Part 24 : Poteet's Fate
Tony brushed aside branch after branch. The tree bark was becoming all too familiar. His exposed arms couldn’t stop scrapping them. Swinging his cane from left to right, he cleared out a path. Eventually he stumbled forward slightly. The blind doctor swung his cane from side to side and hitting nothing. He quickly reached down and felt of the ground. It was nothing but dry straw and leaves. “Clearing.” Tony whispered, “Got it.”
He kept track of what he touched in order to find his way back to the beach. He wasn’t about to let anyone, let only himself, refer to him as helpless. He was going to find Poteet and according to the way he felt, the large man deserved a good bashing.
Tony paused, and winced in pain, feeling his sweat sting his eye wound. How long had he been walking? He caught his breath and tried to control the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. Taking a deep breath, he listened for the familiar sound of a wheezing. Nothing. He took a whiff into the air to try and find that familiar body stink that Poteet gave off.
Nothing.
Tony gritted his teeth. He possibly lost him. But did he have him the in first place? He was, after all, blind. Did he have any business walking through the jungle by himself? Tony didn’t want to admit he was helpless, or a cripple. He refused to give into despair. He dropped to his knees, holding the gain. He just needed a little more strength, that’s all. A little more time to push forward. Finding Poteet in the end was irrelevant. He needed the alcohol to clean his wound.
He stood up, took a deep breath and continued to walk the clearing. He vowed he’d go another few feet and if he didn’t find Poteet then, he’d turn around and head back. Then he’d come back with his friend and they’d all be looking for that fat maniac.
Tony stopped when his foot struck something. It felt and sounded like he just kicked over a bottle. The blind doctor immediately collapsed onto his knees and felt around for the bottle. He then found it to his 2 o’clock. Picking it up, he felt of it’s shape and size. It did feel like the vodka bottle. Tony quickly placed the open port of the bottle onto his left palm and tilted it up. He felt a few drops land on his hand. Tony then shook the bottle near his ear.
Nothing.
“BASTARD!” Tony screamed, as he threw the bottle into the jungle.
Tony breathed through his teeth. He never felt so mad in his life. The stupidity of that man had doomed him, if the rescue party doesn’t arrive in the next three days. The blind doctor then got to his feet. There was no point left. He might as well head back to the beach.
Then he heard something emerging from the jungle, like branches being pushed aside. Rasped breathing followed by heavy foot steps. He could also hear a slight mumbling sound. “Poteet?” Tony called, holding up his cane like a baseball bat, “I strongly advise you DON’T answer me. That is my professional medical opinion.”
“Help me.” Poteet mumbled.
“I can’t help you, you stupid bastard!” the blind doctor screamed, “There is no more alcohol! You screwed yourself and worse of all, you screwed me! Don’t come near me or I’ll cave your freaking head in!”
“Please, “Poteet stuttered, “You have to help . . .me.”
Tony paused. Something else was wrong. Poteet didn’t seem like the type of man who begged for anything. Was it a trick? Was he playing off the fact that Tony was blind? Every instinct in the former marine told him something was more severe than an alcoholic withdrawal. He slowly lowered his cane. “What are you talking about?” Tony demanded, “If this is some king of-“
Tony was thrown back as Poteet embraced him. He almost wretched from the smell of the stinking man but there was another familiar smell. The smell of blood. He could feel the blood getting all over his shirt and arms. Tony shoved the man back slightly. He then felt of his chest, feeling Poteet’s torn shirt and open cuts. “Who did this to you?” Tony asked.
“You have to help me, “Poteet coughed in desperation, “You have to protect me?”
“Protect you from who?”
Then a massive crash echoed through the jungle. Trees were being pushed aside. The heavy impact tremors of something big could be felt under Tony’s feet. The loud guttural growl of a huge beast gave the blind doctor pause. He knew it was the monster that appeared to them. The creature Eddie called the Polliwog.
Tony then gasped as Poteet got him in a headlock. The doctor fought against the large man but once again, he was taller and caught him off guard. Poteet was slowly dragging Tony back. The blind doctor struggled against him. “Help me,” Poteet begged.
