Survival Island (reality show)

11. The swamp, part 2

It feels like they are climbing over the trees for hours. it might be easier down on the ground, but he doesn’t trust the water and there is no dry land in sight. He is sure they are still going in the right direction, but this damn swamp should have ended a while ago. Was he wrong about it? He did the math, Magnus agreed with him. So where the hell did this extra slice of swamp come from?

“Was our math off? I feel like we should be on firm ground by now.” Sebastian asks.

“Nah. It just feels that way. We are much slower up here, but I don’t want to step foot in that water.” Magnus answers. “Maybe another half an hour or so.”

“Are you sure? I’m starting to doubt it.” He asks again.

“I’m sure. Are you hungry? That might be the problem.” Magnus c***s an eyebrow at him. 

“You might be right.” Sebastian glances at the guy in front of him. 

They have been at this tree to tree, branch to branch climbing expedition for hours. The unfortunate run in with some crocodiles  has only slowed them down. And they were planning to catch a croc for lunch. Nothing came of that. They need to find one alone and close to the edge of the swamp. Maybe he really is hungry and he’s delirious from that? Wait, what? Delirious? What is he thinking about?

‘Wolf? Do you smell something unusual?’ Sebastian asks his inner beast. The lack of an answer is worrisome. He stops climbing and reaches deep inside to find his wolf. There is a spot of white fur deep in the far corner of his mind. The wolf is fast asleep and snoring lightly. He pokes the wolf with his hand to wake him up and nothing happens. The wolf keeps sleeping. Damn! There is something in this swamp.

“Magnus? I don’t feel so good.” Sebastian says. He is clinging to the branch he stopped on and he only takes shallow breaths.

“What is it?” Magnus turns back to him.

“Something is in the swamp air. We have been breathing a toxin for a while now.” He tells the guy.

“s**t! Maybe you just think we are spinning in circles, but I swear we’re going straight.” Magnus shrugs.

“Take your water and wet a sleeve. Breathe through it. We need to climb higher. I want to see the sky.” Sebastian instructs. He will do it. After he sleeps a bit.

“No! No, no, no! You don’t get to sleep. Get up!” Magnus pokes him and he clings tighter to his branch. He’s not falling in the water. The crocs are there. He can feel Magnus pulling him up by his shirt. The guy is all red in the face, like he’s holding his breath in.

“Let me sleep.” Sebastian whines. “You’re mean.”

“No.” Is the answer and he hates it. It’s like his mom is bossing him around again. He is not five, he doesn’t need to listen to her. He doesn’t need to listen to him.

Suddenly his t-shirt gets wet and Magnus pulls the collar over his mouth and nose. He glares at the guy in contempt. He made his t-shirt wet for no reason. A fine friend indeed. He can fend for himself in this smelly dump. He can’t smell it. Why doesn’t he smell it? Why is there a wet cloth over his nose? He needs to breathe!

“Don’t take it off!” Magnus’ voice is muffled by his own t-shirt. “You were right. There is some gas here that makes us act weird.”

“We have to climb higher. We have to get above the canopy.” Sebastian nods. “I feel stupid now.”

“No need. You warned me just at the last moment. We were ready to jump in each other’s hair and start a fight.” Magnus says and begins to climb up rather than to the next tree.

“The crocs would have a field day with us in the water.” Sebastian chuckles. 

Whatever this gas is, it knocked his wolf out, the beast is sound asleep. He is thinking hard about what kind of a gas would make animals sleepy and humans agitated? And the crocs are not affected by it? But he started to feel sleepy. Was his wolf side pulling him down? Would Magnus fall asleep as well, if they wouldn’t argue? Was that what kept them alive?

The last few branches up are scrawny and he needs to relocate his weight on two and hold on to the top of the tree, but he pokes his head out over the canopy. What he sees makes his skin crawl. The end of the swamp is close, he can see tall grass and the other river. He can also see the waterfall they were targeting. It’s about ten clicks away and the sun’s position is not in their favour. It will be dark soon.

“How did we lose that much time?” Magnus wonders. “I guess we were walking in circles.”

“Yeah. We have to move faster and get out of here.” Sebastian nods. “How high up is it safe to go from one tree to the next? The closer to the water we are, the more toxins we inhale.”

“The top branches are too thin, they would break. Somewhere in the middle?” The guy suggests.

“Maybe. Set a course, go as fast as you can. I can keep up to any pace you set.” He tells him. “I will go parallel to you. Let’s not stress the trees too much.”

“Wise. So we’re not on the same tree at once.” Magnus chuckles. “OK. Collar up and let’s go.”

