Date: 10/4/2000
From: SouthernSlider

SS has chosen her costume, but waits until she posts another chapter before putting it on. Rene Russo!!??? I don't remember a slinky dress; I just remember her sitting in the sun with no top on! Now why I remember that, I haven't a clue. <In case you don't know what I'm talking about, go to the Party> Anywaaaaaay....
-------------------------------

United We Slide, Divided . . . We Disappear

Chapter Seventeen

Colin covered her mouth with his as he pinched her nose. He then pressed his fists against her chest and pushed. No result. He repeated the process three more times before
she jerked and water came gurgling out of her mouth. She coughed and sputtered. He raised her head, but said nothing while she worked to regain her regular breathing pattern.

Kelly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her chest felt tight, but she managed to fill her lungs with air. She looked up at Colin.

“Why? Why did you tell me those awful things? Why didn’t you just let me drown?” she asked in a whisper.

Colin closed his eyes. She was still angry. He had made a mistake.

“I am sorry, Kelly. But I thought you needed to know the truth. I felt if you found out the real story later you would hate me. But you do anyway, so I guess it’s ‘Damned if I do, damned if I do not.’ But regardless of your feelings, I could not let you drown.”

He got to his feet, then leaned over to scoop her up in his arms. “We have to get back to camp. The storm is approaching and we need to get back to Conie and take
cover.”

“Put me down, Colin. I can walk,” she said with a frown, and pushed against his chest. He held fast and started walking, not at all willing to do as she demanded.

“No, Kelly. You are still weak, and we need to move quickly. Just relax.”

She tensed her body in protest, but as they moved on around the bend, she began to ease her muscles, and let his strong arms hold her. Laying her head against his shoulder and a hand on his chest, she could hear and feel his strong heartbeat. She relaxed totally against him, and closed her eyes. Thoughts of Wade dissipated, and pleasant thoughts began to swirl about in her mind.

She was safe. There was no tumbling about in the vortex; no strange and uninviting worlds to frighten her. She was warm and happy, running down the beach, warm sun on her face, hair flying in the breeze. No worries, no problems. Content with her life and her world.

Colin looked down and caught a glimpse of a half-smile on Kelly’s face. He guessed she took him at his word when he said to relax; either that or she was just too exhausted to work at being mad. He had felt the tenseness in her body as soon as he picked her up, but now she was molded to him, light and loose in his arms.

He felt cool from the water and the breeze, but where she touched him, he could feel her warmth radiating into his skin. Her hand laying lightly on his chest was slowly
burning into him and heating him up. He had to get her back to the camp quickly before his thoughts got out of hand. He forced himself to keep his eyes focused on the beach ahead, and not to look downward toward her nearly bare chest. It was one of the hardest things he had ever tried to do.

The wind picked up and large drops of rain began to pelt them. Colin picked up the pace as best he could with the added weight he carried. The camp came into view as
he rounded the bend. But something seemed wrong. The hair on the back of his neck bristled. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he knew something wasn’t right. The rain
became heavier.

“Colin, I think I can walk, now. Put me down and we can make a run for cover. We have to get Conie back into the trees.”

Conie! That was it! He wasn’t lying where they had left him. Did he awaken while they were gone, and head inland to get out of the storm? He lowered Kelly to her feet and grabbed her hand.

“Kelly, Conie isn’t there,” Colin said hurriedly. “Come on. We have to search for him.”

They ran to the area where they had left him. Colin looked around at the ground. Footprints. Lots of them, but none led to the treeline. There was more than one set.
Different ones. Ones with shoes. And they led off down the beach in the opposite direction. The rain started to come down harder. Colin frowned and tried to think.

“Colin. Come on,” Kelly shouted, and waved her arm toward the trees. “We need to take cover. Conie’s in here somewhere. We’ll find him. He couldn’t have gone far.”

Colin turned to stare at Kelly. She hadn’t noticed. Someone had been here, discovered Conie’s unconscious body, and had taken him away. Had it been a rescue team? Had they come looking for survivors and thought they had found only one? Had the storm chased them away? Would they return when the weather cleared?

“Colin!! Get out of the rain!” She yelled at him again, irritated that he just stood there. He looked down the beach once more, then turned and ran in her direction.

“Well, it’s about time,” she said when he reached her. “What were you doing out there? Haven’t you had enough water for one day? Besides, we need to start looking for Conie.” She turned away from the beach.

“You are not going to find him in there, Kelly.”

She froze in her tracks, then turned toward him. “What do you mean? What did you see out there?”

Here we go again, he thought. The bearer of more bad news. “He’s gone, Kelly. Someone has been here, and took him away.”

“What do you mean, ‘someone’s been here’? We’ve seen no inhabitants of this island. I can’t believe they would hide out until now.” She glared at him as if he were
crazy.

“Not from this island. My guess is someone flew in here, a rescue team, maybe. I did not get to venture out because of the rain, but I saw more than one set of footprints
back there. Footprints of shoes, and they headed down the beach. I think we’ll find a set of wheel tracks, if this monsoon doesn’t wipe them completely away, where a small plane landed.”

“You mean to tell me someone was here to rescue us and we missed them! They think Conie was the only one here? My God! We’re stranded here forever!” She covered her face with her hands. “God, no! Please, please, stop this insane
rollercoaster!” Her scream split the air and vied with the wind and rain.

Colin ran to her and took her in his arms. He held fast and let her take out her rage on his body as she beat his chest with her fists. He had been the bearer of bad news
again. How much more could she take? How deep would her hatred of him go before it hit bottom?
-----------------------------------

Previous post #s: P)2277 1)2280 2)2283 3)2285 4)2292 5)2295 6)2298 7)2303 8)2306 9)2312 10)2313 11)2322 12)2325 13)2331 14)2333 15)2337 16)2338

SS

 

It's not easy, being green.

Date: 10/4/2000
From: DieselMickeyDolenz

Kelly green, that is. <ba-dump-bump> Looking forward to the next chapter.

DMD

Another NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Date: 10/4/2000
From: MissingSliderRyan

SS,
Another terrific installment. Could it get any worse for Colin and Kelly? LOL. Can't wait for the next one.

MSR

Original URL http://www.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/1095/2879
Nominated by DieselMickeyDolenz