No One Ever Realized That They're Already Dead

♠ Ellamae’s POV ♠

It was decided. While Ivory and Damien were out setting traps: AJ, Ben, and I discussed our own options once we reached the safe area for Ben. We decided: one of us needs to get to the strangers boat and mayday for help.

I was the fastest and if need be could scale a tree in no time. I can proudly state that I was the best climber. AJ would be able to move Ben better than me if alone just incase. So here I was, in a bush on the other side of the island, looking at the peoples boat. My nerves were high. I’m so nervous and a part of me was waiting for one of my siblings to pop up and help me like always.

But they weren’t. They were out in the jungle trying to save the others and I. I needed to do this on my own for my family. Taking one last look up and down the beach I ran for it.

Their boat was anchored close by so I had to get their motor power raft to it to get to the radio. Easier said then done. I knew how to steer one because of Uncle TJ but it was all together another things to power up one. I had to rank that dang cord at least five times before it started up. I steered it to the main boat and it was a little difficult to get it in the spot I needed. But I was able to and tied the two together, then jumped aboard. I wasn’t 100% sure about the radio; I only knew a couple things. But I’d try anything.

Just as I was reaching to the radio, a dark black hand snapped out and grabbed around my wrist. I yelp and fearfully looked up at the large man.

“Now what do we have here?” the man grinned.

\ ♠ ♠ [[Fast Forward]] ♠ ♠ \

♠ Ivory’s POV ♠

Damien and I had met at the spot we picked before heading back to the spot with our family. I whistled to let them know it was us that was coming but the unknown group. When D and I made our way to them the first thing I noticed was: no Ellamae.

“Where’s Ellamae?” Damien asked having noticed it as well.

AJ licked his lips nervously before Ben answered, “we decided one of us would go to their boat and call for a mayday.”

“You what?” Damien asked loudly.

Even though I was worried the brothers and I shh’ed at Damien to watch his level of volume. We currently don’t know where the strangers are.

“Look,” I start using my I’m-in-charge voice. “D I want you to stay with Ben. AJ you move onto Plan C. I’m going to go check on Ellamae.”

“Just leave me here,” Ben quickly said. “You guys all need to be out doing something. We can’t waste one of you by watching me and doing nothing. I’ll be fine.”

Because he was still weak he was sitting, resting against the mountain.

I glared down at him. “Look Ben. We’re family, the Jade Wings. We don’t put each other in danger. For the good of the Jade Wings, one of us is staying with you. We can’t be out there worrying about you being alone.”

“Plus,” AJ continued. “What about all the snakes live in this mountain? What if one comes too close and you’re too weak to move? I can’t lose you again.”

Silence.

I clapped my hands together. “I’ve given orders. Follow them. Now move!”

\\ ♠ ♠ Elsewhere ♠ ♠ \\

“Why are you doing this?” Ellamae glared, her hands tied.

The black man and her were in that motorboat and heading back to the island.

When the man didn’t say anything, Ellamae pressed on, “You’re a bad guy. Bad guys always get caught. Why can’t you be a good guy?”

At that moment they reached the beach. The man jumped out and pulled the boat enough onto the sand so the waves couldn’t pull it back into the sea. The man easily scooped the little blonde up and dumped her onto the beach. She glared and the man moved down onto his hunches.

“Let me tell you a story,” he said. “There was this turtle and scorpion who were friends. One day they came to a river and since the scorpion couldn’t swim he looked to his friend the turtle and said, ‘if you let me on your back so we can get across I won’t sting you.’ The turtle agrees and they make their way across. When they make it to the other side, do you know what happens?” Ellamae doesn’t say anything so the man continues. “The scorpion stings his friend. The turtle, with his one last gasping breath asks, ‘why?’ The scorpion says, ‘because it’s in my nature.’ You see it’s in our nature to be what we are. You can’t change that.”

Ellamae looks him in the eye, “You’re wrong.” His eyebrows raise and Ellamae continues, “The scorpion stings the turtle half way across and they both drown. The scorpion was his own worst emery. He was his down fall.” Thank goodness that was a bedtime story her mom liked to tell and it was Ivory’s favorite.

