Based on the original Fantasy Island series with Ricardo Montalban (Mr. Rourke), and the little guy Herve Villechaize (Tattoo), not the pale imitation remake done years later, starring some jerk with opposite colored hair and jacket, who absolutely has no flair for the dramatic in his mannerisms, and a story line for the main characters which has no secrets or suspense. No great jungle perils in the first series either, things were concentrating on moral stories of course. Now they must keep perfectly PC, which is why the midget idea is out, and I ask you why shouldn't a midget have a job on television? But at least the individual stories of visitors to the island follow the same lines, although still as sugar coated and formulaeic as ever. I hope to offer something slightly better than the old version, and miles better than the new version here, although if some of it is predictable don't look at me, blame Fantasy Island. Py
Hi everyone! Py and I got together via email and imported a few images to illustrate his story. Unfortunately, the images don't quite match the text 100% and there are a couple minor inconsistencies. Sorry! Hope that you like them.- Ptah
Fantasy Island, Survivors,
by Py, 8/2000, images by Ptah, 8/2000,
--------------------------------
A twin engine amphibious airplane swoops low over the water on it's final approach to the large island. It turns to fly near the cluster of buildings that makes-up the small island community. In the main bungalow's steeple, a trap door opens and a little man in a white suit climbs out. He pulls a rope, and a small bell begins to ring. "De Plane! De plane!" he shouts as he rings the bell. People all around the small village begin to prepare, most already knowing of the planes imminent arrival from the engine sounds, but a few who had been inside at the time finding out this way. Minutes later the little dark haired man is downstairs, where he and a tall older man also in a white suit joins him. An open car with 2 seats and a roll bar arrives, driven by one of the male locals in a Hawaiian shirt, who leaves the vehicle so that the taller man can drive. The smaller man gets into the passenger seat, and the jeep drives off. It doesn't take long for them to arrive at the secluded cove, where at the end of a short pier the plane is floating in the water as locals work with ropes to secure it. Mr. Rourke and his small assistant Tattoo get out of the jeep, which another local climbs into and drives off.
People begin exiting the plane with help from locals, and Mr. Rourke smiles "Smiles Tattoo, always smiles." The smaller man smiles, "Who's here today Boss?" he asks in his gravelly voice. Mr. Rourke looks to see a tall attractive blonde with sunglasses getting off the plane first. "That is Miss Donnella Roberts, currently one of the worlds highest paid super models" "What is her fantasy Boss?" Tattoo asks with great interest. "Well, she has one of course, but she's not here to have a fantasy fulfilled." Mr. Rourke replies. "She's here with a photographer, and they'll be spending the night in a guest bungalow, then taking a short flight out to a nearby island to do a photo shoot." "But Boss!" Tattoo exclaims "You always say we don't allow commercial use of the island or surrounding islands." "Calm down Tattoo." he replies. "This is a very special case, Miss Roberts's career is on the line. She's very worried that she's been on a downward slide of late, and this job promises to help her career immensely." Mr. Rourke smiles, "I do believe though that her secret fantasy will be fulfilled anyway. Whether she survives or not is up to her."
Mr. Rourke looks at the trio getting off the plane next, "That is Mr. James Marrison, his wife Tina, and their 17 year old daughter Ellen. Mr. Marrison is here to hide. It seems he just inherited 25 million dollars, but there was a provision in the will. The entire amount goes to his brother and sister to split between them instead if he dies anytime within a 6 month period after the reading of the will. Apparently there have been several suspicious accidents since, and he's learned that his brother is heavily in debt to some,... influential people, and he needs the money badly." "Why doesn't his brother ask for what he needs?" Tattoo inquired. Mr. Rourke looked down briefly, "They haven't had a very good relationship for a long time Tattoo, something to do with his brother almost driving him bankrupt by stealing secrets from Mr. Marrison's company." He looked up and smiled again, "He only needs to hide out for another few weeks, and fears for the safety of his wife and daughter, so that's his fantasy. Simple, hide them, he gets the money, fantasy fulfilled." "If you say so Boss." replies Tattoo.
Some of the locals gathered around who have been helping the guests maneuver on the small pier, moving luggage, and other chores, start handing out fruity coladas to the guests, Mr. Rourke, and Tattoo. The photographer moves to get pictures of everyone, and Mr. Rourke raises his glass, "My dear guests, a pleasure to have you all here. I am your host Mr. Rourke. Welcome to Fantasy Island."
--------------------------------
1. Later that day, 2 jeeps with striped canopies drive along seldom used dirt roads, surrounded by tall grass and sparse jungle which grows thicker as they travel. The jeeps are both extended models which have seats for up to 4 people, and Mr. Marrison and his wife travel in the first with Mr. Rourke driving, while Tattoo and Miss Marrison ride in the second which is driven by one of the local men. "This place I am taking you to is the most secluded and difficult place to reach on Fantasy Island." says Mr. Rourke. "Few know it even exists." "My family will be safe there?" Mr. Marrison asks. "Absolutely." Mr. Rourke says confidently. He pauses, It's surrounded by jungle, even following the roads it would be extremely difficult to get there on foot." "Are there dangerous animals here?!" Mrs. Marrison asks with a touch of fear. Mr. Rourke turns his head briefly to offer a reassuring smile, "A few, but not many. We hunt and kill them on a regular basis, they're bad for business. So, they've learned to steer clear of the village, and any human they see. If we didn't feel safe we wouldn't travel in these open jeeps which leave us exposed." He waves, "No one on this side of the mountain range has ever died from an encounter with a wild beast, and the last attack on this side was over 12 years ago." Again he paused, "But don't worry, the place your going to may be remote, but you'll be surrounded by water. The house is built on a small piece of land at the center of a lake. The land is several hundred feet across, and the house is surrounded by trees and not even visible from the other side. The water varies from 75 to 150 feet across, and it runs deep."
