“Yeah… maybe there, under the trees.”
Their eyes on those sleeping mounds of sand, but none of them spoke, the presence of death terrifying in that night filled with ocean song. They lay down on the cold sand, trying to find sleep when it was impossible in that ghost light. Drifting off, waking again, a nightmare night, that damp chill settling on their skin.Stupid…The flame had gone out, so they lay, their teeth chattering.
Chapter 4
Theywalkednextday,for what seemed like hours, trying to find some paths in the jungle, all the trees alien a bit, but then, Gabriel stumbled on their pool of water. “I know the way from here!” Turning, finding the marks he’d left.
“Perfect…”
Turning to that exhausted voice, watching as Damian leant on that stick, breathing hard. “We’re almost there…”
“I can’t walk… not now…” He threw the stick to the ground and collapsed, his legs not working anymore.
Gabe glanced at that barely visible path. “I’ll go to camp and bring you water. Don’t move.”
Damian lay back, closing his eyes. “I can’t…”
Gabe hurried back to camp, the fire barely smoking, so he stoked that up, high, scooping some water into a plastic bottle. He hurried back, tired too.
He stumbled on the clearing, going to his knees next to Damian. “Hey… water…” Watching his eyes flutter open, but he was barely conscious, he could see, that small icy dread in him that he was dying after all. Visions of those corpses. “Hey… we made it… right? Don’t die on me now.” Forcing a smile, watching him drink as he tipped the water to his mouth.
“I can’t… even sit…” Closing his eyes to his nausea, that headache hammering at his nerves.
Gabe was mildly fed up, but he tamed his voice. “Ok… we’ll just sit here until you’re better…”
“Just go back to camp… I’ll follow.”
“No. I’m not leaving you alone.”
“Gabriel…”
“It’s Gabe. Just Gabe…” Blurting this out, not even knowing why.
“Gabe. Ok.” A hint of a smile in that warm voice, and Gabe shivered a bit, that familiar nickname flaming up on those hated lips.
“Yeah… right. Just rest.”
Sitting, waiting, watching him fall asleep right there on the rotting leaves.Perfect…he rose, hunting around, bugs, worms, whatever he could catch, stashing them in a small satchel he had on him all the time now, tied to the waist.
He waited until Damian woke, forcing some water down his throat, wetting his shivering lips. “You feel better? Can you walk?”
“I’ll try.” Wincing, he sat up, holding his right side.
Gabe’s face flamed up, but he helped Damian up, handing him his stick. “Here… let’s walk…”
Back to camp, another night setting slowly. They ate the rest of the snake and kept the crawlers for later.
Damian sighed, chewing that rubbery meat. “Tomorrow, we need to rake that beach and see what we can gather. Maybe build that pyre you wanted, draw that sign…” He glanced at Gabe’s silent form. “I don’t want to sap your youthful energy, but we might need to settle for the long haul. God knows I’d like you to be right… that whatever we do is going to lure a boat close… but…”
“Yeah, I know…”
Facing each other in their torn clothes, those crumpled business suit pants, that torn shirt, his crumpled uniform. That four-day beard sprouting on their faces, Gabe’s hair wild, falling a bit in his eyes where it was longer on top. They had no mirror, only their eyes, their small laughter.
“We are quite a sight…”
Gabe blushed a bit. “Yeah…” Tossing a log on the fire. “Must suck for you though… your family… Kids?”
Damian nodded. “Two. A girl and a boy… they won’t miss me, don’t worry. And their mother has money, lots now, she can get them a good therapist.”
