The natives began hacking away and preparing Amy's body. After standing on two shaken legs, Justine stared out watching them.
It was a complete long shot, but she prayed it would give them the chance they needed. Wearing Amy's bloody jumpsuit, she gripped the bamboo bars and stared out feeling achy and sore all over. Alejandro was sitting back down, and Daniel nervously paced. It would be a little while before they got her ready for the smoke hut, until then they simply had to play the waiting game. That's when she felt Lars' hand on her shoulder.
"You okay?"
Looking over, Justine nodded. Just a mere half an hour ago both were standing huddled together, him inside her. Two complete strangers, that barley knew each other less than two weeks. Feeling overwhelmed, she gripped the bars tighter.
"I think it…worked. He didn't want anything to do with me, at least for the time being. Do you think they know?"
"Maybe, I'm sure one of those guards saw…"
"Thank you…"
"Hey, don't thank me. I might have bought you some time, that's it."
"Still, you helped me, thank you."
"Yeah well, let's see if this little plan works…"
"It might…"
Thinking back to the night before they arrived here, back when they spent that blissful night at the hotel back in the city.
Unaware of what was in store for them. Justine felt that was a million years ago. Still, she remembered how nervous and excited she was. How she was bunking with Amy, Samantha, and this girl named Jess who was killed in the crash. The hotel was nice despite where it was, and they all seemed friendly and welcoming enough, and all agreed that Kara was a huge bitch. This was back when Justine was still interested in Alejandro. The very thought of this now sickened her. That night Alejandro, Kara, and Carlos were downstairs drinking in the lobby.
A few groups were upstairs partying it up in separate rooms. Justine followed the girls to one of the guy's room where Jonah instantly shot up nervously, talking a mile a minute, smiling the instant he saw Justine and the other girls come in. A few of the guys were around drinking, bullshitting and talking about tomorrow. Amy and Justine sat on the edge of one of the beds when Lars plopped himself down, baseball cap backwards as he popped a freshly rolled joint in his mouth. Cupping his face, he lit up and deeply inhaled. Justine smiled as he glanced over.
"Want some?"
Justine wrinkled her nose and smiled shaking her head.
"No thanks."
"Come on, one puff for your nerves."
Justine laughed cocking her head to the side.
"I think I'm all set, thanks tho."
Lars smiled winking at her before he continued puffing away.
"Suit yourself…"
Justine smiled before Jonah quickly sat on the bed, nearly knocking Amy over to talk to her. The rest of the night everyone mostly sat around drinking and laughing before Kara came upstairs to break the party up telling everyone to get some rest. As Justine got up to leave, Jonah asked Justine if she wanted to be walked back to her room. Laughing, Lars walked over before reaching down and scooping Justine off her feet. Taken off guard, Justine laughed as he threw her over his back.
"Come on Jonah, let's walk her back!"
Justine laughed, playfully hitting Lars telling him to put her down. Smiling, he carried her out as Amy and Samantha continued laughing. Once he made it down the hall a few feet, he carefully slid her off his back, his face flushed, but smiling. Laughing she hit his hat and made a face.
"You asshole!"
Lars smiled.
"Sorry I had to!"
Without so much as another word Lars leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Taken a little by surprise by this, blinking, Justine smiled.
"I think you're drunk…"
"I'm stoned, not drunk, what about you?"
Justine smiled as he leaned down again kissing her, his beard scratching her face gently. Smiling, Justine pulled back, cocking her head to the side.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Lars smirked.
"What, no invite inside?"
He motioned to her room door. Turning slightly, Justine smiled.
"Yeah no…that's not gonna work. I'm bunking with the girls."
"Yeah I guess your right. if Jonah saw me his chubby little heart would be broken."
Wrinkling her nose, Justine smiled as she turned and opened her room door.
"You're terrible…"
Smiling, Lars stood back as Justine shut the door behind her. Alone in her room, she couldn't help but smile as she nervously rung her hands together.
