Page 90 of Lost Paradise

My resolve is my greatest asset, and I need to lean into it now more than ever.

I have no idea how long I’ve been down here—time seems to stretch and warp in this oppressive darkness. The minutes feel like hours, and every sound or shift in the walls only deepens my sense of despair. But then, a glimmer of hope pierces through the gloom. I catch a faint, shifting light from above, and the sound of voices grows clearer.

When Foster finally appears at the edge of the sinkhole, a rope in hand, a surge of optimism floods through me.

"We found some sturdy vines. We’re lowering them down now. Grab on as soon as you can."

The makeshift rope dangles in front of me, and I reach out, my hands trembling. I grasp it tightly, feeling the rough texture dig into my skin. "Okay, I got it," I call out, my voice barely above a whisper, the fear constricting my throat.

"Alright, we’re going to pull you up. Hold on tight!" Foster instructs.

I feel the rope tense as the men begin to pull. The ascent is slow, and every inch gained is a struggle against the slippery walls and the weight of my own fear. My hands burn from the friction, but I hold on, gritting my teeth. Each movement upwards feels precarious, like at any moment, I could slip back into the darkness.

As I near the top, Foster reaches down, grasping my wrist and helping to haul me over the edge. I collapse onto solid ground, panting heavily. Foster, Astro, and Jack surround me, their faces etched with relief.

"It’s a bloody relief," Foster mutters, clapping me on the back as I sit up. "You had us scared there, mate."

I manage a shaky smile, but the terror still lingers. "You and me both." My voice wavers, the adrenaline starting to fade, leaving me feeling weak and vulnerable.

Foster helps me to my feet, his grip firm and reassuring. "Other than being covered in mud, it doesn't look as if you sustained any injuries," he gives me a careful once over. "Let’s keep moving. We need to be more careful. The ground here isn’t as stable as it looks. We’ll leave markers in case anyone ventures back here they know to avoid this entire area.”

“Is this going to be another one of those ‘don’t tell the princess’ situations?” Astro asks, his tone laced with his usual irreverence.

Foster glances at me first before responding. “She needs to know about the island and the dangers we’re facing. But burying the pilot? I don’t think that’s information we need to share with her. Any one of us could have ended up in his place. Had we not found her in time, she could have easily been the first body we’d have to bury. It hits too close to home.”

The others nod in agreement, their expressions somber. I turn to look at Astro, half-expecting him to crack a joke or make a sarcastic comment, but instead, he meets my gaze with a rare seriousness. For once, it seems he recognizes the gravity of the situation and agrees with Foster’s perspective.

"Let's find a path to the beach so you can rinse off all that mud before returning," Foster suggests.

I nod, the fear still gnawing at me but tempered by the presence of the men here. Together, we continue our trek through the jungle, each step more cautious than the last. Pushing forward, we focus on our immediate goal of finding a solution to getting off this damn hellhole.

Chapter 28

I’ve purposely lagged behindeveryone else because while I’d love to dump everyone here and fuck off to form my own clan, there aren’t enough people on this island to do that. While the savages would be an awesome group to lead, I’d rather shoot every tosser in the head and rid the earth of such filth.

Cannibalism.

Fuck.

It’s more than despicable.

It's like the ultimate degradation, reducing people to nothing but meat. It's not just sickening; it messes with people's heads, spreading fear and paranoia everywhere.

You could say cannibalism and crime syndicates are cut from the same cloth, you know? Both cause chaos and make folks scared to trust anyone. But while cannibalism's on a whole other level of messed up, it’s practiced in secrecy. On the other end of the spectrum, crime syndicates are out there, wreaking havoc, keeping society on edge, and maintaining control through violence, intimidation, and corruption.

But humans consuming humans is an entirely different kind of evil.

So, I’m stuck with these geezers for a bit.

But I'd love to take out Foster. Easy pickings because he wouldn’t be my first mark, and these muppets around me think I'm just another thick student like them. They haven’t got a clue what I'm capable of, no idea that my regard for human life is less than zero. When the time's right, I'll make my move, and they'll never see it coming. By the time they clock what's happening, it'll be too late.

Maybe I’ll slit Foster’s throat while he sleeps. It’ll be fun watching Eve wake up covered in his blood. Getting rid of the bastard is easy, but I know the others like him.

Even Jack, my partner in crime, seems to like the teacher. Jack’s a pretty decent chap; we’ve been skiving off in the middle of the night to nick those magic leaves the cannibals produce. I’m pretty sure he’ll get all sparkly eyes watching Eve covered in her dead lover's blood. But he also might not appreciate me taking out Foster.

“What the fuck is that?”

I watch everyone halt as soon as we reach camp and make my way around the arseholes to lay down the chunk of the fuselage I took from the beach and swipe the sweat from my brow.

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