Demigods (5 page)

"Merlot," he said to himself, having decided upon which way the evening was to continue, and then he grabbed the glass that sat on the counter, which divided the dining room from the kitchen. The glass was always there, because wine was the friend that had always helped him to relax. Merlot simply meant that there was a long way to go to find that level of relaxation.

Continuing to the rack on the other side of the unused table, he pulled a bottle, and stepped into his living room. It was not much, but a comfortable couch, and a fifty-two-inch flat screen were all that he usually needed. The modest PC (modest by his own standards, at least) sat off in the corner. It was more than enough to do his "homework" on.

Reaching toward his entertainment center, he slipped in the disc, and began to breathe in the peace that was Chopin once more. Pouring the wine into his glass seemed to mimic the tune, but as the tempo began to change, he could almost see Viper staring at him, pleading for his help.

This in itself was enough of a reason to bottom out the glass, and he quickly poured himself another.

"To you, girl," he said aloud, toasting in the direction of the lab, before finishing the second glass just as quickly.

After pouring the third, he set the bottle on the coffee table, and found a spot behind his computer. He may not have been able to actually tell people exactly what he did for a living, but this spot always offered a way to vent.

Moving his mouse brought the system back to life, and a couple of clicks later, he found himself in a room that knew him well... or so they had thought.

funkyzenbabe: hey doc. WB

kempo: always in time to interrupt a good topic, huh doc

docthefrog: hey guys... what's up?

funkyzenbabe: Kemp is hitting on me, as usual.

kempo: Biach... you know you like it :D

funkyzenbabe: WHATEVER man who kisses my feet too much :P

funkyzenbabe: So how was your day, doc?

docthefrog: I almost saved a rabbit today...

funkyzenbabe: AWWW

kempo: Hosinfefer...LOL

docthefrog: Actually, she is still alive, but no better than before.

docthefrog: BRB... someone is a knocking

funkyzenbabe: KK

Standing from his computer, Charlie took his glass with him. He was not used to company, and as far as he knew, his mother was still vacationing in Europe.

His door was solid, and the windows on either side were frosted, so there was no chance to see who it was before opening it. An ill-conceived design, he had always thought, and he hoped that it was not his employers coming to pay him a visit.

Pulling it open slightly at first, Charlie then swung it open almost violently, and stood there speechless for a moment, unable to truly grasp what he was looking at. It was Viper, and the only thing that she appeared to be wearing was his lab coat.

With a whisper she pleaded, "Please help me."

Finally, as they made their way through the jungle, he saw something that resembled civilization. Although it was still in the distance, and hidden by greenery, they were certainly approaching a building, and a sense of relief began to overcome him.

"You are probably getting quite hungry by now," the tropical beauty stated without turning, and just the mentioning of it made him realize that he was.

"A bit thirsty, too," he replied, keeping one eye on the ground beneath him, and the other on the beauty in front.

As they approached the structure, and rounded the corner, he could see that it was not quite as much of a building as he had first thought. Instead, it had no door in the front, and it would have been hard to put one there, since there was no wall there either.

At a more graceful pace, she stepped up into the large, square room, with a hardwood floor, and he followed closely behind her. It had a rustic appearance to it, though seemed to be crafted by a master, with carvings of various animals and fish all across the two and a half walls that held up an intricately woven, thatch roof.

"Make yourself at home," she said, motioning to two chairs that sat facing out the front, and then disappeared out the large opening in the back wall.

He was much too curious to actually sit, and was rather impressed at what he saw. Near the back entrance was what appeared to be a stone bath, with half of the stones glistening from quarts. It was filled two-thirds of the way full, with water that was about the clearest he had ever seen, and the inside, although you could see the different stones, appeared to be as smooth as any porcelain tub.

In the back corner that had a wall, there was what looked like a giant beanbag made from various colored furs, and quickly he determined that this was the place to rest.

Falling back into it, he was enveloped by its comfort, and it felt far more like down than it did beans. From here, he could finish examining the room.

Near the front, opposite the two chairs, and a small table that sat between them, there was a hammock that hung from two posts, each of which were carved into the likeness of twisting vines. It looked rather comfortable, yet that appeared to be the dominant theme to the entire room.

"You'll find it difficult to eat from that position," she told him as she reentered, carrying what looked to be a wooden bowl, "but you are welcome to rest as long as you like."

