Island Girls 2 Read online

  "Yeah, I can see that. Hopefully, that is the only one."

  "Oh!" Lin said with a surprised look on her face. The kind that she got when she just had a great idea. "We need to grab some leaves for Nancy. That bitch is an alcorah, alcolla, alky-halwrick!"

  I had to laugh. Her condition and her statement were both funny. I just hoped that this effect would wear off without causing any serious issues. Unknown plants require more caution. Sample small doses and wait a day or two. That was our plan. Otherwise you could end up with respiratory failure, or brain damage, or even a rashy cooter. No, that last one was if you wiped with it after pissing.

  Nancy was still cleaning the berries and pulling them off the branches when I walked in with Lin in my arms. Shira was still on the far edge of the bed with her back toward me. I couldn't tell is she was asleep.

  "Shira, I brought you something to do."

  "This better not be about sex again!" she yelled back without turning to face me.

  "You had sex with Seera, Seera?" Lin asked, unable to pronounce words properly. “What can’t I say Seera?” Nancy quickly turned around to see my response, as well as why Lin now had a sudden speech impediment.

  "No, I did not," I answered as I shook my head. That comment did not come with good timing. Then to Shira, "I need you to look after Lin."

  That got both girls attention. Shira sat up quickly and Nancy came running over. "What happened to her?" they both asked.

  "She ate a couple of the leaves off the vine out there."

  "Two of those big leaves?" Nancy asked in shock. She knew the protocol for testing new food. "What are her symptoms?"

  "So far, just one. She is drunk."

  "Damn," Shira said quietly, completely out of character. "I need one of those leaves." She had been very disappointed when the pain-relieving red button on her wrist no longer functioned.

  "Huh," I replied without thinking it through. "I would have expected that comment from Nancy, but not you."

  When Shira looked shocked at my remark then turned to face Nancy, I knew that I had fucked up.

  "What are you saying?" Nancy asked in the most serious tone I had ever heard from her. She had daggers in her eyes when I hesitantly turned to face her.

  As I struggled to form the appropriate reply, Lin pointed up at me and laughed from her reclining position beside Shira. "Ha, ha! I got you good!" she told me.

  "I'm sorry, Nancy," I pleaded for mercy. "I didn't mean it like that."

  "How could you possibly mean it if not like that?" Her hands went to her hips. The gesture was indubitably communicating her response to my faux pas.

  I guided the attractive woman that agreed to be my wife away from the bed and explained to her what had happened. When I got to Lin's comment about her being an alcoholic, I realized too late that I was just transferring the blame. I wasn’t eliminating the problem.

  "She didn't know what she was saying, Nance. Don't blame her either. She's intoxicated from that plant."

  "Being drunk reduces your inhibition," Nancy told me. "You say things that you wouldn't say otherwise. It doesn't make them any less true. Do you think that I'm an alcoholic?"

  "No! Not at all! We all drank a lot when we were on that simulated island. And none of us are suffering from anything like withdrawal. Right?"

  "I don't know," she replied, her expression softening noticeably. "I feel like I could use a good drink right about now. Do you think that the plant could transfer those properties to water if we ground them up?"

  I gave Nancy an ornery smile. She thought it was because of her idea. Truthfully, it was because the truthfulness of my statement let me off the hook for saying it.

  "Maybe."

  CHAPTER FIVE:

  That night, Lin snored like a horse. If that was the worst negative effect from ingesting the plant, I could live with it. It did leave the rest of us a little irritable in the morning. Nancy and I alternated on guard duty, but I didn't get much sleep during her two hours post.

  We were all up and about before Lin. Even Shira. The injured lady started carefully walking around and claimed that the pain in her leg was tolerable enough that she could contribute to the chores. Nancy gave her some laundry to wash, for which she was surprisingly appreciative. When Nancy took a pot outside, I assumed that she was going for more berries. We were going through the sweet juice quickly.

  When Lin eventually woke up, I got her a glass of water immediately. I figured that she would likely be dehydrated and hungover based on the way that she was acting the night before, even though it wasn’t actually alcohol.

  "How are you feeling this morning?" I asked as she drank a few ounces.

  "Good!" she declared. "I feel pretty good, considering. I mean, I'm a little ashamed of my behavior. But physically, I don't feel anything like a hangover. No headache. No grogginess. No nausea."

  "That's awesome," I told her, truly relieved. I was incredibly worried about her. "You did snore pretty bad, though."

  "Oh my God! I'm so sorry. Did I keep you guys awake?"

  "Yes!" Shira replied from the sink.

  "I'll take guard duty and double chores today to make up for it. I really am very sorry."

  "I know you are," I replied as I tried to find any negative reactions on her skin or face. "But it is no big deal. I'll get some rest when you feel like patrolling. No rush. As far as chores go, there is no real demand. Most of the stuff we only do because we feel like staying busy. We should be keeping a close eye on you in case some side effects are taking their sweet time appearing."