“Let go of me!” Tony demanded.
“You have to protect me.” Poteet repeated.
Tony realized what that protection meant. Poteet was surely going to feed Tony to the Polliwog while he ran for it. But the blind doctor had no intention of dying that way.
He quickly raised his right foot, slamming it into Poteet’s crotch. As he let go of him slightly, Tony thrust his head back, colliding with the large man’s nose. Poteet let go of the blind doctor as he held onto his nose, blood streaming down his fingers. Then Tony jerked as he felt Poteet shove him forward. “Take him!” the bald man insisted.
Tony landed hard on the ground. He could hear Poteet running. The blind doctor wished he had one more change to tell Marita how he felt about her. He then curled up and placed his arms over his head. The near deafening sound of the creature as it let out a roar echoed through the trees. Then one impact tremor pounded the ground then another. Tony could feel the air current as the Polliwog past over him.
Tony raised his head. It walked over him! It didn’t touch him at all. The blind doctor could hear Poteet running. He felt more impact tremors. The Polliwog was chasing Poteet and Poteet alone? Why? Tony couldn’t understand why the monster spared him. “NO!” Poteet screamed, “KILL HIM, NOT ME. NOT MEEE . . . .EEEEEYARRRGGGGHHHH!!!”
Tony gasped he heard the sound of ripping fresh and breaking bones. The monster was eating him??? The blind doctor heard Poteet continue to scream along with the sound of breaking bones. Then the screams stopped. The thought of what Tony was hearing was way too much for his mind to comprehend. The heavy foot falls began again, but moving away from Tony. The monster was leaving him. Tony couldn’t rely on his hearing anymore. He had to see it, he had to!
Tony held the bandage over his right eye and began to remove his blindfold. He didn’t care over the fact that his left eye could only see blurry images. He had to see something! As the blindfold fell away, Tony looked into the jungle. He thought he saw a large shape disappear into the woods. The trees and branches were swaying as if something huge just past through them. He heard the Polliwog scream one more time.
Then it was gone.
Tony slowly tied back his blindfold. He couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. Never in his life had he ever encountered something like this.
Never in his life.
He kept track of what he touched in order to find his way back to the beach. He wasn’t about to let anyone, let only himself, refer to him as helpless. He was going to find Poteet and according to the way he felt, the large man deserved a good bashing.
Tony paused, and winced in pain, feeling his sweat sting his eye wound. How long had he been walking? He caught his breath and tried to control the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. Taking a deep breath, he listened for the familiar sound of a wheezing. Nothing. He took a whiff into the air to try and find that familiar body stink that Poteet gave off.
Nothing.
Tony gritted his teeth. He possibly lost him. But did he have him the in first place? He was, after all, blind. Did he have any business walking through the jungle by himself? Tony didn’t want to admit he was helpless, or a cripple. He refused to give into despair. He dropped to his knees, holding the gain. He just needed a little more strength, that’s all. A little more time to push forward. Finding Poteet in the end was irrelevant. He needed the alcohol to clean his wound.
He stood up, took a deep breath and continued to walk the clearing. He vowed he’d go another few feet and if he didn’t find Poteet then, he’d turn around and head back. Then he’d come back with his friend and they’d all be looking for that fat maniac.
Tony stopped when his foot struck something. It felt and sounded like he just kicked over a bottle. The blind doctor immediately collapsed onto his knees and felt around for the bottle. He then found it to his 2 o’clock. Picking it up, he felt of it’s shape and size. It did feel like the vodka bottle. Tony quickly placed the open port of the bottle onto his left palm and tilted it up. He felt a few drops land on his hand. Tony then shook the bottle near his ear.
Nothing.
“BASTARD!” Tony screamed, as he threw the bottle into the jungle.
Tony breathed through his teeth. He never felt so mad in his life. The stupidity of that man had doomed him, if the rescue party doesn’t arrive in the next three days. The blind doctor then got to his feet. There was no point left. He might as well head back to the beach.
