Ch 20
https://firdausnovels.blogspot.com/2024/04/anaconda-island-by-asmaa-nada-ch20.html
Anaconda Island
Anaconda Island by Asmaa Nada
Chapter 21
Everyone laughed and then moved towards the beach. Before they arrived, they heard the shouts of a group of people in a language they did not understand. Mark and Raymond put the bed on the ground, and then Clark asked them to wait while he would get up to investigate the matter. They all stood next to Antoine while Clark moved lightly towards the sounds while he was hiding. Behind the trees, there was a group of people gathered around the wood of the box in which the young men placed their things. They were trying to find out what was inside the wood of the box. None of them even tried to touch it. He looked away a little and found a girl tied by her hands and feet. She was unconscious and bleeding. There were also Others inside small sailboats near the beach. The group that had gathered around the woods returned, then they placed meat food next to the girl left her, and went to the boats. Clark hurried out to the beach from behind the trees, calling out to these people, but as soon as they listened to him, they quickly fled inside. Their sailboats.
As soon as they went deeper into the water, sharks appeared around them and surrounded the boats from all sides. The men in the boats stood throwing large pieces of meat into the water until the sharks moved away from them. They quickly tried to sail, but a group of beautiful girls appeared, only their bodies visible. The people around the boats were singing songs in a sweet voice. Everyone in the boats stiffened, looking at them. One of the girls approached and leaned on the edge of one of the three boats, smiling at them. One of the men approached her, trying to touch her hair, but she quickly tried to pull him into the water, His friends were able to catch him and return him to the boat. The mermaids became agitated and their appearance changed into terrifying creatures with four arms. Each arm had tentacles like an octopus’ arm, but at the end of each arm, there was a human palm. Their head was like the head of a dolphin. The skin of the upper body was filled with colorful scales that... Lights emanated. One of those mermaids turned and hit the first boat with her huge tail, similar to the tail of a blue whale. The boat capsized at the first hit of the tail and those who were on top of it fell into the water. The mermaids picked them up and tore them between them, while the mermaids were busy with whoever had fallen into the water. The two boats tried. The other two fled until they disappeared into the ocean waters. Clark turned around, screaming in amazement
"Why didn't they wait? Why did they run away and not wait?"
Mary said as she pulled the unconscious girl away from the meat around which the turtles gathered,
“Mark, hurry up and carry the girl away.”
Alice said, "Something must be done before those turtles finish eating the meat and turn to us."
But before any of them could answer, the sand began to swallow the turtles along with the remains of the flesh, Clark said
“You said that these turtles do not climb on rocks or wood.”
"Yes, they can't climb it even if it's a thin wood," said Elizabeth
Clark said, “Raymond, you and Mark, hurry up and get the rocks that are large, but you can carry them.”
Alice said, “Elizabeth and I will bring Mark the rocks, and Raymond, Tina, and Mary will help you.”
Clark said, "Yes, you have had physical strength since the time that tree attacked you. Go with them. Come on, Raymond. I will go up and climb the wood of the box and untie the ropes that tied it at the top. You and Tina put that girl on top of her. She is wounded and bleeding. You, Mary, will find medical tools." In your backpack, I put it, treat the girl.”
Clark hurried and climbed the wood of the box, then jumped quickly as the wood fell. Raymond carried the girl, then placed her on one of the fallen woods, then stood on it next to Mary and the girl, while Tina stood on another wood, and the turtles were reappearing and emerging from the sand again. The rest had been able to. brought eight large rocks, Clark grabbed the arrow and bow and gave them to Elizabeth, saying
“Find anything that flies away, then shoot it with an arrow.”
Everyone began to look at the sky, but there were no birds, Elizabeth found a fox standing next to the trees, looking intently. Then he began to prepare to approach and attack, and as soon as he got a little closer to their direction, Elizabeth fired an arrow and hit the fox’s head, so it fell in its place. The turtles headed in the direction of the fox quickly. Meanwhile, Clark placed the rocks in the shape of a large square, and then, with the help of everyone, he placed the logs on top of the rocks where the logs were higher than the sand. They placed their things on top of the wood, then Mark and Clark carried the bed that Antoine was sleeping on top of the wood and they all sat on top of the wood.
Half an hour passed while they were looking at those turtles that returned near them and then stopped in a state of silence, said Antoine, who seemed to rise and move.
“There is no food, and the existing wood will not be enough for even half a circle, and night is approaching.”
"Do you have a suggestion for these things?" Raymond said pointing at the turtles.
Antoine said, “The only one who can use a bow is Elizabeth, who has strength and speed, Alice. Well, Alice and I will run in that direction.”
He pointed in the opposite direction to where the turtles were and then continued
“Those turtles will follow us, and you, Clark, with Elizabeth, will look for and hunt a deer, and we will bring the wood.”
Mark said, “What about us?”
Clark said, "Mary and Tina are looking after that girl, and you, Mark, and Raymond are going to fill the water near the river. Remember, no matter what happens, you must return before dark."
