The ship ride was so long as I swam in a river of guilt the whole time. When we finally docked, Jimmy decided that he was coming with me. Englehorn allowed him to leave and agreed to let him know if there was another voyage ahead so he could get back on if he wanted to.

Carl wasted no time in getting Kong's name up in lights on a marquee.

Then he began to plan the show around him. He planned to include a fake ritual and a sacrifice. But I was not okay with what he said next.

"Brie, I can't allow you in this show. It'll make the ape go berserk."

"He'll go even wilder if I'm not there!"

"We're going to hire an actress and put a brown wig on her. She'll pose as you, keeping the beast calm."

"Mr. Denham, you don't know what will happen if I'm not there. I have to be there to keep him calm!"

"Brieanna, I'm sorry, but no. You'll just have to watch from out of his sight."

This wasn't right. In the movie, Carl had begged Ann to be in the show, but she was the one to turn him down! Why wasn't he doing that now?

It didn't matter because Carl's word was final. I was not in the show. In fact, Carl didn't even let me see him at all since we got off the ship. That angered me because Kong was now awake and I wanted to see him. But even with Ann and Jimmy's help, I was forbidden to get to him.

The show started, at most, two days after we docked. I was forced into the wings behind where Kong sat chained up on the stage. I had never felt so angry at Carl. This was inhumane and basically animal cruelty!

Carl started the show and Ann and Jimmy stood next to me for support.

"I'm here to tell you a very strange story," Carl began. "A story of our adventure in which seventeen of our party suffered horrible deaths."

Jack stood nearby to watch over Ann more than anything.

Carl mentioned an Arabian proverb that actually wasn't real. It was taken from the 1933 version. Then Carl built up in intensity and then the curtain lifted and Kong was revealed. The audience gasped in fright and wonder. Carl really milked it up and I wanted to walk on that stage and shove him off it. I watched as Carl introduced Bruce Baxter as the man who allegedly saved me. What a snob. If anybody should be out there, it was Jimmy and Jack. Bruce had insisted on having a part in the ritual and Carl just gave him that one. Bruce was a diva and Carl was a pushover. It sickened me.

The ritual began and it was exactly like the 1933 version ritual. Nothing at all like the ritual I went through. Call me crazy, but Bruce never danced with any of the natives.

The orchestra finished the song and Carl came back out. This was the part where "I" got offered up to Kong. It was actually an actress who looked nothing like me and was wearing a wig that mocked my own hair.

Some posts and an altar came up from a trap door on the stage with a girl tied in between the posts. I think her name was Annie or something.

Kong looked at her sadly, and I knew he thought it was me since her head was down and he couldn't see her face. But then she raised her head up and Kong looked at her in disgust.

The actress playing me let out the most unconvincing scream I'd ever heard in my entire life. I was pretty sure it was worse than the actress who had played Ann in the movie. She was awful! How she ever got hired, I'll never know!

"Help me!" she cried…sort of. A stick could act better than her. This was terrible to watch!

It didn't take long for Kong to start freaking out. He was already in a bad mood and seeing me replaced certainly didn't help. It just got worse as men from the newspapers started flashing their cameras and the bright lights and flashes set him off.

"Let him roar! It makes a swell picture!" Carl said.

I looked over at the actress and she gave her first real scream all night. That actually wasn't good though! It meant she was really scared of Kong! I didn't blame her. He was roaring and practically lunging at her.

"Brie, we gotta get out of here now," Jimmy said to me.

"He just wants me," I said back to him.

"Not right now he doesn't. We all have to get out before he sees any of us."

I started to run to the stage, but Jimmy kept me from going yet again. "Jimmy, don't. He just needs to see me. Then he'll stop."

"No, he'll get even crazier!"

He and Jack began to pull me out of the theatre and get somewhere safe. I just wanted to see him again. He was about to die. I wanted to spend every second with him.

Kong broke off one of his restraints and that's when the crowd went crazy. They all began flooding out, trying to get away from him.

