The Island

(Chapter 5) Questions (Revised)

My heart jumps out of my chest and before I could even think of running. My shirt tightens and I am lifted into the air. I grab my shirt and try to rip the fabric off of me, but only having the strength to tear a hole. I accept my fate.

My shirt rips off from behind me and my arms twist the wrong way as I fall to the floor.

Tripping and in pain, I take off into the water. I struggle to keep above the surface of the water and back on the beach I get a better look at the beast. It closely resembles a dinosaur toy I had as a kid, back before my father left.

Could it be possible? Dinosaur?

The beast turns away and I set the insane questions aside.

When I walk back up the beach I sigh with frustration when blood rushes down my back. When I run my hand around my back I feel a dip. Almost like a hole at the top of my back, close to my neck.

"I hope I tasted like shit, you big lizard."

I then take my torn shirt, washed it in the water and placed it on my bleeding back. The salt burns and digs into my flesh.

The brush in front of me begins to shake, before I could turn around, Henry jumps out into the clearing. I sigh in relief to be reunited with my friend, but it's short lived when he calls for me to run.

I follow closely behind him yelling for him to head into the waters.

Henry just tells me that they will just wait for us when we come out.

"Where is Melissa?" I ask.

Henry just calls back, " She can take care of herself."

I get angry, "You left her?"

He responds, "Can we just focus on living?"

I stop and with a tree branch on the beach I swing it, slamming the hard bark against the face of the ostrich beast from the river. The branch seems to not faze the creature and it lunges at me. I am tackled to the ground and its claws dig into my flesh. My adrenaline rises and before I know it, I've thrown the creature off of me and with the broken tree branch I drive the point into the side of the creature.

A scream of pain sends me running back into the brush.

I jump into a clearing and 3 monsters are tearing at Melissa. She rolls on the ground trying to shield herself with her hands. I take a stone and throw it at the head of one of the creatures. It tumbles to the side, but when it stands back up it stares at me, like it remembers me.

I slowly back away, "Ready for round 2?"

It roars and the other 2 stop attacking Melissa.

I take a deep breath and look at my gut which is dripping with blood. My muscles give out and I fall to the floor. Just before my eyes shut I hear gunshots and leather boots stepping toward me.

My mom used to read stories to me before bed. I only remember one. It was about a boy who worked on a farm. His father was a very hard worker, but they were poor. Years went by and before long the work on the farm became to much for both the boy and his old father. It was harvest time and his father became very ill.

The son went into the field and completed the harvest. When the son came back his father saw how overworked and tired he was. The father apologized, "I have become useless son."

The son walked over to his father his sweat dripping down his face and said, "I didn't give up, you taught me hard work. Dad, you will never become useless, not to me."

I don't know what that book was called, but I also was taught by my mother to never give up, the time we spent on the streets was evident of that.

I awaken to a worm fire dancing in the darkness of night and a gun pointed at my face.