The Children
I had a plan. A wild hope, that is, at least.
I'd had a backup plan prearranged with Flynn. Instead of running back through the forest I dodged down through the ruins toward the beach that was nearby. I thanked God as I saw the small craft bobbing offshore under anchor.
If we hadn't come back to the dock in time Flynn was to leave the Celestia's Prize's life rafts stationed off of the North, East, West sides of the island. The Celestia's Prize had two air boats and one six foot dinghy. It was the dinghy I saw offshore bobbing as its white paint gleamed in the orange glow.
How was I going to reach it with Christina unconscious?
I was a strong swimmer, but I wasn't that strong. I heard noise and I turned prepared to defend Christina or risk the swim if need be.
I relaxed as I saw it was Jim and Matt. Jim didn't look so good, but he was still moving. Matt looked completely drained of energy in his efforts to help the big Samoan along. I looked beyond them and saw no visible signs of pursuit, which was odd.
"Aren't they following you?" I exclaimed out in question.
Matt shook his head negatively as he was still too out of breath to speak, but Jim mumbled out "I think they'll want to finish the rite first."
He was probably right. I helped steady him as he looked about to fall and Matt helped him to sit down on the sand and then I laid Christina down so that her head was resting on his lap.
"You guys stay here. I'll swim out and bring the boat in close."
I left running into the surf, until I had to swim for it. It had been one never-ending adventure ever since we'd landed in this inner world and I was tired, but the prospect of my friends being eaten on the beach by giants had me swimming for the dinghy in record fashion.
Reaching it I barely had the energy to pull myself up and over its high side. I fell into the boat cracking my head painfully off the bottom.
I crawled aft and pulled in the anchor buoy. Then I pulled the cord to the little prop engine and it fired to life faithfully.
I cut the rudder over and let the throttle all the way open as I aimed for the beach still devoid of monsters. Pulling up in the shallows I watched Jim painfully get up to his feet carrying Christina as Matt protested for him to stop. Jim didn't listen though and kept walking into the surf every step looking like it cost him a year of his life, but he held Christina's head above the waves.