Academy Island

Solution

Another wet vine held me aloft, cold and taut as I clung to it to get myself over a small stream that had tasted of salt. Maybe I shouldn't have gone on such a venture before finding a source of fresh water. I shook my head, too many things to think of at once and too stubborn to do anything else but follow the song that still cut through the overgrowth, giving me hope. My lips were chapped, my tongue dry against the roof of my mouth, not helped at all by the small handful of water I'd held to my lips in hopes of relief. Thinking about it only made it worse, thirst forcing a scratchy swallow that made the sensation almost unbearable. Singing alternated with humming that I could barely make out, making me want to hurry so I wouldn't lose the direction.

I wiped at my forehead again, my arm cleaner now that it had brushed against so many plants. The going was slower now, easing my way through rather than forcing. Despite the singing, which was growing louder with every painstaking step, the jungle echoed with bird calls and screeching, making my heart frantic with every new sound that tried to call my attention away. A trunk provided a needed support to rest a moment from fighting my way through the tangle. I leaned my back against it, letting the ridged bark dig between my shoulder blades to relieve some tension. The song I followed ended, immediately replaced by a theme song from television show that I was sure I had heard before. I lifted off the trunk, not wanting to let another song go by without finding him. His voice grew clearer quickly as I carefully picked my way closer. Stealth was the key here, so I could check out the situation, see if it was safe to call attention to myself. I crouched closer down as his voice finally was close enough to drown out all of the other sounds of the jungle, sure I had him pegged down now, unmistakably just in front of me even though all he was doing now was humming. I halted my turtle's pace when a scratchy stone bumped against my foot, turning out to be the husky fibers of a coconut nut that had fallen into my path.

Found him. Found food. I was happy my day seemed to be turning out better than the beginning had.

I crouched, letting my hands fall on packed sand to balance myself and help me creep forward, nut in hand. The humming continued unaware as I pushed on under the umbrella of leaves, glowing bright green underneath from the sun, their veins in high relief like thin, outspread hands. A break in the foliage allowed me a peek out into a clearing filled with flapping cloth of all colors. I pulled a hanging strand of my hair out of my face and gaped, moving forward more so I could see the entire scene.

Bamboo poles stuck out of the sand, a line of rope that looked as if it'd been store bought drooping between them right at my edge of the jungle. Men's shirts and pants hung over it almost to the ground, blocking part of my view. I sat stiffly in the sand, placing my nut in my lap and waiting to see if my hummer would come into view.

I didn't have long to wait. A pair of dancing sandaled feet appeared under a pair of waving black slacks, pausing as a red shirt was flung over the line and adjusted to hang straight, then moving closer to my hiding spot, keeping up with the music their owner was humming and scattering little tufts of sand with each jerky movement. I smiled to myself at the cheerfulness, trying myself not to move to the tune he was humming so I didn't give myself away. A handwoven basket got set down not even three feet from where I sat, quelling any desires I'd had of tapping my own feet. I saw him then, straw-hatted just like the first man I'd seen. I stiffened, recognizing the same weave, and also the stick-like rifle that he set against a pole so he could reach into his basket. It was hard to be afraid though. He bent, smiling to himself and lifting his hat to brush back two blonde locks back into brown hair as he sorted through the contents, pulling first a black t shirt and tsking at it before letting it drop and pulling a set of white boxers from his pile. My throat caught, anxiousness catching hold at the sight of them.

God, I wanted those.

The man inspected them as I watched, forgetting his song as a slight frown overtook his handsome features, his bright blue eyes crinkled in exasperation. I noticed belatedly that he had earrings in his lobe and over the top crest of his ear, making him look very much like a punky pirate.

"Aw, Jesus fucking Christ. I did it again."

My first impression of a pirate held firm. He stood, holding out the precious boxers between his hands as if showing them off to me. I froze, afraid at this angle, if he looked just past the commodity he held outright, he'd look right into my eyes. He held firmly to the band and flung the legs up into the air, snapping them back down sharply with a flick of his wrists.

I tried not to flinch as the soap scented spatters rained across my face.

After a few more endured boxer showers, he seemed satisfied and finally hung my target on the line. I resisted the urge to wipe my face as he picked his basket up again, letting one side rest on his hip and the other under his long arm so he could pick up his gun. Those underpants were going to be mine. Then maybe I could approach him, see if he could help me once I was covered. If I was just patient enough, he would leave and I could...

"Dude, is that you?"

The fearful whisper and the sound of the basket dropping had me tearing my eyes away from the coveted boxers to stare horrified in his direction. He had his gun at the ready, the happy look that had been prominent on his face throughout my stalking now fierce and nervously dangerous. At least he wasn't pointing it in my direction, facing towards my complete right to the jungle beyond. What was with these guys and guns?

"Luke, goddamnit, if you mess with my laundry again, so help me..."

Another shot rang through the air, jolting me upright and involuntarily making me grip handfuls of the sand I sat on. I did a rapid mental check on each part of my body, other than the things that were already wrong with me I seemed in one piece. I was so sure I'd been silent, even my breathing had been slowed to a labored minimum. There had been no possible way he could have heard me, right? Voices, all male, called out beyond the little laundry area, questioning pirate boy's sanity and letting me know there were more people. I already felt lightheaded from histaria. He lowered his gun to rest at his side, looking in the direction of the voices, thankfully away from where I sat, and cupped his hands around his mouth to make his deep voice louder.

"Where the hell is Luke, is he with you guys?!"

Responses were in the negative. Pirate boy grumbled, picking up his gun again to go poke it into the plants where he'd shot. He moved along the border of green that met the clearing, making his way towards me, searching with that horrific gun. I trembled, sure this was it. I gripped the scratchy nut to my chest, the only good food I'd found so far, and taking a deep breath, threw it with all I had over the top of his head. His head snapped to the sound of it crashing into the plants, his gun trained on the exact area. I waited for him to step into the jungle, cursing when he called out to his companions to join him, knowing I had no time left. With his back to me, I stepped silently out into the sunshine, grabbed the white prize into a frantic bundle, and ran.