Antoine said, "Alice go first, then I will follow you. The rest, when those turtles move behind us, you move too. There is no room to waste any time."
Alice started running quickly across the sand, and the turtles moved quickly behind her. Antoine noticed that the turtles would catch up with Alice because their speed was not enough, so he started after her, and as soon as he got close to her, he picked her up and continued running, Alice said.
“Damn, they are turtles, but they are fast, but you, Antoine, are faster than them. They stop. A little slower than your speed. Antoine began to slow down in running, so the turtles returned to following him. He was already very far from where his friends were, so he stopped and got down to Alice and said.”
"I think they won't be able to return there for a while. We have to enter the forest and collect wood."
Alice said, "Damn it, I forgot to take the mats on which we put the wood."
Antoine unwrapped the fabrics that Clark had previously made from his body so that they would become mattresses on which to collect the wood. He said:
“I haven’t forgotten, now you will head to the forest together.”
elsewhere
Clark and Elizabeth arrived at the place where she had seen the previous deer, then they sat between the grass in the middle of two trees, and like the previous time, the deer was quietly gathering around the lake water, Clark said.
“That lake from which the snake-headed crocodile emerged.”
"Yes, but now it's quieter than last time," Elizabeth said.
"Look over there in the weeds," Clark said.
Elizabeth said, “Shit, is that a lion hybrid, why don’t we go fishing today?”
Clark said, "There are sharks, a wild mermaid, an octopus, and we don't know what else."
Elizabeth said, “There is no receding part between the rocks and the beach, where there are many and large fish. Alice caught from there last time, but unfortunately, Antoine is wearing a shirt that looks like a net.”
Their conversation was interrupted by a sticky substance falling on Clark's shoulder. Clark looked up from the corner of his eye and then said
“Please don’t move, I think she doesn’t see us, she is looking towards the lion pride.”
Elizabeth said, “She?! Why do you say she? How do you know she is a female?”
Clark said, "I don't know if it was a female or a male. I just said it without thinking."
"What kind of creature is that above us?" Elizabeth said.
"I think a little dinosaur," Clark said.
Elizabeth said, “Do small dinosaurs eat meat?”
Clark looked at her and said sarcastically, "No, you're eating broccoli. Is that a question, Elizabeth? Now lower your head. I think she'll move."
Elizabeth said, “I hope she doesn’t put her foot on us or lower her head to see us.”
They waited in place for a few moments, and the baby dinosaur moved in the direction of the deer and passed with his foot over Elizabeth's head, but he did not reach the deer, as the hybrid lion stood in front of him, so the dinosaur attacked the lion, which made the deer flee in the direction of Clark, who took advantage of the outbreak of the battle between the lion. The dinosaur jumped on a small deer that passed near him and, using a knife cut its neck and then restricted its movement. Meanwhile, Elizabeth lost consciousness from fear.
*Near the waterfall at the mouth of the river*
Mark was placing the empty clay pot under the pipe above the bridge and below the waterfall while Raymond was trying to collect some fruits while looking around him with fear.
Mark stood leaning on the bridge railing, looking at the water, then said
“Raymond, come and see me. The shapes of fish swimming are wonderful.”
Raymond said after he approached and climbed over the bridge
“She is beautiful but deadly. She can electrocute her enemy to the point of splitting bones. She does not attack alone but in groups.”
"Look at that tree over there, someone is sitting on top of it," Mark said, pointing away.
Raymond looked and said, "I don't see anything."
Mark said, "Maybe it was preparations. The bowl is full. Let's go back before night. It's getting late."
Mark and Raymond pulled the clay pot until they got off the bridge. Then Raymond grabbed the piece of cloth in which he had put the fruit and tied the end of it to his clothes. The two of them moved back to the beach, but after a short distance, Raymond stopped and said.
“I feel like something is following us, how can we speed this up?”
Mark said, "I pull the bowl and you take out the knife. If something attacks us, I kill it."
Raymond said, “No, no, I attract and you kill.”
Mark laughed and said, "Okay, hurry up so we can get moving."
Raymond grabbed the bowl and Mark moved behind the bowl after grabbing his knife and Raymond's knife.
Minutes passed, then Raymond stopped again and said
“We change places a little, I feel tired.”
Mark gave the knives to Raymond, then he grabbed the ropes and began pulling the bowl. He moved faster than Raymond. After an hour had passed, they had reached the beach. Mary and Tina quickly approached them and helped Mark pull the bowl near the logs, on which the new girl was sitting. Raymond sat and looked. To the trees anxiously
Mary said, “What are you looking at, Raymond?”
Mark said, "There's something following us, but we don't know what it is."
Suddenly, without any introduction, the new girl stood up, jumping and pointing with her hand to the trees, saying words that no one understood. A young young man came out from among the trees, then quickly came forward and embraced the girl. The girl and the young man exchanged hugs, and then the girl
began speaking to him in a language that was incomprehensible to others, but the girl was during the conversation. She uses sign language.