Chapter 2
Marguerite woke happily to Roxton's voice in her ear. After she opened her eyes, Roxton helped her up and kissed her forehead. Her smile faded when she saw Branston out the corner of her eye.
"Calvin, I see you're awake, too." She said flatly.
The three of them stayed awake until morning. Branston hated watching Marguerite and Roxton cuddled together, whispering and giggling. He knew that soon, he would hold her, not the hunter he despised.
Roxton had made a small breakfast and didn't notice when Branston slipped something into one of the meals before he took it from him. They ate in silence, Branston smiling to himself the whole time. He was lost in a daydream, a recollection of a dream he had in which Marguerite was his to love. Roxton would soon be taken care of.
Marguerite sat over by John, and whispered something in his ear. He laughed and pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. When they pulled away, Roxton started to shake uncontrollably, and fell back.
"Roxton!" Marguerite cried. She saw the other man smile, and turned on him. "What did you do to him, you bastard? Tell me what you did!"
Branston moved closer to her. "It's perfect. He won't hurt you anymore. We can be together now, my love."
Marguerite was crying. "I don't need saving! What the hell makes you think I want you?"
"My dream. I saw you and knew it was meant to be. My people believe dreams are openings to our souls. We see what we truly want."
Branston pulled out a small container with a green liquid. "I'm sorry." He whispered before holding her so she was motionless and made her swallow the contents of the container.
She managed to pull away, but the substance had been swallowed. She drew her pistol and shot him twice in the chest. Branston fell to the ground, dead. She ran to Roxton, who had stopped shaking, and cradled his head in her arms.
"John, please. Don't leave me. Not now, not ever. I need you. I love you." She choked between sobs. "I love you." She said it over and over again.
She pulled away for a moment to signal to the tree house, where Malone and Veronica were, to come. Within the hour, they showed up puzzled.
"Marguerite? Roxton? Why did you...oh, my God, Roxton!" Veronica cried. "Marguerite, what happened? Malone, try to make a stretcher or something to carry him."
While Malone did what he was told, Marguerite told Veronica about Branston, his dream, and what he had done.
"Interesting."
Marguerite turned her head. "What's interesting?"
"Remember when you first came here? Only a month or two after, a man named Niko said the same thing. He wanted to fight Malone for me."
"Maybe they are from the same tribe." Marguerite concluded. She could barely speak, and if she could, her tears made it impossible to understand her.
"Veronica! Marguerite! Come over here!" Malone cried.
The two women rushed to where he was standing. A body, drenched in blood, was lying in front of him. The body held a container with a green liquid.
"That's the guy who did something to Roxton!"
Veronica turned to the heiress confused. "That's Branston? He doesn't look much like he's from a tribe around here."
"Look, I made a stretcher, but we are going to have to hurry. Raptors will smell the blood and come. Besides we need to get Roxton to the tree house right away!" Malone interrupted Marguerite's next statement.
The three headed back to the tree house, Roxton in tow. Although they wanted to stay optimistic, Malone and Veronica knew that there was little Challenger could do. Roxton was not likely going to make it.
Marguerite woke happily to Roxton's voice in her ear. After she opened her eyes, Roxton helped her up and kissed her forehead. Her smile faded when she saw Branston out the corner of her eye.
"Calvin, I see you're awake, too." She said flatly.
The three of them stayed awake until morning. Branston hated watching Marguerite and Roxton cuddled together, whispering and giggling. He knew that soon, he would hold her, not the hunter he despised.
Roxton had made a small breakfast and didn't notice when Branston slipped something into one of the meals before he took it from him. They ate in silence, Branston smiling to himself the whole time. He was lost in a daydream, a recollection of a dream he had in which Marguerite was his to love. Roxton would soon be taken care of.
Marguerite sat over by John, and whispered something in his ear. He laughed and pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. When they pulled away, Roxton started to shake uncontrollably, and fell back.
"Roxton!" Marguerite cried. She saw the other man smile, and turned on him. "What did you do to him, you bastard? Tell me what you did!"
Branston moved closer to her. "It's perfect. He won't hurt you anymore. We can be together now, my love."
Marguerite was crying. "I don't need saving! What the hell makes you think I want you?"
"My dream. I saw you and knew it was meant to be. My people believe dreams are openings to our souls. We see what we truly want."
Branston pulled out a small container with a green liquid. "I'm sorry." He whispered before holding her so she was motionless and made her swallow the contents of the container.
She managed to pull away, but the substance had been swallowed. She drew her pistol and shot him twice in the chest. Branston fell to the ground, dead. She ran to Roxton, who had stopped shaking, and cradled his head in her arms.
"John, please. Don't leave me. Not now, not ever. I need you. I love you." She choked between sobs. "I love you." She said it over and over again.
She pulled away for a moment to signal to the tree house, where Malone and Veronica were, to come. Within the hour, they showed up puzzled.
"Marguerite? Roxton? Why did you...oh, my God, Roxton!" Veronica cried. "Marguerite, what happened? Malone, try to make a stretcher or something to carry him."
While Malone did what he was told, Marguerite told Veronica about Branston, his dream, and what he had done.
"Interesting."
Marguerite turned her head. "What's interesting?"
"Remember when you first came here? Only a month or two after, a man named Niko said the same thing. He wanted to fight Malone for me."
"Maybe they are from the same tribe." Marguerite concluded. She could barely speak, and if she could, her tears made it impossible to understand her.
"Veronica! Marguerite! Come over here!" Malone cried.
The two women rushed to where he was standing. A body, drenched in blood, was lying in front of him. The body held a container with a green liquid.
"That's the guy who did something to Roxton!"
Veronica turned to the heiress confused. "That's Branston? He doesn't look much like he's from a tribe around here."
"Look, I made a stretcher, but we are going to have to hurry. Raptors will smell the blood and come. Besides we need to get Roxton to the tree house right away!" Malone interrupted Marguerite's next statement.
The three headed back to the tree house, Roxton in tow. Although they wanted to stay optimistic, Malone and Veronica knew that there was little Challenger could do. Roxton was not likely going to make it.