Tamed {James Conrad X OC}

F.O.U.R

After another talk, Hank led us to a ship that had been here since before him and explained to us nicely but firmly about the creatures out there.

"This is all halo ground to them. So if you like your hands . . . don't touch anything." He warned before talking again. "The way they tell it, for thousands of years... the people of this island lived out of fear. It's hell of a long time to be scared. And then one day, the damnest thing happened... Some of the things they were afraid of started protecting against the things that were eating them. But nothing lasts forever, I guess. And this is where they honour the last of their saviours. "Yeah." Mason tutted. I looked with Slivko at the drawing of a primate.

"That's Kong. He is king down here. He is God to these people. Kong is a pretty good king. he keeps to himself mostly. This is him home. We are just guests here. But you don't go into someone's house and start dropping bombs unless you're picking a fight."

"Was it Kong the one who killed your friend?" San asked. 

"No. One of them did. And there's only one thing that can stop those lizards. Now as I said before. . . Kong is God on the island... but the devils live below us." Hank continued, obviously set on edge by these thigs.

"And what are they called?" I asked.

"The Iwis won't speak their name. But the family who crashed here about 10 years ago named them skull crawlers." He said in a whisper.

"Why?" I whispered back.

"Cause of how they look kid." He laughed and walked off. 

- - - - - - - - - -

"HEY HANK! I NEED A KNIFE!" The girl from earlier yelled from outside. It was nearly nightfall and we were working on a boat Hank had called the Grey Fox. That girl made me nervous to the point where it was almost sexual.

"Where the devil did your one go?" He huffed as he got off the boat and pulled a dagger from his boot, handing it to her. 

"It disowned me and jumped off a cliff. What the fuck do you think happened to it?" She sneered. 

"Jumped or got thrown?" I snickered. She glared at me. 

"Do not make me call Eliot." She warned. 

"Okay Blade...time to go. Bye, bye. tell the gang I said hello and don't let them out of your sight. We are peaceful people." Hank said, shaking with fear. 

"No, no, no. I want to know who or what the fuck 'Elliot' is." I demanded, grabbing my gun and approaching her. 

"Tuff!" She yelled and went to walk off. 

"BECAUSE THERE IS NO ELLIOT IS THERE! YOU'RE JUST A SCARED LITTLE GIRL WHO HALLUCINATES TAMING UNTAMABLE CREATURES TO FEEL SPECIAL AND KEEP AWAY THE NIGHTMARES OF THIS ISLAND." I yelled, tired of being fucked around. I immediately felt guilty as I saw a single tear slide down her cheek. "Look I'm sorry. It's just that -" I began, a lot calmer but was cut off.

"Just save it.....I'll see you all tonight." She whimpered and walked off with her head hung low. 

"What does she mean by that?" I asked. 

"I have no idea. But I'd suggest you don't close your eyes tonight Mr. Conrad. Or they may not open again. Not after what she's just said." Hank warned me with a slight shake of his head and eyeing the girl warily, as if he almost knew what she was going to do.

"Can you tell us more about the Skull Crawlers?" San asked.

"They're big, carnivorous and wild. black fur over their body and a white head, their eyes blackened out but each one has a different colour in their iris. Apart from the twins. They're the troublemakers. Now I don't know 100% or not if she even can get near one of those crawlers but the chief Iwi said that one night as he was walking along the river, he saw something unreal. A girl bonding with a crawler. The carnivore was at peace with her and showed no aggression towards her or him. She was a saviour in his eyes. But there is one thing that you must know above all else. A Skull Crawlers eyes are very sensitive to light. That's why they live underground. Now how that young lassie has supposedly tamed them is by trust and getting her image behind their eyes and buried in their brains. But all it takes is a loud noise and a bright light to undo all of that work and BANG!" He said making all of us jump and making me flinch back slightly in shock. "She'll have no control over them and they'll go back to being savage." He finished.

"If it were to happen, do you think she'd be able to get control back?" Mason then asked. 

"Who knows? It's possible if the big one ain't been affected. It was the big one who she tamed first. And the big one helped her tame the little ones. . .But you're lucky..." He said, sitting down where the others were and chewing a toothpick. 

"Why? Bangs and flashes will be going off at every chance now, wherever Packard is. He wants to kill Kong for killing his men. And if I know Packard. He'll do whatever it takes to draw out that overgrown Gorilla." Slivko said for the first time in a while. 

"You're lucky because the big one don't come out unless she has to. The big one only comes out the second there's trouble that involves Kong, fearing he may harm the girl. It was the big one that killed Kong's parents. And as much as it pains me to say it...Kong is scared of that thing. So he hides away and skulks around when the big one sleeps. But tonight is a full moon. So the big one will be out patrolling the island with the girl. And you'd best hope Mr Conrad that after the way you yelled at her.....she don't decide to go of the chart again. Because if she does, we're all fucked." Mason said with a nervous laugh at the end. "Now rest up while you can but do not close your eyes. If she comes back, you'd best hope she's alone." He laughed darkly.