Part 5-
Chloe had been at the treehouse for three days. Veronica and Marguerite's suspicions had eased a bit but she was still under watchful eye. When ever there was a hunting or exploration trip someone had to stay back with Chloe. She was scared something would get her, a dinosaur or a savage or something of that manner. Chloe was interested in learning how to protect herselt though.
"Lord Roxton?" Chloe asked one day while the two of them sat on the balcony waiting for the rest of the crew to come back.
"Chloe, you can call me John." He replied with a polite smile.
"Right then, John, could you show me how to use a gun?" She asked. The unorthodox of it all was humorus. Chloe, a girl who'd never had to take care of herself in any form, never got really dirty in all her life, was asking, begging even, to use a dirty, heavy gun.
"I suppose I could." He said after a moments silence. They sat there quietly for a while. Chloe marveled over one of Malone's journals and John watched diligently for someone in the jungle.
"There's no way out of this place at all?" She asked. John looked at her, her eyes were welling with tears.
"I don't know. But if there isn't, it's not all that bad. That's not what Marguerite would have you think but that's the truth. I've said it once before and I'll say it again, this expidition has been the highlight of my life." John said. In more ways then one, he thought silently, his mind drifting to Marguerite. Chloe smiled at him. Of course he likes it, he's a hunter. I don't like it, it's dirty, it's scary and it's wild. She thought with a sigh and then turned to the rifle on the ground.
"So when are you going to teach me?" She asked and motioned towards it.
John laughed. "You're ready now?" He asked. Chloe nodded. "Alright." He picked up the gun and handed it to her. "Hold it like you think you're supposed to." He instructed. Chloe picked it up and rested the heavy piece in the back on her shoulder and layed her cheek down on top of it. She leveled her eyes over the long black pipe and her fingers on the trigger. "Good, good." He congratulated. "But here, watch." He placed the gun in a somewhat different position on her shoulder and moved her head slightly. She turned to him with the gun pointed at him. "Alright, good postion now shoot it. No not at me, that way into the trees." Chloe turned and shot at a big tree. The recoil knocked her across the room.
She moaned and groaned as she pulled herslef up off the wall. She'd hit a part of the actual tree the treehouse sat on. The back of her head and all down her spine ached. John helped her up and laid her down in the nearest bed, which happened to be Malone's. Chloe was sprawled out face down on the bed as Roxton ran to the icebox Challenger had constructed and grabbed a handful of ice. He dashed back to Chloe who still ached terribly. He put the ice in a sack beside Malone's bed and put it on her neck and another sack in the middle of her spine. She muttered her thanks and he smiled.
"I don't think you're ready for a big gun like that yet. Maybe tomorrow I'll get you started on a smaller piece." He said. She winced silently as she turned her head to smile at him.
"If I live through the day then yes, a smaller gun would be very nice." Roxton left the room and sat in the chair Chloe had been sitting in. He picked up Malone's journal off the arm of the chair. It was open to the page documenting one of the many times they had been fooled to believe they had found away off the Lost World. This one wasn't that long ago. How Malone had gotten it down he wouldn't know. Hell, Ned was dead when this happened. He thought. It was when the trickster god had tried to make Marguerite immortal, by killing her. Just the thought of death must have triggered something in Chloe's mind that she wasn't going to leave and that's why she asked. Roxton put the journal back on the shelf.
***
Veronica threw a dead bird in a sack George had been carrying. They'd been collecting food for a few hours, leaving Chloe and home with Roxton.
"I don't know Veronica." Malone said as he kicked a limb out of the way of the trail.
"How can you question that arrow?" She asked.
"But I seriously doubt she's a killer. She can't even fend for herself enough to be alone in the tree house." Malone defended Chloe. He didn't know why but Roxton had a point the other night, there was no reason to believe she was bad for them.
"Veronica, that arrow could be to anyone." Challenger said. Marguerite doubts had subsided but Veronica made a good argument.
"She's right. What proof has she given us?" Margurite said.
"If you'd give her three seconds to speak..." Malone's voice trailed off as Marguerite and Veronica eyed him. It took them about twenty minuetes to get back to the treehouse. They went up the elevator with mild disscusion and saw Roxton sitting in a chair cleaning his gun.
"Good afternoon." He nodded.
"Where's Chloe?" Marguerite asked suspiciously.
"Sleeping." He replied. They looked towards her palette by the window and she wasn't in there.
"She's gone, probably to..."
"She's in Malone's bed, Veronica."
"Why's Chloe in my bed?"
"She was using the gun and the recoil knocked her into the tree," He motioned towards the tree that had so badly hit Chloe. "It seemed quite painful, she could hardly move. I had to carry her in there. I put ice on her back where it hurt most. Was that wise, George?" Roxton asked.
