Demon's Blood

Anticipation

As time progresses on the island, we realize that there are no others on the island except a pile of the rotting remains of an island tribe.  We find very few helpful things in their quaint huts and desert the place out of disgust.  It looks like a demon's work to me.  I should know.  Now we are gathering supplies to build a house on the shore... and not doing very well. 

The green scratchy leaves grate against my skin as I pull on their stalks.  I hear a tearing sound and look down.  Thirty feet is not a good height to fall from.  I squirm around the branch and clutch the trunk right as the branch clatters to the sand.  A cloud of dust erupts around it and covers Koa in a blanket of sand.  I hear him coughing and sputtering as I slide down the trunk.  I rush over to him and guide him out of the dust cloud, holding my breath.  He coughs again and thanks me.

"Anytime, well I stripped that tree down, what next?"

He taps a finger on his chin and collects a pile of branches.

"Follow me and grab all of those leaves."

I fill my arms with vegetation and peer through the small hole I left to see by.  I see his moving back and sprint to catch up, almost falling three times.  We end up back at our campfire and add to the pile of building supplies. 

"Is this it?"

He turns and nods at me, asessing the landscape.  He holds his fingers together to create a box and swings his body around, looking for the perfect place.  I plop down on the sand and make a pillow behind me out of the golden particles.  I relax on my makeshift bed and look Koa over as he imagines the hut.  I smile and close my eyes. 

I don't know when I fell asleep, but I am abruptly awoken by a leaf hitting me in the face.  Koa stands above me, glaring at my features.  I pull my lips into a cheeky smile and take his hand.  He pulls me to standing and explains his plan.

"So I am thinking to put it over there, out of reach of the waves and build it like this."

He draws a figure in the sand and I gaze at the crude drawing, trying to comprehend the lines.  I pull my lips to the side and grimace at the sand. 

"Koa I don't really understand the lines, how about you just tell me what to do and I'll do it."

He grins wide and commands me.

"Kiss me."

I roll my eyes.

"I didn't mean like that but fine."

I pull him to me and plant my lips on his.  After a moment I pull back and look to him for instruction.  For the rest of the day, we work hard to build ourselves a structure.  When the sun touches the horizon, we have half a house.  We collapse in the sand and huddle together for warmth and comfort.  I speak quietley to him.

"What are we going to do?  We can't stay on this island forever." 

He shakes his head and sighs.

"I don't know what we're going to do, I am so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I just... I don't know.  I just feel sorry for us."

"Well yeah but how is that going to help us?"

"It's not, I just am having that feeling."

I nod and I roll over to sleep.

I am woken once again by something hitting me in the face, but this time, it is a hand.  I snap my eyes open and see a woman sitting between Koa and me.  She stares into my eyes and laughs, apologizing.

"I am sorry sweetie, but we have to go quickly and you wouldn't wake up any other way."

I spit blood out of the corner of my mouth and shake Koa awake.  He rises slowly, yawning.  He looks at the woman and back at me.  He smiles.  I glare at him as I speak.

"Shut up you damn pervert!"

He looks at me in shock.

"I didn't even say anything."

"I know what you were thinking."

His cheeks burn and the woman giggles softly.  She interrupts us with an amused voice.

"Alright you two, I am here with an aircraft.  The captain inside isn't very happy about this early morning stop and we have somewhere to be so I would suggest if you want to get off this island, you hurry up."

Koa looks at her in surprise.

"How did you find us?"

She pauses a moment and then says quickly.

"I'll explain inside, let's go."

We scramble outside and stand, arranging our filthy clothes.  She guides us to an enormous aircraft waiting on the shore.  She raps her knuckles on the metal and the door whooshes open.  We follow her inside and are hit hard by a blast of air conditioning.  A loud voice from the front of the aircraft grates against my ears.

"Can we fucking leave now?"

The woman rolls her eyes and seats us at a table with room for four.  We strap ourselves in and she yells back.

"Yes I have two survivors."

"I don't give a damn about survivors, I need to go get a coffe."

She rolls her eyes and doesn't say anything back.  Instead she adresses us.

"Sorry, he's a little... agressive before his morning brew."

Okay then.

I respond with caution in my voice.

"Well thank you for rescuing us, but how did you know we were there?"

"Well sweetie, there was smoke from your campfire.  We have a very powerful telescope and happened to see it as we were searching for sea life.   I am a marine biologist after all."

Koa breaks into the conversation.

"Shouldn't you be in a submarine then?"

She pulls her lips into a tight smile.  

"I am quite afraid of those death traps."

Koa stares at me and I see the confusion and suspicion in his dark blue eyes.  I nod and glance at the woman.

"Would you mind leaving us alone for a moment... ma'am?"

She purses her lips and I see her eye twitch a bit.

"Sure.  I will go have a little chat with the captain then."

I smile and she stands, a concealed bracelet glinting in the filtered light.  Fear constricts my muscles.  I focus on the metal and jewels.  

That is the trademark symbol of a full fledged demon.

As the woman walks out of the room, I see her tongue pass over her lips in anticipation.