The Island

Chapter 9 - Oddities

Early morning, almost dawn.

Ben groaned. That was the second time in what? Two days? Ben didn't know. He'd lost track the first time he got knocked out. Anyway, Ben woke up on the beach. He was all alone. It was almost like the run-in with the stupid bird.

Ben got to his feet, and looked down at his shoulder. It was worse than before. It had gotten a worse shade of green, and there was a bit of yellow in there, too. His bones were still broken, that he found out when he tried to stand and nearly fell over.

Ben hobbled over to where he'd seen the figure fighting the water. He was sure that it was one of his friends. Most likely Bianca, though it had been hard to tell in the dark.

Wincing, Ben sat down and looked around, hoping to spot someone. Unfortunately, there wasn't anybody around. Ben thought about calling out, but he didn't want to attract anything. Like that psycho chicken.

Just thinking about that bird made him regret ever going to KFC. If I ever get off this island, Ben thought. I'm going to go vegetarian.

He looked around. Still no sign of his friends. He heard a shrill cry fill the air. It sounded like a horse.

What's a horse doing on this island? Ben thought, then he realized the sound had come from out on the water.

"What the @!#$?" he murmured, squinting at the black waves. Then he saw it. A horse made out of water galloping towards the shore. No rider, no nothing. Just a horse.

The horse had a bit of a triumphant air about it, like it had just won a fight. Ben normally liked horses, but he felt particularly edgy around this one. It didn't seem like a regular horse (no duh, it's running on water and is made of the stuff). It's eyes were too intelligent, and there was a bit of a manic glint in them. The eyes of a killer.

If Ben ever found himself face to face with a tiger, he was sure it would get that look in its eyes before it pounced on him.

The horse spotted him and trotted over, it's neck arched proudly and its legs making ripples in the waves. The horse stopped a few paces away from Ben, and regarded him with those evil deep blue eyes.

"H-hi," Ben said. "You're not going to kill me now, are you?"

The horse bobbed his head.

"Is that a yes you're going to kill me or a yes, I won't kill you?" asked Ben.

The horse cocked its head to the side. He'd confused it.

Ben sighed. "Let's go with the second one," he said. "Next question, were you the one fighting Bianca?"

Horse's head bobbed up and down.

"Okay," Ben said. "Did you kill her?"

The horse didn't move.

Ben tried again. "Did you kill her?"

Still no reply. One part of Ben was pretty sure this was the infection that him delirious, and now he was hallucinating and talking to an imaginary horse.

Ben told that part to shut up.

Shaking slightly, and a little dizzy, Ben took a step towards the horse imposingly. "Did you kill her?" Ben asked, his tone low and dangerous.

The horse nickered and stepped forward, closing the gap between the two. Man and beast. The horse was huge and powerful, but Ben was filled with adrenaline and rage. The pair stared into each other's eyes, battling for dominance.

Finally, the horse gave a low grunt and backed down, taking a few steps back and lowering his head in surrender. Ben didn't smile or anything, he just kept staring dominantly at the horse. His grey-blue eyes were like thunderstorms, showing just a glimpse of the barely controlled anger Ben had.