Chapter 4:

Before Spot could react, a huge snake had dropped from the tree and was wrapping itself around him. He was stark frozen. He had never seen a snake before and certainly never imagined one this big could exist.

Chris was staring at him and him with wide-eyes.

"Kill it!" Spot hissed, as it's thin pink tongue flickered in his face.

"With what?" Chris questioned, still staring, unmoving, at the huge snake.

"Rae's knife is over there with my shirt." Spot answered. "Do it now!" His voice had reached an unnaturally high screech as he caught sight of the snake's gaping maw heading for his head.

Chris headed over as quickly as he could and after a moment's hesitation he sank the knife into the snake's head. The beastly snake convulsed and after a few tight, spasmodic squeezes around Spot's neck, it collapsed onto the ground. Spot moved away from the snake quickly and then sank to the ground, leaning against a nearby tree.

Chris leaned over the snake and then shuddered. "You reckon there's more of 'em around? I mean.... this may not be a safe idea after all."

Spot crawled over to the small stream and stuck his head in the water. "It's too late now," he said, when he pulled his head out of the water.

"So you just wanna risk your wife and us kids because 'it's too late now'?" he retorted in a nasal voice.

Spot jumped to his feet. "Look, kid, we've been here nearly two weeks and that's the only one we've seen. If there were more, we would have seen them by now."

"Well how do you reckon he got here, huh?"

"I don't know, alright!"

Chris sighed and plopped down on the ground. "What are they gonna say when they find this... THING lying here?"

"The girls?" Spot asked. Chris nodded. "We just toss it out.... Don't say anything to them."

"Well... they're gonna ask about your bruises," Chris pointed out.

"Tell them we got into a fight. Or I fell over a log... They don't need to know about this... snake... thing!"

"I really don't think they will buy any lie we try to tell them. Especially Rae."

"Well what do you suggest we do? Tell them about the snake and scare them half to death?"

"I guess not, but if Rae finds out that we didn't tell her, she's not gonna be happy."

"Of course she isn't. But I don't see any other option."

Chris turned and looked at the snake, "I wonder if snake meat is any good," he mused.

Spot blanched and then looked at the snake again. "I don't know... maybe... But what do we tell the girls it is? Snake meat?"

"Don't tell them."

"If we give this to them, they will ask where we got it. Or at least Rae will."

"Can't we just tell her that we killed something, but didn't know what it was?"

After a pause, Spot nodded. "I guess we could."

Chris shuddered. "I guess we better get busy skinning the thing then."

"I don't even wanna touch that thing after it tried to kill me."

"I can't do it by myself!" Chris protested.

Spot made a big show of rolling his eyes and sighing before he sat down at the snake's tail. "You take its head. I've had enough of that part to last me a lifetime."

"You're the boss."

He grumbled under his breath and, grimacing, pried Rae's knife from the snake's head and began to skin it.

* * *

Rae glanced up from the shirt she was mending to see Ann sneaking back into the camp set up on the beach. Rae sighed. "Come here, sweetheart," she said softly. Ann jumped at the sound of her voice, and slowly walked toward Rae. "Were you playing in the woods?" Rae asked.

"No," Ann muttered, looking at the sand and slowly shaking her head.

Rae placed a finger under the girl's chin and forced Ann to look at her. "Were you playing in the woods after I told you not to?" Rae asked again.

Ann nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Rae sighed again, stood and grabbed the little girl's hand. "Stay here Andy," she told the little boy and then led Ann to a secluded area of the beach. She sat on a large rock and turned Ann to face her. "You disobeyed me, Ann, didn't you?" Rae asked.

"Yes ma'am."

"And then you lied to me."

"Yes ma'am."

"I'm going to have to punish you Ann." Rae whispered, hesitantly. Ann nodded slowly, tears filling her eyes. Rae closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She grabbed Ann's arm and pulled the little girl across her lap, giving her a few, good, firm, smacks on her backside.

Ann wailed pitifully, wrenching at Rae's heart.

"Now you know not to disobey me, right?"

Sniffling and whimpering, she nodded.

Rae reached out to hug the little girl, but Ann shied away and took off running down the beach toward the camp.

Sighing despondently, Rae headed to the camp after her.

Spot walked into camp as Ann came running back into the camp, tears pouring down her little face. He caught her before she could go any further and picked her up. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"Miss Rae's mean and she hurt me," Ann cried.

"Why is Miss Rae mean and why did she hurt you?"

"She 'panked me."

"Why'd she do that?" He looked up as Rae approached.

"She went off into the forest though she knew she wasn't supposed to," Rae answered, then added, "Tell him what else you did Ann."

Her lip quivered.

"Come now, tell him what else you did."

"Please don't make me," she whimpered burying her head in his shoulder.

