Bug Island

by R. G. Cordiner

  "Looks like the bugs were studying them too," Fiona grinned and then noticed Mary's glare. "Um, but I'm sure they all left after getting their research stuff done," she hastily added.

  "But..."

  CRRNK

  They all looked at each other.

  ...

  Zosimo shook his head, "There were no bugs before. Let me ... explain. I was young boy when we first came here almost twenty years bef... ago." He paused scratching his beard. He was still struggling to find the right words after so long without having to use them. "My mum was sci ... scientist. An island had appeared off cost ... coast of South America. A group came to study island. I was there too as my parents had just split down ... sorry, up. Mum had no one to take care me and it seemed like fun - two weeks on a deserted island. They set up research station on a hill. It is still there - but not safe to go to now. They found the cocoons - lots and lots of them. Soon ..."

  Zosimo stopped talking and sat, his sunken eyes staring at the walls of his makeshift home.

  Tracy put her arm on his shoulder. "It's ok," she said. "You don't have to tell us anything. We can only imagine how hard it must have ..."

  She paused as Zosimo turned to look at her. Tears were welling up in his eyes. He shook his head and wiped his face on the back of his hand.

  "No, no. It's ok," he began, "You need to know this."

  Zosimo sighed. "Some of the cocoons had already hatched before they got there. Most hatched soon after. Luckily I was not there at the start. But I heard what was happening." He shuddered, "It was very bad. I hid in the research station. A day or two later the ... f ... fog started coming in. I waited in the fog until there was nothing left to eat. I went out and found all of the cocoons. There were quite a few dead bugs. And that has been it for the last twenty years. Until you guys showed up and then the fog cleared again."

  "You mean you've lived in fog on this island for twenty years? What about the bugs?" Henry asked.

  "This is what I saying - there were no bugs before - they came out of their cocoons, killed everyone and then they went back into the cocoons. Af.. Since that time I build this," Zosimo gestured at the home carved out of the tree, "and a lot of underground cave ... you know... tunnels, that's it. I dig lots of tunnels, fish, learn to make fire and spend my life in fog - that's why my eyes still hurt - I not used to light! It is much bright."

  "What about the weapons?" asked Henry glancing at the wall.

  "Oh, those. There is old army base from forty, fifty years ago on other side island. I grab some of weapons."

  Henry leaned forward, "Are there still more there, Zosimo?"

  "I guess so," he replied. "Look, I not speak to any person for long time so sorry if I a bit hard to understand. Harry,"

  "Henry," he corrected him.

  "Sorry, Henry," Zosimo grinned.

  "No problems - twenty years, I understand."

  "and ..." he paused looking at Tracy.

  "Tracy," she added.

  "...Tracy," Zosimo continued, "I glad you are ok. We can look at military base if you like but it is risk."

  Tracy frowned, "But didn't you say that the bugs went away last time?"

  "Yes, they came out for not long. Maybe two days, it could have been longer. Is hard to remember. I do not know when they will go back to their cocoons. Maybe when fog comes back?" Zosimo replied.

  Henry stood up. "I think we should go and get more weapons if there are any there. We could take the weapons from here as protection and there are three of us. It's worth going because we could get even more weapons and perhaps help anyone out there. We can't just stay here."

  Tracy sat for a while.

  "Why not?" she piped up. "Why can't we just sit here? We..."

  "What do you.." Henry interrupted but Tracy held up her hand.

  "Henry, hear me out. I don't care if no one ever wants to hear what I think. This time I'm going to tell you whether you like it or not. I don't see the point in going. There are weapons here. From what Zosimo's saying there probably isn't anyone left alive. He's managed perfectly well by hiding and lying low. Why head out now to get even more weapons. What do you need more weapons for? It seems pointless. If you stay here we can hide until they go back into their cocoons and we have enough weapons and a secure position to survive. We risk getting slaughtered if we go out there - you saw what those things can do, what they're capable of."

