Kong (A James Conrad Love Story)

Almost Over

 My vision was blurry, but I could vaguely see Kong ripping into the skull crawler. I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't get completely smashed by one of them. I could see James out in the water, partway between the boat and me. He couldn't get to me, because Kong was standing between us, but I could see him watching for his opportunity. I tried to stand on my good leg, putting most of my weight on the rocks around me. I limped towards the boat desperately, falling over frequently and face planting into the water. I just kept getting up again, half walking and half swimming.

Kong threw the skull crawler into another mountain, the one that Mason was on. I could hear her scream as she fell, almost in slow motion, into the water. Kong stared for a second before going back to battle the crawler. James was finally was able to run to me. I collapsed into his arms, shaking wildly. He picked me up bridal style, flinching at my yowl of pain when he jostled my leg. Running back to the boat, I watched over his shoulder as Kong slit the skull crawler's throat with a boat propeller. It fell limply to the ground.

James set me on the boat deck and knelt over me, worrying. I shoved him off and said, "I'll be fine." Not the most reasonable thing to say when my leg was bent backwards, but whatever. "You have to go get Mason." We both turned to where she had gone into the water, which was just faintly bubbling. But it appeared that Kong was going to fish her out.

Sure enough, he dipped his hand gently into the water and pulled her out. She looked tiny, resting on his palm. He sniffed her and roared softly, as if he were trying to wake her up. Just as he was about to deposit her on dry land, a giant jaw clamped onto his arm. Somehow, that skull crawler had managed to survive. The bastard.

He knocked Kong over, who had closed his fist around Mason protectively. They both went tumbling down the river, but Kong was up first. He grabbed the crawler by the neck and held it in the air. It retaliated by wrapping its abnormally long tongue around Kong's hand- the one that held Mason. It pulled his hand into its mouth, chewing furiously. Kong pulled and pulled, and with one almighty ripping sound, the crawler's entire stomach ripped out of its body. There was no coming back from that. Kong opened his fist once again, and gently deposited Mason on the rocks not far from the boat.