The Island Of The Primal

[GLKnight]

It was the rush of crashing thunder that woke William from the darkness, screaming like a thousand terrors clawing its way out of his throat as he shot up on a sandy beach. Adrenaline kicked in as he scrambled to his feet, unsteady with jitters as he looked around. He could feel his heartbeat in his eyes as he took into the far off horizon of a tumultuous sea, roiling storm clouds looming overhead with cacophonous reply to the churning surf crashing into the shore. And nearby lay his girlfriend, Shanneesa in the same clothes he last remembered her, though her light red tee shirt and dark blue jersey shorts looked a little worse for wear. Causing his head to ache more ferociously for the effort of attempted cognizance.

"Neesa," he groaned loudly, shambling over to check on her. "Baby, wake up!"

His girl, in turn, jumped to wakefulness with a start and a scream. Springing to her feet with a natural agility Will never had before whirling and surveying everything he had, before leaning over with a subtle sway.

"Where are we?" she moaned, fighting the nausea scratching at her insides. "What happened?"

Will could only get out an "I don't know" like a worm in his throat before rushing over to hold Neesa. Her hands gripping his green and white baseball shirt for dear life as they held each other tightly for at least a solid minute. Thanking whatever god was out there for keeping them together. Then the shock began to fade for Neesa.

"Wait, what about our car? The truck? I think we were-"

Will pushed her head into his shoulder, rubbing her thick coiled hair to try and calm her down.

"Doesn't matter right now," he said, taking charge and looking her in the eyes. "We need to find someone with a phone or a computer. I think a storm's rolling in, which means we gotta move."

Before she even knew it, Will had a hold of her hand and was pulling her along. Walking towards the massive nearby sand dunes with the same unsteady gait as when he woke up.

"Will," she cried, pulling against him as he climbed the dusty dunes. "Baby, wait. You need to go slow or else you'll-"

"I'll be fine," he grunted, kicking more sand back than he could get underfoot. "I just gotta make sure you're-"

His foot fully gave way, sending him into the sand face first. His body landing flat with surprising force as the pain that adrenaline had been trying to hide fully kicked in. Forcing him to let go of Shaneesa's hand and curl up with a loud scream. Without question, she fell to her knees and pulled him over, her training as a nurse kicking in. Quickly lifting his shirt to find a massive patch of darkened flesh along the left half of his torso, punctuated by hues of blue and green and yellow and red.

"Fuck," she grunted, realizing that her man was hurt worse than he seemed as the rain began to fall overhead. "Baby, you need to listen to me. You're hurt bad."

"I know," he screamed as he fought back tears, kicking his legs while trying to keep moving. "Gotta find you shelter first, then we can worry! Please?"

With a growl, he rolled himself over. Slowly pushing himself onto his hands and knees before using the slope of the dune to climb back to his feet. Shaneesa knew how much William loved her, but this was something else entirely. He was hurt. He was beyond hurt, really. But even at the point of being crippled by pain, his only thought was her. He was fighting agony itself to get her to safety. With the storm, the unknowns of where they were or why. Even with his body, his priority was taking care of her first. He wasn't gonna take anything else for an answer.

So she did as she was trained - he was hurt and she was a nurse. She had to take care of him, as well. So she slipped herself under his right arm and braced herself.

"Lean on me, okay? Don't force yourself too hard, cause we don't know what else is wrong. One step at a time, now. One, two, three!"

With a shout, her man took it one step at a time. His face going even paler as they worked their way up the crumbling hill. One foot in front of the other, Shaneesa being his rock as they fought against his growing dead weight and pain. Even as Will could feel his body starting to go numb and tingling, he kept moving. Holding onto Shaneesa tight as they made steady progress under thunder and lighting and rain that fell with the speed and sting of arrows overhead. But slowly, steadily they progressed. Until finally, with arduous steps Shaneesa saw the crest of sand.

"Almost there," she crowed, her voice being drowned by the cascade overhead. "We can make it! Almost there, baby!"

