"Game On"- Part 3 ( Tiny's Temptation)
The next morning, they woke up groggy and coated in sand.
Keyop stood up, and hopped up and down, "I've got sand everywhere!" He took off his helmet, and poured a significant amount of sand back onto the beach.
Tiny grumbled, "We just gotta find some breakfast! I'm dyin' here!"
"Keep your helmet on! We're all hungry here! It's not just you!" Jason snapped back.
Princess and Mark sat up and looked at their grumbling comrades. Mark responded firmly. "I know you're all hungry and tired. We all are. But we are a team, and we will work together. Let's split up and cover the island. Jason, Tiny and I will gather wood for the fire, and begin building a shelter. Princess and Keyop, we need you to scour the island for food and fresh water. Meet back here in two hours…"
Each team member scrambled off in a separate direction, following Mark's orders.
Tiny headed out to the thickest part of the forest, looking for the perfect trees to knock down and drag back to the campfire.
As he walked, he felt weak from hunger and began thinking about his stomach again. He dreamed of slicing into a thick, juicy steak, digging into a space burger or at least peeling a sweet ripe banana. His imagination began to get the best of him, as he thought he could even smell the bananas.
He stopped and shook his head, trying to snap himself out of his trance. Looking at the path ahead of him, he began to even see bananas growing in the trees. This must be what they call a mirage…I'm so hungry, I'm even imagining bananas…He thumped his head to see if it was real…I must be going bananas…they look so real…
As much as he didn't want to believe it, he just had to try to grab a banana. Reaching out, he felt the smooth yellow surface, and plucked it off of the tree.
"It is real!" He bellowed, thrilled with his discovery.
However, as soon as the words escaped his mouth, chains snapped around him, binding him fast. It was a trap. He struggled, trying to yell for help, but Spectra goons were ready and waiting for him, quickly hauling him off to a holding cell for Zoltar.
Two hours had passed, and everyone gathered back around the campfire. Everyone, that is, except for Tiny.
"I'll bet that turkey is stuffing himself…he's probably found food, and is keeping it all for himself!" Jason snickered.
"Knowing Tiny, he's probably found a great shady spot for a nap." Princess giggled.
"He was supposed to bring back some wood…Jason and I did all the work…he'll face a serious reprimand for not following orders when he gets back…" Mark folded his arms across his chest, scanning the horizon for the missing team member. He tried his communicator. "Tiny, where are you, Tiny... give us your location..."
Nothing happened. Jason spoke up, "Don't worry, Commander, you know Tiny, he's probably got a full belly and is sleeping under a tree somewhere..."
Princess changed the subject. She picked up a coconut."Keyop and I found some coconuts over on the southern end of the island. At least we have some food."
"And we'll have some shelter…" Mark still scanned the horizon for Tiny as he turned around and grabbed a log. "We better get started on the shelter, it will be dark soon...Give me a hand with this, will ya, Jase?"
Princess and Keyop weaved mats out of strips of bark to use as a roof, and to sleep on, while Jason and Mark made a frame for the shelter.
By the early evening, they had finished the makeshift shelter, and were enjoying coconuts and drinking coconut milk by a warm campfire. It wasn't much, but it was enough to sustain them until they were rescued.
As night fell, they all worried even more about Tiny. It was too dark to search the island, so they agreed to go looking for him as soon as the sun came up. They could only hope he'd be alright until they found him.