Double Dragon Read online

  I looked out to see and my thoughts were interrupted by a bobbing sight. I ran out until the water came up to my waist and hauled the body to shore, turning it around to see the face of Vincent. I practically threw him on the sand and pumped my hands against his chest, breathing into his mouth to try and get him to cough up water. For a moment, I thought it had been too long, that the sea had claimed another soul, but then he coughed and spluttered, and his body convulsed. He opened his eyes and laughed, and then rested against the sand. I clapped my hands and a wave of relief washed over me. Going through this with someone else was far preferable than going through it alone.

  “That was one hell of a storm,” Vincent said and then, as if he was just noticing the change in the weather, looked as confused as I must have done when I regained consciousness. “What the hell is this? Are we in the same place?”

  “Welcome to Dragon Island,” I said dryly. “I have no idea what that’s about. I guess there must be something unusual with the eddies or electro-magnetism. There was a reason why the satellite imagery never gave a clear picture of the place after all.”

  “How very technical of you,” he said, wincing a little as he too inspected his body for scrapes and bruises.

  “I never really paid much attention to that part. It took some of the romance out of the adventure,” I said. It was true. I wasn’t a snob and didn’t like to turn up my nose at progress, but it was one thing to map a location and quite another to explore it, to tread the same path as had been walked by people before you, to breathe in the same air and see what they saw. There was a school of thought that, eventually, it would be unnecessary to actually visit a site. It could all be mapped by computers and then uploaded to a virtual reality head set and the exploration could continue without putting anyone at risk. The last part I could certainly see the benefit of, especially after what I had just been through, but the rest of it? Not for me; I didn’t want to live in a world where nobody ever did anything, where all the greatest accomplishments were achieved from the comfort of an office.

  “It makes the place all the more intriguing though, doesn’t it?” I said.

  “You got that right. I can see why you and your parents were so interested in it.”

  I gazed out to the water, hoping to see another body bobbing up, but it was completely still. “Did you see any of the others out there?”

  “No…the last thing I saw was Duncan being sucked out of the plane. I heard his scream. He reached out to me, but he was out of my reach. The plane went down in freefall and I knew I had to jump. I prayed I’d hit the water rather than a rock. I assumed you had done the same.”

  “Thomas and William?”

  “No idea,” Vincent said.

  “Damn.” There was little more that could be said. Although I hadn’t warmed up to either of them, I didn’t like to think they were dead. I dusted myself off and picked myself up and held out a hand for Vincent to take, which he did, clasping it tightly. “We can’t sit around all day. We need to explore and make a camp.”

  Vincent hobbled along after me. I walked slowly, both so that he could keep up and to conserve energy. It pained me to think that so many supplies had gone down with the plane. I considered swimming out to try and dive down and retrieve anything, but quickly dismissed the idea. There was no telling how deep the surface was out there, and the crates had been strapped tightly. If I was going to release them, I’d need to stay down there for a long time, and even then I didn’t know which crates were which.

  “Do you think anyone is going to find us?” Vincent asked. I’d been afraid to ask it myself.

  “Hopefully. When we don’t check in like we’re supposed to it’s going to raise suspicion, and eventually they’ll send a search party. We’d better hope that storm dies down before they do though, otherwise they’ll just have the same problem we did.”

  “It’s a damn shame we don’t have a satellite phone, although I doubt that would actually help given the strange circumstances. I don’t want to be the one saying this, but given what’s happened can we be sure the island isn’t cursed?”

  I looked at him and I wished that I could have dismissed the statement outright, but I couldn’t. There were too many strange things going on and I wasn’t arrogant enough to think that I had all the answers.

  “Right now, I don’t think we can rule anything out. We’ll just have to go careful and make sure that we keep an eye out for anything dangerous. Let’s walk along the beach and see if we can find a cave to make shelter.”

  My heart hammered against my chest and my head throbbed. I squinted against the glare of the sun and tried to focus on the task at hand, but I was unable to. A small thought started, just a nugget that swelled and grew until I couldn’t resist thinking about it; the thought that perhaps if I had survived my parents had too. Their bodies had never been found. It seemed impossible, and yet it was impossible that I had survived. Perhaps they were on this island after all these years. Suddenly I had a new mission, not that I told this to Vincent because I knew he’d think I was only being sentimental.

  We walked around the beach. I still gazed towards the water in the hope that I would see sign of the others, but it was as still as if nobody had been there at all. The plane had been fully pulled down into the watery depths and the only sign that anything was amiss was the odd bit of wreckage that floated on the surface of the water. Behind us we left a trail of footprints, and it reminded me of the marks of technology that formed a web across the natural landscape.

  Man had arrived, and usually that meant doom for the natural world, but Dragon Island seemed more formidable than the rest of the world.

  7

  We eventually found a small cave that offered shelter from the sun. The temperature instantly dropped, and I was glad of the relief. There was a small pool in the middle of the cave that led out to the wider sea. I went down and dipped my finger in, bringing it to my mouth and winced as the water hit my tongue. Sadly, it was still salty. The area was sandy and rocky, and far less comfortable than the beach, but it would do well in case the storm reared its ugly head again and decided it wanted to ruin this side of paradise.

