Isle of Tears cont'd
Gold Wing: Path to Eden
Tim and Laura walked cautiously along the tree lined ridge. “Laurie, let me see that group of pictures of Olivia again.” Laura smirked playfully. “Why? Have you suddenly got the hots for her?” She reached into the backpack and pulled out the yellowed and faded news article. Tim ignored her gibe.
He examined Olivia’s high school photo, and a somewhat more recent one that the family had taken on their disastrous vacation. Olivia was very plain looking, with a larger than average nose, and a plump, cherubic face. Her body type seemed short and stocky, he observed, though in all fairness, the photos were not very well taken. Laura wondered what was bouncing around in that large brain of his.
“I think that you two would be perfect for each other.” Laura teased. “Hmm!” Tim huffed. “She’s no Gold Wing, that’s for sure.” He countered. “Aww! Thanks, Tim-ster.” She smiled brightly and glanced at the late afternoon sunlight, quickly adjusting her overpriced sunglasses.
“I’m merely memorizing her picture, on the off chance that she survived.” Tim played down his interest. Laura rolled her eyes, allowing Tim to enjoy his super-heroic fantasy. They reached a foggy glen that seemed oddly out of place in this subtropical zone. Laura was admittedly no weather expert, but this didn’t sit well with her. For the moment, she kept Tim out of her speculations.
They would have to go forward, right through the boggy ground, or risk missing their docking appointment with Nashika. “Tim! Let’s be careful around here.” She warned. “The ground is soggy, and can lend itself to something akin to quicksand, or deep mud bogs.”
Immediately, Tim folded up and put away his newspaper article. He followed Laura closely, stepping exactly where she stepped. “These trees seem out of place.” She voiced her observation. “Technically, they resemble Cycads, one of the most ancient of all trees.” Tim proclaimed.
They stopped dead in their tracks. A large, golden and jade colored statue of a female torso, crossed with a colorful Jaguar blocked their soggy path. The idol was intricately carved and was in remarkably good shape considering the constant assault of the tropical humidity, and stray tropical storm or two.
“Nice!” Laura praised. The idol itself was about six feet in height, and was placed atop a carved stone pedestal which had not fared as well. The pedestal was worn and some of its intricate lettering had been filed off, presumably by the sand from the beaches being whipped across it. The pedestal added about another three feet to the overall height of the sculpture.
“She’s a bit busty for my tastes.” Laura mocked the Jaguar goddess’s overly developed breasts. “Still, I think she’d look good with my other two idols from the Tekameh caves.” Tim gasped, and slowly backed away from Laura and the idol. “Hey! Tim-Ster! I said to be careful!” She exclaimed. “Why are you so freaked? It’s only an idol. Like you’ve never seen one before!”
“Laurie! We need to go!” Tim virtually shrieked. “What? Aren’t you overreacting just a wee bit?” Laura snarled. “That’s Ix Chel, the Mayan Goddess of Fertility.” Tim said, forcing some calmness to his voice. “First of all, Tim...” Laura wagged a long finger at him. “I’m impressed that you know the name of the Jaguar Goddess, but maybe it’s a sign for you to hook up with Olivia, if we find her.” She taunted.
“You don’t understand, Laurie! This is bad, really bad. There’s a whole cult out there based on Ix Chel, complete with human sacrifices and all.” He began to pale even within the hazy, sunlit bog.“Why do you even know that, Tim?” Laura said in disgust.
“It’s on the Internet!” He defended. “Why can’t you just sit in front of the computer and watch porn like everyone else?” Laura sighed. “Actually...” Tim began as Laura held up her hands. “Okay, too much information,” She cut him off.
“Anyway Tim, there aren’t any Mayan cults on this island, or we would have seen them by now, or at least some sign that the Isle of Tears is inhabited.” Laura reasoned as she beckoned him on, skirting the base of the Ix Chel statue. Tim reluctantly followed her, keeping a good distance away from the idol.
