fibers and Jennifer said, “Thanks mike, I’ll take those.” and then
nudged Athena’s foot and whispered, “At least he took care of
himself.” Athena Looked up a mike with a degree of fright then
back at the smile on Jennifer’s face and slumped forward in hard
laughter. Mike said, “What? Those not the right ones?” Athena
glanced at the fiber and tried to stop her laughter as she replied,
“Nope…perfect, just perfect.” Jennifer interjected, “It’s a girl
thing.” Michael looked over at mike and said, “At least they’re
not crying” Mike said, “I only cried a little.” Mitch said, “Me
too.” Michael looked surprised at the change of tone and I said,
“The rest of us are still in shock.” and I laughed. I wove together
some very flexible reeds that looked like a green bamboo in four
sections of herring bone overlay as they erected the six columns.
The pattern I used left small diamond shaped holes in the four
sections and one in the center, it looked like the five found on
dice; once we placed it atop the columns we threaded some
more line through the ceiling mat and the columns securing
there fairly well. The small Diamond shaped holes allowed light
to pass through like spot lights, the girls were concerned about
rain getting through but in anticipation of moonlight passing
through we all agreed we’d just cover those holes when it
became necessary.
I went down to the shore and started gathering smooth
stones from the surf and beach while the others ‘tried out’ the
cabana, the fish would be done soon and I needed to stay busy to
stave of thoughts of my hunger. I took the stones and started
forming a courtyard patio in front of our cabana spreading
around its sides. They sat and watched in bewilderment as I
placed the stones together in a circular pattern. Michelle asked,
“What about walls?” I replied, “we’ll use the soft fiber for
curtains, we don’t want any mildew in there.” Athena
interjected, “Or the smell of feet.” Michelle scoffed, “I just
made Rob wash my feet!” Everyone moaned and laughed.
Athena said, “I’m gonna’ make him wash my ass.” I interjected,
“Okay ass and feet washing later, let’s eat.” Michael laughed
and said, “Thought of that make you hungry?” I said, “No I
haven’t eaten in so long I just don’t feel the hunger anymore, but
the dizziness is a clue I’m gonna die if I don’t eat.” Mike said,
“Ya, I stopped feeling hungry too, but I feel sick as hell.”
We divided up the fish and all ate from our palms. Michelle
rubbed her thigh as she eat and I recalled that being a habit of
mine in elementary school which I had to stop because my
friends mocked me. I guess it was a stimulation to get a starving
stomach restarted. There was about two hands worth of fish for
each of us and would normally been an acceptable volume of
food for lunch as a fish sandwich, which in this case was a full
blown thanks giving dinner. It was late in the afternoon so we all
laid there resting, Michelle put her feet on my chest, Athena
used my thigh as a pillow, Jennifer used Athena’s thigh as a
pillow and Michael rest his head between Jennifer’s thighs.
Mike and Mitch lay off to each side and feel asleep.
The sky had turned a deep deep blue, there were clouds
over the distant southern horizon, and it appeared to be a rain
storm with sheets of gray descending down to the ocean. The
roughness of the seas on the horizon was noticeable even at the
distance of twelve miles; through the sheets of gray were blue
skies behind the rain storm. Looking at it was dizzying; the
sands were soft and crept across the beach swarming and stalk
or trunk rising from the land. The wind only whispered the
threat of a howl and made the trees dance a waltz as though it
were playing a sonata. The ocean swirled and the cool water
lapped at the land and rolled up and around our makeshift boat.
The jutting rocks painted the wind with dust and powder, and
flowers gave up their pollens and fragrances, bowing to the
winds gentle caress and firm resolve. The breezes carried that
fresh floral scent of the island once again. A puffy cumulous
cloud passed over the island and gave us a moments shade. The
survivors sat in a daze mesmerized by the forces of nature
dangerous and majestic swirling around us.
“Well at least it’s cooled down now”, said Mitch. Mike
replied, “Ya…and I’ve got to take more water over to the
psycho’s” Michael asked, “What are they doing over there?”
Mike replied, “They’re forming small groups that attack each
other…I’ve been making more cups…well, buckets? ...Big
damn containers for the water I’m taking over so they don’t
fight over it” Athena said, “They need food as bad as we did, got
to get more fish.” We all said simultaneously speaking over each
other, “We know” But we needed the rest, and the storm in the
distance would be distinctly good or bad for the fishing but there
would be a definite direct effect. Jennifer asked, “Was someone
just snoring?” Michael said clearly, “No.” and we all tensed up.
