleased to get the fondness of the crowd. Tony was happy that he saved Eddie but he was a little curious.

How could a silver metalist make such a fantastic shot?