Part 54: The Ties that Bind Part 2

John paused for a second, looking around. He checked the branches and then checked the ground. He was certain they came through here before. The canopy let only a small amount of sunlight through the giants leaves above. It all looked strangely familiar but possibly not. “I think we’re still okay,” John whispered, “I think.”

“We should have marked these trees like McKay did.” Mia replied.

“No. I think we’re still in the right direction.” John pointed up ahead, “That dead polar bear should be over here.”

John led the way again. Mia straightened up her backpack and continued to follow him. She smiled, placing her hand over her mouth. She was trying to behave but it wasn’t easy. She had been following John all morning and of course, staring at his butt. Mia suppressed her desire to pinch it. She wondered how he would react if she did that? She concluded she wasn’t quite yet brave enough. “Mia?” John asked.

“Huh?” she said, straightening up.

“You want to tell me why we are out here?” John said, moving forward.

“I wanted to explore the upper ridge. That’s all.”

“It seems like it’s more than that.” The archer said, looking at her briefly, and then looking forward again, “I can hear it in your tone of voice. It sounds like you are looking for something?”

“Yeah, kinda,” she confessed, “I am looking for a place in the valley where the grass grows thinner.”

“Why?” asked the archer.

“I think there is something important in that part of valley. I really can’t explain it.”

“Try.” John ordered.

“I don’t know, John. I am pretty sure you won’t believe me. Hell, I barely believe it.”

“You’d be surprised at what I believe.” John said, not stopping, “You want to know what I find unusual about this whole crash business?”

“Sure, “she said, glad he was doing the talking.

“I am amazed that we even survived. I mean, how could we? We were so many feet above the clouds, I would assume. Then the tail section rips off and we plummet into the ocean. I don’t remember it happening, mind you. I blacked out on the way down. How about you? Do you remember falling into the ocean?”

“No, I blacked out too.” Mia told him.

“My point, exactly. I mean, what are the odds that we could have survived? But yet, here we all are. Plus, I noticed that the people who are with us on the beach?”

“Yeah?” the young Lakota woman listened. This was getting interesting.

“I noticed that most of us seem broken in some way. We’ve had a part of lives that have hurt us and yet, by coming together, we have been healed in some way. Like me, for example. I had, what I thought, was my best friend Ramon Vega but he wasn’t even my friend. I have him the gold medal when I purposely lost the tournament and he only kept me around cause I was the only one stupid enough to do so. Then when I reach this island, Ramon dies and he is replaced with Tony. A blind doctor who doesn’t judge me or ask things of me. Our friendship is on equal grounds and I realized I have sought that my whole life.”

“Wow, John, “Mia whispered, “That’s profound.”

“Tell me about it. So it got me thinking; is this all coincidences? Or is it happening now, just because we are on this island?”

“It’s funny you should mention that. It’s kinda been what my dreams were about.”

“Dreams? What Dreams-HOLY CRAP!” John screamed.

Mia stopped abruptly at John’s outburst. The archer was frozen but not moving, nor drawing his bow as if they were attacked. He slowly advanced forward as they came to a small clearing as they did before. There was the familiar cracked tree, and the ground covered in blood.

But no polar bear.

“This is impossible,” John muttered under his hand as it covered his mouth, “He was dead. I know he was dead.”

“Maybe he wasn’t?” Mia shrugged her shoulders, “Maybe he was just sleeping?”

“I ripped the arrow out of his rip cage, Mia!” the archer exhaled, “If he was asleep, he’s a pretty sound sleeper.”

“Then maybe . .the Polliwog took him?”

“The Polliwog,” John sighed, standing up, “There is another thing right there. We are stuck on an island with an invisible monster. And yet, as long as we stay on the beach, it doesn’t show it’s face. Where the hell did we crash, Mia?”

Mia said nothing. She didn’t have any better answer than what John could have thought of. The archer just shrugged his arms, and then motioned for Mia to follow him. They continued to walk, trekking through the dense foliage of the jungle.


After a few hours, they finally arrived at the clearing where they found the luggage yesterday. John blew up his lip, knocking the sweat off that he was getting below his nose. Mia breathed deeply, feeling very tired. John looked around, seeing if there was anything around. The clearing was clear just like it was yesterday. “We’ll camp here for tonight,” he pointed, “We’ll stay in the middle.”

“Why the middle?” she asked.

“So if anything decides to rush us, I’ll have enough distance to take them out with a clear shot.”

“Good thinking,” she sighed.



Mia gently piled up the twigs and debris into a fire pit. She tug a small hole in the ground, and pulled out the match book she had in her jean jacket. Igniting a match, she gently placed the fire into the debris, lighting it up immediately. Mia slowly piled on more debris, creating their campfire. She looked at the matchbook that she retrieved from the Sydney Marriot. What made her concerned about the little item was the fact that she doesn’t smoke. Was it instinct that made her take the matchbook or was it something else, like what John was suggesting?

John finally came back to her, with firewood in one hand and another suitcase. Her eyes lit up at the finding of a new item. “Was that in the woods?” she asked.

“Seems that way,” the archer said, putting the firewood down and placing the suitcase near Mia, “I’m beginning to wonder if this whole island isn’t filled with loose suitcases.”

Mia opened it up immediately. It turned out it was a man’s suitcase. It had the usual stuff; clothes, socks, underwear and one pair of dress shoes. Inside the lining, she found some amenities. She smiled, taking out the deodorant, and handing it to the archer. “Oh, thank, God,” John laughing, grabbing it from her and immediately using it.

Mia continuing looking, then noticed a bulge in the lower lining. She felt of it, seeing it was a false side pocket. She opened it up and gasped, finding a stack of one hundred dollar bills. “Whoa, “John smirked, “Reserved funds.”

Mia quickly counted it, “There is over one thousand dollars here.”

“Good job, Mia. You won the lottery.” John laughed.

“Oh, John. I can’t take this money.”

“Why not? More than likely the owner of that suitcase is dead. Right of salvage, finder’s keepers, whatever you want to call it.”

Mia felt around and saw the luggage tag. It looked like it had been ripped halfway off, probably in the fall. “I can’t make out the first name, “she whispered, looking at it closely, “Half of it is gone. It looks like the last name is . . .Arzt?”

“Arts?” countered John.

“No, Arzt.”

“I don’t understand what you are saying.” John shook his head.

“Arzt, with a Z. A-R-Z-T. Arzt.” Mia giggled.

“Damn. Poor bastard has a strange name.” John said, leaning back.

“Well, I’ll donate his money somewhere. That way I won’t feel bad about taking the money.”

“Whatever floats your boat, Mia.” John laughed.

John then leaned over, looking at her. Mia gently placed the money in her jean jacket pocket, then noticed the archer was staring at her. They both shared a comfortable silence for a minute. John scratched his nose and said, “Well, are you gonna start talking or what?”

“About what?” she confessed.

“You said, you’d tell me about why you came to Australia, remember.? Plus I’d like to hear about these dreams you are having.”

“Okay,” she smiled, “I am not much of a story teller like my grandma was but I’ll give it my best shot.”