Tommi said, “I saw the hoof prints but I wasn’t sure.” I said,
“That’s what I thought too, there’s a damn cheeseburger running
around here somewhere.” Mike said, “Now that sounds good.”
as he sat up. There was a rustle of brush near us and it seemed to
be running away. Athena said, “That damn thing comes around a
lot. But we were too busy to do anything about it so I didn’t say
anything.” Michelle interjected, “Except to me.” Athena replied,
“oh ya that’s right, where is your spear?” Michelle pointed to the
west and said, “Right over there.”
We continued to just lay there, no urgency at the moment.
We had finally eaten but only the smallest morsels maybe eight
bites each, but being that it was fish the flavor lingered. Mitch
asked, “What’s it gonna take to get that pig?” Athena said,
“Michelle’s blessed spear.” Michelle added, “Well we prayed
over it.” Michael said, “If that’s a wild boar it’ll take more than
a spear.” Michelle said, “That’s why I spent so much time on
it…it’s a javelin.” Mike said as he laid back down, “Need a pig
pit…er’ tiger trap.” I said, “I need a sling and some arrows.”
Athena replied, “How about you just make that into a real boat,
and we’ll get the pig?” I sighed and said, “Okay, I’ll focus on
refining out boat.” Jennifer said, “Move your head Michael, my
twat itches.” Michael laughed and said, “I hope we get rescued
soon.”
I headed over to the log boat and inspected the lashings,
they had loosened a little, nails weren’t an option, I looked down
at the sand around my feet and thought, “I could actually make a
glass bottle long before I could make a nail, metal spike, or
thumb tack.” I knew I would need some tools and another log so
I started wandering the island looking for any material that
might inspire me. I figured, ‘drill a hole tack them together with
a wooden peg and seal them with smoke resin’, seemed simple
enough in my mind just need to do it with Neanderthal tools and
I had worked with plenty of them, just not so much with their
tools.
I said to myself narrating my thought as I wandered,
“Okay, I’ll just get another log, split them both, tack them
together with a few wooden pegs, and then seal it with
smoke…Ya! That’ll be about as big as a surf board, I’ll get six
more logs, split them all sand them down, peg them together and
seal it with smoke. Or maybe I’ll get lucky and find a boat
somewhere in the bushes because both those things are equally
as probable.” As luck would have it shortly after I finished
ranting I found a fair sized chuck of pumas stone that had
washed up the beach, I picked it up and noticed some smaller
ones so I pick them up as well narrating again, “Pumas and sand,
okay got stuff to sand with…seriously?” My coveralls were tied
down around my waist and I had put my tee-shirt back on I
search the sand area for a little longer maybe a sea snail’s shell
could give me a mold for a ceramic drill bit? I uttered, “How
about I carve some wood to an appropriate drill bit shape, melt
some sand and make a volcanic glass drill bit? Or I know! I’ll
use my telepathy and ask NASA to drop a drill bit from the
M.I.R. space station!” I didn’t want my mood to affect anyone
else so I headed further down the beach. As I looked around
there on the shore was a coconut washed ashore I picked it up
somewhat elated and realized it was just half a rotting shell and I
threw it so hard my wallet and keys fell out of my pocket. As I
picked them up I thought of the few dollars I had in my wallet
for the soda machine or ships store, and as I picked up my keys
it occurred to me…I still have my keys! So, one the beach I also
managed to find the drill bits I would need in the form of my
keys, I had five two for my car, toe for my lockers and one from
my last car. The thought of intentionally damaging or altering
those keys sent a chill down my spine, ‘Damage my car keys?
Why!?’, not being able to get into my car without a locksmith
was a very small issue; after all I was at risk to never even see it
again.
Michelle had been using her locker keys all along, it was
how she had refined her javelin but for fear of the keys being
used as a weapon she didn’t mention it to anyone. The only
other metals we had were our belt buckles and me being in
coveralls I didn’t wear me belt that day. During a simulation of
mutiny I had actually broken a brig cell lock with my belt buckle
on my previous ship, for which I received the extra duties of
verifying that actual brig prisoners were ill equipped to affect an
escape. I had met some unsavory souls amongst some that were
just young, impulsive, and had made bad choices. I stood taking
inventory of what tools I had, sanding equipment, drill bits, I
still needed a hammer and I just couldn’t get a couple of brig
prisoners out of my mind, a murder suspect from another ship
and an Iraqi intelligence agent; I felt haunted like someone was
watching me.