"No, you should have left her disabled that way we could figure out what she wanted." Marguerite said angrily.
"All she wants is a place to sleep and a roof over her head." John defended. Malone went into his room and left John and Margurite to their arguing. She looked very peaceful. Very innocent,laying there sleeping. Not like Veronica penned her at all. Veronica was almost always right. But there's room for error I suppose, he thought silently. She moved her head and he saw her wince slightly. He took the ice off her back, it was melting, and began towards the icechest. He dumped the melted ice out the side of the treehouse. He scooped some into the bags and went back to his room. Chloe was sitting back and rubbing the small of her back.
"Does that hurt bad?" He asked.
"Very much. I've never been in so much pain in my life." She said quietly.
"Here's some more ice."
"Are you on Chloe duty?"
"Don't make it sound like a burden. But no. We're all back. I just wanted to see how you were."
"You think I'm safe don't you?"
"Yes, I think your fine." Ned laughed slightly. "Is this when you knock me in my head with a big stick and a fight insues, leading to your death?"
"God, I hope not." Chloe laughed and put the ice sack behind her back. "I'm sorry I'm in your bed."
"Think nothing of it. I hope you feel better soon. George thinks it'd be good for you to leave the treehouse. Maybe go after that balloon you were on. Your things in there might be useful for some experiments."
"Professor Challenger wants to use my things for science?" Malone nodded. "Please take this in the nicest way possible, but I don't want my stuff ruined." Ned laughed.
"Maybe we'll take you tomorrow and see if your things are still there." Just then Malone and Chloe heard a suprised shout. The walked out of his room and into the living quaters. Another arrow was lodged in the wall. Right next to the hole where the first arrow had struck.
"Read it George." Veronica said. Challenger walked up to the arrow and pulled it out of the wall. There was a note on this one too.
"My raven beauty, I watched you sleep." They all took a step back in disgust, as if the letter were contaminated with what ever was in it.
"That's disturbing." Veronica said.
"I'm officially scared." Chloe murmered and sat down in a chair slowly, the ice pack still on her back.
"That's to me." Marguerite realized.
{A/N: Alrighty! I have a few things to say: Thanx to all of you who've been reviewing, and to the folks who corrected me on my elevator machanics! And to TLWROX for setting me straight on how to spell Marguerite's name. Please R/R! Enjoy!}
Chloe had been at the treehouse for three days. Veronica and Marguerite's suspicions had eased a bit but she was still under watchful eye. When ever there was a hunting or exploration trip someone had to stay back with Chloe. She was scared something would get her, a dinosaur or a savage or something of that manner. Chloe was interested in learning how to protect herselt though.
"Lord Roxton?" Chloe asked one day while the two of them sat on the balcony waiting for the rest of the crew to come back.
"Chloe, you can call me John." He replied with a polite smile.
"Right then, John, could you show me how to use a gun?" She asked. The unorthodox of it all was humorus. Chloe, a girl who'd never had to take care of herself in any form, never got really dirty in all her life, was asking, begging even, to use a dirty, heavy gun.
"I suppose I could." He said after a moments silence. They sat there quietly for a while. Chloe marveled over one of Malone's journals and John watched diligently for someone in the jungle.
"There's no way out of this place at all?" She asked. John looked at her, her eyes were welling with tears.
"I don't know. But if there isn't, it's not all that bad. That's not what Marguerite would have you think but that's the truth. I've said it once before and I'll say it again, this expidition has been the highlight of my life." John said. In more ways then one, he thought silently, his mind drifting to Marguerite. Chloe smiled at him. Of course he likes it, he's a hunter. I don't like it, it's dirty, it's scary and it's wild. She thought with a sigh and then turned to the rifle on the ground.
"So when are you going to teach me?" She asked and motioned towards it.
John laughed. "You're ready now?" He asked. Chloe nodded. "Alright." He picked up the gun and handed it to her. "Hold it like you think you're supposed to." He instructed. Chloe picked it up and rested the heavy piece in the back on her shoulder and layed her cheek down on top of it. She leveled her eyes over the long black pipe and her fingers on the trigger. "Good, good." He congratulated. "But here, watch." He placed the gun in a somewhat different position on her shoulder and moved her head slightly. She turned to him with the gun pointed at him. "Alright, good postion now shoot it. No not at me, that way into the trees." Chloe turned and shot at a big tree. The recoil knocked her across the room.
She moaned and groaned as she pulled herslef up off the wall. She'd hit a part of the actual tree the treehouse sat on. The back of her head and all down her spine ached. John helped her up and laid her down in the nearest bed, which happened to be Malone's. Chloe was sprawled out face down on the bed as Roxton ran to the icebox Challenger had constructed and grabbed a handful of ice. He dashed back to Chloe who still ached terribly. He put the ice in a sack beside Malone's bed and put it on her neck and another sack in the middle of her spine. She muttered her thanks and he smiled.