"Can I swim?" asks Ellen Marrison in the 2nd jeep. Tattoo looks at her, "Sure, that is if your father will allow it. You'll have to ask him later." "Skinny dip?" she says with a grin. Tattoo clears his throat, "Ask your father, but if he'll let you swim we have no rules against it." "This is going to be awesome, I just wish I could have my boyfriend here." Ellen says with a grin. "Your father wants privacy and secrecy." Tattoo reminds. "I'll explore." Ellen says. "First the little island, then the surrounding area." Tattoo scowls, "I don't know if your father would approve." "You said it was safe." Ellen reminds. Tattoo sighs, "Usually safe, nobody has died on this side of the island ever from animal attack, and it's been a long time since an attack, but that's not quite the same as saying it's safe to go exploring alone and on foot. Remember, this is a remote area, this is where animals would go on this side of the mountains." Ellen sighs, "We're traveling in these jeeps, and I haven't heard or seen one dangerous thing!" Tattoo thinks, "If your father lets you explore, will you at least take weapons." "Of course!" she replies. "What's available?" Tattoo points down the road they are following, "There are guns, ammunition, machetes, as well as tools such as axes that can be used as weapons, all waiting at the house."
"There's plenty of food in the house, mostly canned, but some frozen food in the refrigerator." says Mr. Rourke. "Electricity is very limited, there's a shed in the back with plenty of fuel for a small electric generator. You should have enough to keep the refrigerator going, and the kitchen appliances, but not much else, although you need not worry about taxing the generator, if you push it too hard the lights will dim but nothing worse should occur." Mr. Rourke turns his head, "There is a water tank which stands on a tower just behind the house, it should be full, we've had plenty of rain lately. Mr. Marrison smiled, "Sounds good, I think this will work out fine." Mr. Rourke looks at him seriously, "Only Tattoo and I will come if we need to contact you. A few others know someone is staying here, but only he and I know who! You will have control of both rowboats, and I suggest that if anyone else comes and calls you, they were not sent by me." "How will we know if someone wants to contact us if we have both boats?" Mrs. Marrison asked. "They can use the jeep horn of course." Mr. Rourke replied. "When your time to leave comes, that is how I will get your attention."
Early the next morning Miss Roberts and her photographer arrive by jeep at the pier, each carrying a small piece of luggage, Wayne the photographer also carrying a small trunk of equipment. Tattoo looks wide eyed, "Is that what your wearing for the shoot Miss Roberts?" She smiles down at him, "Not the entire wardrobe, this is just one item. Wearing it out there will save me having to find a place to keep my clothes during the shoot. When I switch, I just pack what I take off." Mr. Rourke thought briefly and smiled, "Why that particular outfit first may I ask?" She grinned, "This is the centerpiece Mr. Rourke. Donnella Roberts, Jungle girl. Most of the rest are similar, but I like this one. It's a leopard skin print one piece, not too skimpy so as to look unrealistic, but not too modest for a sexy jungle girl." She waves her hands, "I actually feel like I could swing through the trees in this, some of those others are so skimpy I'd probably fall out if I even thought about doing that." Mr. Rourke cleared his throat, "Yes, well I've been wanting to ask you, is there some reason you chose this assignment, I understand much more lucrative ones were available?" She smirked, "This one pays enough, plus it could link to a job for a movie, and to tell you the truth Mr. Rourke I've always wanted to be some kind of jungle woman, surviving on my wits, and so on. I've even got a good sized knife." She indicates a sheath tied around her right thigh, and removes a sharp edged knife from it." Mr. Rourke taps the metal, "A real knife!" "Authenticity!" replies the photographer. She puts the knife away, "Everything must be authentic, that's why I didn't wear any make-up this morning, and I'll have to lose these sandals at the site."
"So where is this spot exactly?" asks Wayne. "You just told us it's about 60 miles from here." "Yes." Mr. Rourke replied. "It's a smaller island that we own, and it's totally unspoiled, the pilot knows where it is, but roughly it's Northeast of here. You'll find no highly dangerous animals there, but plenty of nice scenery in the area I suggested on the map. You'll find colorful birds, monkeys, small snakes averaging 3 to 5 feet long and nonvenomous also. I've had food packed, and there's a radio on the plane for you to use when your done with each days shooting. If you need more time we've got plenty, your welcome to return to the island until you have the shots you want." Donnella gives him a kiss on the cheek, "Thanks Mr. Rourke, 2 or 3 days maximum should be more than enough, we might even finish today." "No rush." says Mr. Rourke. "Of course, no rush." agrees Tattoo. She and Wayne continue on to the plane, and after the locals untie it, the twin propellers begin spinning, and within minutes the plane is winging it's way through the air.
The plane takes the direct course, heading Northeast, crossing the island's jungle, then passing over the mountains. A few minutes of flying over the water and the left engine suddenly stops working. The pilot tries to restart the propeller, but it refuses to do more than sputter. "I'm losing altitude here." he says. "I'm going to have to turn around." "Are we in danger?" Donnella asks. The pilot smiles, "No, this is a seaplane! The worst that will happen is I land in the water, we call for help, and wait for a boat." "Why didn't we take a boat in the first place?" Wayne asked. "You wanted fast." Donnella replied. "This is faster than a boat."
Abruptly the engine that stopped working begins to smoke. The pilot begins working switches, but flame begins to show from it, the other engine begins stalling, and the plane begins to nose dive. He shouts that they should brace themselves as he fights the controls, and the plane skips twice, then slams nose first into the water. The cabin begins to flood with water, Donnella tried to get the pilots attention but he is unconscious. She tries to open the door on her side, but it refuses. Turning to Wayne, she sees blood, as something metal appears to have broken loose in the crash and hit him in the back of the head. "Wayne!!" she screams, and she's relieved to find a heartbeat, but the water rising around her quickly makes her return to the idea of getting out. She reaches across him, and manages to get his door open, then she crawls out over him, and attempts to unbuckle and pull him after her.
Once Donnella has him out, she attempts to get the pilot out while keeping Wayne afloat. The attempt proves futile, and she abandons it as the water begins to cover the pilot's face. From a safe distance she holds Wayne's head above water and watches the last of the plane slip under the surface. "Now what the hell do I do?!" she mutters as she runs her hand through her soaked long blonde hair. "One thing at a time Donna." she says to herself. "First get yourself and Wayne out of the water." Looking around she sees the coast of Fantasy Island about half a mile away, "You can do this, and it'll be a movie of the week. Headline, Super model saves cameraman after airplane crash, your going to be even more famous after this." she said to herself as means of encouragement.