  When Nancy walked back in with the pot clinched protectively to her flat belly, I asked, "More berries?"

  "Nope," was her only reply as she went swiftly to the kitchenette. I walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder to peer into the pot. She had gathered at least a dozen of the vine leaves that got Lin drunk.

  "Nancy!" I chastised her. "We need to observe Lin for at least the first half of the day before we can clear these things as edible."

  "I know," she replied, waving me off. "I'm just going to set them on the windowsill to dry out. If everything is okay, they'll be ready to crush up by this evening, I think. How are you feeling Lin?"

  "I'm good, Nancy," Lin replied as she stood up and walked to the kitchen area. "Thanks for asking. I'm sorry about stirring up trouble yesterday."

  I saw Nancy soften up when Lin placed her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, dear. I'm just glad to see you healthy this morning."

  "I bet you are," Shira said under her breath. Lin’s return to normal health would give the all clear for the rest of us to use the leaves personally. Nancy paused for a few seconds after that as she contemplated the meaning of the woman's remark, then continued about her business. Once the leaves were all spread out, she placed the pot by the sink and walked outside. I followed.

  "Hey, Nancy," I called after her. "Can we talk for a bit?"

  "If it is about the leaves, don't bother," she replied without looking back. "I won't use them until you say so."

  "No, it is not about the leaves," I told her when I finally caught up. When she came to a halt and turned sideways, I placed my hand in the small of her back. "It is about some comments that have been made and your reaction to them."

  "I thought that we already cleared that up."

  "It doesn't seem so. Please, let's go have a seat somewhere and talk for a while," I requested of her. She was hesitant, acting like someone that was about to be formally corrected or punished. "Do you have a couple minutes to talk with your husband?"

  "Oh," she replied with an unwilling smile. Her body loosened up considerably. "You're going to play that card, are you? We're not really married, you know."

  "Says who?"

  "Uh, there should be a minister or someone to pronounce us married after asking us some questions. Have you never been to a wedding?"

  "I have," I said with a chuckle. "But that was the old way of things. By the order of Joah, the new marriage la
w is that any two people that love each other and want to bind themselves together can just announce it. Then it is done."

  "Love each other, huh?"

  "I would sacrifice my life to save yours, Nancy. I chase after you when you are upset. I want you by my side forever. Is that not love?"

  "Not if you never say it," she replied, looking down at the ground.

  I placed my hand around her waist, and I used the other to lift her chin. Staring into her eyes I said, "I love you, Nancy. Will you formally be my wife?"

  I anticipated her reply to the affirmative as her eyes watered up. Instead, she asked, "Are you sure that you want me?"

  "Sure, I want you. Why wouldn't I?"

  "Well, Joah," Nancy replied as she turned away, then looked back at me. "I have some issues."

  "We all have issues, Nancy. Let's work on them together as husband and wife. Will you marry me? Please say yes this time so that you don't break my tender heart."

  Nancy laughed at that. "Yes, Joah. I'd love to be your wife. But you don't know what you are getting into."

  "Let's go take a seat on the rocks and watch the waves roll in as we talk about it." I took a quick look around the island for attackers before proceeding. After seated I put my arm around her again and held her hand as I spoke. "What is bothering you so much."

  Nancy traced the scar on her leg with her finger. I remembered her telling me about it shortly after we met. She said that it happened during a whitewater rafting accident.

  "I lied to you about this scar, Joah. It didn't happen the way that I told you. Not even close."

  "Okay," I replied, treading carefully. She obviously wanted to tell me something important to her. I needed to make it as easy as possible before she changed her mind. "Do you want to tell me how it happened?"

  "My husband, excuse me, my first husband cut me with a knife."

  "Oh no!" If the guy was still alive, I would find him and beat the shit out of him.

  "Yeah. You see, we both had problems. I met him when I was in rehab. I had a drinking problem when I was in my early twenties. He did, too, but he also used drugs. It wasn't long after we were married that we both went crawling back to our addictions and things got ugly. You see, I hit him in the back with a baseball bat and broke two of his ribs. He grabbed the knife in self-defense really. I keep replaying it in my mind till this day. I missed his head with the next swing, then tried to kick him instead. That's when the knife caught my leg."

  Nancy paused allowing me to say something, but I had no idea what to say. It sounded like there was more to the story, so I just waited.

  "I went back into rehab when I came out of the hospital. After I got myself cleaned up, I never looked back. We got divorced. I avoided serious relationships. I didn't drink again for years. I got a good job and focused on keeping it. Eventually, at an office party, someone pushed a drink in my hand. It was a coworker of my boss. I didn't want to be rude and embarrass him. So, I carried the drink around for a while. After about a half hour I was deep into a conversation with another secretary over one of those television shows. I can't remember which one. Without thinking, I took a sip. When the world didn't go to shit immediately, I took another one."

