Author's Note: Last chapter that follows the movie plot. Thank you, my silent readers for sticking with this story.
Chapter X
The ceiling vaulted upwards, bats hanging upside down. He motioned for her to be quiet. She could not help but roll her eyes to herself. As if I'll just start hollering to alert more things that could possible eat us! She watched him walk, her eyes trailing his broad shoulders that narrowed down to his waist. A warmth crept through her as she remembered the kiss they had shared on the boat. My God, that was an eternity ago, she thought. Her throat thickened. Oh, Ann, she sighed. If only she could know that her sister was alive, to have a chance to hear her voice again, even if it was to form the word Brucey.
Above them, the larges bats fluttered, agitated at their slightest noise. They paused, waiting for them to settle again before moving forward. A large primate skeleton sprawled out at one side of the cavern, its cranium alone the length of Alice's body. She shuddered, her eyes scanning for her sister.
They stopped at the cave's mouth, peering out towards the edge and at the back of the massive gorilla; its sides expanding with a steady breath. Alice stepped forward, but Jack caught her hand, pulling her back into his chest, his arm wrapping around her waist. His mouth was on hers, his breath intoxicating. She broke away, her cheeks glowing in the pale moonlight. 'What was that for?' Her voice a soft exhale.
He leaned in, his lips brushing up against her ear, 'Good luck.'
Before she could stop him, he slipped from her side and crept towards the edge, moving around and disappearing from Alice's sight. He breathed through his mouth, his lips chapped. He jerked slightly at a low growl, just to realize the massive beast was still asleep. Jack turned back slowly to see Ann, curled up in the large palm, asleep as well.
Her eyes fluttered open, focusing onto Jack. He held up a finger; her expression was filled with confusion then darkened into a scowl. He moved towards her. Ann sat up and pushed herself away from him,
The gorilla's eyes snapped open. Jack made a lunge but the beast wrapped his fingers around and rolled away, jerking Ann up and out of reach. Alice began to scream, throwing stones to shake the bats from the cavern's stalactites; they swarmed the primate and Jack. 'Jack, go! Get out of here!' Ann screamed. It swung around and dropped her behind a bolder.
Alice pressed herself against the mountainside, head low and moving towards her sister. 'Ann!' She threw her arms around her sister's neck. 'You're alive!'
'Of course I am,' Ann snapped irritably. 'Why are you here? Geoffrey might kill you both!'
Before she could question who Geoffrey was, Jack sidestepped its large feet and rushed to the Darrows' side. 'Quickly!' He yelled.
The ape swept franticly at the bats, snatching one out of the air, ripping a wing off with its teeth. Alice grabbed Ann's hand and dragged her after Jack; they peered over the edge, at least a thousand foot drop. Vines snaked over, reaching all the way down towards the river that cut right through the center of the island. 'C'mon!' Jack grabbed a vine and wrapped it around Alice's waist once. 'Keep this between your thighs! Ease yourself down!' Alice nodded meekly, easing backwards; Jack turned back to Ann. 'Grab onto my back.'
She looked hysterical in the yellow light, her curls on end and eyes wide and gleaming. 'I won't leave him!' She looked back at the gorilla, who was swinging its massive arms.
Jack gave her a look before he moved forward and grabbed her wrist. 'Hang on or fall to your death!' He warned, grabbing a vine with the other hand.
She yelped, wrapping her arms around his neck as they tumbled over the edge. He moved down quickly when suddenly the vine jerked and began to move upwards. 'Jack! He's pulling you up!' Alice screamed from bellow.
He looked around, his eyes spotting the large bats that fluttered around them. 'Grab one!' He yelled downwards; he released one hand and grabbed the taloned ankle; Alice followed suit. The pair of bats rapidly descended under the human weight, its wings beating madly. Alice looked beneath her, the dark river growing closer. 'Let go!' Jack yelled; Ann shook her head. He shrugged and released his grip and they both disappeared beneath the foaming waves.
His head broke through and looked around; he spotted Alice paddling towards him, struggling to keep her mouth above water, 'Where's Ann?'
Ann popped up, arms flailing. He caught her and pulled her up. They coasted the current, swimming to a side and climbing onto the muddy bank. A roar tore threw the air, shaking them to the core. 'Come on!' Alice gasped, getting to her feet and moving inland; Jack grabbed Ann and followed.
