Part 108: Day 21
The group continued their trek through the jungle. Most were hot and a few were tired. They had camped in the jungle overnight. A few of them started to grumble about the whole point in all this. The proof of the poor dead woman was enough to convince most but others still had their doubts. They weren’t sure what was really on the other side of the island but they did not that most of their party thought there were other survivors. No one wished to stay alone so it was going to be an adventure or at least a change in scenery.
McKay followed his compass. They were still going in the right direction. The easier news was that they were at present going down hill. For some that made the journey easier. For others it was a pain cause they had bad knees anyway. Bernard was the one who grunted the most about the walking. Natasha and Yolanda stayed with him the most making sure he didn’t fall or anything. Poor little Eddie kept growing tired and tired from all the hiking. For long periods, he would ride piggy back on Tony’s shoulders, telling him where to go. Marita was so proud of her man. Even though she could tell he was growing tired, he never complained once.
Taylor wiped her sweat from her forehead. She stumbled slightly but caught her balance using McKay’s arm. The Australian held onto her until she could regain her balance. “You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Taylor huffed, “My feet hurt. I haven’t walked this far in a long time.”
“Don’t worry, luv. In the end it’ll all be worth it.”
“You really think there are more survivors over on the other side, McKay?” she asked.
“I honestly hope so. But in the end, it really doesn’t matter what I think.”
“What?” the blonde was confused, “Why doesn’t it matter?”
“If we stayed on that beach, we were going to die, Taylor. Die of hopelessness. I really agreed to go on this journey for the reason of giving us something to do. Something to focus on. If there are people on the other side, then I will be pleasantly surprised. If not, then since I am not expecting it, I won’t be disappointed.”
“That’s . ..kind of a strange philosophy but it does make a little sense.”
McKay just chuckled at her response. As they continued walking, he pushed two limbs out of his way, stepping on the dead grass. He looked back to her one more time and then said, “Tell me, darlin, you got room back at your place for me?”
“My place?” she said, a little confused.
“Yeah, back in America.” He said, clarifying.
Taylor’s eyes went wide. “McKay . . .you would move to America . . .for me?”
“You are my best reason,” He smiled to her, “Not to mention the fact that my brother, my only close relative, is in Montana anyway. It’s high time I left my country behind and started a life in America.”
Taylor walked up to him, taking his hand. “I can’t wait for us to get off this island.”
“Me too,” he winked.
Then before they could say anything else, they were interrupted by an animal barking.
The group stopped dead in their tracks. McKay looked up to a small ridge. Nestled between two trees was one of the members of Red Faction, a girl. Along with her was one of Alexander’s wolves. John stared at her, wondering why she was out here alone. Marita gently rubbed the blind doctor’s arm. “Tony, “she whispered, “One of the Red Faction girls is here.”
“Ask her what is going on, McKay.” Tony said.
McKay asked the girl how she was doing and why she was out here in French. She stroked the fur of the wolf, then stood up. The young girl gently removed her masked, revealing who she was. “It’s Andra.” Seth pointed out.
Andra then asked a question in French. McKay looked to the others and translated, “She asked if we are going to the other side of the island?”
“Qui, Andra,” Tony answered her.
Andra then pointed and said something in French. McKay looked to the direction and then asked her something in French. She responded by nodding in agreement. “What did she say, McKay?” John asked.
“She said there is a path that leads to a river. Once we cross it, we’ll technically be on the other half of this island. I asked her if she and her friends created this path, and she said yes.”
“Has she been to the other side?” asked Tony.
McKay asked her in French and she responded. The Australian blinked. “That’s strange,” he said, “She said that she had only been over there once at a young age and . . .she’s not going back.”
“Why?” Tony was immediately concerned, “Why wouldn’t she want to go to the other side?”
McKay then asked her the question in French. Andra slowly stood up, placing her red bandana back over her mouth. She had a sad look on her face and gently pet the gray wolf at her feet. McKay shook his head, “She ain’t gonna tell us.”
“I don’t understand.” Tony grunted, “Ask her if it is something dangerous over there.”
McKay asked her and she shook her head in disagreement. She then rubbed her hair back and whispered something in French. McKay squinted in his eyes in confusion. “She said . . .it’s dangerous only to her.”
“Huh?” asked John said, even more confused.
Andra said something else in French, waving her hand over them. She paused, then said something else, and then turned to walk away. McKay called to her in French, sounding like he wanted to her to stay. The Australian grunted in frustration, wondering what she was talking about. “McKay, translation?” John asked.
“I don’t get it, man,” he said in anger, “I tried to get her to come back and explain what she said.”
“What did she say?” asked Taylor.
“She first said that May the Lord watch over us. Then she said . . .beware of Mother. She is sick.”
“Is she . . .implying her MOTHER is over there?” Marita said in disbelief.
“Okay, THAT is weird.” Seth rubbed the back of his head.
“If there is someone over there that is Andra’s mother, then she must be old. Possibly out of her mind,” Tony mentioned, “It changes nothing.”
“Agreed,” John said, “Let’s keep moving.”
With reluctance and a slight bit of hesitation, the group continued forward. Their were a slight few whispers about what they were going to find over there before they met up with the other survivors. Tony assured them not worry. Seth even helped lighten the mood by singing Run Through The Jungle by Credence Clearwater Revival.
After an hours of going downhill, they finally arrived at the end of the island. McKay looked ahead, past the trees to the slope where the land met the river. Sure enough it was a massive river, covering in a smooth fog. Across the river was another embankment, leading upward. The river was looking like it was a good 100 feet across or more. McKay was wondering how they were going to cross. Then Taylor tapped his arm and pointed to the right.