The fog grew denser as they moved onward in the correct direction. The sunlight was barely noticeable, within the thick, humid, veil above their path. The Cycads seemed larger and more numerous as their path took on a slight incline. Laura’s sensitive hearing had picked up some noises nearby.
They resembled the sound that an animal might make while scurrying through the underbrush. She dare not mention that to an already spooked Tim, yet, her curiosity kept compelling her on. “The cult members of Ix Chel reportedly drink blood from a monkey’s skull to prove their worth.” Tim recalled.
“Ew! And again, ew!” Laura commented as they trekked through a dense, rainforest type area of the island. “Tim, give it a rest, will you? This island seems to be deserted.” Laura said over her shoulder. “Yeah? Maybe somebody ought to tell her that!” Tim stopped abruptly and pointed towards an obviously female silhouette that had appeared just to their right, atop a hilly bog.
The female drew closer as Laura whirled to face her. “Olivia Descarte, I presume?” Gold Wing quickened her pace toward the new arrival. “That name no longer has any meaning to me.” The young woman snarled, as she stepped out of the shadows. “You may call me Livie!”
Tim immediately noted that ‘Livie’ unscrambled, could be seen as ‘I Evil’ or ‘I Live!’ “Well, Livie, you can call me Laura, and this is Tim. We’re here to rescue you.” Gold Wing shamelessly boasted. Livie laughed raucously. “Does it look like I need rescuing? I do appreciate the offer, though.”
Livie stepped into a shaft a dim sunlight that had pierced the veil of the rainforest canopy. Tim’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Livie was barely recognizable as compared to the five year old newspaper clipping. Laura noted the sea change that was Livie’s face and silhouette.
Livie, though still slight in height, had been transformed into a slim, lithe, petite framed young woman. Her weight had dropped considerably, and her once mousy brown hair had been bleached blonde by the tropical sunlight, and was draped well down her back. Livie’s dress left very little to the imagination.
Tim gawked at the dazzling beauty before him, and Livie knew exactly what was on Tim’s mind. “See what healthy living could do, devoid of the temptations of junk food and all night parties?” Livie teased as she slowly spun in place. Her wasp-like frame was tan and she hadn’t an extra ounce of fat on her.
Livie’s clothing merely consisted of a pair of large hollowed out grapefruits bound together by a tight weave of palm tree leaves, and she wore a midriff bearing grass skirt similar to the ones found in Hawaii. The difference being that the skirt left Livie’s backside obviously visible. Laura shifted her gaze away.
“I usually wear less than this.” Livie continued to taunt Tim, who reddened as she approached. Laura rolled her eyes. “Thanks for sharing.” Gold Wing retorted. “Livie, why don’t you come back with us?” The tropical beauty suddenly stared daggers at Tim.
“Why would I want to leave?” Livie’s deep black eyes seemed glassy and vacant. “I have all that I need right here. Back home, I was a nobody. The only people that knew me were my overprotective parents, servants, and butt kissing family members. Here I am a goddess!” Livie again laughed sardonically.
“Okay, now that we’ve seen Livie, we ought to be moving on.” Laura urged with irritation. Tim got up from his boulder seat and glanced at Livie one more time, shaking his head. “By the way, did you two see my Ix Chel statue? You wouldn’t believe what I had to do to get it here.” She grinned lustily.
“Yeah, I guess we don’t need to know all about that.” Laura conceded petulantly. “I take it you’ve found company on this allegedly deserted island?” Livie’s face took on a dark complexion. She didn’t readily answer the question. “Ix Chel stands as a warning.” Livie said menacingly. “This is my home.”
“Next time try a ‘No Trespassing’ or ‘Keep Out’ sign.” Laura dead panned. “With your loving personality, I’d bet that you’ll have no problem being left alone.” Laura and Tim edged past the eccentric island girl. “By the way, I love living here.” Livie added. “I get to see nature in all of its elegant brutality.” Tim sighed, passing her. “Those weren’t really the adjectives I was looking for.” He sniped.