Leaves and branches whipped their limbs, tearing at their clothes. The dulled thunder of the monster's footsteps seemed to rapidly gaining. They broke threw the undergrowth, back to the crude altar; across the crevice the bridge had been drawn. 'Damn you, Carl,' Jack muttered under his breath before yelling, 'Carl!'
'Please! Someone help us!' Alice shrieked, her eyes scanning the chasm for another way across. Behind her she saw Ann, staring into the dark jungle. 'Christ, what're you doing?'
'He's coming for me,' she replied, her voice soft.
'No, shit, sister, but we're getting you out of here as quickly as possible!'
She shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing back and forth. 'No, Alice. Geoffrey is coming to rescue me. He loves me.'
She stared at her sister, her expression incredulous. 'What are you talking about?'
Her eyes never left the thick vegetation; there was the distant crash of the massive primate making its way through. 'He rescued me before. He takes care of me, Alice.' Her eyes brimmed with tears. 'He's everything to me.'
'What the hell is going on?' Jack called to them. 'Who is Geoffrey?'
'The monkey. She named the fucking monkey Geoffrey! It has to be Stockholm syndrome or something!' Alice wheeled back. 'Christ! Damn you Denham!'
'What?'
She gestured to her sister, 'She loves the monkey. She wants it to save her!'
'No, wait. We saved her!'
The bridge dropped just as 'Geoffrey' exploded through the jungle. Jack grabbed Ann's hand, determined to get her across, one way or another. Alice followed, nipping at their heels as they flew across. They slipped through the hole in the tall doors; the gorilla slamming into it, bamboo cracking under the pressure.
They moved through the village which had been overtaken by sailors, spread out, their weapons drawn and waiting. Ann's head turned to take in her surroundings; she spotted a crate filled with glass bottles of chloroform and it dawned on her. She spotted Englehorn, eyes in front of him. 'Ready yourselves, men!' He barked.
Ann tried to break from Jack's grip, 'No!'
The large doors splintered and the gorilla barged inwards, his black, beady eyes scanning for Ann's blonde locks.
'Bring him down!' Denham yelled at Englehorn. 'Now!'
Hooks soared threw the air and dug into the fleshy backside. A net dropped from above, weighed down by rocks. A bottle of chloroform smashed in front, the fumes rising and clouding its face.
'No!' A voice sobbed. Alice looked to see Jack struggling against Ann. 'Please! You're hurting him!'
'Ann! He'll kill you!'
'No, he won't!' She twisted out of his arms and threw herself at Englehorn. 'You're going to kill him!' She dug her nails into an arm poised to throw another bottle.
He shrugged her off, his eyes locking onto Alice. 'Get her out of here! Get her out of his sight!'
She rushed to her sister, 'Please! Ann!' She dragged her sister off of the captain, pulling her away. 'Please, come with me!'
Ann struggled against her, 'Let go of me!'
The words cut through her, but she continued to pull at her; Jack grabbed her other arm and they moved towards the tunnel. Behind, they heard a tremendous roar followed by Englehorn yelling, 'All of you! Run!'
At the beach were two waiting whalers. Ann fought Jack as he tried to put her into one. 'Ann, get into the boat!' Alice begged.
'No! It's me he wants! I can stop this—'
Jack pushed her into Bruce's arms, 'Take her!'
The first whaler began to paddle back towards the Venture; Jack helped Alice into the second. Behind, Jimmy fired his gun towards the advancing gorilla, which tore down the cove towards them. 'Jimmy!' His hands clasped onto his shoulder, dragging him backwards. 'No!' They both clamored onto the whaler, Englehorn, Denham, Preston, and sailors piling into it. The men rowed, the lifeboat rising and falling with the swells.
'Go back!' Alice heard Ann scream from her lifeboat.
Englehorn glared, 'Hold her!' To the men, he gestured to raise their weapons.
'No, wait!' Denham begged, palming on the floor for a bottle of chloroform.
The ape leapt into the water, waves emanating from its body and rocking the whalers. It grasped the bow and threw it against a nearby wall. Alice was momentarily air born before her body crunched solidly against a bolder. Then everything went black.