Shipwrecked (Choose Your Own Adventure)

Twenty-Five

You don't trust this Sam fellow. He's dressed like a shrub, for heaven's sake!

You grab all four lads by the collars of their shirts (I don't know how, but you manage somehow) and start dragging them away.

"Hey! Hey, careful!" John cries, trying to wrench your hands away. ''This jacket was really expensive!''

"Shut up, John," you say. "Stop thinking about your silly old self for once. I'm trying to save your life!"

''Um... why do our lives need saving?" Ringo pipes up.

You sigh. "Ringo, sweetheart, I'm not about to let you four lads into a stranger's home - especially one as demented-looking as that one!"

"But... Sam seems harmless..." Ringo begins, but you interrupt him.

"Sorry, love, but we're going to find another way off this godforsaken island, whether you like it or not. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mummy," Paul mutters grumpily.

You choose to ignore him, even though the thought of punching him over is quite tempting.

"Leaving so soon?" Sam calls after you. "You only just arrived!"

"Yes, well... um..." you stammer. "We, uh... we left the oven on and have to dash before our entire house is burned to the ground!"

"Ah! I see!" Sam says, grinning. "Well, happy trails! And watch out for the Drongos!"

You're about to thank him and say a final goodbye when Paul suddenly speaks up.

"Um, excuse me, but what are these... um... Drongos you're talking about?" he asks nervously.

"Ah, well, they're a tribe of little creatures who inhabit this island," says Sam. "Unusual creatures. They're only about knee-high but they're incredibly irritating. They like to steal things, anything they can get their grubby little paws on!"

"Oh Lord!" Paul gasps. "How dreadful!"

Sam nods sadly. "That's not the worst part."

You raise an eyebrow. "What's the worst part, then?"

"They're tricksters, that's the worst part!" Sam scratches the bridges of his nose, looking a bit sad. "The Drongos have one trick that they particularly enjoy, which is taunting a traveller by making said traveller think that the little beasts have stolen... their most precious item."

"What? Like diamonds or gold?" John asks.

"No, no," says Sam. "Most precious as in the thing they love most. They've played on me several times and, believe me, it's not funny."

You reach out and give Sam a sympathetic pat on the back. "I'm so sorry about that," you murmur.

"Ah, it's all right, missy. I'm used to it now. It's just you five I'm worried about."

Just then, a sudden chattering commotion breaks out, coming from every direction. The noise is so loud that you have to stick your fingers in your ears; the lads do the same. Sam doesn't move. The look on his face suggests that he already knows what's happening.

"The Drongos..." he mutters. "They're here."

And he's right, too! A tiny, hairy-looking creature with warpaint smeared all over its peculiar little face emerges from the bushes and wanders over to your small party. It peers up at you with some interest for about thirty seconds. Then it moves on and does the same with John, Paul, and Ringo. But it stops when it comes to George.

It stares up at George, and George stares right back (despite being on the verge of bursting into tears).

Then the strangest thing happens. The hairy little creature (or Drongo, you suppose) reaches behind its back and pulls something out of supposedly thin air.

A baby!

It's pulled out a little, blonde-haired baby girl, sleeping soundly without a care in the world.

At first, you're a bit confused. None of you have any children... so why is George turning such a peculiar shade of red?

Then you remember. George does in fact have a baby girl! But she was left at home in England with George's parents, so what's she doing here on a desert island?

(Note: George does have a daughter in my fanfiction universe. Her name is Serenity, and she was born in 1963. Now that that's out of the way, we can continue.)

"Oh God," you think. "It all makes sense. Baby Serenity is the thing George loves most! It's all a trick!"

You're about to cry out and explain everything, but it's a second too late. The Drongo clutches Serenity close to its chest then makes a run for it, disappearing into jungle in a flash. You can hear the mournful little wails of the poor baby as she's dragged away. It's enough to break anyone's heart.

George doesn't waste any time hanging about. He breaks free from your grip and goes bounding off into the jungle, shouting furiously after the Drongo who kidnapped his daughter.

If you rush after George and explain that it's all a trick, go to Twenty-Six.

If you're genuinely concerned and think there might be more to this weird change of events, go to Twenty-Seven.