The man doesn’t know how to respond to that but luckily his boss and the rest of the crew were just making their way out of the jungle.

“Find anything?” he asked Ava as he stood.

She shook her head and looked at the little girl along with the rest.

“No,” Tom, the boss answered. “But looks like you did.”

The black man nodded, “She stole the boat and steered it to the other to call for help.”

Tom looked down pretty impressed at the pouting angry child. He went down on his hunches like his partner had done a moment ago.

He grabbed Ellamae’s chin so she had to look at him. “Listen here girly,” he said. “Who else is on the island with you? Parents? Siblings? Who?”

The kid glared, “No one. It’s just me. My family died in the storm last week. I washed ashore.”

Silence.

Tom just continued to look into the girl’s icy blue eyes. “Somehow,” he said softly. “I don’t believe that.” He stood but still looked at her. “But they’ll come for you, then I’ll know.” He looked Ava, “Stay with the kid. We’re going to check the next area.”

Ava just rolled her eyes, not happy with being babysitter.

Tom slapped the black man on the back, “Nice catch Jay.”

\\ ♠ ♠ Back To Ivory ♠ ♠ \\

I glared from the hiding spot. They’ve got my sister. I couldn’t hear their words but didn’t like when the leader grabbed her face. They better not hurt her. I may be small and stuff but I’d kill them if I had to save my sister or family.

I watched as the men headed out. Heading in the direction of Plan C. Hopefully AJ had finished with that one.

I watched as the woman of the group sat down on a rock close by to my sister. She pulled out a map I think and looked it over. That just sparked the same question I keep wondering: why are they here?

Deciding I needed to reassure Ellamae I whistled my birdcall to her. I saw her body tense for a moment but then settled down so she didn’t draw attention to herself. I knew she was listening so I did it once more, and very silently she showed she knew I was there by nodding her head very slightly.

‘How am I going to get her?’I thought to myself.

My head was just swimming with worries, fear, and ideas that would get one of us killed.

But then, one idea came to mind. It was so simple but a little risky. It had to work.

♠ No One’s POV ♠

The kid waited from his place in the tree. He hand the vine in hand and was leaning against the large tree trunk. Damien was right; these guys were definitely not quiet when going through the jungle.

AJ heard them way before he finally saw them.

‘Just a bit closer, just little bit,’he nudged mentally.

“I hate the jungle,” the largest one said as he cut through the jungle brush.

Just at that moment he tripped over a vine and AJ let go of the vine he was holding. The vine was attached to a little make shift vine hammock, it held a very large rock along with a few other ones. The rock was meant to hit whoever tripped over the vine but the black one had rushed forward as if to catch him so the rock hit him.

AJ grinned as the four men cursed and the other two men who didn’t get hurt turned in circles, scanning the jungle with guns in hand. The black one that got hit with the large rock was groaning on the ground, his head was bleeding pretty badly.

‘Hope you need stitches loser,’AJ thought happily.

After scanning the jungle and spotting nothing due to the vast amount of jungle, the men looked over their bleeding partner. AJ praised Iehsa’s idea that the men would just think that the tripping over the vine would cause the rocks to fall so they wouldn’t search too badly for a person.

Markus looked over Jay’s bleeding head. “That’s gonna need stitches,” he commented.

‘Haha,’AJ teased.

Tom cursed, “Let’s get back to the boat and get this damn search finished.”

‘Search for what?’the kid questioned.

\\ ♠ ♠ Elsewhere ♠ ♠ \\

The woman continued to look over the map. Ava along with her cousin Markus were sure this was the island. All their research pointed to this island. This was going to be the biggest payday in their life if they were right.

“Fire!” the little girl suddenly cried.

Ava’s had snapped to her and then where she was looking. Ava cursed seeing a brush on fire. She knew she had to put it out or burn the jungle down with her cousin and partners still in it…. Along with their big pay.

Jumping to her feet, she quickly grabbed the fire extinguisher from the motor raft and ran to put it out. Sighing with relief she turned just in time to see the little girl free and running with another taller girl. Ava quickly reached for her gun and fired twice.

Too late, the two kids had disappeared into the jungle.

With a curse, Ava got her radio walkie takie and called the boss.