“There’s one more thing.” Livie’s eyes narrowed as Laura turned to face her again. “You can’t leave. You see, I don’t want to be bothered here.” She threatened. “Oh don’t worry, I hope you and Ix Chel will be very happy together. We’re going to forget that we ever saw you.” Laura responded flatly.
“You don’t understand. You can’t leave.” Livie said calmly. “I don’t need another hen in my henhouse, but I can keep Tim. A male has certain uses...therefore, you are expendable.” Laura’s eyes flared a bright yellow. “Excuse me?” She lowered her voice as Tim shuddered and hid behind Gold Wing.
“You’ll never find your way off the island.” Livie presumably lied. “Uh...genius...an island by its very nature is easily accessible by boat traffic, and we have a ride waiting for us tonight.” Laura scowled. Suddenly several animals jogged in towards them from every direction.
“What the?!” Tim exclaimed as a large, dark jungle cat neared his leg. “Where did they all come from?” Laura asked calmly. “Tim, don’t move. That’s Shera, my dark furred panther.” Livie explained. “You named this thing?” Tim’s voice rose as Shera’s ears flattened back down and she snarled.
“Shera just had a healthy litter.” Livie continued. “As you might imagine, food can be sparse around here, but still if you consider the ratio of prey to predator, we’ve achieved a delicate eco balance.” Livie sounded strangely intelligent to Laura, considering that she’d spent the last five years on a secluded isle.
“Therefore, I can feed Shera, your friend Laura here, and spare your miserable life.” Livie added arrogantly. “Tim, think about it. We would be like Adam and Eve in Eden.” Obviously, Olivia had gone nuts alone on her island, Laura considered. “Uh, Livie, Tim’s coming home with me, and if I were you, I wouldn’t turn my back on Shera if she gets hungry.”
“You simply have no choice Laura.” Livie argued. “You can rest assured that your death will feed Shera and her litter well.” Shera nudged closer to Tim, and quickly sidestepped him and growled at Laura. Tim shivered as the nine foot long panther rubbed uncomfortably close to his leg. “Um...Laurie...I think its time to go!” Gold Wing smirked. “I couldn’t agree more.”
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Gold Wing: Path to Eden
Tim and Laura walked cautiously along the tree lined ridge. “Laurie, let me see that group of pictures of Olivia again.” Laura smirked playfully. “Why? Have you suddenly got the hots for her?” She reached into the backpack and pulled out the yellowed and faded news article. Tim ignored her gibe.
He examined Olivia’s high school photo, and a somewhat more recent one that the family had taken on their disastrous vacation. Olivia was very plain looking, with a larger than average nose, and a plump, cherubic face. Her body type seemed short and stocky, he observed, though in all fairness, the photos were not very well taken. Laura wondered what was bouncing around in that large brain of his.
“I think that you two would be perfect for each other.” Laura teased. “Hmm!” Tim huffed. “She’s no Gold Wing, that’s for sure.” He countered. “Aww! Thanks, Tim-ster.” She smiled brightly and glanced at the late afternoon sunlight, quickly adjusting her overpriced sunglasses.
“I’m merely memorizing her picture, on the off chance that she survived.” Tim played down his interest. Laura rolled her eyes, allowing Tim to enjoy his super-heroic fantasy. They reached a foggy glen that seemed oddly out of place in this subtropical zone. Laura was admittedly no weather expert, but this didn’t sit well with her. For the moment, she kept Tim out of her speculations.
They would have to go forward, right through the boggy ground, or risk missing their docking appointment with Nashika. “Tim! Let’s be careful around here.” She warned. “The ground is soggy, and can lend itself to something akin to quicksand, or deep mud bogs.”
Immediately, Tim folded up and put away his newspaper article. He followed Laura closely, stepping exactly where she stepped. “These trees seem out of place.” She voiced her observation. “Technically, they resemble Cycads, one of the most ancient of all trees.” Tim proclaimed.
They stopped dead in their tracks. A large, golden and jade colored statue of a female torso, crossed with a colorful Jaguar blocked their soggy path. The idol was intricately carved and was in remarkably good shape considering the constant assault of the tropical humidity, and stray tropical storm or two.