--------------------------------
2. Ellen had to argue with her folks, but after having spent all morning roaming the little lake island, she was a bit bored with it. She had been over pretty much the entire place, and had found nothing but trees, birds, and a few monkeys. She liked the outdoors, and thought this place was very nice, but far too small. She had estimated that after 2 or 3 days of going over the same terrain she'd freak out. A swim had seemed the logical if temporary solution, and that's where the argument had begun. She had lost, getting permission to swim, but having to wear a suit. It was a nice fire engine red one piece, the kind that made the boys stare. Ellen wasn't entirely happy with her figure, it was nice, but she planned to have a breast enlargement as soon as she was 18 and had the money, "And if Dad gets all this money from the will who knows what else I can do. I could have anything I wanted fixed. Chuck likes me as is, but he'll like me better with bigger boobs! And maybe I'll go blonde, brunette hair is so boring, and hair dye is cheap enough I could do that as soon as we get home."
Ellen swam around , fantasizing about Chuck, then about a crocodile stalking her in the water. She then watched the jungle for a while, wondering if some tall dark apeman was out there waiting for a 17 year old brunette with average boobs in a fire engine red swimsuit. She climbed out of the water, picked up her blanket, and began to dry off. "Ellen!" her mother called. "It's nearly time for lunch!" "I'll be there in about 10 minutes." she yelled back. Ellen slipped her suit off behind a bush, then after drying a bit more with the towel she slipped her jeans and tank top back on, along with her socks and sneakers, "They didn't say I couldn't change clothes out here." she murmured with a grin. Rushing back she estimated that there still was 5 minutes before she needed to arrive for lunch, so Ellen threw her bathing suit on a clothes line, and ran around to climb the ladder of the water tower. From the top the tower blocked her view in one direction, but in the other and between some trees she could see the jungle stretching on invitingly on the other side of the lake. "Tomorrow, I'm going to see what's out there!"
Tattoo came running into the main bungalow, "Boss, Boss, the plane's not back yet, I think something is wrong with Miss Roberts!" Mr. Rourke looked up from his desk, "Easy Tattoo, everything is fine, Miss Roberts may have asked the pilot to stay. Eventually he's supposed to abandon her there, without the cameraman if he can manage. It's a small island but walking still takes a long time, so they may have asked him to help them find a good sight. When he gets a chance he will abandon her there, after which he's supposed to return here, he's just running a bit late" Mr. Rourke points to a chart of the other island, "There's nothing there that can harm her, short of a clumsy accident." Tattoo walked to a chair and sat down, "I don't like it Boss." Mr. Rourke stood and walked around his desk, "Tattoo, you are just overly concerned for her safety. Don't be, she'll be fine, she's living out her fantasy, and she hasn't even noticed yet. All those jungle girl fantasies of hers, she never thought to try and fulfill them." "What if she gets hurt Boss, or even dies." Tattoo says somberly. Mr. Rourke kneels down in front of him, "I'm sure she won't, but as you know I can't be completely in charge of what happens here, there's free will and such to consider. If I could control things completely it wouldn't be a fantasy, just role playing." He smiled, "She's resourceful, smart, and I'm sure she'll be fine." Tattoo sighed, "Whatever you say Boss."
The sun was hanging low in the sky when Wayne died. Donnella knelt on the sand cradling his head when it happened. He had coughed a few times, then simply stopped living, having never regained consciousness. Donnella hadn't known Wayne very well, she had worked with him a few times, enough not to fear the possibility of being alone on an island with him, and now he was dead. Donnella cried a bit, then left to walk the beach while considering her options. First she considered what she had, which turned out to be precious little. Her sandals were gone leaving her barefoot, her suit was damp and night was approaching, and she had a knife she could use but not extremely well. Forcing herself to go through Wayne's pockets she found very little, and nothing of use to her. "Now what Donna? I can follow the beach, but that leaves me exposed to weather and waves, or I can go into the jungle. Either way I have to reach Mr. Rourke, and I can't depend on the cavalry. It's a large island, they might not look for a while, or look in the wrong place here or even on the other island, or I could die of exposure or something. I better find some water, I'm thirsty and night is coming."
Cautiously entering the jungle, she listens for sounds of flowing water, and anything that might be dangerous. Donnella remembers Mr. Rourke talking about the island, and how most of the main island was safe, while beyond the mountains was not. He had suggested that the safe part of the main island was not suitable for the jungle girl layout because of the nearby presence of man, and the impact on the environment that resulted, meaning the roads, occasional signs, and non-native plants. "Shit Donna, your on the wrong side of the mountains!" she scolded herself.
She didn't find water, but did find some fruit which she recognized from back at the bungalow. Unsuccessful at trying to break it off the tree, she eventually realized that her knife could cut it loose. "Thank goodness, I was starving." she muttered between bites. After eating a few of the fruit, she worked her way back to the beach, making less effort to be careful, as she hadn't seen or heard anything threatening so far. Reaching the beach she couldn't see Wayne's corpse, so she trotted out onto the sand. Assuming that she had exited the jungle in a different spot she looked up and down the beach, then noticed the depression in the sand, where clearly Wayne's body had been, and footprints of some sort of large cat which had apparently dragged him off. She didn't need special tracking skills to figure it out, and she ran back into the jungle as quickly as she could. Night was approaching, and as she calmed a bit, Donnella decided that she had best find a place to sleep, a cave or a good strong tree limb she could manage to climb onto, anything that would offer some safety for the night. She consoled herself that the large cat prints were the first signs of a dangerous animal she had seen since being here.
Mr. Rourke enters the office of the main bungalow to find Tattoo waiting for him, "It's sunset Boss, and the plane is not back. I've contacted the pier on the mainland and ships in the area, no plane anywhere." Mr. Rourke lets out a deep sigh, "We'll have to begin a search with the boats and call in the other plane. Not tonight however, we can't search safely until morning." "But Boss!!" Tattoo protests. "No buts Tattoo!" Mr. Rourke sternly says. "I will not endanger anyone else with a search at night!" "Do you think they are all right Boss?" Tattoo asks. Mr. Rourke smiles, "Of course, Miss Roberts is on a well planned fantasy, and you know how well I can control things. All will be well Tattoo, I promise!" Mr. Rourke takes his seat, "What of the Marrisons?" Tattoo perks up slightly, "I went over to see if they needed anything before their first night, or something to bring in the morning. They're doing well, the isolation agrees with them so far." "Very good, then things are running smoothly in one fantasy at least."
