I Am Alone

Chapter 8: From The Bottom Up

Repairs were quick, We got resettled even quicker, we needed stuff and we needed it fast.

I make more than a dozen spears, more than I would ever need, I stack them against the cave wall, spares in case we were attacked.

Aphmau fashions herself a fur and hide quiver, and slides her forty arrows into it, looking like a sort of badass.

Using the black scales from the T-Rex, I make a me and Aphmau black cloaks, it broke the wind slightly and it was very protective.

I lean against the cave wall, the warm, crackling fire lighting up the dark, cool, night.

"Aaron?" Aphmau's calm and silky voice broke the silence. I turn to face her, the fire dancing on our figures like we were a stage.

" We need to find out where we are, and how to get off this island. I know, I've been thinking about it too." I already knew what her question would be, and I answer it for her, her face falling into one of uncertainty.

"Do you have an idea?" She asks as Fang pushes his head through her arm and onto her lap, wagging his massive grey tail, and making a growl/purr noise.

I stoke the fire with a charcoaled branch, ash and sparks doing acrobatics in the air.

"I do." I reply slowly "but it would take some time, it would be dangerous." I glance outside, snow is sprinkling gently onto the blanket of snow already on the ground. It had been, eerily pleasant the past few days, it was dark now, the moon barely shining through the thick clouds.

She let's out a halfhearted laugh, but her face remains as serious as ever.

"What's more dangerous then taking on the king of the island?" She asks, her voice filled with sarcasm, but I again, know the answer.

"It's queen." I say bluntly, there is a silence, she let's out a quiet sigh.

" So? What is your plan smart guy?" She sounds genuinely interested, but still has that playful lace that takes me off guard.

"The spire, the huge blue obelisk that's towering over the island. We head there, it's the only structure for miles." I tell her my plan, yet the more I say, the more I'm doubting that she will be up for it.

"That's a long way away. We'd probably not come back here for awhile." She replies, she says it bluntly, not cluing me in on her answer.

"Yes, and we don't know what else is out there. We could die." I respond, I dare to take a glance at her, the fire is gleaming off her eyes, I can't tell her expression.

"Not if we could fly." She looks up at me, I am confused, where on earth would we find a bird big enough for us to fly.

Then it hits me, when I first came onto the island I saw a bird big enough to fly on, it flew overhead as I was gathering wood.

"Good thought, but we don't know if those things are aggressive, and how are we supposed to knock one out if it just flys away? Better yet, how are we going to find one?" I was thinking aloud, it would be the safest way to travel, not to mention the fastest.

"Fang was aggressive, and he's here now, as for finding one, their not exactly small Aaron, just look up." She replies, but that still leaves one question unanswered.

"And the flying away thing?" I ask, and she grins slightly before showing me the determination in her eyes.

"Have you ever heard of a bola gun?" She smiles while I am utterly confused.

"I know what a bola is, I have one." I show her the long rope with three rocks on the end, once thrown, they would make the target fall over, and not be able to get up.

"But what's a bola gun?" I finally ask, feeling stupid.

"Is basically a catapult that slings huge bolas at things a handheld one won't work on." She explains, and I hear the gears start grinding in my head like old clockwork.

"So we could shoot it down out of the sky." I say for her, and she nods, my face lighting up but immediately falling.

"We don't have any gunpowder, or the weapons to knock it out, and where are we going to get a working cannon?" This was never going to work, we might as well just fling ourselves in the ocean.

"Well, I always like to say, when you hit bottom, the only place left to go is up." Her hand rests on my shoulder, I only realized how close she was just now.

Tears drip down my face as I walk home from yet another failed job interview, I twist open the doorknob and step into a trashed flat.

Fresh out of college it is hard for me to find a job as everyone wants you to have experience, but I can't get it unless someone hires me.

Rent is next month and I don't have enough money to pay for it, I might as well start packing my things.

Aphmau looks up from her place on the couch and sees my tear stained cheeks.

"Hey. You know the great thing about hitting bottom? The only place left to go is up."

I shake myself out of my blue haze, and look up to stare right in caramel colored eyes.

"Woah! You okay? You zoned out a bit there." She asks, and I suddenly feel a smile tug at the corner of my mouth, and I look up at her.

"You are absolutely right, might as well start from the bottom, and make our way up, no rush, right?" I ask and she lets out a relieved smile.

                    "Then let's start here."