And with one final push, William cried out as they forced themselves over the ridge. Lovers embracing as he wept in the downpour.

"Made it," he huffed, panting like he had run a marathon. "Now I feel like I can throw up."

"Not yet," Shaneesa told him, trying to carry him along. "We gotta get out of this storm-"

Thunder roared like a thousand cannons, bringing with it the flare of lightning. Filling the gloom with enough instant glow to part the veil of rain for the two, revealing an old seaside home beside a foreboding jungle nearby. Dark and ominous as the drift of twilight slowly fell back over the lost couple.

[GLKnight]

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[GLKnight]

Even with that brief glimpse, Neesa knew something was off. The building was old. Really old, faded white paint with patches of grey across the three leveled plantation style manor. But it looked like it was built to last, which meant reliable shelter. The first main issue, however, were the flights of stairs. She knew from how William was leaning against her that his stamina was nearly gone. And that meant the huge patch of discolored skin went all the way to his back, meaning that he was probably having trouble lifting his legs. He was running on pure adrenaline and he was almost assuredly heading to a full collapse.

"Got some steps now, baby. Can you still move?"

"Y-yeah," he groaned, clouds rumbling overhead as he looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Having trouble with my legs, though. Like I'm on clouds."

"Only a few more steps," she repeated, fixing her grip on him. "You can make it, baby."

"Y-yeah," was all he said as she guided him towards the stairs, using her full weight to carry him along to the nearby railing. But even as he put his hands on the metal rail, his tortured screams broke any hope of ease. William tried, he really tried. But his legs felt like clouds and weighed like mountains as his body burned. He knew it was bad, but he didn't know how bad as he felt things grinding against themselves. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to simply exist in that moment. But he kept moving, slowly lifting his legs time and again to climb those steps as the torrents poured down from on high. Both soaked to the bone in rain and sweat as they eked out every ounce of energy they had. Until finally, with near exhaustion, they stumbled beneath the entryway cover and into safety from the storm.

"We did it, baby!" Neesa cried, wrapping both arms around the gasping William as he struggled to regain his composure. But none came as he quickly pushed her aside and expelled everything inside his stomach. Frothy watery vomit rushing forth as his torso cramped and punished him for daring to do what he needed to do. This was Hell, not only for William but also Neesa, whose one sympathetic weakness was seeing someone puke. Turning away as William heaved again and again, all in a vain attempt to fight her own nausea. But eventually, William's body finally relented. Easing up on the torment so he may have a chance at some form of respite.

"I'm sorry," William belched, knowing Neesa hated being around someone who was throwing up. "I couldn't stop it."

"It's okay," she soothed, rubbing his shoulders as she braced him to keep moving. "Let's just get you inside. Place this big has to have beds."

"Are you sure?" William asked as he watched Neesa reach for one of the double doors. "How do we know we can even get in-?"

A quick turn of the handle and William shut his mouth as Neesa pulled the door open. It was unlocked, which he thought was... strange, to say the least.

"At least that's a good sign, right?" Neesa asked, crooking a smile. But William gave her a worried look.

"But why was it unlocked?" William shot back, only to get Neesa's "I wish you would" look in response. Killing every ounce of fight he had left.

"If you're done arguing," she told him, throwing the door open. "We need to get you in a bed so I can treat you."

William said nothing more as she pulled him into the stale air of the awaiting darkness beyond the doorway.

[phil123]

Great start.

[GLKnight]

Even in the dim of the blanketing storm, both William and Neesa could tell this building had been left abandoned for what seemed like decades. Outdated slate blue carpets leading to somewhat faded walls wherever the light could give them sight. A stodgy desk, oddly giving a mixing vibe of staid and almost clinical check-in placement with elements of lower rung hotel management with a door leading who knew where behind it. Ceiling fans left unused across the way with pockmarked halogen bulbs within bubbled covers. A bizarre mishmash of designs and vibes that felt like a carelessly chosen blend of 70's, 80's, 90's and early 2000's interior decor that felt right at home with the almost imposing plantation doors and exterior design.