Then he heard something emerging from the jungle, like branches being pushed aside. Rasped breathing followed by heavy foot steps. He could also hear a slight mumbling sound. “Poteet?” Tony called, holding up his cane like a baseball bat, “I strongly advise you DON’T answer me. That is my professional medical opinion.”
“Help me.” Poteet mumbled.
“I can’t help you, you stupid bastard!” the blind doctor screamed, “There is no more alcohol! You screwed yourself and worse of all, you screwed me! Don’t come near me or I’ll cave your freaking head in!”
“Please, “Poteet stuttered, “You have to help . . .me.”
Tony paused. Something else was wrong. Poteet didn’t seem like the type of man who begged for anything. Was it a trick? Was he playing off the fact that Tony was blind? Every instinct in the former marine told him something was more severe than an alcoholic withdrawal. He slowly lowered his cane. “What are you talking about?” Tony demanded, “If this is some king of-“
Tony was thrown back as Poteet embraced him. He almost wretched from the smell of the stinking man but there was another familiar smell. The smell of blood. He could feel the blood getting all over his shirt and arms. Tony shoved the man back slightly. He then felt of his chest, feeling Poteet’s torn shirt and open cuts. “Who did this to you?” Tony asked.
“You have to help me, “Poteet coughed in desperation, “You have to protect me?”
“Protect you from who?”
Then a massive crash echoed through the jungle. Trees were being pushed aside. The heavy impact tremors of something big could be felt under Tony’s feet. The loud guttural growl of a huge beast gave the blind doctor pause. He knew it was the monster that appeared to them. The creature Eddie called the Polliwog.
Tony then gasped as Poteet got him in a headlock. The doctor fought against the large man but once again, he was taller and caught him off guard. Poteet was slowly dragging Tony back. The blind doctor struggled against him. “Help me,” Poteet begged.
“Let go of me!” Tony demanded.
“You have to protect me.” Poteet repeated.
Tony realized what that protection meant. Poteet was surely going to feed Tony to the Polliwog while he ran for it. But the blind doctor had no intention of dying that way.
He quickly raised his right foot, slamming it into Poteet’s crotch. As he let go of him slightly, Tony thrust his head back, colliding with the large man’s nose. Poteet let go of the blind doctor as he held onto his nose, blood streaming down his fingers. Then Tony jerked as he felt Poteet shove him forward. “Take him!” the bald man insisted.
Tony landed hard on the ground. He could hear Poteet running. The blind doctor wished he had one more change to tell Marita how he felt about her. He then curled up and placed his arms over his head. The near deafening sound of the creature as it let out a roar echoed through the trees. Then one impact tremor pounded the ground then another. Tony could feel the air current as the Polliwog past over him.
Tony raised his head. It walked over him! It didn’t touch him at all. The blind doctor could hear Poteet running. He felt more impact tremors. The Polliwog was chasing Poteet and Poteet alone? Why? Tony couldn’t understand why the monster spared him. “NO!” Poteet screamed, “KILL HIM, NOT ME. NOT MEEE . . . .EEEEEYARRRGGGGHHHH!!!”
Tony gasped he heard the sound of ripping fresh and breaking bones. The monster was eating him??? The blind doctor heard Poteet continue to scream along with the sound of breaking bones. Then the screams stopped. The thought of what Tony was hearing was way too much for his mind to comprehend. The heavy foot falls began again, but moving away from Tony. The monster was leaving him. Tony couldn’t rely on his hearing anymore. He had to see it, he had to!
Tony held the bandage over his right eye and began to remove his blindfold. He didn’t care over the fact that his left eye could only see blurry images. He had to see something! As the blindfold fell away, Tony looked into the jungle. He thought he saw a large shape disappear into the woods. The trees and branches were swaying as if something huge just past through them. He heard the Polliwog scream one more time.
Then it was gone.
Tony slowly tied back his blindfold. He couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. Never in his life had he ever encountered something like this.
Never in his life.
posted by Jason | 6:12 AM
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