Ellen Marrison sleeps in the bed she will use for her own in the house they are in, her mother peeks in the door with her flashlight. She sees that the small electric lamp on the bedside table is off, the mosquito netting around the bed seems in place, and her daughter is already asleep. Silently she retreats from the room, followed only by the sounds of a few floorboards creaking, and she joins her husband in the large four poster bed in their darkened room.
Donnella curled up between and around some rocks near a waterfall she had found. Her first attempt at tree sleeping had been a disaster when she had fallen out, fortunately not hurting herself in the process. Rather than climb back in or try to find a better branch in the already darkening jungle, she had headed for the rocks. This place was elevated a bit from the jungle floor, dryer, and she felt more secure than sleeping under the trees, but it was uncomfortable. Trying to look at the bright side though, she was pleased to have had time to line things with leaves, make a pile of leaves for a pillow of sorts, and having found a small waterfall and river she had a source of water. Donnella thought tomorrow she'd either continue inland, finding the river's source and eventually crossing the mountains, or she'd return to the beach after making some sort of water sack. She didn't want to leave the fresh water at all until she had some sort of water container, but was too tired to continue thinking on the matter that night.
--------------------------------
3. Ellen was enjoying her walk through the jungle today. The island had been loosely packed with vegetation, with plenty of room for walking in and around trees with no surprises. Here off the island and far from the village of Mr. Rourke, the trees were more densely packed, but still loose enough for walking with only occasional detours around bushes and trees. She wasn't too concerned about wild animals, Mr. Rourke had gone on about how safe it was here, but Tattoo hadn't been quite so convinced, so she tried to keep alert. Getting home she thought might pose a problem considering the jungle growth, but she had brought a compass worn on a string around her neck, and planned to simply walk in a straight line until she found the river if she got lost. Ellen had also brought a small pocket flashlight, and her wristwatch, along with a small packet of peanuts in case she got hungry, which she kept in the opposite pocket from the flashlight. Ellen had argued with herself a long time over whether or not to bring a machete, but ultimately decided that she should. Her mother would kill her for wielding it, and would kill her for going into the jungle without it. Her father would think along the same lines, so she was screwed either way, and if something big and deadly did show up, then she figured that she'd be able to defend herself this way. As an afterthought, she decided to try and leave a trail, using the machete to mark arrows pointing home in the tree trunks every now and then.
Cutting down a fruit she sat on a rock, mentally slapping herself on the back for her cleverness. She hadn't been able to go the next day as first planned, her parents had been too watchful for potential dangers, and she had realized that any preparations by her, or stealing a boat, would be noticed. So she had made her plans, gone to bed early, and snuck out at the crack of dawn before her parents had gotten up. Abandoning the boats because she didn't want to leave clues to her whereabouts behind, she had swum the river naked, her clothes and supplies wrapped in a towel inside a plastic trash bag which she held above the water as she swam. Once out she dried off, got dressed, put the towel across a tree branch out of site, and put the bag on the ground with a rock weighing it down. She was slightly concerned that the bag and towel might be found, but hadn't been able to come up with a better idea, and had hidden them as best she could. Now though she was glad she had packed light, the jungle was hot, and even the tank top and denim shorts were a bit warm, but she wasn't going to be naked in the jungle unless the heat got worse. The jungle wasn't as thick as in the movies, but close, and she didn't want too many scratch marks in embarrassing areas. Ellen didn't mind going nude, sometimes, and some places, but not in the jungle, and especially when some stranger in a search party might find her.
Ellen was reaching for the pocket with the peanuts, when she heard a twig snap, and suddenly brought out of her daydreams she realized that the jungle sounded different than it had for the last few hours. She reached for the machete stuck into the ground next to her, and slowly stood up. Not hearing anything strange for a while, she moved on, slowly growing bolder with each step.
Donnella Roberts had continued to follow the river upstream, first having to find a way around the steep side of the small waterfall, but eventually reaching the top and moving on. Her reasoning at this point was that survival on the beach would be nearly impossible, she needed fresh water and a food supply. Searchers were unlikely to check here, Mr. Rourke had made it quite clear that this side of the island was far too dangerous, and nobody could survive long. She didn't know if she agreed with that assessment now, but clearly he and the others believed it, and they wouldn't bother to look for her here. They'd concentrate all their efforts on the other island, and surrounding sea in an expanding search pattern, until they were satisfied that the plane was completely gone with no survivors. So, she had determined that she needed to stay inland for now, see about some way to carry water, and find the best way out, whether that be through the jungle or around the beach.
Walking the riverbank or near it had proven to be relatively simple, although her bare feet gave her some trouble. At several points along the way she saw crocodiles sunning on the riverbank, and they always slowed her pace and caused her to give them a wide berth, "Okay, so there's at least one big cat, and a bunch of crocodiles waiting to become shoes. I've been in this area for almost 24 hours, I don't see any reason for the bad reputation Mr. Rourke gives this place. You just have to watch where your going, and keep alert." At one point she tried to start a fire, partly to see if she could, and partly in hopes of carrying a torch or something. She worked for hours but couldn't get one going, "How do boy scouts do it, they rub sticks together and get fire, I do it and get sore fingers, and 2 broken nails!" Finding a somewhat straight stick with what looks like the beginnings of a point at one end, she manages to break off the branches with her hands, then trims them with the knife, ultimately sharpening it to a real point and having a decent 4 foot long slightly crooked spear. "No blue ribbon winner, but good enough if something charges me. Hey, I'm talking to myself!", and with a smirk she stands and begins walking upstream again, this time her new spear balanced on one shoulder.
Ellen hummed and sang gently as she marched through the jungle, occasionally swatting at a vine or branch in the way with her machete. The jungle lighting was slightly subdued due to the trees, but seeing some brighter light ahead told her that there was a clearing. She had seen a number of these, mostly overgrown with bushes and tall grass, but as this was directly ahead Ellen decided she might as well check it out. A quick look at her watch told her that she had about an hour before she had to turn around if she wanted to be home for dinner. The peanuts had been good, but she knew that hunger would be high on her list by dinner time. She wanted to find some water also, she hadn't thought to bring any, and the salty peanuts had just made that lack more obvious.