  There was silence in the small room.

  Zosimo blinked, "I agree Tracy. But there is one problem."

  "What's that?" Henry asked.

  "I have a little water here and I set up some leaves to get water, but the main water is where the military base is. We will have to go that way soon anyway. We can go some of the way by tunnel. I never finish tunnels as the bugs were all gone."

  "Well that's that then," said Henry.

  ...

  CRRNK

  Fiona, Mary and Sarah edged closer to each other.

  CRRNK

  It sounded like something had fallen out of the tree above the scientific research station and hit the roof.

  CLNK CLNK

  Footsteps sounded. Shadows flickered inside the room as whatever it was above them passed across the cracks in the roof.

  Sarah cuddled into Mary, who put an arm around her.

  Fiona looked around the room frantically and then paused and bent down to reach under the table.

  She pulled out the leg bones and started climbing onto the table.

  "What are you doing?" Mary whispered.

  Fiona grabbed the leg bone and wacked it against the tin roof.

  DNG

  RIII

  A high pitched squeal sounded.

  Silence.

  "Are they gone?" Sarah asked quietly.

  Mary looked at Fiona. For a girl so young, she seemed to have little fear. Mary wished that she felt the same. She was scared for her life and she would have loved to have been able to put on a braver face for the girls and take charge, but it was becoming too much. She should be tending her tomatoes out the back of her cottage now, not tending two girls on some horrific island.

  "I can't see any movement," Fiona said, snapping Mary out of her thoughts. She sat for a little longer and then, as if making a decision, she stood up.

  "I'll look," she said. "Here, I'll take that," she reached for the leg bone.

  "It's fine, Mary. I can look," Fiona replied.

  Mary stared at Fiona. "Dear, I appreciate it but I'll do it. I have less to lose than you. You have a whole life ahead of you. I've lived mine."

  "No," Sarah interjected, "let's just stay here. No one has to go outside. Let's just stay. Would it hurt to stay?"

  Mary and Fiona looked at her.

  "Well, we will need to get more food and water supplies are low," Mary began, "but I guess if we wait for an hour or so here and don't hear or see anything we can assume the coast is clear."

  They sat in silence.

  ...

  Zosimo led Tracy and Henry down into the cramped tunnel. It was slow going. The group was hampered by the weapons they were dragging with them. Zosimo seemed buoyant as he scuttled ahead and then waited with a grin for the others to catch up. Tracy and Henry slowly crawled along and tried not to breathe in the fetid stench of the tunnel.

  After what seemed like an interminably long time, Zosimo stopped at a solid wall and then pushed on some wooden boards above his head. Light poured into the tunnel and the others blinked in the glare. Zosimo jumped out into the light. Tracy and Henry tentatively followed.

  When they emerged from the tunnel, they saw that they were inside another tree trunk. However this one was a lot more meagre in its decorations. There were no shelves, simply a piece of wood with some old tattered clothes and little else.

  "We are further into the island here," Zosimo spread his arms, "Welcome to my summer home!"

  Henry and Tracy looked at him.

  "I joke, I joke."

  Tracy frowned. She certainly didn't
feel like it was appropriate to be joking at a time like this. But equally she knew that now was not the time for her to voice her opinion as they both needed Zosimo right now, despite his eccentricities. Besides which, she had no idea what it would be like to be stuck on an island for twenty years, all alone. Surely it must do something to your mind. It was a wonder Zosimo wasn't completely crazy. Tracy wasn't so sure that he wasn't. He seemed like an overgrown kid. But that sort of made sense, she thought, as he was probably only a teenager, if that, when he lost everyone he knew.

  "Ok, buddies," Zosimo grabbed the shotgun, "the military base is not far from here. Let's lock and load!"

  Zosimo pushed aside the matted gate that blocked the entrance to the tree trunk and strolled out.

  Henry and Tracy looked at each other. Tracy gripped her pistol harder and Henry held his spear out in front of them as they made their way outside.