Rae sighed and gave Spot a look.

"Come on," he said. "Listen to Rae. What did you do?"

"I lied to Miss Rae," she sobbed.

Spot set her down. "Now why did you go and do a thing like that, Ann?"

"Cause I didn't want to get into trouble for going into the forest," Ann admitted, looking at the sand.

Spot's eyes widened. "You HAVE to stay away from there, you hear me?" he ordered.

She shrank back in fear and nodded, "Y-y-yes sir," she whimpered.

"Get back to the tent and stay there until I tell you that you can leave," Spot ordered roughly. Ann nodded and scurried over to the tent. "I don't want ANYONE going near there." He looked at Rae. "Not you, not Julie, not the twins. Got it?"

"Alright," she said sending him a confused look. "What's wrong? What did you see?" she asked.

"Nothing. What? What makes you think I saw anything? I just don't want you there. Is there a crime in that?"

She took his face in her hands and made him look her in the eye. "Spot, I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't be acting like this if something hadn't spooked you."

"I'm not spooked. Who said I was spooked?"

Rae sighed. "You don't have to tell me what's bothering you, but I wish you would."

Spot kissed her gently. "Nothing is bothering me."

Rae sighed and walked further away from the tent. Spot followed her, "What's the matter, Rae?" he asked, slipping his arms around her waist.

Rae shivered and leaned back against him, "I can't the sound of her pitiful wails out of my mind, Spot. Or the sight of her face."

He stroked her hair. "It's okay.... I'm sure it's something all parents go through."

Rae sighed again. "I'm going to go talk to her."

"All right then." He kissed her forehead and let her go on about her business.

Rae walked into the tent and stretched out on her stomach next to Ann. "Hey, Ann," she said, softly.

The little girl made a soft noise of protest and wiggled away a bit.

Rae sat up. "Come here Ann."

Slowly she sat up trudged over to her and sat down.

Rae pulled the little girl into her lap and although Ann wiggled to get away, she held her firmly there. "Ann, I didn't want to spank you."

"But you did," she replied through a pout.

"Because I had too."

Ann whimpered and tears ran down her face again.

Rae hugged the girl tighter against her. "I love you Ann," she whispered, kissing the girl's dirty head. The little girl just cried and clung to her. Rae closed her eyes as tears rolled down her own cheeks. No matter what anyone else said, this child was hers.

After awhile Rae realized that Ann had cried herself to sleep. She gingerly laid the girl down and crept out of the tent. Spot was pacing aimlessly a little way down the beach and saw her emerge. He walked over and gave her a hug. She leaned her head wearily against his chest. "I don't know how much longer I can stand this," she moaned.

He stroked her hair. "Hey, it's ok. We're gonna be just fine."

She lifted her head and looked up at him. "You promise?" He nodded. "I love you, Spot."

He smiled down at her. "I love you too." Then he leaned down to kiss her. She responded immediately, wrapping her arms around him. They held on to each other like that for a few minutes, realizing why most couples waited awhile to acquire four children.

"EEEEEWWWW!" Andy suddenly yelled, "Julie, Miss Rae and Mr. Spot are kissing!" The couple broke apart, Rae slightly pink and Spot laughing.

"That's right, Andy," he said, "And one day, I bet you won't think it's so gross."

Andy made a horrified face. "No I won't!" he exclaimed, shaking his head violently, "Girls got cooties!"

Spot smiled. "Rae's a girl; Ann's a girl; Julie's a girl... Do THEY have cooties?"

Andy looked from Rae to Julie. "No," he answered, shaking his head.

"Then maybe the girl for you won't have cooties either," Rae said with a half-irritated smile of her own.

Andy wrinkled his nose, "All other girls are gross"

"Oh, is that a fact? Are you sure you want to come to that so quickly?"

The Infamous Rae Kelly says:

Andy thought about it for a moment. "Yes."

"All right then. When you're old and married like me and Spot, I'm going to tell your wife that!"

Andy shrugged and went back to the mound of sand that he had been playing with.

Rae shook her head, chuckling. Julie rolled her eyes and sat back down on the sand next to Andy.

Spot looked at Rae and put his arm around her waist. "So much for that," he mused thoughtfully.

"Yep," she replied, turning to face him.

He rested his forehead on hers. "I really hope we get off this island soon."

She sighed, "Me too." She stepped back suddenly. "When can I see this house that you keep claiming that you are building?"

"When it's done, when it's done. We're close."

She pouted and rested her head on his chest. "Please, Spot?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Nope, nope. You'll just have to wait like the rest of them."

"You're so mean."

"I am. I really am. One of these days we'll have to cure that of me," he teased.

She reached up and pulling his head down, she kissed him. Chuckling in his throat, he kissed her back.

"Ewwwww!" Andy shrieked again.