At the clearings edge, she saw a field of grass, mostly knee high but some waist high, a few bushes here and there, but mostly yellowish green or brown grass. Ten yards into the grass she froze when something caught her eye. Ellen stared intensely, not knowing what to look for, then realized some grass was moving about 20 yards away. Ellen decided to take cautious steps backward, and saw more grass moving in the same area. Curious, and because whatever was out there must know she's here and hadn't attacked yet, she quickly moved ahead to a spot where there was a small but high mound of dirt and grass, reminding her of a king sized pitcher's mound. From the higher perspective of the mound she could see down through the grass somewhat, and with some time and effort made out 4 or 5 animals that reminded her of fat dogs, the biggest being 40 to 60 pounds in her estimate. She studied them and could see they were foraging, which made her happy as it indicated they were vegetarians. She also noted that 2 were clearly larger, and she fancied them to be a family of whatever.
Watching them she failed to notice as their loose caravan was taking them between her current position and where she had entered the clearing, nearing a bush she had passed not 10 minutes earlier. There was a sudden violent movement in the grass, one of the creatures squealed while the others scattered, and Ellen shrieked in surprise herself. It wasn't that far away, and the grass in that area was shorter. Her mouth dropped at the sight of the huge snake which gripped the first creature in it's coils. The creature barely moved, perhaps from shock as the nature documentaries said, or she guessed possibly from the impact of the strike, but Ellen could see the muscular green coils beginning to shift and squeeze already. The remaining creatures were huddling together at a safe distance, then the other large one approached the snake. The serpent's head raised and it lunged at the second creature, which jumped out of the way, then the remaining 4 turned and left.
Ellen had a perfect view from here, she couldn't help watching as the coils rippled and tightened, the feeble twitching of the prey becoming weaker as she watched. The tail of the creature moved more than anything else, yet it hardly moved now, and after another squeeze of the serpent it couldn't lift off the ground, then it stopped completely. Shortly after she watched in an almost hypnotized state as the serpent uncoiled slightly and swallowed it's prey head first. Watching the now full snake move away behind the bush, she thought to try and guess it's length. She thought it was possibly 20 or more feet long, and she shivered at the thought that she had passed through that same spot not 10 minutes earlier. Suddenly Tattoo's concerns took on a sterner tone in her mind, and now she just wanted to get home to her parents. Checking her watch she saw that she still had about half an hour before she had to turn around, but she was going home now, "But not past that bush, or any other bushes! Shit, I'll have to circle around the clearing!"
She headed out of the clearing a different way, avoiding bushes and tall grass, her machete ready and eyes and ears open wide. The entire time she imagined things if the timing had been slightly different, In this version it was Ellen knocked down and wrestling with that snake, hacking at it with her machete, but overpowered by it anyway, and slowly crushed to death in it's relentless coils. Her screams would go unanswered, and no one would see her die gasping for air, nor see her swallowed by the beast. Someday someone might find the machete, and maybe the remains of the flashlight and compass which would pass through the beasts digestive system. At the edge of the clearing her nerves got the better of her, and she began running. Before long she was out of breath and lost, "Well, I've still got the compass, no problem, just need to rest a bit." she said between gasps for air. "It's one thing to watch a small one kill and eat a rabbit in a tank, quite another to see one big enough to eat you take on something half your size with no problems, and with no glass separating you."
As her breathing calmed she heard a river gurgling, and saw some more brighter light in the same direction, "Water, sounds like just what the doctor ordered!" Feeling more in control of herself, she marched off in the direction of the sounds of water, finding an open area full of short grass, bare patches, and many rocks from pebble size to a few boulder sized specimens, and down the middle of it all was a nice river about 10 feet across. She jumped onto the lower end of a large boulder, gazed in every direction, and saw no danger. Determined not to spend long here, Ellen jumped down, and plunged knee deep into mud, "Ohhh shit! these sneakers are going to be ruined."
Donnella had reached a lake where it emptied into the river, shielding her eyes briefly from the bright light all around the body of water. She then circled around it's edge, trying to find a good spot to stop for the night, consider her options, and get away from the river itself. She hadn't seen too many crocodiles on the river, but for some reason there were none she could see here at the lake. That was good in her opinion as she really wanted to get her damp bathing suit off so it could dry hopefully, and get the salt off it and her skin. The itch from drying salt water had died down, but hadn't gone away completely, and her skin seemed mildly irritated in a few spots. She knew from experience that all her skin needed was a little fresh water and time out of the sun. The lake could provide the former, but as for time out of the sun, she'd just have to do her best. Donnella wasn't planning to lay back and soak up sun, but she did have work to do, and she thought that the sun was going to get her in this lake area. She had a nice tan with no tan lines though, and thought that it ought to protect her well enough.
Once having found a nice place with a good sized clearing near the far end of the lake, she checked for dangers anywhere in site, dropped her spear, and dove into the water. She swam briefly, quickly standing in shallow water to check around, then making sure that her knife was still in place on her thigh. It was, but had loosened somewhat, the knife threatening to fall out of the sheath. Walking onto the shore while brushing water from her hair she smiled, "Much better, have to find a way to tighten the knife in it's sheath or I'll have to leave it on shore when I swim." She found a tree branch, and stripping her suit off she hung it over the branch to dry.
The first thing she attempted in her lakeside camp was hunting, using her spear mainly with her knife as needed, "Thank goodness for authenticity, a rubber knife would be a lot of help right now." she mumbled sarcastically. Sneaking up on things proved to be the hard part, the first time she managed to get close to a small animal she completely missed it with her spear, but the second time she cornered a small fat squirrel-like mammal against the rocks, and was prepared to kill it when she hesitated. "Damn, your so cute! Get out of here!" she said as she backed off. The creature ran, "I'm not quite that hungry yet." she muttered. After that Donnella decided to try some spear fishing, since fish weren't so cute.
The waters were a bit cloudy but overall very clear, and she had no trouble swimming underwater and spearing a few moderate sized fish. The new problem she realized was that she had no way to cook them, and her prior experience with fire suggested that she would find no way now. She tried to clean one, immediately learning that it wasn't quite as easy as it looked, but ultimately getting a few chunks of oily raw fish into her mouth. Unable to bring herself to eat the rest, she through it all into the lake a short distance away. Then she went for another more prolonged swim just for herself. "I'm going to have to work on hunting and eating, or else become a vegetarian." she said as she did a slow backstroke.