  ...

  Captain Tyrone Marshall was frowning.

  "Say again?"

  "That island up ahead is not on our charts sir. And our instruments are getting worse. I can't get a read on anything."

  Captain Marshall looked out at the island that was looming in front of them. He couldn't find what happened to the cruise ship, the instruments were all going haywire and now, an island!

  "Captain! There's wreckage ahead in the water!"

  Tyrone ran outside along the deck of the ship and peered out ahead. Sure enough, he could just make out some debris floating on the water.

  "Right!" he yelled. "Aleisha - you're in charge of the ship whilst I'm gone. Do a circuit of the island and then anchor out a bit from the island. Check for survivors. Travis, do we have any communications yet?"

  The communications officer shook his head.

  "Ok - as soon as we do, let everyone know we found the wreckage and are currently looking for survivors and tell them where, as it looks like everyone is looking in the wrong spot."

  "Yes, sir. Where are you going?"

  "I'm going to take a small group and go over to that island and look around in case someone, anyone, made it ashore."

  The rescue had begun.

  Chapter 11

  The Rescuers

  BRRRRR

  The speedboat zipped through the water. It started to slow down as it approached the shore of the island. Captain Tyrone Marshall smiled. He should be able to wrangle a large bonus for this. It was a win-win as far as he was concerned. The insurance company would investigate the crash and would payout compensation, he would get a finder's fee and, with luck, he might even find some survivors. It was turning out to be a good day.

  CRRNCH

  The boat slid into the sand and the four men hopped off and quickly dragged it ashore. They grimaced as they saw the bodies and debris scattered along the beach.

  "Right," Captain Marshall addressed the three sailors, "let's split up. Marcus and Raj you check out the forest and Karl and I will check the beach. Let's aim to meet up in half an hour. The radios don't appear to be working so just keep an eye on your watches."

  ...

  "I'm sick of waiting," complained Fiona.

  "Just a bit longer," said Mary.

  "Ohh. I can't stand it!" Fiona grabbed a couple of test tubes that were still mostly intact and a splintered piece of wood and started towards the door.

  Mary grabbed her arm.

  "Fiona..."

  "Mary, I'm not just going to sit here and wait forever. There's been nothing for ages. We need to eat and drink."

  She grabbed the handle and stepped outside.

  ...

  Henry and Tracy continued to follow Zosimo who was skipping through the jungle, shotgun in hand.

  Tracy tapped him on the shoulder.

  "Do you really think you should be, you know, skipping? You have seen what those bugs can do?"

  Zosimo grinned, showing his black and yellow teeth.

  "Yes, I see what bugs can do. I have been waiting long time for them to wake up. So I skip to meet them and say hello."

  "Oookaay," said Henry rolling his eyes at Tracy.

  Zosimo suddenly stopped in the middle of the jungle.

  "Stay," he held up his hand.

  "Bu.." Tracy was cut short as Zosimo held a finger to his lips.

  She and Henry stood and watched as Zosimo slowly walked a couple more steps and then stood still.

  Suddenly he fell on his back and fired the shotgun.

  TCHBOOM

  The harvestman that had been hovering over him had, at that moment, dropped down on its next victim except...

  KERPLOOSH

  The shotgun pellets ripped into it and it exploded into a mush of grey, green and yellow. Its legs slowly wafted to the ground.

  Zosimo leapt up, shotgun still in hand and skipped over to his two stunned companions.

  His face, dripping with the remains of the harvestman, was grinning.

  "I love saying hello," he said.

  ...

  Marcus and Raj were walking through the forest, bored senseless when they heard the shotgun go off.

  "That's not far from here!" exclaimed Raj as they started to run.

  Unfortunately they were not the only ones running as the giant centipede skittled across the forest as fast as its myriad of legs could carry it.

  ...

  Captain Tyrone Marshall and Karl also heard the noise. They immediately left the beach and started off into the forest.

