Suspending Reality - Suspending Reality Part 87
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Suspending Reality Part 87

"How does it do that?" Mike kept shaking his head, his voice filled with awe.

"I just...I dunno," said Jack.

Jack seemed a little freaked out by it, but I knew exactly how to divert his attention: We had to focus on how to use this stuff to our advantage, rather than dwelling on all the weirdness. "Hey, guys, why don't we write a humongous SOS or something?" I asked.

A smile lit up Jack's stern face. "Oh, wow! That's a great idea. We're bound to get someone's attention."

I picked up a long stick and traced giant letters in the sand. I could only hope the SOS message was big enough for a helicopter to see from the air, if anyone even bothered flying in that direction. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind, together with nightfall and giant man-eating spiders. I swallowed and forced a smile. "Guys, I'm going to make it bigger-waaaay bigger. Why don't you two dig some holes for the fires? We can't waste precious time."

Gazing out across the sea, Mike picked up a palm-sized flat rock and threw it. It skipped ten times along the glossy surface. He pumped his fist in the air. "Oh, yeah!"

I lifted the hair up off my neck. It was only morning, and the suns had scorched my skin already. What would we do come midday? A trace of irritation rose up inside me at Mike's childish behavior. Jack, on the other hand, seemed able to focus. Why couldn't he? "Mike, what's wrong with you?" I said. "Don't you want to be rescued? 'Cause it kind of seems like you don't."

Jack nodded. "Yeah. Stop screwing around, man. We need your help here."

"Okay, I'm coming." Mike dropped his handful of rocks and dusted off his shirt and shorts.

It was a good thing he was getting the message, because skipping stones wasn't going to get us off the island. I raised my voice slightly to get my point across. "We've got one chance if a plane flies by. That's it...just one chance."

Mike sauntered over and picked up a few pieces of driftwood. "Point taken." He shot me a gleaming smile. "Besides, I can never say no when you flash those gorgeous baby blues," he said, as smooth and charming as ever.

My heart skipped a beat. Was that a compliment? Naw. He always says that. It means nothing...right? I knew flirting was as natural to Mike as breathing. I placed my hands on my hips. "Those lines won't work on me. I'm not one of your love-struck fans."

"Immune to my charm?" he asked, dropping his wood into the pile I'd created.

Punctuating my words, I jabbed a finger in his chest. "Yes...I...am." But I wasn't, and for that I could have kicked myself. Why can't I just tell him about my feelings? Would he really laugh at me? Could he possibly take me seriously?

Mike winked and pulled me close. "But I'm irresistible."

He was. His strong arms felt good-so good. I gazed up into his eyes-those sparkling green orbs. My breath froze as I watched the suns glint off his tousled blond hair. He stroked his thumb down my cheek and smiled, and I smiled back. I knew I was playing with fire, and I wondered if Mike would burn me the way he burned all the others. Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I wondered how it would feel to have Mike as more than a friend. But why dwell on something that'll never happen? He was all talk and had no problem flirting endlessly with any and all girls, including his best friend. He couldn't be serious about getting them rescued, and he couldn't be serious about having feelings for me. It was hopeless.

"Don't you dare treat her like one of your groupies," said Jack.

Yeah, Mike had lots of those-beautiful girls lined up at his feet, begging for his autograph and catering to his every whim, like he was some famous movie star.

"Chill out, okay? I'm sorry." Mike's gaze shifted to my SOS. I smiled as he whistled. "Whoa! I'm blinded. Where're my shades?" He took a step back and covered his eyes. "It's shining like a Las Vegas banner. They'd have to be blind to miss that! And I don't think they hire many blind pilots these days."

Jack dropped another piece of driftwood into the giant pile. He brushed sand off his hands. "Your award-winning masterpiece is going to get us rescued. Guess we don't call you Picasso for nothing."

I smirked. "Thanks." I watched Jack's muscles flex underneath his t-shirt as he went back to work. He was a star athlete, and he'd led their California high school teams to countless victories in swimming, football, and basketball. But Jack wasn't vain like Mike, who held countless titles himself in the world of surfing. Mike and Jack were as different as day and night, even though they shared many common bonds: dirt bike riding, videogames, snowboarding, hiking, and breaking records of every kind, both with a roomful of trophies and ribbons and medals to prove it. Jack smiled when he caught my gaze, and I returned the grin. He had the prettiest blue eyes! If I didn't know any better, I'd have sworn he wore blue contacts.

Mike fell to his knees and threw a pile of sand over his shoulder. "I got the last hole for the fire pit."

A soft, cool breeze blew over my face. It felt wonderful against my hot skin, but I hoped it wasn't too windy for them to get a spark. "So, what's the best way to get these fires blazing?"

Jack shrugged. "The old-fashioned way, I guess-rubbing sticks together."

I grinned and nudged his arm. "Great! So we should have fire by sometime tomorrow."

Meeting my gaze, he smiled. "I know a bunch of different ways. It's primitive, but eventually we'll get a spark."

Jack placed piles of palm leaves next to each of the three fires. "We should stay right here on the beach. This area's open, and a helicopter will have a very good chance of seeing our distress signals."