"Hello?" Neesa cried out, carefully supporting her boyfriend inside. "Is there anyone here?"

"I don't think there is," William huffed, fighting off a dust born cough. "We're on our own."

Limping over to the front desk, Neesa slowly leaned William towards his right side and guided him to hold on tight.

"I gotta check the breaker. See if I can get the place running, at least."

With a grunt and a thumbs up, William slowly worked his way around while his rather thin nurse shuffled towards the closest door behind what was obviously the front desk. Urgency beating prayers as she found it unlocked, a small miracle of another unlocked door allowing her into what seemed like a gloomier supply closet.

"God, why did it have to be so dark?" she moaned, feeling around without aid. Knocking down what had to be mops or brooms or something as her palms sought out something unique. Something that would tell her "hey, this is important". Concrete walls that were cool to the touch, making her feel like she was inside a tomb that would seemingly go on forever before her hand felt a sudden crook. Fingers gliding along a corner as she slowly dragged them left to what felt like an almost icy metal case. She traced its form, feeling out its curves and divots along groove lines. Until she felt something thin, small and possibly triangular.

"I think I found the breaker, Will!"

Ripping it open, she blindly tracked the layout with fingertips. Finding switches and pushing every one. Lights flickering and flaring, the hum of halogen and spinning fanblades. The subtle rumble of air through unseen air ducts. There was still life wherever they were, if only manmade.

"Oh, thank God!" William groaned, having finally found himself on the other side of the check-in desk as he took some pressure off of his numbing legs while Neesa quickly left the supply closet.

"Quick glance at the breaker showed some important areas. Living quarters, kitchen. Medical. Lab. If there's a place for medical, then there's probably a wheel-"

William pointed off to his left, leading her attention towards a nearby wheelchair that was easily dark enough to get lost in the unlit gloom.

"That's one wish," he grunted, pushing himself onto shaky legs to embarrass himself with a toddler waddle before cautiously guiding himself down. "Next wish, madam?"

"Next is room and board," Neesa tittered, moving towards the nearby shelf of keys hanging by the inactive computer. "We need to get you laying down. After that is food, water and treatment."

"You wanted to quit being a nurse," William sighed, trying his best to keep their spirits up with his poorly timed joke. "Then I got Semi'd... I think."

"Hush up," Neesa said, playfully tapping his right shoulder. "I can be a nurse one more time if it's you, baby!"

William wanted to laugh, but the fact that half his body felt like fiery static shut down that intention as Neesa began to push him down the hall. His eyes drifted up to the walls, looking at the various dark placard signs that stood out against the dingy white walls. The guides plain as day as the storm howled and rumbled outside.

"So what's the plan?"

"First thing is getting you in a bed," Neesa said, her voice in full control mode as she steadily marched down the hall. "When you're laying down, I'll scrounge up what I can. Medicine, maybe find something to eat and drink."

"I don't know about food," William groaned, eying a nearby elevator. "This place seems really old."

"But it's still fully functional," Neesa replied, stroking his head to remind him they're safe for now. "Abandoned yet working is a very weird combo."

All William said was a suddenly groggy "Yeah" before sighing deeply. He was still hurting, very much so. But the quickly falling curtain of exhaustion worried him. He wasn't sure if it was a sign of fatigue, of his body giving out in a more serious way or what. He was dizzy, feeling nauseous and more. When he felt Neesa's hand on his forehead, almost icy cold to the touch, it dawned on him in his struggling awareness.

"Shit," Neesa spat out, flying into a full professional panic as she picked up the pace. "Your temperature's spiking. We need you in a bed, now."

William, however, didn't hear her. All his senses were attuned elsewhere. The pounding in his head. The fire in his stomach creeping up his throat. The arctic winds all around him. The shattered glass of his nerves and muscles. And the growing roar of the hurricane outside as its fury grew stronger.