Page 16 of Stranded

After a few moments, I hear his boots crunching as he retreats and I let out a relieved breath as I cling to my branch.

That was too close.

Chapter nine

Darla

Kneeling in the shallow water, I start covering my arms and body with mud. I hate to get this dirty, but I need to get closer to those men without them seeing me. They are speaking so quietly now that West has arrived, that I can't hear them anymore, and it makes me nervous. His eyes constantly scan the jungle, looking for threats. Maybe it was time to find a new home? I shake my head. No, I’m not ready to leave just yet.

These men intrigue me, and I don’t know what to make of them yet. Especially West. He seems cautious and cunning. But he also seems to treat the other two with kindness, despite my initial fear of him.

Last night I slept high up in my tree and my nightmares seemed worse than ever. To top it off, I was afraid of calling out in my sleep and them hearing me, so I tossed and turned all night.

I pull my braid around and cringe as I slop some mud on it, making sure to cover the entire thing, including my head and my face.

“Blah!”

I spit out some mud that gets in my mouth and hear an “Eep!” come from nearby.

“Yeah, yeah. Yuk it up, Mo-Mo! You’ll be next if you’re not careful!” I toss a hunk of mud in his general direction before standing up to make sure I’m fully covered. I step out of the water and throw some mud on my feet before moving around to the side of the pond, where a rock hangs out over the clear surface. I glance down and my bright green eyes stare back at me, surrounded by an unrecognizable blob of mud.

I head to a tree and climb up, knowing I can’t take the paths anymore with these men walking around everywhere. I climb onto a branch and just as I grip a vine, planning to swing to another tree, I hear footsteps and freeze. It’s too quiet to be all three of them. It could be a boar, but the sound has a distinct human gait to the steps.

I crouch down where the branch meets the tree trunk and find a position where I can see the water's edge, where I had just been standing. It’s West, and he’s alone.

He looks around the tree line before he starts stripping off his clothes. Geez, why am I always here when these men decide to bathe? I know I should close my eyes, but I tell myself it’s not wise to take my eyes off my enemy. Nope. Not wise at all, and I’m super smart, so it only makes sense for me to watch him in all his naked glory. I mean his naked—My brain short circuits when he drops his boxers.

Sweet baby penis, he’s big! The girth on that thing is enough to have me sweating as I try to fan my face with my hand, but the mud on my cheeks doesn’t let the breeze penetrate my skin.Stop thinking about penetration, Zee!

I squeeze my eyes shut for a minute, hoping not seeing him will calm my rising temperature. Am I getting sick or something? Why am I suddenly overheating?It must be the mud. Yeah, that’s it.

When I open my eyes, he’s swimming through the water and I let out a breath of relief. For the next twenty minutes or so, I watch, like the perv I probably am, as he cleans himself under the waterfall. I notice he has tattoos on his left bicep and arm, and wish I could get closer to see them.

Finally, he swims back to the shallow end and as he steps on to the dry ground. He stares down at the mud beside him and freezes. His brows furrow and his head tilts to the side. Then his gaze slowly lifts. At that moment, I realize I’m a complete idiot and left a muddy trail for him to follow.

I want to run, but I’m positive he’ll see the movement as he’s facing this direction now, so I hold my breath and watch. He follows my trail around to the rock where I stood to look at my reflection, then his gaze moves along the ground to the tree I’m hiding in.

Slowly, his eyes lift, until they seem to be looking straight at me. I freeze, afraid to even blink. And when he takes a single step towards me, his eyes still connected with mine, I flee. I jump up to the next branch before leaping through the trees, climbing higher and higher as I go, until I can’t see the ground at all anymore. Then I sit on a branch, hug the tree and try to calm my racing heart, listening for sounds of his pursuit.

Can he climb trees like I can?He looked strong, I bet if he knew where I was hiding, he’d be able to climb up here. I listen intently for any movement, but only the normal sounds of the jungle reach my ears. I must have lost him. Releasing my death grip on the trunk, I turn myself to lean back against it. I let out a long breath as I think about what to do next. What was the point in this muddy disguise if he was still able to see me?

I should’ve closed my eyes, they probably gave me away. Did he get a good look at me? I’m not even sure that he tried to chase me, I was toofreaked out to see if he was actually in pursuit. Memories of being held by strange men start to creep into my mind and I smack myself in the forehead, trying to snap myself out of it. I can’t afford to have a panic attack right now. I’m high up in a tree and if I pass out, it’s a long way to the ground.

I shiver, despite my best efforts, the feeling of hands all over me makes me scratch at my arms, and when I feel the mud under my fingernails I grimace. I need this mud off me.Now. I rub at my arms, making some of it flake off, but it’s not enough.

“Get off me!” I cry in a panic, the mud reminding me too much of being touched. I quickly realize I can’t get clean this way and head towards the ocean, knowing I can’t go back to the waterfall right now.

I have to head pretty far inland, so I’m not anywhere near their raft when I come out on the beach, in case they’re there. But I’m halfway there when my vision starts to dim.

“Eep!” Mo-Mo chitters from somewhere nearby.

“Mo-Mo! Guide me to the ground! I can’t—I can’t see!” I cry, with tears rolling down my cheeks. I’m terrified. Terrified of passing out, of hurting myself, of someone finding me, of my memories that are pressing in.

A little fuzzy hand grip my fingers, leading me somewhere. I get a glimpse of Mo-Mo’s striped tail and gratefully follow him, blackness pressing into the edges of my vision and I stumble down from branch to branch.

When my feet hit solid ground, I release Mo-Mo’s and drop to my hands and knees, trying to take in deep lungfuls of air. That’s the last thing I remember before everything goes black.

Something touches my face and I slowly open my eyes. Mo-Mo’s head tilts as he stares down at me. He grunts as he reaches out to touch my cheek again and I groan, making him jump in surprise before he starts making a mass of noise.

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