That was it for Jimmy. He yanked me away as fast as he could and ran out. I saw the poor actress playing me get grabbed by Kong and thrown across the theatre. I didn't have time to feel sorry for her as the sheer cold of winter bit me as soon as we stepped outside, but that wasn't on my mind. Before we could even get far, Kong burst out through the wall. Everyone on the street started screaming and panicking. Kong picked up a girl with brown hair that looked similar to mine, but mine was lighter. After looking at her for a second, he threw her down and picked up another girl. I got it. He was looking for me! And he was so close! If only everyone would just let me see him! Jimmy shoved me into a taxi and Jack actually started driving away.

"No! Go back!" I cried.

"You'll get hurt!" Jimmy said.

In all the confusion as cars went everywhere, trying to avoid the huge gorilla, Jack was swerving all over the place to avoid Kong and all the cars. Jack couldn't avoid all of them and he ended up smashing into another car. None of us were hurt, but Jack and Jimmy were unconscious. I started to get out of the car, but Ann stopped me.

"Please don't, Brie. I don't want to lose you again."

"I'll be fine, Ann. I promise."

She reluctantly released my arm and I got out of the taxi. I looked at Kong who was starting to calm down, but he was still a little frazzled.

I smiled at him and began to walk to him. It took a little longer than I wanted, but eventually he looked my way and froze.

"Hey," I said quietly. He started over to me ever so slowly. "It's good to see you again."

His hand wrapped around my waist and I allowed myself to fall into it. He gently lifted me up. I raised my hand and touched his face.

"I really missed you."

He seemed to understand me and it felt like he was saying, "I missed you too."

He walked off with me into the night and took me to Central Park. I loved this part so much. It was so cute!

Kong stepped onto the frozen pond and immediately slipped. I giggled as he tried to stand up, only to slip again. He realized that he couldn't stand and when he heard me laughing, he began to spin on the ice. The wind made me even colder, but his warm hand evened it out. He spun right into the snow and we both got covered. I laughed again and so did he. We were totally in the moment until the ice broke because of a missile from a tank.

The moment was over, and it was going to go quickly downhill from here.

Bullets rang out as soldiers tried to shoot at Kong. He grabbed onto me firmly, but not enough to hurt me, and ran towards the Empire State Building.

"No, don't!" I screamed to him. "You'll die!"

He looked at me as he continued to run, understanding what I was saying, but knowing that it had to be done. He reached the building and began climbing with his one hand and feet, while still clutching me to his chest.

Airplanes whizzed past us and I knew the time had come. The part I had been dreading. He roared at them, as if he was challenging them. He climbed higher and higher and I refused to look down, knowing how high up we were. Kong paused on top of the building at the outlook part. There was another sunrise that highlighted the New York skyline.

Kong and I just looked out for a second, taking it in. Then he took his hand, put it to his face, and did the sign I had done on the island.

"Beautiful," I whispered. He did the sign again. "Yes, it is."

The planes whizzed past again and Kong put me down on the ledge of the building and pushed me gently into the wall to protect me from the bullets. He roared at them again and began to climb.

"No, you can't!" I screamed at him, but he didn't hear me.

He was shot by more bullets and I ran out of the way as a shower of glass from several of the windows rained down on me. I looked around for a way to climb after him since I certainly couldn't climb the walls. I saw a ladder, but I didn't want to climb it. Ann had nearly fallen off climbing up. But after seeing that there was no other way, I tried to climb faster than she did, hoping to avoid the mishap.

My hands were shaking as I tried to go up the ladder as fast as I could. I was not keen on being so high up and I was scared I wouldn't make it in time. I never stopped climbing and tried to control my shaking hands so I didn't slip.