Red Faction it seemed was kind enough to leave their raft.
McKay followed his compass. They were still going in the right direction. The easier news was that they were at present going down hill. For some that made the journey easier. For others it was a pain cause they had bad knees anyway. Bernard was the one who grunted the most about the walking. Natasha and Yolanda stayed with him the most making sure he didn’t fall or anything. Poor little Eddie kept growing tired and tired from all the hiking. For long periods, he would ride piggy back on Tony’s shoulders, telling him where to go. Marita was so proud of her man. Even though she could tell he was growing tired, he never complained once.
Taylor wiped her sweat from her forehead. She stumbled slightly but caught her balance using McKay’s arm. The Australian held onto her until she could regain her balance. “You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Taylor huffed, “My feet hurt. I haven’t walked this far in a long time.”
“Don’t worry, luv. In the end it’ll all be worth it.”
“You really think there are more survivors over on the other side, McKay?” she asked.
“I honestly hope so. But in the end, it really doesn’t matter what I think.”
“What?” the blonde was confused, “Why doesn’t it matter?”
“If we stayed on that beach, we were going to die, Taylor. Die of hopelessness. I really agreed to go on this journey for the reason of giving us something to do. Something to focus on. If there are people on the other side, then I will be pleasantly surprised. If not, then since I am not expecting it, I won’t be disappointed.”
“That’s . ..kind of a strange philosophy but it does make a little sense.”
McKay just chuckled at her response. As they continued walking, he pushed two limbs out of his way, stepping on the dead grass. He looked back to her one more time and then said, “Tell me, darlin, you got room back at your place for me?”
“My place?” she said, a little confused.
“Yeah, back in America.” He said, clarifying.
Taylor’s eyes went wide. “McKay . . .you would move to America . . .for me?”
“You are my best reason,” He smiled to her, “Not to mention the fact that my brother, my only close relative, is in Montana anyway. It’s high time I left my country behind and started a life in America.”
Taylor walked up to him, taking his hand. “I can’t wait for us to get off this island.”
“Me too,” he winked.
Then before they could say anything else, they were interrupted by an animal barking.
The group stopped dead in their tracks. McKay looked up to a small ridge. Nestled between two trees was one of the members of Red Faction, a girl. Along with her was one of Alexander’s wolves. John stared at her, wondering why she was out here alone. Marita gently rubbed the blind doctor’s arm. “Tony, “she whispered, “One of the Red Faction girls is here.”
“Ask her what is going on, McKay.” Tony said.
McKay asked the girl how she was doing and why she was out here in French. She stroked the fur of the wolf, then stood up. The young girl gently removed her masked, revealing who she was. “It’s Andra.” Seth pointed out.
Andra then asked a question in French. McKay looked to the others and translated, “She asked if we are going to the other side of the island?”
“Qui, Andra,” Tony answered her.
Andra then pointed and said something in French. McKay looked to the direction and then asked her something in French. She responded by nodding in agreement. “What did she say, McKay?” John asked.
“She said there is a path that leads to a river. Once we cross it, we’ll technically be on the other half of this island. I asked her if she and her friends created this path, and she said yes.”
“Has she been to the other side?” asked Tony.
McKay asked her in French and she responded. The Australian blinked. “That’s strange,” he said, “She said that she had only been over there once at a young age and . . .she’s not going back.”
“Why?” Tony was immediately concerned, “Why wouldn’t she want to go to the other side?”
McKay then asked her the question in French. Andra slowly stood up, placing her red bandana back over her mouth. She had a sad look on her face and gently pet the gray wolf at her feet. McKay shook his head, “She ain’t gonna tell us.”
“I don’t understand.” Tony grunted, “Ask her if it is something dangerous over there.”
McKay asked her and she shook her head in disagreement. She then rubbed her hair back and whispered something in French. McKay squinted in his eyes in confusion. “She said . . .it’s dangerous only to her.”
“Huh?” asked John said, even more confused.
Andra said something else in French, waving her hand over them. She paused, then said something else, and then turned to walk away. McKay called to her in French, sounding like he wanted to her to stay. The Australian grunted in frustration, wondering what she was talking about. “McKay, translation?” John asked.
“I don’t get it, man,” he said in anger, “I tried to get her to come back and explain what she said.”
“What did she say?” asked Taylor.
“She first said that May the Lord watch over us. Then she said . . .beware of Mother. She is sick.”
“Is she . . .implying her MOTHER is over there?” Marita said in disbelief.
“Okay, THAT is weird.” Seth rubbed the back of his head.
“If there is someone over there that is Andra’s mother, then she must be old. Possibly out of her mind,” Tony mentioned, “It changes nothing.”
“Agreed,” John said, “Let’s keep moving.”
With reluctance and a slight bit of hesitation, the group continued forward. Their were a slight few whispers about what they were going to find over there before they met up with the other survivors. Tony assured them not worry. Seth even helped lighten the mood by singing Run Through The Jungle by Credence Clearwater Revival.
After an hours of going downhill, they finally arrived at the end of the island. McKay looked ahead, past the trees to the slope where the land met the river. Sure enough it was a massive river, covering in a smooth fog. Across the river was another embankment, leading upward. The river was looking like it was a good 100 feet across or more. McKay was wondering how they were going to cross. Then Taylor tapped his arm and pointed to the right.
Red Faction it seemed was kind enough to leave their raft.
posted by Jason | 8:33 AM
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