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At some point through all the ‘holy shit what the fuck is happening during this killer storm?’ his mother’s stories weaseled through his consciousness.
Whatever it really was, it had saved his sorry ass.
This was the beast he’d come all the way out here to find. This was his mission.
And he’d failed to secure the valuable footage needed.
He’d hit his head hard enough he couldn’t remember clearly. In fact, he’d dreamed that a beautiful woman had helped him out of his seat.
Now he understood why the world thought all those experiencers were crack pots. Because they were too busy surviving to document what was happening. All they had were the stories.
Crazy. Just fucking crazy. No one would believe it. Nor was there anyone to tell. He quickly turned his thoughts.
Of course, there will be. He would find a way home, he always did.
Meanwhile, the wind had calmed to a gentle breeze and the stars were growing brighter in the sky above him. Leaning back in his chair, he let his head fall back to admire them as they brightened a few at a time. This right here was a major part of why he did what he did. Being out in the world alone and being part of its beauty. He enjoyed the vibrant humanity in cities, but this was altogether something else.
As darkness deepened around him, the heat of the day dissipated, the warmth of his campfire was constant on his legs while he continued to watch the sky. The ocean haze faded out the edges, while the sky overhead was crystal clear. He wasn’t an astronomer, but he could tell the stars seemed a little off. Maybe the magnetic field around here affected the view of the stars? Tilting his head at another angle, he tried to pick out familiar constellations. He didn’t find them.
Huh.
That was cool.
The brighter stars formed a long curving line that reminded him of a serpent. Arched stars perpendicular made it look like wings. Like a dragon. And as the light receded and the sky was all there was, with almost no moon, colourful space dust webbed through the stars, filling in the space. It definitely looked like a dragon arching over the sky.
It reminded him of the stories his mother had told him as a child.
Maybe at some point, long ago, someone else had been here, stranded, looking up at the sky, and had let their mind go wildly creative and dreamed up a story, letting it evolve as their stay lengthened. Or maybe they too had encountered a creature like he had. The very thing he’d been looking for.
He closed his eyes, recalling the ride, and still had no idea how he wasn’t now on the bottom of the Atlantic with sea creatures feasting on his remains. He honestly didn’t know what had really happened. After he hit his head, he imagined a lot of fucked up stuff during the crash.
Jori was very lucky. He seemed to have some kind of guardian, given how often he found himself in sticky situations. He sighed. One of these days his luck may run out. However, today was not that day.
Tonight, he’d enjoy a campfire on the beach, get some shut eye and worry about it tomorrow.
He took a deep breath. Shelter done. Weapons next. One never knew if there were wild animals or aggressive locals resentful of his presence.
Tomorrow he would get to work scavenging what he would need for a potential extended stay on the island that he doubted was charted.
Yes, that’s exactly what he’d do.
Okay. I got this.
That thought had gotten him through so many jams. It would do, again. It would have to.
“Hello.” A feminine voice drifted to him over the campfire.
His eyes popped open. Did someone speak to him or had he finally hit the sanity wall? He’d explored some of the island and hadn’t seen signs of habitation. Raising his head, his eyes adjusted to search the space around the campfire.
The figure of a woman came into focus on the other side of it.
“Hello?” he said.
The figure stepped forward and he shot to his feet.
“I didn’t think there was anyone on this island,” he blurted.
Her mouth quirked but didn’t quite smile. She was lovely. Maybe it was the glow of the fire on her skin or his long, long, hours alone... No, she was gorgeous. He couldn’t stop himself from looking her over, like his eyes couldn’t resist drinking her in. She wore some kind of loose cotton covering that hugged her curvy body when the breeze pushed the fabric against her. Her hardened nipples beneath the thin fabric drew his attention and imagination. She looked as though his hands would be a perfect fit for her waist.