“Nice!” Laura praised. The idol itself was about six feet in height, and was placed atop a carved stone pedestal which had not fared as well. The pedestal was worn and some of its intricate lettering had been filed off, presumably by the sand from the beaches being whipped across it. The pedestal added about another three feet to the overall height of the sculpture.
“She’s a bit busty for my tastes.” Laura mocked the Jaguar goddess’s overly developed breasts. “Still, I think she’d look good with my other two idols from the Tekameh caves.” Tim gasped, and slowly backed away from Laura and the idol. “Hey! Tim-Ster! I said to be careful!” She exclaimed. “Why are you so freaked? It’s only an idol. Like you’ve never seen one before!”
“Laurie! We need to go!” Tim virtually shrieked. “What? Aren’t you overreacting just a wee bit?” Laura snarled. “That’s Ix Chel, the Mayan Goddess of Fertility.” Tim said, forcing some calmness to his voice. “First of all, Tim...” Laura wagged a long finger at him. “I’m impressed that you know the name of the Jaguar Goddess, but maybe it’s a sign for you to hook up with Olivia, if we find her.” She taunted.
“You don’t understand, Laurie! This is bad, really bad. There’s a whole cult out there based on Ix Chel, complete with human sacrifices and all.” He began to pale even within the hazy, sunlit bog.“Why do you even know that, Tim?” Laura said in disgust.
“It’s on the Internet!” He defended. “Why can’t you just sit in front of the computer and watch porn like everyone else?” Laura sighed. “Actually...” Tim began as Laura held up her hands. “Okay, too much information,” She cut him off.
“Anyway Tim, there aren’t any Mayan cults on this island, or we would have seen them by now, or at least some sign that the Isle of Tears is inhabited.” Laura reasoned as she beckoned him on, skirting the base of the Ix Chel statue. Tim reluctantly followed her, keeping a good distance away from the idol.
The fog grew denser as they moved onward in the correct direction. The sunlight was barely noticeable, within the thick, humid, veil above their path. The Cycads seemed larger and more numerous as their path took on a slight incline. Laura’s sensitive hearing had picked up some noises nearby.
They resembled the sound that an animal might make while scurrying through the underbrush. She dare not mention that to an already spooked Tim, yet, her curiosity kept compelling her on. “The cult members of Ix Chel reportedly drink blood from a monkey’s skull to prove their worth.” Tim recalled.
“Ew! And again, ew!” Laura commented as they trekked through a dense, rainforest type area of the island. “Tim, give it a rest, will you? This island seems to be deserted.” Laura said over her shoulder. “Yeah? Maybe somebody ought to tell her that!” Tim stopped abruptly and pointed towards an obviously female silhouette that had appeared just to their right, atop a hilly bog.
The female drew closer as Laura whirled to face her. “Olivia Descarte, I presume?” Gold Wing quickened her pace toward the new arrival. “That name no longer has any meaning to me.” The young woman snarled, as she stepped out of the shadows. “You may call me Livie!”
Tim immediately noted that ‘Livie’ unscrambled, could be seen as ‘I Evil’ or ‘I Live!’ “Well, Livie, you can call me Laura, and this is Tim. We’re here to rescue you.” Gold Wing shamelessly boasted. Livie laughed raucously. “Does it look like I need rescuing? I do appreciate the offer, though.”
Livie stepped into a shaft a dim sunlight that had pierced the veil of the rainforest canopy. Tim’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Livie was barely recognizable as compared to the five year old newspaper clipping. Laura noted the sea change that was Livie’s face and silhouette.
Livie, though still slight in height, had been transformed into a slim, lithe, petite framed young woman. Her weight had dropped considerably, and her once mousy brown hair had been bleached blonde by the tropical sunlight, and was draped well down her back. Livie’s dress left very little to the imagination.
Tim gawked at the dazzling beauty before him, and Livie knew exactly what was on Tim’s mind. “See what healthy living could do, devoid of the temptations of junk food and all night parties?” Livie teased as she slowly spun in place. Her wasp-like frame was tan and she hadn’t an extra ounce of fat on her.