  Vincent sank down and breathed a sigh of relief. His face was red and he seemed to be happy to be off his feet. He opened his shirt; parts of it were torn anyway, and there was a gash down his side. It wasn’t bleeding, but if it wasn’t treated there was a risk of it getting infected and turning nasty. It needed to be cleaned, and saltwater wasn’t a good idea for that either. I sat down beside him.

  “We’re in a bit of a pickle,” I said.

  “You can say that again. Makes me wonder how other people do it. Still, at least we’re alive, and we’ll find a way out of this.”

  “I admire your confidence.” A noise caught my attention. I peered towards the pool and noticed a red crab scuttling sideways towards a rock, disappearing into a dark hole. “So far the wildlife seems normal enough.” Vincent offered a weak laugh. I remembered my parents telling me stories about times they had been stranded. They spoke about them as if they were grand adventures and tests of their willpower, but now I assumed that they had embellished the truth and left out some of the more harrowing aspects of being lost in the wilderness. I tried to remember what they always taught me though, and that was to remain focused and logical. Vincent wasn’t in much of a state to explore. His body had been battered and his spirit seemed tired.

  “I’m going to go and explore the jungle to see if I can get us any fresh water. Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?”

  “Sap,” he said weakly, “Sap and strong leaves…might soothe.”

  I nodded and left him there, hating to leave him alone, but knowing that it was the only way to get him help. I stepped out into the sunshine again and surveyed my surroundings. Although I was on a deserted island, I had the distinct unsettling feeling that I wasn’t alone, and I didn’t mean Vincent. It felt as though there was a presence on t
his island, something deep and primal, something that had lasted millennia. I told myself that I was just thirsty and was suffering from shock and pushed the thought out of my mind, but as I stepped out of the cave, I thought I spotted something moving out of the corner of my eye in the sky. I glanced up, twisting my head so sharply that it hurt, and was disappointed that I saw nothing. I shook my head and told myself that I can’t hallucinate.

  I walked up to where grass poked through the sandy surface and pushed through trees. I made sure to look at the ground and the branches in case there were any snakes. The last thing I wanted was to be bitten by something venomous. It would be an anticlimactic end after everything I had endured just to get here. But I was here, I was actually standing on Dragon Island and although I hadn’t gotten here the way I would have liked, it still filled me with awe to think that I was actually here. I had redeemed my parents and found the place they had been searching for. Now, I just had to figure out a way to get back to the real world.

  I pushed aside heavy green leaves and entered the jungle. The air was humid, but the light was softer on my eyes as the sun was shaded by the thick trees. The area was filled with vibrant colors and vivid aromas. There were flowers that bloomed and stared at me, all colors of the rainbow, set against the emerald green of the leaves and vines, and the coarse brown of the tree trunks. I heard some rustling and darted my head down, ready to strike against a viper, only to see a small rodent. It looked at me inquisitively, twitched its nose, and then scurried away. I relaxed a little, hoping that everything else I encountered on this island would be as harmless.

  Taking a moment to compose myself, I closed my eyes and tried to listen to the world. Dad always used to say that life was everywhere and that nature had a mind of its own. And that if it needed to, it would always find a way to talk to us. I tried to listen to what this world was telling me, hoping that some message would be whispered on the wind. As of yet, it seemed that Dragon Island was silent. Perhaps it didn’t want me there. Maybe I was living on borrowed time.

  I carried on deeper into the jungle, figuring I might as well head into the heart of the island. I wished I had a knife on me to mark notches on trees so that I could keep track of where I had been, but since I was without one, I instead tore off leaves and formed patterns of them on the ground, so that if I came across them again I would know that I had been turned around in circles. I couldn’t help but wonder if my parents had walked these same tracks, and I looked down at the soil underneath my feet, hoping to see some kind of track left, but there was nothing. I might as well have been the first person to ever set foot in this place. If so, it would have been quite an accomplishment, but it was hollow without the adulation of the people at home. I took care not to get scratched by any thorns and eventually came to an opening, which I was led to after I heard the bubbling of a stream. The excitement was too much for me to bear and I ran in, despite knowing I should have been cautious. When I saw the stream before me, I fell down onto my knees and slurped water, knowing from the smell that it was clean to drink.

  It was crystal clear and there were no fish swimming in it, in fact there were no particles at all. It looked as clear as glass and it tasted refreshing. I was a little reckless in gulping it down, and very fortunate not to suffer from dysentery, but at the time I couldn’t resist. I felt all the better for it. The water dripped down my chin and trickled in between my breasts. I pulled up handfuls of it and splashed it on my face, letting it run down the back of my neck and all the way down my body. I wasn’t going to bathe properly yet, but I made a note to come back here later to properly wash every part of my body. For the time being, I needed to get back to Vincent and bring him some water.