Setting the bowl on the small table, she turned, and smiled at him, as she sat gracefully into one of the hand carved chairs.

Whether it was the simple curiosity about what was in the bowl, the hunger that was taunting him, or the beautiful company that sat there waiting, he was compelled to stand, and join her.

Sitting, he discovered that the chair was nearly as comfortable as the spot he had just raised from, as the soft net that hung from the wooden frame embraced him.

"So tell me about yourself," he urged as he reached for the bowl, and pulled it to his lap.

"I am all that you see," she returned with a simple, though radiant smile, and there it was again; the answer that did not seem to be an answer at all.

Considering her hospitality, he decided that it was not the time to press the issue, and turned his attention to the bowl. It was a stew of sorts, with berries, nuts, and what seemed to be chunks of firm, white fish.

Moving the wooden spoon through it brought forth a tantalizing aroma, and he began to wonder how misfortune could so closely resemble paradise. Lifting it to his mouth revealed that it tasted as wonderful as it smelled. A perfect mix of savory and sweet ran playfully across his taste buds as his eyes closed for a moment.

Opening them, he glanced her way, and saw her staring off into emptiness. She seemed so innocent, but so in control of everything around her. How odd he found it that her face was more familiar to him than his own, and for a moment, he familiarized himself with it further.

"How long have you been here?" he asked her between bites, which pulled her attention back to him.

"I have always been here," she replied as though it was obvious, and her expression was rather intoxicating, but he was determined to get some answers this time.

"Would you like to see your reflection?" she interrupted before he could get out the next word, as though she was deflecting his questioning. Certainly, she was as mysterious as she was beautiful, and her offer was impossible to refuse.

"Yes, I would."

"Then follow me," she told him before standing to walk toward the opening in the back.

Quickly he set down his bowl, and found his way behind her, and as he stepped through the opening, he found himself on a balcony that ran the length of the large, square room. A simple rail ran along it, separating him from what appeared to be about a ten-foot drop, and at the far end was a hole.

"Come this way," she said as she smiled back at him, before hopping into the hole, and dropping out of sight. Apparently, she was quite agile as well.

As he approached the hole, he found that a large net hung from the side, and decided that he would be better off climbing down. This, he found, was more difficult than he first thought.

Kneeling down, he grabbed a hold of the edge, and swung his left leg over to find the best place to anchor his foot. This was the easy part, for as he brought down his other leg, and planted that foot, the net, and his lower half swung under the balcony, leaving him hanging in an uncomfortable forty-five degree angle.

Figuring that it was best to just go with it, he slowly began to descend in such an awkward position, and as he did, he began to notice the sound of moving water.

"Is that a river I hear?" he asked as he reached solid ground, but she was too far ahead to hear him.

Glancing quickly around, he noticed hot embers around a large stone that had appeared to have been hollowed out, and inside was the steaming stew that he had just eaten. It seemed a rather novel way to cook, but now he needed to catch up to her.

Carefully, he began to descend the steep embankment, using the occasional tree as he went. Often, his foot would slip, digging a small trench in the soft ground, before he would regain his balance. He could see her ahead of him, and was not surprised to see that she was having far fewer problems than he was.

Suddenly he saw movement in the trees, out of the corner of his eye, and was just quick enough to turn, and see a small object flying though the air in his direction. This time he was able to dodge the small fruit, or whatever it was, though the result was much the same as it was the first time.

Although it was only a few seconds, the tumble to the bottom seemed to take forever, and when he reached the bottom, he landed on his back, looking up at the mysterious woman who stood there snickering down at him.

He might have felt a bit embarrassed, if not for the fact that it was truly a beautiful expression on her face, and he adored it for a brief moment, as he lay there, and smiled back at her.

"I am glad that you are amused," he said as he accepted her hand, and was lifted back to his feet.

"You are a funny man," she replied before turning to step up to the river's bank.

He was not certain if that was a good thing, or a bad one, but thought it best not to dwell on it. Having her attention seemed to make it worth the while.

"You can see yourself here," she told him as she knelt down, and ran her fingers playfully across the water's surface.

This brought him back to a more serious state of mind. It was almost frightening to think of what he might find when he gazed at his own reflection for what would seem like the very first time. He wondered if it would even help him remember who he was, but there was only one way to find out.