Now here they were, filthy, frightened, and on the verge of being killed. Reaching over, Justine took hold of Lars' hand and squeezed it. Daniel joined them as the hacked up body was carried over to the smoke hut. The natives all shouted as it went in. Alejandro shook his head, glaring up at them.
"You guys and you're stupid Scooby Doo plan, you don't think they ever had a little bit of weed before? They eat pot for breakfast."
The natives gathered around the smoke hut. Eyes narrowing, Justine reached down, finding Lars' hand and gave it a dull squeeze.
"Better pot than us."
They stood that way for what seemed like an hour, smelling the tangled smell of cooking smoked flesh, and pot. It lingered strongly in the air as the natives gathered around, all pushing and shoving. Justine tried not to focus on the terrible smell, and instead on what was happening. She glared forward trying to remember what Daniel said. They would escape tonight, they would make it out. They would be okay. All she wanted now was to be back home. To tell her father she loved him, to see her friends, to tell Kaycee she was right and never do something so stupid and reckless again. She was still so young, had so much to do. She couldn't die like this, not now.
"You okay?"
Lars whispered. Justine glanced over.
"Huh?"
"I didn't…hurt you did I?"
His eyes stared down at her worried, red rimmed, and bloodshot. Thinking of that kiss the night before, she felt sick. Glancing over, she sighed.
"No…"
"I'm sorry…"
"Don't be, if it wasn't for you…I have a feeling I would have been next."
Lars suddenly turned serious.
"No, you won't. I promise."
Justine held onto his hand tighter as the natives all gathered around to eat. Within the half an hour, they noticed them becoming louder and louder. Soon, most of them were sitting in a daze, or falling asleep in the grass.
"Did it work?"
Just then the guard standing on the platform fell from his stand. All three turned and looked as Daniel told them to hurry. Lars looked over at Alejandro.
"You should watch more Scooby Doo."
Daniel and Lars both gave Justine a hand as she stepped into her cupped hands and felt them help lift her up as she made it between the bars. Looking out she saw the natives weren't watching as Daniel was lifted up. Grabbing hold of him, she leaned down and reached for Lars who was reaching up to grab hold of their hands. Just then Alejandro grabbed hold of one of the tiny darts that had hit Samantha the night before and jammed it into Lars' side. Screaming, Lars fell backwards, his eyes rolling back into his head.
"NO!"
Justine screamed, reaching down for him. Daniel glared down at Alejandro who shrugged standing before them, staring up.
"I can't let them find me if they see me alone."
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"
Daniel and Justine yelled, before Justine saw the natives moving about. There wasn't much time. As much as it killed her, she knew those darts made them pass out at least a half an hour or so. If they climbed back down they couldn't get Lars even if they tried. Hopefully they could make a run for it and get help. Staring down at his pale face, her stomach ached. They had to leave him.
"Come on!"
She pulled on Daniel's arm, both carefully climbing down. Before they ran for the tree line, Justine turned and looked one last time at the cage where Alejandro glared at them. Laying on the ground was Lars, and seeing him left behind made her feel sick. Just an hour or so ago he was moving inside of her, saving her life. Bitting down on her lip, she took hold of Daniel's hand and both ran through the trees.
Lars awoke twenty minutes later.
He died two minutes later, his body going into shock, and finally his heart stopping from blood loss.
Only his bloody torn apart clothes were found, nothing more, nothing less.
The following morning when Justine and Daniel were dragged back to camp, and she saw he wasn't there, she knew deep in her heart what had happened. The stranger who saved her life, was dead. When Alejandro begged her to let him out, she glared at him, knowing she didn't see Lars. Knowing he was responsible for keeping him there, and very well leading him to his death. That he was the one who took them here, lied, and was behind all of their deaths. Jonah, Samantha, Amy, Daniel, and Lars. He deserved to rot. Turning, she ran ignoring his screams.
"Are you sure there was nobody else?"
Justine, exhausted stood there hours later about to board the chopper, and glanced back at all of the dead natives laying around the jungle. Nodding, she babbled out a yeah before getting inside. As she flew over the jungle, she stared down, knowing she would never be the same again.