Donnella loved it here, it didn't seem nearly as dangerous as Tattoo had said, yet she wasn't planning to let her guard down, surfaced often to look around, and kept her swims short. Checking on her suit it was drying nicely, and with a sudden inspiration she grabbed some of the hollow bamboo stalks she had seen in the area. Donnella looked at one short piece, turning it and peering down it's center, then standing in knee deep water trying to determine if the thing was watertight. "If I block one end, you would make a nice little container for water." she said to the bamboo. "I'd have to block it real good so the water wouldn't escape. What with? Aha, those big rubbery leaves ought to do it." She made her first container, a leaf covering the bottom end of the tube, a vine around the end of the tube to hold the edges of the leaf up so it wouldn't leak, and 2 vines going the long way around the bamboo tube to take up the majority of the weight of the water. It made it harder to get into the top of the tube to take water out, but she excused her first effort deciding she'd manage, "It's not supposed to be the best, just carry water, and a few of these strapped to my back or over my shoulder will do just that. I need to make a cover though.
She smiled as she began working on a leaf to cap her first water carrying tube, daydreaming about writing a book, "The memoirs of Donnella Roberts, or spice it up with a little sex and violence and call it the adventures of a modern jungle girl. Of course, I've still got a ways to go yet, but this jungle routine isn't so hard so far." She giggled, then ran onto the shore of the lake.
Deciding to take a short walk into the jungle for fruit, she strapped on her knife, and grabbed her spear. Almost immediately something charged at her from the bushes. Without thinking she ran like hell, eventually jumping onto a low hanging branch, pulling her legs up behind her. She stared down at the vicious predator that had attacked, a 2 foot long bore of some sort, squealing it's anger at her. Donnella stifled a laugh, "Well, I suppose you could hurt me with those teeth, I better stay here until you leave."
The bore didn't leave for some time, and the sun was low enough to make the jungle darker than normal by then. Donnella jumped down, retrieved her spear, and trotted back to her campsite, pleased to find it undisturbed. Checking her leopard print bathing suit she found it to be dry, and she decided to take one last swim before putting it on for the night. After the swim she attempted to dry off with leaves, then wriggled into the suit, and went to find the best place around to sleep in.
--------------------------------
4. Ellen knew beyond a doubt she was in deep shit now, where she had only been convinced she was going to die before in the mud. Trying to get out she had only continued to sink deeper, sinking to her death in the thick mud had seemed a sure thing. It had stopped at her hips though, but being able to pull free wasn't likely, so death due to exposure, thirst, or wild animals now seemed a sure thing. Ellen had gotten out after over an hour of slow and difficult work, and had fallen panting on the ground. Death had returned to no more likely than it had been before, but clearly she would be even later getting home, if she made it before nightfall, and thoughts of her parents reactions made death sound like a reasonable option.
Then the worst thing in Ellen's life had happened, her Uncle had arrived, dragged her to her feet by the hair, and pinned her to a tree, covering her mouth with his hand. He held a knife to her throat, "If it isn't my favorite niece, where's your father?" Ellen looked wide eyed at him, tried to move away from the tree to no avail, then bit down hard on the skin of her uncle's hand. He screamed and pulled back, she screamed and ran. He tackled her after a brief run, "You little bitch! She kicked and tried to break free, and a fist hit her in the face, knocking her briefly senseless. He straddled her and began the movement to plunge his knife into her chest, "Why you little,..." "Stop!!" a voice commanded, and he did. "We want her alive, she will lead us to him, and he will not fight us while we have his precious daughter." a female voice said softly but commandingly. He sighed, "Gees Francis, did you see what the little bitch did to my hand?" "Yes." replied Francis. "And you know that doesn't change the facts Louis, if we want the money we have to make sure our brother never claims it, then we will split it. Keeping her alive is the best way to do that, she can lead us to the house faster, and make sure he cooperates." He grumbles, "Can I kill her later, I mean after we kill James?" "Of course Louis." she said. "Actually we have to kill all 3, then set the house on fire so there's no evidence." Louis leered down at his niece, "I'm gonna screw your mother before I kill her, maybe I'll screw you too!" Francis let out a big sigh, "Really Louis, you can be so crude, but whatever as long as we keep them tied up at all times, none of them must escape to tell what happened."
On the march through the jungle Ellen was disarmed and her hands tied behind her back, her Uncle Louis in front and Aunt Francis behind her holding a rope leading to her bound wrists. Francis was willing to explain to Ellen how despite the fact that no one suspected her, she had been assisting Louis in his attempts to kill James Marrison from the beginning. Learning that he was coming here to escape detection, they had rented a boat and anchored offshore away from Mr. Rourke's village, and been marching here since. She further explained that they probably would have missed her, except for all the screaming Ellen had done while in the mud hole. "We are the true children of Leon Marrison." said Francis sternly. "We deserve the money, not that adopted twit James."
They camped that night in a clearing, setting up 2 small tents near a fire. They added additional bonds to Ellen at her ankles, knees and elbows, plus a gag, then threw her into one tent. "One of us will still have to take guard duty, but when we switch we'll have to use the same tent." Francis stated. "It's my turn for first watch." Louis said. "Francis began heading for her tent, "Set your wristwatch and wake me in 4 hours, and remember, we're not just watching for signs of discovery or danger, but she mustn't escape either." "Got it." he said automatically.
The following day after much walking they reached the lake which contained the island with the house on it. They discussed ways to get across, ultimately agreeing to send Louis in to swim for a boat on the other side of the lake island, and when he returned with it they would all cross to this side. They were seen as they left the boat to approach the house, Ellen's rope leash still held by Francis, when Ellen's father came out, "Please, don't hurt my daughter, I'll do what you want." Louis sneered, "Where's your bitch of a wife?" "She's with Mr. Rourke, they're searching for Ellen." "Don't trust him!" Francis said. Louis pointed with his machete, "Let's check the house."
