Page 30 of In Darkness and Dank

Shu trilled.

“Do you have anything like that?”

“Family teaches. Shu learns. I find treasure. I learn.”

“Treasure?” Kittisak grinned. “You mean like all that junk in your cave?”

“Not junk. Treasure. Chezoro.”

“Chezoro,” Kittisak repeated carefully.

“Good.”

Kittisak had to fight off a yawn, his body complaining from today’s exertion. Swimming around the lagoon and fighting Shu’s sister had worn him out. The sun was directly above them now, so it was noon and getting hotter by the minute. Kittisak hated to admit it but right about now he could really go for a nap.

“Tired, Kitty?” Shu bumped their shoulders together like Kittisak had done earlier.

“Yeah.” Kittisak leaned in, letting his body rest against Shu’s side. “It’s been a big day. We swam around, talked about grave robbing and marriage, and hey, we beat up your sister.”

Shu laughed. “Yes. Big, big day with sister. She win. Always.”

“Are all your sisters as big as Bal?”

Shu shook his head. “No. Bal little sister.”

“Little?” Kittisak scoffed. “Holy shit. If she’s the little one, I can’t imagine how big the others are. I guess that’s just nature, yeah? Aren’t the females usually bigger or something?”

“Big.” Shu shrugged. “You have sisters? Brothers?”

“No.” Kittisak yawned. “Only child. Just me and my parents. Little family.”

“Little but good?”

“Yes, very good.” Kittisak closed his eyes.

“Prrrp.” Shu nuzzled the top of Kittisak’s head. “Sleep now?”

“Maybe.” Kittisak hesitated.

This was the first time he’d been out of the cave, and he wondered if he could make a run for it. If he could find his way out of the lagoon and to the river, he could follow it back and try to reunite with the research team. On the off chance that the team had somehow traveled past the lagoon, he could still follow the river and get back to the boat, use the radio on board to call for help…

While totally naked.

With no food or water.

Or any kind of supplies whatsoever.

Shit.

Kittisak probably wouldn’t even make it halfway across this damn pool before Shu grabbed him. He was pretty tired too, and he knew he didn’t have his full strength back yet. He wouldn’t survive a day out there like this. He needed more time to recover and come up with a plan that didn’t end with him dying from exposure in the middle of the Amazon.

Oh, and he needed to find some pants.

He recalled seeing some clothes with Shu’s collection of random stuff back in the cave, and that was as good a place as any to look. It wasn’t like there was a store out here he could just go grab some new threads at.

Although he’d gotten strangely comfortable being naked around Shu, he would need something if he was ever going to leave here.

Wait, no, there wasn’t any if about it. He had to escape. He couldn’t possibly stay. He had college and friends and family, an entire life waiting for him back in America that he had to return to.

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