  ...

  "What was that?" Fiona asked.

  Mary and Sarah rushed out of the old scientific research station.

  "It sounded like gunfire," Mary frowned.

  FLLMP

  They turned around.

  A large toe biter was lying upside down behind them. It's leg lay twitching next to it.

  "AAGH!" Sarah screamed.

  "Run!" yelled Mary. "It's still alive. It's just playing dead!"

  They turned and started to sprint as fast as they could towards the other side of the hill.

  "What do you mean," puffed Fiona as they ran, "playing dead?"

  "Some ... bugs ... lose their ... limbs when ... they ... are scared ... or ... roll over..," panted Mary.

  She stopped and leant against a tree.

  "I ... can't ... go any.. further."

  "C'mon Mary," yelled Sarah, "we are almost at the bottom of the hill!"

  She turned but Mary was slumped on the ground.

  "Mary?"

  ...

  Aleisha was sitting in the Captain's chair swinging it around. It was very rare for her to be given an opportunity like this and she was going to seize her moment. She knew that Captain Marshall had ordered her to mind the ship and do a reconnoitre around the island, blah, blah, blah. There was plenty of time for that. It would take five minutes to go around this little rock. So, as the small crew busied themselves below as she had ordered, Aleisha swung the plush chair around in a complete 360 and then put her headphones in.

  "I don't wanna ever leave,

  La ba.... something, something,

  Crick! Crick!

  You're sick!

  If you ,,, something, something ...."

  Aleisha continued to sing into her fist in the empty bridge of the boat.

  On the deck, two of the sailors were leaning on the edge, smoking a cigarette.

  "... there's good money in this trip because otherwise I'm going to be plenty mad."

  "Too right, mate, I ..."

  The rest of his eloquent reply was cut short as a toe biter suddenly landed on the deck.

  Both men stood up and backed away, which was tricky considering they were already on the edge of the boat.

  "What in blue blazes is that thing?" one of the sailors asked.

  "It's a giant bug, innit?"

  "Bug? It's the size of a horse!"

  The toe biter ignored them and started walking away.

  "Where's it going?"

  "Your good looks must have scared it off!"

  "Nice one, you..."


  A pond skater finished scrambling up the side of the boat and stopped on the ledge next to the two men.

  They looked at each other.

  "What is this- an oversized bug party?"

  "That one's kind of cute," the sailor replied.

  "Cute? It's the size of my arm!" He punched the bug and it went flying over the edge and landed with a splash in the ocean.

  "Well, that's that one gone. How's about we take care of the big fella here."

  Another pond skater appeared on the ledge.

  Followed by another.

  And another.

  Some flew over and landed on the deck.

  "Now, now, nice buggy."

  The skaters leapt.

  "AAGGH!"

  ...

  "C'mon Marcus, I think the sound came from over here!" Raj yelled over his shoulder. He turned.

  "What the? Marcus!"

  He pointed to his friend's left. Marcus turned just as the giant centipede rose up on its forest of back legs and leapt."

  "Aaa," his scream was stifled as the massive bug landed on top of him.

  Raj stood there in shock.

  CRRNCH

  CRRNCH

  The centipede's massive black armoured plates rippled with each crunching sound.

  Raj knew he should run but for some reason his legs were not working. A thin trickle of urine ran down his leg.

  The centipede stopped its gruesome work and looked up. It raised its large pincers.

  Raj closed his eyes.

  ...

  The toe biter had reached the other side of the deck and had met some of the other crew. Unfortunately for them it wasn't a meeting they either liked or survived. Soon the deck was swarming with pond skaters. A couple flitted over towards the open door in the middle of the deck. They paused.

  Upstairs Aleisha was engrossed in her music.

  "... ever leave,

  La ba.... something, something,

  Crick! Crick!

  You're sick!"

  She swivelled the chair around and frowned as she thought she saw something in the room.