Kneeling alongside of her, he leaned over, and stared down at the clear water. There he found only more confusion, for he recognized absolutely nothing. His shoulder-length, brown hair was not familiar to him as he ran his fingers through it, and the light stubble on his face only told him that he was normally clean-shaven. The only thing that remotely satisfied him was that he appeared to be a handsome man, and for a moment, he wondered if she thought so as well.

"This is pointless," he said disappointed as he stood to his feet, and turned away from the water.

"Nothing is ever pointless," she assured him as she placed her hands on his shoulders from behind. "It is just difficult to see clearly at times."

He was not sure if her words, or her hands were what comforted him, but it really did not matter. Trying to remember too quickly would only drive him mad, so he figured it best to just take things in stride.

"You're right," he said as he turned, and placed his hands on her shoulders, and suddenly her eyes froze him where he stood.

This was as close as he had been to her face, and the effect of her radiance was unbearable. Her lips were so perfect, being full enough to create a big, bright smile, but now she held them in a more sensual fashion. He wanted to kiss them so badly, and her expression seemed to indicate that she was awaiting it, but this would quickly prove to be poor timing.

Without warning, she threw him to the ground behind a tree surrounded by large leaf plants, and suddenly she was upon him.

"Shhh," she expressed with a finger over her lips as she cupped his mouth, and then pointed out over the river.

Rising to his knees, he looked upstream, and saw them. It was a canoe, and the strange men he had encountered the night before were scanning the shorelines intently. Clearly, they were looking for something, and he had a good idea as to what it was.

"They never stop looking for me," she told him, as she remained well hidden within the greenery. Despite this fact, she did not seem at all nervous.

"Why are they looking for you?" he asked, yet was learning to not expect a straight answer.

"They consider me a threat," she explained, "though they do not understand that hunting me causes them the most trouble."

This was about what he expected... an answer that made little to no sense at all.

They sat there in silence for a moment as the savages passed out of sight, and then she stood as if nothing had happened at all.

"Let's get back to the sanctuary," she said with a bright smile, and then began to make her way back up the steep hill.

Coming down was hard enough as it was. The thought of climbing back up was not very appealing at all, and he knew that the little, black monkey was out there waiting for him. Perhaps he was just being paranoid, but the fall to the bottom was still fresh in his head, and it was an event that he had no desire to revisit.

Nonetheless, she was already a good distance ahead of him, and he did not intend to stay down there by himself. Fortunately, he found the ascent to be uneventful.

A short time later he reached the top, and found that the beautiful Asian woman was nowhere in sight. He figured that she must be inside, so he began to climb back up the net, but when he reached the top, and entered the comfortable room, he found that she was not in there.

Figuring she was nearby, he planted himself within the comfort of the large cushion, and waited for her. After the exhausting climb up here, it was even more comfortable than the first time.

Then he saw him... that same little black pest that had tormented him twice in as many days. This time it did not appear to see him, as he searched around on the ground about twenty feet in front of the large room. Certainly, he thought the monkey was only trying to find another projectile to use against him the next chance he got.

Standing slowly, he glanced around for something to throw at it, sure that his moment of revenge was at hand. The best he could find was the sturdy, wooden spoon that was still in the wooden bowl he had been eating from, but it would have to do.

Quietly he crept ever closer, making sure that he would get the best possible shot, and the little pest went about his business as though there was no impending danger.

Finally, he felt that he was close enough, and drew back the spoon, taking careful aim.

"Stop!" the woman shouted from behind him, which startled both him and the monkey, as the would-be weapon fell harmlessly to the hard, wooden floor.

Quite frightened, the black monkey ran past him, and quickly climbed up on her shoulder, partially hiding in her long, dark hair.

"I see that you have met my friend, Playful," she said with a smile that further slanted her beautiful, blue eyes, before walking over to one of the chairs to sit carefully down.

"More than once," he returned as he sat down beside her, keeping one eye on her shoulder. "I don't think he likes me, though."

"Nonsense," she told him as she gently pet her furry companion. "She is simply as playful as her name would indicate."

Leaning back in the comfortable chair, he smiled at the two of them. How could he not adore such a woman, and her pet? The little furry thing did look much cuter, now that he saw it in this new light.

This misfortune, he thought, must be the best misfortune that had ever befallen a man. Here he was with such a woman, as she sat wearing nearly nothing at all, as an exotic animal perched calmly on her shoulder. All this, while stranded on a tropical island, left only the soft music, and a sweet, tropical cocktail to be desired.