"I don't think you're ready for a big gun like that yet. Maybe tomorrow I'll get you started on a smaller piece." He said. She winced silently as she turned her head to smile at him.
"If I live through the day then yes, a smaller gun would be very nice." Roxton left the room and sat in the chair Chloe had been sitting in. He picked up Malone's journal off the arm of the chair. It was open to the page documenting one of the many times they had been fooled to believe they had found away off the Lost World. This one wasn't that long ago. How Malone had gotten it down he wouldn't know. Hell, Ned was dead when this happened. He thought. It was when the trickster god had tried to make Marguerite immortal, by killing her. Just the thought of death must have triggered something in Chloe's mind that she wasn't going to leave and that's why she asked. Roxton put the journal back on the shelf.
***
Veronica threw a dead bird in a sack George had been carrying. They'd been collecting food for a few hours, leaving Chloe and home with Roxton.
"I don't know Veronica." Malone said as he kicked a limb out of the way of the trail.
"How can you question that arrow?" She asked.
"But I seriously doubt she's a killer. She can't even fend for herself enough to be alone in the tree house." Malone defended Chloe. He didn't know why but Roxton had a point the other night, there was no reason to believe she was bad for them.
"Veronica, that arrow could be to anyone." Challenger said. Marguerite doubts had subsided but Veronica made a good argument.
"She's right. What proof has she given us?" Margurite said.
"If you'd give her three seconds to speak..." Malone's voice trailed off as Marguerite and Veronica eyed him. It took them about twenty minuetes to get back to the treehouse. They went up the elevator with mild disscusion and saw Roxton sitting in a chair cleaning his gun.
"Good afternoon." He nodded.
"Where's Chloe?" Marguerite asked suspiciously.
"Sleeping." He replied. They looked towards her palette by the window and she wasn't in there.
"She's gone, probably to..."
"She's in Malone's bed, Veronica."
"Why's Chloe in my bed?"
"She was using the gun and the recoil knocked her into the tree," He motioned towards the tree that had so badly hit Chloe. "It seemed quite painful, she could hardly move. I had to carry her in there. I put ice on her back where it hurt most. Was that wise, George?" Roxton asked.
"No, you should have left her disabled that way we could figure out what she wanted." Marguerite said angrily.
"All she wants is a place to sleep and a roof over her head." John defended. Malone went into his room and left John and Margurite to their arguing. She looked very peaceful. Very innocent,laying there sleeping. Not like Veronica penned her at all. Veronica was almost always right. But there's room for error I suppose, he thought silently. She moved her head and he saw her wince slightly. He took the ice off her back, it was melting, and began towards the icechest. He dumped the melted ice out the side of the treehouse. He scooped some into the bags and went back to his room. Chloe was sitting back and rubbing the small of her back.
"Does that hurt bad?" He asked.
"Very much. I've never been in so much pain in my life." She said quietly.
"Here's some more ice."
"Are you on Chloe duty?"
"Don't make it sound like a burden. But no. We're all back. I just wanted to see how you were."
"You think I'm safe don't you?"
"Yes, I think your fine." Ned laughed slightly. "Is this when you knock me in my head with a big stick and a fight insues, leading to your death?"
"God, I hope not." Chloe laughed and put the ice sack behind her back. "I'm sorry I'm in your bed."
"Think nothing of it. I hope you feel better soon. George thinks it'd be good for you to leave the treehouse. Maybe go after that balloon you were on. Your things in there might be useful for some experiments."
"Professor Challenger wants to use my things for science?" Malone nodded. "Please take this in the nicest way possible, but I don't want my stuff ruined." Ned laughed.
"Maybe we'll take you tomorrow and see if your things are still there." Just then Malone and Chloe heard a suprised shout. The walked out of his room and into the living quaters. Another arrow was lodged in the wall. Right next to the hole where the first arrow had struck.
"Read it George." Veronica said. Challenger walked up to the arrow and pulled it out of the wall. There was a note on this one too.
"My raven beauty, I watched you sleep." They all took a step back in disgust, as if the letter were contaminated with what ever was in it.
"That's disturbing." Veronica said.
"I'm officially scared." Chloe murmered and sat down in a chair slowly, the ice pack still on her back.
"That's to me." Marguerite realized.
{A/N: Alrighty! I have a few things to say: Thanx to all of you who've been reviewing, and to the folks who corrected me on my elevator machanics! And to TLWROX for setting me straight on how to spell Marguerite's name. Please R/R! Enjoy!}