The suns shined brightly and the cool morning breeze felt good on my face. I threw another log into the fire. I thought about rescue. How long will it take them to find us? Other questions haunted me too. Will we really have to stay the night here? Where will we sleep? I assumed we'd have to make a mattress and blanket out of dry vegetation. Palm fronds and tree bark sounded kind of itchy, though, and sharing my bed with freakish bugs that would latch onto my skin and suck me dry of every red blood cell in my body...well, that wasn't going to happen either. I decided I'd gladly shower in that termite juice of Jack's to repel every living insect or arachnid within a fifty-mile radius.

I wasn't worried about food anymore. Mike and I could catch fish with our bare hands, and Jack could skin them. We had water to drink, plus a fire to stay warm at night and cook with. The flames reached into the air like long fingers as I turned the crackling logs with a stick. Sparks danced like erratic fireflies. The rising heat scorched my arms, and I stepped back. "I'll start looking for some bigger logs so we can-"

A loud sound in the distance interrupted our conversation. The wailing shriek echoed, like a cry from some savage beast. I whipped my head around as I jumped. "What was that?" Shivers ran down my spine, and Mike and Jack exchanged worried glances.

"Hey, Jack. You've been around the rainforest with your mom on all those photo shoots," said Mike. "What kind of animal was that?"

"Can't be sure. I need to hear it again."

Mike shook my shoulder. "Dude! It sounded like a lion."

That was something I didn't want to hear. The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention again. "No, it can't be. They're only found in Africa or India...aren't they, Jack?"

Eyebrows raised, Jack stared at the direction of the sound. "Pretty much."

Mike bounded toward the jungle without a second thought.

I shot Jack a look, and he just shook his head and shrugged. Why does Mike always have to prove something? Or does he really crave excitement and risk that much?

"Yo, Mike!" I yelled. "Where the heck are you going?"

"To check things out!" he yelled back.

Jack huffed out a breath. "We better go get him."

"Yeah, or he'll hunt that thing deep into who-knows-where." I ran after Mike, twigs and branches snapping under my feet as I trailed through the tropical foliage. He didn't get far before I reached him and pulled at his shirt to get his attention. The last time he'd tried something so idiotic, he was four years old. He'd chased two deer into the woods, and a search party found him six hours later. I guessed he hadn't changed his thrill-seeking ways, or maybe it was just bred into his DNA. "Are you insane?" I gripped his arm to draw him closer, but he quickly pulled away. "This isn't the time or place for playing big game hunter. Listen, we need to stay close to the fires."

Mike pushed branches aside, took another step into the dense vegetation, and then straightened to listen. "I can't see anything."

I stepped in between the towering tropical plants that sported large elephant ear-like leaves. I scanned past the black and green, splotched vegetation. "I don't see anything either."

Another roar. I swallowed, my pulse drumming. "What is it?"

"I think it's a howler monkey." Jack shifted his stance as he peered through the giant leaves. "I heard them in Brazil. You can hear them from miles away, and their calls sound more like a roar than a howl. I bet it's fighting over territory."

I blew out a loud breath. "So why's it over here? We're not in South America."

Jack shrugged. "I have no idea. Mike, whatcha think?"

"Maybe a pet got loose."

I placed a hand over my racing heart. "Anything's possible. If it's nothing but a monkey, then I'm not going to get all stressed out over it." The chirping of birds intensified, overshadowing the rhythmical crashing of waves against the shore, and I took that to be a good sign. I knew wildlife usually clams up when a predator approaches. The birds were just more proof everything was A-okay.

I touched Mike's shoulder. "I can't believe you're out here chasing wild animals. Do you have a screw loose?"

He smiled, shaking his head. "You make me sound like a lunatic."

"Aren't you?" I asked, playfully slugging him.

"As one of my ex-girlfriends put it..." He winked. "I'm beautifully flawed."

I laughed. Beth used to say that about him all the time. Every guy at their school dreamt of dating the gorgeous Beth. It was funny that he labeled her a "girlfriend" when they'd called it quits after only two months. But that was a record for Mike. If Beth couldn't hold onto Mike, I thought, then how could I possibly tame him? Beth was right about him being "beautifully flawed," as those flaws made him individual and unique. "How do you stay so calm, anyway?"

"I think of something funny, like Jack's haircut," Mike whispered in my ear.

I smirked, staring at Jack. What girl wouldn't want to run a hand through Jack's wild tangle of dark hair? With that hair, those blue eyes, and that athletic build of his, he was definitely a catch. But then again, so was Mike, complete with his shaggy surfer hair that girls love so much.

Another thunderous roar echoed through the jungle. This time, everything became silent, except for the ocean.

Mike's eyes widened, and his head slowly turned to face the direction of the roar. "I'm really hoping that monkey has had its rabies shots."

My heart leapt at the noise. It didn't sound like any monkey I'd ever heard. My imaginings of what it might be twisted my stomach into knots. I so much wanted to believe Jack-that it was just a harmless monkey, howling from miles away-but in a world of two suns, colored water, monster dragonflies, glowing sand, and basketball-sized spiders, who knew what kind of crazy creature was out there waiting to attack?

To be continued....

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