𝘈 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 (𝘍𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘺 3 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯)

Chapter 3: Fly Trap

A day and a half later, Lara was still in the shack. She'd slept, eaten, and after extensive deliberating she'd decided to have a more thorough wash, but without undressing entirely. Having wrapped a batik around her body, she started by washing her clothes as best she could before hanging them up. Then, pausing every few minutes to listen out for any approaching footsteps, she started washing herself and her hair.

Finished, she put the damp clothes back on and finger combed her hair. She wrapped it in the batik and wandered back into the main room. No one.

Hesitantly, she walked to the door to take a look out. A big, muscly pirate stood with his back to her, holding a machine gun. She hurried back in.

There was a window above the bed, so she climbed on top of it to have a look out. The camp was heavily guarded with pirates, dogs (a kind of pitbull half breeds), and from her spot she could see some sort of bamboo stage with people kneeling on it, hands tied behind their back. One of them was Brad. She gasped. Further along, there was another elevated area with a roof made of branches, and there she could see people hung by their wrists. There were Tim and Jessica. Plus some other people from the trip. Lara covered her mouth, let her hand slip to her throat. Scratched at the skin.

Suddenly, a laughter now scarred into her brain forever rang loud, awfully close.

As if stung by a bee, Lara jumped up and ran out of the bedroom, banging her knee on the door in the process. She looked desperately for something to make her look busy, and, at the last second, fell to the floor near the TV and grabbed the first DVD, pretending to read the back cover. His shadow covered her.

"Hello" he said. "How are you today?"

"Oh um, I'm ok, thank you."

"Did you sleep?"

"Yes, yes I did."

She could feel that he was staring at her, but she couldn't bring herself to face him.

"Are you not gonna ask me how I am?" He barked, and she jumped.

"Oh! Sorry, how are you?" She tried to sound nonchalant, but her voice wavered like an old lady's.

"I'm ok."

She nodded, twitched her lips. Turned back to the DVD. She heard him walk over, slowly. The tips of his boots were nearly touching her legs. She could feel the heat emanating from his body. Her hands started shaking.

"You like Superbad?" He asked in disbelief.

Her eyes finally saw which DVD she was holding.

"Um, yes."

"It's a shit movie. It's fucking shit but it's fucking funny no?"

"Yes."

"I know the guy who plays McLovin." He said, taking a few steps back.

"Sorry? I mean, pardon?"

"McLovin. That fucker" he bent, pointed at the character on the cover. "I know him he's a good friend."

"Oh."

What on earth was he on about?

"If you want, I can introduce you. Do you want to meet him?"