The New World

Chapter 27

That evening a thunderstorm had rolled through. Turg didn't like the thunder, it hurt his ears. The two waited out the storm in the car, Kitty was with them of course, they wouldn't have left their cat outside in a storm. Turg eventually fell asleep and so did Jim for once, but he didn't dream about anything. The next morning was calm and sunny, Jim was the first to wake up and he was outside, alone. He had changed out of his previous outfit into the blue and black tank top and black sweatpants, even though it was summer. It felt good to hear the sounds of nature again, he preferred it over the dead silence that was in the town and vault. The sound of birds singing, leaves in the wind, and the water was something he didn't know he missed. He recalled seeing a creek on the way in and wanted to check it out. By that time Turg had woken up too and so did Kitty. The two headed back up the path to where the small bridge was. Once they arrived Jim went down to the water and stepped into it, the water only went up to a little over his ankles. Turg did not follow him in but Kitty thought about it. Jim then noticed some fish swimming around and he got an idea. 
"What Jim doing?" Turg asked while Kitty stared at Jim with a judgemental look. 
"Fishing. With my hands. Like real men." Jim replied as he tried to grab one but he was too slow. 
"Why?" Turg asked Jim again while Kitty continued to silently judge him. 
"My masculinity depends on it." Jim jokingly answered before adding "I'm also hungry." 
"But we have food." Turg then said as Jim tried to catch another but failed. Jim did know that, but he really just wanted to see if he could catch a fish with his hands. Meanwhile Kitty managed to catch one with her claws and ran off with it. Jim then tried a third time and managed to grab one and lift it out of the water. 
"AHA! I GOT ONE!" Jim shouted before it slipped out of his hands and back into the water. He then shouted in frustration "FECK!"
Turg then laughed at him as Jim got out of the water and told him "Go ahead, laugh at my pain." 
Turg stopped to ask Jim "Is Jim okay?" 
"Yeah, I just felt like catching fish with my bare hands, do not ask why because I don't know why either." Jim answered before then saying "Anyways, I want to find a way to that island, that's what I want to do today." 
The two then headed back to the car, with Kitty of course, and continued along the old gravel road that seemed to go around the whole lake. They stopped at an old cabin that still appeared to be in good condition, as in it wasn't collapsing. Jim searched around it and inside, the door was unlocked and the inside was mostly empty. There was a loft above the open area and a fireplace, that was about it. While searching outside, Jim found a canoe and wanted to use it to get to the island he wanted to get too. He did not want to leave until he at least touched the island. While Jim was doing that, Turg was playing with Kitty and trying to teach her tricks, but it was not working. Jim then put some of the food and drinks from the car into the canoe and was almost ready to push it fully off the shore. Jim then called Turg over as he came running with Kitty. 
"I would prefer it if Kitty didn't come." Jim told Turg as he put Kitty back down on the ground. Turg then asked "Why?"
"I just want it to be you and me, don't worry about Kitty, she'll be fine on her own here." Jim answered as Kitty then ran off into the tall grass, possibly chasing something. Jim then asked Turg "You coming or not?"
Turg nodded and climbed in, sitting at the end. Jim pushed it into the water and quickly climbed in. Jim was the one with the paddle but Turg did his best to contribute using his hands, that or he just liked to have them in the water. They landed under a shaded spot with a bunch of trees that surrounded the shores of the island. While carrying a cooler full of stuff through the trees, Jim walked into a spiderweb and immediately froze. He then asked Turg "Is there a spider on me?"
Turg started searching for one on him and did find one, it was a big one. Turg grabbed it and showed it to Jim while replying "Jim made new friend." 
"No I did not, I made a new enemy." Jim said as he shivered a bit. He didn't like spiders. Jim then told Turg "Kill it." 
"Why?" Turg asked in response, he seemed devastated about the fact Jim would tell him to do that. 
"Those things are evil and deserve to die, I would know because it takes one to know one." Jim answered before adding "If you won't then I will." 
Turg then put the spider back on a tree and said "No. Spider live." 
"Fine, let's move on and hope we don't run into any more." Jim said as he continued through the forest, he could see an open clearing ahead. Once they made it to the clearing, Jim laid down in the grass while Turg started making dandelion chains. While Jim was dozing off, Turg came up to him with something in his hands. Jim sat up to see what Turg had, but Turg placed it on his head and said "Jim is now princess." 
It was a dandelion chain crown that Turg had made for him, Turg was also wearing three of them on his head along with a bunch of necklaces and bracelets made of dandelions. Jim smiled and responded "That I am." 
"And Turg is the queen. Turg rules this island." Turg then said before adding "Jim shall rule after me." 
Jim then stood up and asked "What if Jim were to challenge her for the title?" 
Turg then started running and Jim went after him. The two then found sticks and started having a duel with them as if they were swords. Eventually Turg admitted defeat and Jim said "Ha! Looks like my sword is bigger than yours!" 
Turg then laughed at Jim as he then shouted "I MEANT STRONGER! NO! AND I MEANT ACTUAL SWORDS NOT-"
Jim then stopped talking as Turg then said "Jim funny." 
"Yes, I am quite hilarious." Jim responded as Turg continued "Jim won the fight. Jim is now queen." 
"Yes, and I am the greatest queen this small island in the middle of some lake has ever seen." Jim said as he headed back to the spot where he was before he started having a pretend fight with Turg. The two then spent the rest of the day just fooling around, not caring about how childish it may have seemed. When the sun was starting to set was when they decided to head back. While out on the lake in the canoe, the water had turned orange and was very still. Jim stopped using the paddle so he could admire the view. 
"Pretty." Turg commented as Jim then looked over to him. He was still wearing the dandelion chains that appeared to be glowing in the sunlight. Jim thought the warmer colours suited Turg best, he couldn't take his eyes off him with that lighting. 
"Today was fun, I could honestly stay here forever with you." Jim told Turg, who smiled and started blushing. Jim then leaned closer to Turg and continued "And we could, if you want." 
Turg waved his hands around a bit before responding "Turg love it here. Turg also love Jim." 
Jim put his hand on Turg's and said "And I love you too." 
"No more avoiding capture or literally fighting just to live another day, for now on we can live here and not have to worry about any of that. Can't believe we didn't leave earlier." Jim further explained before adding "Plus, there's resources here." 
Turg then hugged Jim again while saying "Turg will stay with Jim." 
Jim hugged him back and responded "I'm glad we met, otherwise I would've been on my own during all of this. I don't know where I'd be without you."