  Nancy laid her head on my shoulder and stared into my eyes as she continued. I got the feeling that she was past the hard part of her story.

  "I finished that drink and turned down offers for a second one. Two weeks later, I met my boss at the country club to cover some urgent business. We sat in the restaurant and he ordered me that same drink that I had at the party. It was vodka and pineapple juice with a lime slice. I was impressed that he remembered. So, I drank it, too."

  "Anytime I went out after that I would order that same cocktail. But I never, ever had a second one. They started calling me 'One Drink Nancy.' I was kind of proud of my self-control. I figured that I must have been cured. I never kept any alcohol at my apartment, so even after bad days I wouldn't revert back to my old ways. The first time that I had more than one drink in the same day was with you, back in the night club that the aliens provided for us."

  "That's impressive," I told her. I had the feeling that she was focused more on what has happened since then instead of that huge accomplishment. But I was determined to support and encourage her.

  "Some of it could be our situation," she said as she sat up straighter and looked out to the sea. "I mean, who wouldn't start drinking with what we have been through, right?"

  "Exactly," I replied.

  "Still, I'm embarrassed that I gave in after all that time. I thought that I wasn't getting too out of control, but apparently, I was wrong. Both Lin and Shira know that I'm an alcoholic."

  "You are a recovered alcoholic," I told her with emphasis on the recovery part.

  "Am I? Then why do I want to make liquor with those leaves so bad?"

  "To be honest," I replied. "I want that leaf liquor, too. We all do. But I'll do what you want to do. We're a couple now. If you want to stay away from alcohol completely, I will too. If you want me to hold you to just one drink per day, I can do that. It's your call."

  "Can I be Two Drink Nancy instead?"

  "Considering the circumstances, I think so. Of course, it depends on how potent the drink is. You're not going to get mad at me when I have to cut you off, are you?"

  "Maybe," she replied, then allowed a smile to creep in. "But probably not. Do it regardless of how I react, though. In the end I will respect you for it."

  She returned her head to my shoulder and I pulled her close. We continued like that in silence for a while. I watched as she brushed sand off her sexy legs and wiggled her toes. When she pulled at the material wrapped around her, I decided it was time for a compliment.

  "I wasn't big on these new clothes, but Nancy, you make them look so damn good."

  "Do I? What part do you like best?"

  That sounded like an invitation. "I like how they caress your thighs and shimmer on your hips when you walk. I love how I can just barely make out the form of your awesome breasts when the material is not too sheer."

  "Awesome breasts, huh?"

  "I love your tits," I told her, taking the opportunity to brush my fingers against one of them. "I also love your tight little ass, and your beautiful face." Sliding one hand to her bottom I placed a gentle kiss on her smiling lips. "But most of all, I love this hot wet thing you have between your legs."

  "Joah!" she acted surprised. When I slid one hand up her thigh, she pulled her legs together, but did not rebuke me verbally. I continued kissing her as my fingers begged for permission. A few seconds later she spread her knees apart enough that I could slide between her smooth thighs.

  "Were you really considering touching yourself when you watched me and Lin in the tub?"

  "No," she answered between kisses. "I lied. But I knew that you would like that. You pervert."

  Off in the distance I saw something descend from the canopy of cloud cover. I quickly pointed it out to Nancy, and we watched it together as it moved in our direction. Before we could make out any details, it changed course and headed toward the east. Its smooth movements told me that it had to be some kind of aircraft, or another shuttle from the ship.

  "What is it doing?" Nancy asked. Of course, I didn't know. But I could make guesses.

  "I wonder if it is bringing more human players. Maybe we'll be competing against other teams again after all."

  "That doesn't look like the shuttle that we came down in," Nancy said.

  "No, it doesn't."

  A minute or so later it was gone, ascending back up into the clouds. Waiting to see if it would reappear, I gave up on my sexual advance. The mood was gone. A little while later, we walked back to the house after making a patrol round and told the other girls what we saw.

  We kept a close watch the rest of the day, but there were no more attacks or challenges thrown at us by Delilah's people. We were assuming that the fish monster men were part of their plan, but that was quite possibly a natur
ally occurring aggression from native lifeforms. Nothing indicated that they had been sent by the Thesphilians.

  Lin showed no negative signs from her absorption of the intoxicating vine leaves, so I gave Nancy permission to mash some up and add to water. Her and I had one cup each, but the others chose to refrain. The effect was mellowing, but it certainly did not get me drunk. Since Nancy was half my size it hit her a little harder. She was the first one to go to bed. I would best describe her demeanor as relaxed.

  Lin covered guard duty while I chilled a bit and let the effects of the vine's properties pass through my body. Before the middle of the night I felt completely fine, so I took over. Other than a couple shooting stars, there was not much to see but the shallow waves bouncing in the moonlight of two separate celestial satelites.