The next not so little swamp problem meets up with them when they can see the lush green grass. There is a larger gap between the trees and what seems to be firm ground. They will have to risk the water to get out of the swamp. Is the ground below the surface firm? Or is it a soft clay kind that will suck them in? And there seem to be no vines in this part. They have been fighting with them all the way, but now that one would be useful, there are none. 

“Damn it!” Magnus swears. “We have to risk it.”

“I’m thinking how far back the last of the vines were. Could we swing over? I don’t trust the bottom of this swamp. Anything could be hiding in there.” He thinks out loud. “Wait for me. I'll get one.”

“You’ll just leave me here?” Magnus laughs. “I’m expendable now?”

“It’s for five minutes.” Sebastian laughs. “Hold tight.”

Sebastian turns on his branch and gazes back into the swamp. He thinks he can see the vines, but it will be a stretch to get one. Hopefully Magnus won’t be watching him backtrack his own route. He springs back to the previous tree and doesn’t even land right on the branch before jumping to the next one. Some of the wolf’s agility does come handy. He can get back to Magnus in under five minutes, then they can get out of this toxic place.

“I get your remark about keeping up with my pace. What are you? A monkey?” Magnus asks when he lands next to him, but on a different branch.

“Not a monkey. Will tell you one day, but it’s not today.” Sebastian chuckles. He secures the vine to the top of the tree and he hopes it holds. He will send Magnus first and risk the tree breaking on the second swing.

He watches Magnus land and roll on the grass. The happy laughter is meant for firm ground. He wouldn’t mind it himself. He is a wolf, not a monkey! He needs to get off of this tree and back on the ground. He catches the vine that Magnus sent back and he swings over there. Ready to let go midway and roll onto the grass, if the vine or the tree would break.

Sebastian lands on his feet and waves goodbye to the swamp. If he never sees one again, it will be just right. Now they have to decide what to do. Trekking to the waterfall will be a few more hours and they haven’t eaten anything all day. Maybe food should be their priority? But what? He listens carefully and there is no sign of a croc or any other animal close by. There is nothing, except Magnus who is sitting on the ground stroking the grass like a long lost pet.

“We need food. I suggest we creep along the edge of the swamp and try to find one of the elusive crocs.” He says and looks over to Magnus.

“I like the idea. I just hope the croc doesn’t find us first.” Magnus chuckles. “I’m sorry for the yelling and pulling in the swamp. What kind of gas does that anyway?”

“Hydrogen Sulfide is the most common swamp gas, but I think some plants in there must have been emitting something else as well. HS doesn’t make you volatile and angry, only disoriented, confused, and sleepy to the point where you suffocate and die.” Sebastian explains now that he can think again.

“Let’s go croc hunting while we still have some daylight. I’m starving.” Magnus nods. He stands up and starts walking by the swamp. They are careful not to walk too on edge and fall in. They must find something, because grass is just not good food. He glances around them to see that the river is not even close by, so fish is out of the option.

“Ssssh.” He indicates with his finger over his mouth. He can hear something, but is it a crocodile? 

Sebastian crouches low and crawls on his hands and knees, he tries to make as little noise as he can. There is definitely something up ahead. He stops dead in his tracks when he finally sees what it is. The crocodile is not alone. There are two of them and they seem to be tearing something apart. 

'Wolfie? Can you handle two crocs? Can you do this? If that’s another body they are tearing apart, I’m gonna puke.’ Sebastian calls on his wolf for help.

‘I can. Will you shift or just let me control your body?’ His wolf asks back.

‘I can’t shift. I haven’t told Magnus anything.’ He answers.

‘Fine. Hand over your body. And there’s gonna be no puking, you have nothing in your stomach.’ The wolf growls at him.

He signals Magnus to stay back and watch the perimeter, then he lets the wolf have his body and he prays it’s not another contestant dead and croc food. The knife in his hand is a safety measure. When the wolf is in control, he likes to take it all the way and just shift when things get too out of hand. The knife is a reminder that he doesn’t have his claws and sharp teeth right now. 

Crawling slowly over the grass to the source of the noise, he smiles at the approach his wolf used. Slightly off on the side. Does he hope to come behind the croc? He does, Sebastian cheers silently. He is on top of one croc and the animal is pinned under his weight. The other one hisses and attacks, but the wolf is faster and slashes the knife right down the croc’s throat. On the inside! He would never have reached his hand inside a crocodile's maul like this, but his wolf thinks differently.

“Magnus!” He calls out to his friend. The wolf released control when he saw what the crocs were tearing. One of their own. They must be really hungry or the other one was injured too badly and couldn’t defend himself. Either way, they have food.

“You do realize that the one you have your knee on is still alive?” Magnus asks.

“Yeah. Do we let it go? I think he will hightail it to safety once I loosen the pressure.” Sebastian smiles.

“You are crazy.” Magnus chuckles. “Let it go. We can’t store the meat anyway.”