All the way to the house Louis taunted and bragged about what he was going to do to James's wife when he found her, throwing in a few comments about Ellen also, despite a few attempts by Francis to shut him up. James held his mounting anger in check, but slowly realized that none of them were going to survive if he continued this way. In the living room of the large house he suddenly turned and struck at Louis, the two punched and rolled, ultimately Louis standing over his brother with his machete, "I should have done this years ago!" Ellen screamed, Louis began his motion, a gunshot rang out, and a large red hole appeared in Louis's back. Louis remained upright momentarily, the machete fell from his grip, then he fell over to one side, as Mrs. James Marrison entered the room brandishing her rifle pointed at Francis. "I've won medals with this, let my baby go!: Francis was briefly stunned, then in pain as Ellen stuck an elbow into her gut and dove to one side. When she straightened again, Francis had eyes only for the rifle, and she immediately dropped her machete and raised her hands over her head. Mr. Marrison ran to his daughter, and they shared a hug, or he hugged her as her wrists were still tied. "Honey, Honey, If you don't mind would you please tie your sister up, my finger is itchy." said his wife. He tied Francis into a chair,then when mostly done Mrs. Marrison put the gun down to untie her daughter, "We'll call Mr. Rourke on the radio, and this whole thing will be over!"
Donnella stood naked on the tree branch, determined to go through with this crazy idea. A dream last night had twisted current events with odd memories, and she knew this would be her last and only chance ever to do this. One last glance around the lake for danger, and seeing none she pulled the vine taught, tested it's strength again, then swung her body off the branch. She swooped downward and forward, then swung upward like a pendulum, shrieking a war cry as she went. At the peek she released the vine, did a somersault, and dove head first into the water. She came up shouting and feeling exhilarated, and paddled furiously towards the shore where she had left her stuff.
With a whoop she trotted onto shore, "That was great!" and tilting forward she brushed all her long blonde hair forward, and began wringing it and attempting to brush the water out. "By the time I leave my body should be mostly dried," she muttered. "But I need to get as much out of my hair as possible." When done she stood and flipped her hair back, "Ugh, it's really not too bad, but if my regular hairdresser or my agent could see this, they'd pop a cork!"
Still naked letting the air and sun dry her, she stood in knee deep water, filling her 2 bamboo water jugs. She made sure the covers would stay on the bamboo tubes, that they could fit one on each shoulder, and that the vines connecting them would keep each from accidentally slipping off to either side of her back. Taking them off again she experimented with the leaves she had used for seals, finding the bottom one seemed to hold fine, and the top seal would keep water in only until the tubes were on there side. She refilled and placed them on the ground, "Not bad for a first effort."
Donnella decided she should head downstream, then follow the beach. Her reasoning was that the mountains might be a far shorter route, and shaded, but the mountains might prove impassable, and walking the beach she could always go inland for water, and someone might pass by and see her. "Time to go." she said with a smile. "Maybe with a little luck I can make the beach before nightfall."
Donnella left her spear and knife with the water containers and went over to the tree branch near where she had slept the previous night, and where she had left her leopard print suit hanging while she swam. This particular tree had some nasty big roots, so she had to step carefully between or on them. As she reached for the suit, a great weight fell upon her, almost knocking her over but not quite. She felt a sudden burst of pain in her arm at the same time, and as she caught her balance and managed to stand, she found a loose coil of serpent around her body, and more lengths of serpent falling from the tree.
Her instinctive reaction was shock and to retreat, but as she did so in the loose grip of the snake, it began securing it's grip and pulling her towards the tree, as simultaneously more lengths of serpent came in contact with her skin. Try as she might, she realized she was in a tug of war she couldn't win, and screams began leaping from her throat as the second and third coils formed.
Donnella fell to the ground, unable to support the weight of the huge beast. She guessed it was heavier than her last boyfriend, and it's constant moving had made an almost impossible job of standing even more difficult. Some of the coils had shifted downward along her body, and Donnella felt coils of snake around her chest, abdomen, hips, and thighs, but couldn't be sure if there were more. She felt the snakes frantic motions stop, and now the slow rhythmic motions of constriction beginning. She panicked and squirmed, but seemed to have no effect on the beast.
She kicked and strained with all her might, managing to get the lower half of one arm free, which briefly allowed her some extra air. The coils tightened and quickly prevented her from getting more than one extra breath full. Her arm reached for the knife or the spear, but they were far too distant to reach. Donnella tried to roll herself and the snake towards the knife, but only managed a quarter roll, the shifting coils wouldn't allow more.
As the coils tightened around her chest and body making her breathing come in hoarse gasps, Donnella in desperation pounded with her fist on the snake. "Mr. Rourke, Helllp meeee pleeeese." she could barely say in a soft voice between quiet sobs. Slowly her kicking grew weaker until it was only a faint twitching, her arm slowed it's punches and fell to the ground with fingers still grasping. Donnella had stopped calling for help, fighting for each more difficult breath. Her lungs ached and her eyesight became cloudy and full of spots. Her body eventually stopped moving at all as the serpent tightened it's grip, then the last air left her lungs feebly, and no more could enter, and her head and limbs drooped.
After a moment Donnella reflexively struggled, but it was an automatic and uncoordinated spasm, her mind having become unconscious already. Shortly afterwards all motion from Donnella stopped as the snake applied more pressure. When the snake was satisfied that it's prey was dead, it began the swallowing, starting at the head, managing to get past the shoulders and large breasts, and finally working down past the round hips to her feet. Once the prey's body had been moved down it's length, and the jaws reconnected and aligned, the serpent found it didn't have far to travel to find a sunny spot where it could digest it's meal.
--------------------------------
5. After the authorities had come to take charge of Francis Marrison on attempted murder charges, removing the body of Louis Marrison also, James Marrison had chosen to remain a few days to leave on the next available plane due to make the trip to the mainland. Mr. Rourke was more than willing to have them remain the full time originally planned, but with Louis dead and Francis in custody, they wanted to go home now. "Thank you Mr. Rourke, and Tattoo." he said as he shook Mr. Rourke's hand. "You definitely gave me my fantasy. I wish my brother hadn't had to die, but it couldn't be helped." "Absolutely Mr. Marrison!" agreed Mr. Rourke. "Otherwise you and your entire family would be dead." He smiled, "So, if I may ask, what will you do now that you have 25 million dollars?" Mr. Marrison smiled, "We don't quite have it yet." "But there are no foreseeable problems." Mr. Rourke added. "Yes." Mr. Marrison agreed. "Assuming I do live long enough to inherit, which seems likely now, I think a nice house and a family trip to some wonderfully restful spot is called for." "I could use some clothes." added Mrs. Marrison. "And I've always wanted to travel. Ever since I learned to use a rifle I've always wanted to go on a safari. Oh thanks again Mr. Rourke for insisting we take the rifles to the house!" "I normally do not allow guns on Fantasy Island, but out there isolated I thought you might need them to protect yourself. As I mentioned this side of the mountains is far safer than the other, but not perfectly safe. I never imagined that someone would try to sneak up on you from the jungle, I suppose I should have." He smiled and rubbed his hands together, "Well, it worked out for the best."