Livie’s clothing merely consisted of a pair of large hollowed out grapefruits bound together by a tight weave of palm tree leaves, and she wore a midriff bearing grass skirt similar to the ones found in Hawaii. The difference being that the skirt left Livie’s backside obviously visible. Laura shifted her gaze away.
“I usually wear less than this.” Livie continued to taunt Tim, who reddened as she approached. Laura rolled her eyes. “Thanks for sharing.” Gold Wing retorted. “Livie, why don’t you come back with us?” The tropical beauty suddenly stared daggers at Tim.
“Why would I want to leave?” Livie’s deep black eyes seemed glassy and vacant. “I have all that I need right here. Back home, I was a nobody. The only people that knew me were my overprotective parents, servants, and butt kissing family members. Here I am a goddess!” Livie again laughed sardonically.
“Okay, now that we’ve seen Livie, we ought to be moving on.” Laura urged with irritation. Tim got up from his boulder seat and glanced at Livie one more time, shaking his head. “By the way, did you two see my Ix Chel statue? You wouldn’t believe what I had to do to get it here.” She grinned lustily.
“Yeah, I guess we don’t need to know all about that.” Laura conceded petulantly. “I take it you’ve found company on this allegedly deserted island?” Livie’s face took on a dark complexion. She didn’t readily answer the question. “Ix Chel stands as a warning.” Livie said menacingly. “This is my home.”
“Next time try a ‘No Trespassing’ or ‘Keep Out’ sign.” Laura dead panned. “With your loving personality, I’d bet that you’ll have no problem being left alone.” Laura and Tim edged past the eccentric island girl. “By the way, I love living here.” Livie added. “I get to see nature in all of its elegant brutality.” Tim sighed, passing her. “Those weren’t really the adjectives I was looking for.” He sniped.
“There’s one more thing.” Livie’s eyes narrowed as Laura turned to face her again. “You can’t leave. You see, I don’t want to be bothered here.” She threatened. “Oh don’t worry, I hope you and Ix Chel will be very happy together. We’re going to forget that we ever saw you.” Laura responded flatly.
“You don’t understand. You can’t leave.” Livie said calmly. “I don’t need another hen in my henhouse, but I can keep Tim. A male has certain uses...therefore, you are expendable.” Laura’s eyes flared a bright yellow. “Excuse me?” She lowered her voice as Tim shuddered and hid behind Gold Wing.
“You’ll never find your way off the island.” Livie presumably lied. “Uh...genius...an island by its very nature is easily accessible by boat traffic, and we have a ride waiting for us tonight.” Laura scowled. Suddenly several animals jogged in towards them from every direction.
“What the?!” Tim exclaimed as a large, dark jungle cat neared his leg. “Where did they all come from?” Laura asked calmly. “Tim, don’t move. That’s Shera, my dark furred panther.” Livie explained. “You named this thing?” Tim’s voice rose as Shera’s ears flattened back down and she snarled.
“Shera just had a healthy litter.” Livie continued. “As you might imagine, food can be sparse around here, but still if you consider the ratio of prey to predator, we’ve achieved a delicate eco balance.” Livie sounded strangely intelligent to Laura, considering that she’d spent the last five years on a secluded isle.
“Therefore, I can feed Shera, your friend Laura here, and spare your miserable life.” Livie added arrogantly. “Tim, think about it. We would be like Adam and Eve in Eden.” Obviously, Olivia had gone nuts alone on her island, Laura considered. “Uh, Livie, Tim’s coming home with me, and if I were you, I wouldn’t turn my back on Shera if she gets hungry.”
“You simply have no choice Laura.” Livie argued. “You can rest assured that your death will feed Shera and her litter well.” Shera nudged closer to Tim, and quickly sidestepped him and growled at Laura. Tim shivered as the nine foot long panther rubbed uncomfortably close to his leg. “Um...Laurie...I think its time to go!” Gold Wing smirked. “I couldn’t agree more.”
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