  I looked around to see what I could use to carry the water, but there didn’t seem to be anything obvious. I told myself to think. It had been a long time since I had pushed myself to these lengths, but I was determined to meet the challenge. It reminded me of when I had been young and Mom and Dad had taken me to the woods and given me tasks to complete, testing my ability to improvise. I examined the different types of wildlife and flora around me and I saw a large flower head made of thick blue petals. I went up to it and inspected it, making sure that there were no insects lurking behind. The aroma was sweet and intoxicating, and it lingered after I ripped the head off. It was large enough for me to carry with two hands, and the petals were sturdy enough that I thought it could carry water. I placed it near the stream and then looked for something else, and for this I had to tilt my head up to the branches, where vines were draped over. I shimmied up a tree and pulled some vines down, using all my strength to rip them apart. I had to dig in with my nails, for the slender vines were surprisingly tough, until I managed to get a section open. Then, I used my hands to scoop water into the petal bowl until it was as filled as it was ever going to get and tied the top of the petals together with vines, creating a vessel like design to carry water. I was proud of my work, although it was going to be difficult to carry the water back without spilling it, and I still had to find sap.

  I turned my attention to the trees and looked at them more closely. On most of the trees, the bark formed ridges and I was able to get purchase and bend the bark back, ripping it away. The bark dug into my skin and I winced under the pain, but it revealed slick, viscous sap. I let the bark fall to the ground and tore away some thick leaves, using them to scoop up the sap. I then folded these and placed them in my pocket, hoping that the sap wouldn’t seep out and stick onto my pants. With that accomplished I felt quite triumphant and picked up the flower bowl I had made. I could feel the water slosh inside and I knew that one wrong move would cause it all to leak out and spill. It was going to be tricky to get it all the way back to Vincent, but I was determined to not let him down. I kept thinking about what my parents would have done in the same circumstances, and I vowed to live up to the standards they had set.

  Walking slowly, I breathed deeply and started to make my way back the way I had come, but as soon as I turned away from the stream and looked up, I gasped and dropped the flower head on the ground. It opened and the water splashed over my feet, but I wasn’t looking at that. I was looking at the man standing in front of me, for I was sure I had seen a ghost.

  8

  “Amber,” Thomas said. I stared at him incredulously. His clothes were torn and there was a bruise on the side of his head. His hair was disheveled, but he wore that same smug grin that had been present while on the plane.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “It’s good to see you too. I’m glad you survived. I would have hoped the feeling was mutual.”

  “Yes, but…but…how? Why? What are you doing here?” I repeated, completely lost for words. I had come to the conclusion that only Vincent and I had survived. It didn’t make sense to me that Thomas would be deep in the jungle like this. Thomas came forward and pressed his hand to mine, as if to convince me that he was real, or perhaps it was to convince him that I wasn’t a fantasy. His touch was gentle against my arm and I felt my breath catch it my throat as my head tilted back to look up at him. Somehow, despite all we’d been through, he had retained his good looks.

  “When the plane went down, William and I were flung outwards. We tried to look for parachutes, but we didn’t manage to get any in time. I don’t know how we survived really. It was a miracle. We were dumped in the ocean and swam to shore, I figure the same must have happened to you. Did anyone else make it?”

  “Vincent did. The others…no,” I said. Thomas gave me a solemn smile and nodded. “I didn’t see you…”

  “We didn’t see you either. I was about to look into the sea when we saw the plane come down and land on a huge spike. The whole island seemed to shudder when it happened. Frankly, I didn’t think anyone else could have survived. Then we heard a noise from the jungle, at least, what we thought was a noise, and we figured we should come and explore. Then I heard some rustling and I thought it must have been a wild animal
, I was surprised it was you, and thrilled. I guess you made it to Dragon Island after all. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks, but I won’t be accepting any awards until we head back. And I’ve just made a hash of things here,” I said, now looking down at the broken flower at my feet. Thomas asked me what I was trying to do, and I explained to him about Vincent.

  “Oh, that’s no problem. William actually managed to grab a loose crate as we fell. It had food and water inside. We’ll head back to the shore and help Vincent with you,” he said. I nodded, but something about his story didn’t seem right.

  “Wait a minute, if you landed on the beach surely there would have been a mark left? I didn’t see anything on the beach. It was like the sand had been untouched.”

  “I guess the breeze must have blown the sand back. It was very soft. It seemed like it was being filled in the moment after we stepped away. The crate wasn’t a big one, so we carried that with us. I don’t really know what else to tell you I mean, the way this place is there definitely seems to be something strange going on. I don’t know how to explain that the storm is in the air but not here, for example. Anyway, I’m actually glad I ran into you because we found something and I think you’re really going to want to take a look.”

  Something about him still put me on edge. I’d this nagging feeling that he and William had some hidden agenda, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what they’d still have to be lying about given the situation. As far as I was concerned, the more of us that survived the better.

  “I’d love to Thomas, but do you think it can wait? Vincent isn’t in the best shape and if we wait too long to return, I think he’ll be worried that something happened to me, and I don’t think he’s the type of man to stay waiting in a cave for too long.”