Chapter Ten: Fishing- Right or Wrong is NOT Important...
"Suzy cue, you cover the left, I'll get the right. Boys, you cover the middle and underwater area." Buck instructed as we started scouting around for fish.
"I found one!" I yell/whispered to Buck, "He's a big 'un!"
"Okay, you all know what to do!" Buck signaled for us to corner the fish.
I'll spare myself and the boys the embarrassment and typing space… it didn't go too well. Crash and Eddie almost got eaten, but did manage to choke the fish, so that helped. After we had about three gigantic fish on our hands, we decided to gather some fruit for me and the other veggies to eat.
I was off on my own, gathering bananas and passion fruits, when I heard the same sinister chuckle I'd heard that morning. I gasped, and froze right there next to the banana tree. Soto.
"Hello Suzan." Soto's voice turned my bones to liquid.
In an instant I was on the ground. Pinned. Helpless. Trapped.
"Buck!" I yelled.
"Your boyfriend with the patch can't help you now." Soto grinned, making his scars open up slightly. I gagged.
"Patches are a good invention, maybe you should get one!" I said shakily.
"I'll give you a patch!" Soto slowly (PAINFULLY!) scratched three claws over my left ear, I cloud feel them bleeding.
"Go to hell!" I hissed.
"I plan to." Soto smiled wickedly. "Run back and tell your little, family what will become of them."
"I would rather die!" I said coldly.
"Fine, I'll go get that skinny black rat! Or that foul-smelling sloth. Or maybe me and Zeke could recreate some history."
"You sick, vile, loathsome, spawn of Satan!" I spat in his eye.
Soto cried out in anger and threw me against a tree. I could hardly see or hear, it was like I was in a hazy dream. A fever dream, like you have when you're so sick you may die. A dream that is so simple, but you cannot comprehend it to save your life. The dream that takes a moment to fade before you wake up.
It took about what felt like hours -maybe it was!- before I was snapped out of it by voices. Crash, Eddie, and Buck were looking for me. God I hoped I wasn't bleeding anymore. I stood up, feeling like the earth was tilting beneath me. I felt drunk- as if I knew what that felt like to start with.
"Buck!" I groaned. Everything was blurry, but I did manage to see the guys, running towards me in shock and horror. "Soto." I mumbled. Someone picked me up and carried me bridal-style for a bit, then placed me next to a fire.
I heard a voice, who I just knew was Sophie, freaking out and yelling at Buck. All I heard was, "How? ...What happened? ...Don't give me that bullshit!" and Buck saying things like, "Dino must have attacked." and then it all went black.
*LINE*
I don't know how long it was later, but I woke up to sunshine and the smell of honey. "Sophie? Buck?" I choked out, my entire body ached.
"She's awake!" somebody -Crash, I think- yelled excitedly. In an instant the entire population of Texas must've been gathered around me. I groaned once again and touched where Soto had scratched my ear. It had leaf-band-aids all over it, with honey underneath to stop infections.
"Suzy!" Sophie pushed past the others like a bulldozer, "Are you okay? What happened? Was it a Dino? Fish? Did you-" I cut her off.
"Bumble bee! Just, just shut up, please? You're gonna hurt yourself." I rubbed my forehead. "Aw, what a headache."
"What happened?" Sophie reiterated.
"Soto "Happened"! He nearly killed me! He's after us! He has our scent...!" I went on with my gibberish whilst the gang conversed about what it was they needed to do about the, uh... certain doom, so to speak. Diego got all quiet, and Zeke looked ready to cry, or puke, or something!
"Oh this is bad!" Zeke raised his voice.
"Oh you're darned right it's bad!" Manny shouted.
"Daddy what'll happen to us?" I had forgotten about little Peaches.
"I don't know baby." Manny said in defeat. "I don't know."
"We'll be fine, sweetie." Ellie said with her, 'If-you-try-to-tell-her-we're-gonna-die-I'll-kill-you-first!' voice.
"Oh, god." Sid said, mumbling to himself.
"ENOUGH!" I yelled. My head was throbbing, my heart was pounding, and I was so sick of this trash! "Why can't he just leave us alone?" Oh, did I say that instead of thinking it? "I'm going to find this guy and make him wish he were in the bottom of Rudy's stomach!" I took a long stick and a stray rib bone and tied them together, making a decent sphere.
"Suzy, be rational!" Diego insisted.
"Fuck rationality!" I retaliated, "This guy isn't gonna stop until he's stone-cold! And he will be before the day's end!" I found a sharp rock and made Sophie a small knife. "C'mon Soph." I ordered, still trying to get some extra help. Sophie didn't question, she took the knife and began practicing. "Does anybody else want to help?" I was becoming an army general or... an undersized Drama Queen, or, something. "We need all the help we can get!" I encouraged.
"Count me in!" Eddie ran up and began sharpening a small stick.
"Fighting a hungry, pissed off saber? Uh, I'm there!" Crash agreed, fashioning a sling-shot out of an... antler? I don't remember, something like that.
"Buck?" I smiled halfheartedly -and, to be perfectly honest with you, did the puppy eyes- at him.
"Aye." Buck began sharpening his knife with a rock.
"Looks like the five small rodents (well weasels aren't rodents, but still) are going to have to do this alone?" I sighed.
"Is that a hint?" Diego came forward, Zeke following close behind.
"Why yes, yes it is." I grinned.
"Okay, What about you, Manny? Sid?" Sophie inquired.
"I don't know, somebody has to protect the girls." Manny answered.
"I'll go." Sid quipped, as if the were joking, but he came over to claim a weapon, just the same. Pea shooter... hells ya!