Mr. Rourke turned to Ellen, "And you young lady, what will you do now that your father is going to be rich?" Ellen smiled, "I don't know for sure, but I've been thinking about getting a car, something red and fast, maybe some new clothes, and of course I desperately need a boob job." Mr. Marrison turns away smiling, his wife rolls her eyes, Tattoo grins slightly, and Mr. Rourke smirks a little, "Perhaps Miss Ellen you should wonder if it's worth the time and effort, not to mention if a young man didn't pay attention to you before, is he worth it if it takes a, Ahem, boob job, to attract him?" asks Mr. Rourke. Ellen thought a while, "Maybe, I'll think about it Mr. Rourke." "First we'll think about what the punishment will be for sneaking off into the jungle like you did!" Mrs. Marrison growled. "Dad!?" Ellen whined. He held up his hands, "Don't look at me kid, I'm on her side." "She quite possibly saved all your lives." Tattoo offered. Mrs. Marrison sighed. "Yes she did. Okay we'll keep it a light punishment, but you can't get off scot-free." Ellen knew her mother's light punishments, and smiled while pretending to frown, "Yes Mother." she said in mock despair. Mrs. Marrison gave Mr. Rourke a kiss on the cheek, and Ellen bent down and did the same for Tattoo, making him blush. They both waved as the Marrisons went down the short pier to the small amphibious plane floating in the water, the locals bringing luggage to load on board.
Another jeep drove up, and a man climbed out, removing more luggage from the back, then it drove off depositing it's passenger. Donnella Roberts approached Mr. Rourke, a small look of confusion still on her face. "Ah, Miss Roberts, I hope you have enjoyed your stay, that is as much as can be expected considering your unfortunate accident?" Mr. Rourke said with one of his best smiles. She smiled sheepishly, "Ah, yes. I must go now, I have a schedule to keep and all that." "It's unfortunate about your cameraman, and the fact that you never got to do that photo shoot you wanted so badly." He said with a sweep of one hand. "Yes, unfortunate." she agreed. "But there will be other shoots. What's worse is the loss of Wayne, I hadn't worked with him much, but he was an excellent photographer, especially with natural surroundings and outdoor lighting." She sighed. "I still can't get over the fact that the 3 of us were all in the same airplane when it went down, they die, and I get out with hardly a scratch." Tattoo looked up, "Strange things do happen sometimes."
Donnella frowned, "Yes, I suppose they do. I've heard my share of strange stories over the years, this one happened to me though, and it was so creepy." "Are you having difficulty coming to terms with the incident?" Mr. Rourke asked. Her face relaxed somewhat, "No Mr. Rourke, just can't shake the strangeness. I mean I understand the doctor said I had amnesia after the crash, and somehow swam to the other island where you found me, and now I'm fine except I can't remember swimming to the island, or surviving there until you found me. It all seems so unbelievable." "Not really." countered Mr. Rourke. "You probably weren't far from the other island when the plane went down, and as I said there are no dangerous animals there." "I suppose." she agreed. "But I don't remember a thing until I woke up in your little medical area. And there's that dream, swimming to Fantasy Island, Wayne dying in my arms, surviving in a hostile jungle, and getting killed in the coils of a giant snake." She shook her head, "It seems so real in my memories." Mr. Rourke smiled reassuringly, "The doctor said memories can do that, especially to one suffering from recent amnesia." "I suppose." Donnella agreed half heartedly. "Obviously I'm alive, what other explanation could there be." "Of course." said Mr. Rourke.
Donnella grinned, "Almost as bad though is how you tell me I was found, naked and walking the beach of the other island in a daze, the media would have eaten that up, and I'd be all over the tabloids." Tattoo spoke up, "I was in the boat that found you that last search day. There was only me and a driver in the boat, nobody has any pictures of you walking that beach, and we covered you as soon as we could. We couldn't find your suit, you must have thrown it off in the jungle somewhere." "Don't worry about the suit." Donnella reassured with a smile. "It was a cheap little thing, nothing important."
Donnella gave them each a kiss on the cheek, and they each waved as she climbed into the plane, and it began to move away from the pier. Mr. Rourke waited until the plane was turned, then held down his open hand to Tattoo. "What?!" Tattoo said in protest. "Tattoo!" Mr. Rourke said in irritated patience. Tattoo groaned, and reaching into his jacket's inner pocket, he pulled out a small photo of a naked Donnella walking a beach. Mr. Rourke tore it into pieces, "I'll pick up the 8 by 10, and any other copies you've made, along with the negatives later. "yes Boss." Tattoo said in a sorrowful tone.
As the plane began to pick up speed Tattoo looked up, "Boss, how did you know I'd find her on the beach if I went back to that island, we had already checked there." "A hunch." Mr. Rourke replied. Tattoo thought, "You did something big Boss didn't you, what about free will and all that? You said you couldn't control things too much or it would be just role playing." Mr. Rourke smiled, "Yes, I did say that. Let's just say, I couldn't stomach the way things turned out for Miss Roberts in her fantasy, so I made a few minor adjustments."
The twin propellers of the amphibious plane roar as it flies over the island, then turns to head for the mainland. In a clearing surrounding a small lake on the Northeast side of Fantasy Island, a monkey investigates a bamboo tube filled with water, knocking it over, and running as water spills onto the sand. A short distance away a giant snake crawls along the branch of a tree that has several roots protruding from the ground. It's scales slowly pass over the upper portion of a leopard print swimsuit which is draped over the tree branch.
The end
By Py. Images by Ptah