Island Of The Cryptids

34

Jake carefully wrapped the gauze around Tucker's arm, pressing it down with minimal force. He stood up, and turned to Carlin, who was donning his trench coat. The pitch black cabin made Jake feel claustrophobic.

He heard steps clambering up the ramp. Then, wails of sorrow and the sounds of tears. The back door flung open and Kaeli stood their crying.

"He's dead!" she cried. "The thing killed him and then took his body away!" Carlin didn't need an explanation.

"We have to go now, then," he said. "That thing may still be out there and we have to get as far away from here as possible. The faster we get off this island, the better."

"What about Tucker?" Jake asked over Kaeli's sobs. She was sitting now, soaking her tears with her dirty hands.

"Tucker will only slow us down, and we can come back for him," Carlin replied. "Plus he's not totally defenseless. He's still got some fight in him."

"Manuel..." Kaeli whimpered. Carlin looked down woefully at her.

"Once we get off this island I swear..." Jake murmured. Kaeli cried.

"I have no future now, it's all gone, all in ruins..."

"We have to move," Carlin ordered. Jake un-holstered his gun and chided Kaeli to her feet. They followed Carlin out the back door, shutting it behind them.

It didn't lock.

***

The foliage had started to lessen now. The sky was painted a warm blue, a comforting change from the unwelcoming, daunting blackness. It was still night, and still very dark, but Jake assumed it was somewhere around four AM. It would be light soon.

Carlin was leading them down a hillside. They navigated over outcrops of pink granite, finger-like vines, and gnarling masses of roots. The mud below their feet slid as they walked, and they were starting to get tired.

Kaeli continued to weep. She had thought she had found the one to replace the hole in her heart. But tragedy swept it away too soon. She wanted to leave this place behind. She wanted to forget the horrors that she had witnessed. But she wanted to keep the memories that she would always cherish. Although what they had was brief, almost too brief to consider love, she still longed for Manuel. Because he had changed her. Reminded her what it was like to live life, with his joyous character and warm heart, and his positive outlook. He made her realize what she was lacking within herself. And he was gone.

Jake looked at her and frowned. She was very beautiful, but the island had tattered her. She hung her head in silence, masking the grime that covered her face and the streaks of tears that painted down it. Her eyes were glossy and depressed, and she wanted nobody to see them.

Carlin took point, unaffected by the stream of emotions he was seeing and feeling. If anything, he felt excitement. An excitement he had not yet felt since the day he had butchered his wife. His game was just beginning, and it was far from over.

He had toyed with Misty, and broken her internally. She was gone now, dead or alive, he didn't care. He had broken Tucker's psyche. He would have to wait for the rest of his game to play out to have his fun with him, but it was a wait well worth it. Hadden didn't require much work. He just hoped that Hadden enjoyed himself while he ripped at his own flesh, attempting to tear the worms out. He had mislead Hadden, and it felt so good.

Now there were two left. And he had plans for them.

He heard Kaeli stifle a sob. He pocketed his hands and then swallowed.

"Are you afraid, love?" he asked. She didn't respond. They kept walking.

"Sometimes, life happens, and it does things none of us like. There are some horrible things in this world. You just have to be brave enough to face them."

Kaeli stopped crying. She stared at the ground as she walked.

Brave. That's what she would be.