Jennifer said, “Mike, I need to wash my hands…just a little
fresh water.” Mike said while distracted by his thoughts, “Go
ahead. I think those guys and girls over there are just going to
die or kill each other in a day or two anyways and we may never
get enough fish for them.” Jennifer pours some fresh water out
of one of the vases into a deep cup and lowered her slender fair
skinned hands into the water she pulled them out and pointed
them up running her pink finger tips over the back of her hands
glistening with water she caressed the inside of her palms with
her thumbs bring the blood closer to the surface giving them a
pink hue she rubbed the excess down her fore arms rolling up
her sleeves, her dungaree shirt was open revealing her white
cotton bra. She glanced around to see if anyone was watching
and wet her hands again and ran them down the sides of her
neck, rubbing the back of her neck and releasing a soft moan.
She slumped back in relief and reached in a final time and
unbuttoned her pants and loosened the zipper, she placed her
wet fingers down her panties and let the fresh cool water flow
down over her crotch. Michael had come over to use some water
to freshen up as well. He wet his hands and ran them across his
face then down his muscular shoulders as he shed his shirt,
Jennifer seeing this reached into the water again and ran her
pink fingers down Michael’s neck and down his chest,
Michael’s nipples became erect and Tommi, working with
Mitch on the net coughed. Jennifer wet her hands again and
reached under her bra and with a swirling motion moistening her
breast all the while she sat relaxed with her legs spread and her
pants still unbuttoned and loosened, with her head cocked to the
left and her eyes closed. Michael sat kneeling near her and
started breathing heavily he wet his hands again and moistened
his abdomen and pushed the beads of moisture all across his
chest back up to his neck and then lay down on his side.
Mike stood astonished at the display and said, “I’m gonna
be over there in the bushes…no one come over there for a
while.” Tommi looked at him startled and Michelle blurted out,
“Be sure you bury it.” and Mike replied, “I’ll bury as deep as I
can as soon as I get the chance.” Tommi watched him walk
away, once he was gone she got Michelles attention and did the
male masturbation gesture with her hand. Michelle said, “Oh”
and started laughing with her hand covering her mouth.
Mitch said, “Gruble, Lyon, let’s try this net…we’ll
probably catch them flying up with it anyways.” Michelle
glanced down at her feet and wiggled her toes in the sand and
said, “Rob’s getting more materials for the boat.” Michael was
falling asleep so Mitch looked around and said, “Where’s
Mike?” Tommi gestured with her thumb in the direction mike
left in and Michelle said, “He had to go wank it.” Mitch replied,
“I’ll go find Rob.” Michelle rubbed the top of her feet noticing
her pedicure was being sanded off slowly by the beach and she
polished the nail of her big toe in a day dream as she said, “He
went further down the beach.” Jennifer rolled her pant legs up to
just below her knee, some leg hair had grown around her ankles.
Mitch said, “Jenn…” Jennifer responded, “Ya, I’m going.”
Mitch replied, “Okay.” Mitch started toward the boat wondering
just how hairy things were going to get as he scratched at his
light beard. He Glanced back as they walked to the boat. Tommi
said, “I’ll leave my pant legs down.” Mitch asked, “Because of
that?” Tommi replied, “Ya, my hair is growing too.” Jennifer
said, “What hair.” Mitch interjected, “Don’t worry about it, I’m
married and have seen it a lot worse.” Just as they were
launching the boat, I had dragged another log down, the last that
had naturally fallen near where we were to the best of my
reckoning. Michael heard the log dragging and sat up, Michael
asked, “What are we doing with that.” I replied, “Well…we’re
gonna burn the outside, hammer keys into it to spit it and find a
way to plane it, the sand it with these pumas stones and sand,
then drill holes in it to use peg fasteners, peg it together and seal
it with smoke…but first I need to weave a long bark fiber rope
with some ceramic nuggets in it to make a saw to take another
tree…and eventually we’ll have a real boat.” Mike emerged
from the bushes and said, “I’m tired just from hearing all that.” I
asked, “Mitch go for more fish? …those others might die
without food soon.” Mike interjected, “They started drying and
eating sea weed.” Michelle crossed her legs and started flipping
her feet and said, “Ya, they went fishing again…I want you to
get that boat done Rob.” I replied, “I’ll do what I can.”
Athena stood up in the cabana looking at the opening in the
brush and said, “Hey guys.” Tim brock and Tammy Melad
stepped through followed by Ebony Allick, Kelly Yodal, Joseph
Leos, Edward Gardin , and David Miles . “We got exiled,
there’s not enough sea weed and they don’t want to watch us
die!”, said Kelly Yodal. Ebony Allick interjected, “The captain
was in the pentagon and doesn’t know anything about it, but
does know we’re ready to kill each other.”