But I wasn't quick enough and before I knew it, the ladder was detaching itself from the building and I was hanging over the city far below! I screamed so loud, I think I could've gone deaf. Kong turned to look at me from his perch on the side since he had fallen off from the top. His eyes showed worry in them for me as I hung onto the ladder for dear life. My sweaty hands caused me to start slipping and my heart was racing. One hand gave out, then so did the other and I was falling. I was suddenly caught in Kong's strong hand and I was surprised I didn't get whiplash.

He gently set me down inside the observation deck. Our eyes locked for a second and I felt scared for him. The silence was interrupted by more bullets flying and glass breaking. Kong left me and climbed back up to the top to fight the planes. I looked around and saw the set of stairs Ann had climbed in the movie. I raced up them and then found the rungs attached to the roof. I found myself standing right underneath Kong at the very top of the Empire State Building. My legs shook at how high I was. I tried to not focus on that, but on the oncoming planes.

"NO!" I screamed, waving my hands wildly so the pilots could see me. "NO! Stop! PLEASE, NO!"

The planes whizzed past me sending a blast of air at me. But no bullets came. It didn't matter. I was too late. I turned to Kong as he sank down. I fell back into his hand and he held me protectively. His hand swung out a couple times, sending me over the city, but he held tight to me and I him. He dropped me on the roof, realizing his grip was weakening. Tears began to form in my eyes. I stood up.

"You put up a good fight," I said quietly. "I'm proud of you."

He grunted at me with a small smile. I held my hand up and he bent down and allowed me to touch him. I rested my forehead on him and he nuzzled me.

"You've done good. Thank you for everything."

He smiled at me again until more bullets hit him right in the back, causing me to go down on my knees. I looked up at him and felt multiple tears slide down my cheeks. The light was leaving his eyes fast. I crawled over to him and looked at him with tear-stained cheeks. His finger weakly came up to me and caressed my cheek, almost wiping my tears away.

"I love you…Kong."

He gave me one last smile before his finger left my face and he began to slip from the roof. I went and held onto his finger, almost as if I could hang onto him and keep him from falling, but of course, I couldn't. He slipped from my grasp and fell away from me. I watched as he fell down and down and more tears slid from my eyes. I was full out sobbing now. I turned away right before he hit the ground. Hearing the thud was enough for me.

I slowly stood up with wobbly legs before I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Jimmy behind me. Seeing me, he ran up to me and embraced me tightly. I sobbed onto his shoulder. Knowing I didn't have much longer, I took Jimmy's hand and raced down to the street.

Some soldiers were posing for photos in front of his dead body. I wanted to strangle them.

"Please let me through!" I cried as I ran up to Kong. "Please! I'm Brieanna Adams!"

I'm not sure whether it was my name or the sight of my tears, but the soldier allowed me through. I ran up to Kong's face and fresh tears burst from my eyes. I stroked his face slowly, like I did back on the ship.

"I'm so proud of you," I whispered. "And I'll never forget you." I gave him a small kiss on the forehead and began to back up.

"Brie!" Ann came running up to me and hugged me tightly. "I'm so, so sorry!"

I just hung in her embrace for awhile, clinging to every precious second I had left.

"Why'd he do that?" I heard a photographer say. "Climb up there and get himself cornered? The ape musta' known what was comin'!"

"It's just a dumb animal! It didn't know nothin'!" another one said. I walked up to him and punched him in the face, good and hard. I didn't regret it at all, even though a soldier came up to me and yelled at me. But he had to have felt sympathy for me, especially after seeing the way I treated Kong seconds ago. His face became softer and he turned away.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw it was Jimmy. I knew my time was almost up. Once Carl said the very famous line from every version minus the 1976, the movie was over and I would go back home.

"What does it matter? The airplanes got him!"

"It wasn't the airplanes," Carl said. This was it. "It was beauty killed the beast."

"Jimmy?" I said quickly.

"Yeah?"

"…I love you."

We had not said those words to each other at all the entire time we'd known each other. I gave him a huge passionate kiss as I felt my world melt away. I could still feel my lips touching his as I woke up on my bedroom floor.

"And I always will."