Escape from Gorilla Island, Chapter 1
Submitted by Starla Anne on Sun, 04/27/2008 - 21:54
Escape From Gorilla Island
Chapter 1
By Starla Anne Lowry
(A sequel to "Return to Gorilla Island")
Mary knew that the men did not have a chance with so many savages coming against them. It had looked like thousands swarming from the jungle. As she ran, she began to worry about the children. How could they have escaped such a mass of invaders? She was hoping for a miracle.
Arriving at the place where Mary expected the children to be playing, there was not anyone is sight. She began to call out, "Linda, Linda -- Where are you? Are you okay?"
"Yes momma," answered Linda as she came crawling out from the bushes. "George heard them coming and he taught us how to hide. It worked!"
"We have got to hurry and find the boat that Andy, Jeff, and their families came in. We will need to row out to sea like Lizzie Jane and her friends did until the savages leave," said Mary.
"George can help us do that. How about Momma Gorilla? Is she okay?"
"No dear, I am afraid she was killed," replied Mary. "The savages wounded her and, when she fell, they all jump on her with their spears."
Linda turned to George and, with gestures, she tried to explain the news to George. She pointed toward Mary and back to herself. Then she pointed to George and toward the mountain where the cave was. She had used such gestures before to indicate that she is talking about his mother.
After that, she made motions like someone jabbing a spear, next she placed one hand in line above the other, both hands flat with fingers sticking up, and made the motion of falling. She concluded her explanations with motions of spears being thrust into something on the ground.
George understood and showed some signs of sorrow. Linda then made motions of running and rowing a boat. George picked up on those gestures and with a wave of his hand, signaled for everyone to follow him. Linda, making sure all the children were accounted for, motioned George to go ahead and they followed, quickly making their way though the jungle with the least possible way of being observed. George brought the group out exactly where the rescue boat had been pulled ashore.
Hurrying the children into the boat, Linda grabbed an oar as she and George jumped in the boat. As Mary was boarding, an arrow came out of nowhere and struck her in the back and she fell immediately. Linda reached out for her, but she motioned for Linda to start rowing before she closed her eyes in eternal sleep. George had lost his mother and now Linda's mother was gone, too. Linda felt a lump in her throat, but realized that it was up to her to take care of the children. Lizzie Jane had been ten years when she rescued her friend and here was Linda, the same age, with the responsibility of rescuing some youngsters.
Linda began to row the small boat, mentioning to the older boy to start rowing, also. They retreated to the sea with spears and arrows falling all around them. Rowing as fast as they could, hindered by somewhat by their lack of strength being so young, they were out of range of the savage's weapons in a matter of minutes.
Looking around, Linda spotted a fog bank beginning to roll in. She thought about the fog that carried Lizzie Jane and her friends back to their own time, so maybe this fog would carry Linda and the youngsters to some other time, too -- but where? It was unknown.
Linda pointed toward the fog. She and the boy rowed as fast as they could and entered it. The dense fog was just as Lizzie Jane had described -- very calm -- but they kept rowing, although quite a bit slower, until eventually the boat came out on what seemed to be the other side.
Linda looked around and saw land in the distance. She remembered that Lizzie Jane had floated for days before being rescued, but it appeared that safety was in sight for this small group. Suddenly she thought, 'Suppose it is the same island we came from?'
Nevertheless, in hopes of something better, they continued to row toward whatever might be out there. If it was the island, they would be able to see the savages and know not to come ashore. However, as they neared the shore, she began to see houses and other buildings.
Hooray, they were back in civilization -- whereabouts unknown, what time period unknown.
They considered themselves lucky as the children pulled the boat far enough on the seashore hoping the tide would not pull it back in. Counting Linda, the small group consisted of three girls, three boys, and one small gorilla named George -- all not considered old enough to take care of themselves. Linda, being the oldest, decided that they were all her responsibility and promised herself that they would stay together no matter what happened.
"I am hungry," said Shirley.
"I am, too," said one of the boys.
Linda began to think back what happened with Lizzie Jane was hungry without any money. She remembered that her great, great, great grandmother had gotten food from garbage cans. Although that did not sound too good, Linda searched for some container that might hold food. They discovered two hamburger sandwiches that seemed barely touched and other sandwiches with varying completeness, but sufficient to satisfy the hunger pangs for awhile.
One problem -- they were seen by an owner of one of the restaurants and reported to the police. In a matter of minutes, a police car drove up causing the children to become very frightened. They did not think they had done anything wrong.
Two police officers stepped out, one male and one female. The female spoke, "What are you doing out here raiding garbage cans? Don't you know that is not healthy?"
Linda noticed the woman had a strange accent. She did not realize that accents and voice change over the years, although understandable, and do not sound the same. She was not sure where they were and what the laws were in that country. However, the police woman did speak English. That was somewhat a relief.
"Because we were hungry," replied Linda.
"Where are your parents?"
Linda was at a loss for words. What should she say now? If she told the truth, would the lady believe her? What would they do to the children because they did not have parents? Would they be killed or something? They had just escaped from a terrible fate. Had they fallen into something worse?
"Oh, we are just playing. We live over there." Linda pointed to some houses that she hoped is the kind where people lived.
"Well, you don't need to be playing in garbage. And who is this?" the police woman asked, pointing toward George.
"Oh, he is our playmate."
"Well, it is against the law to have wild animals like this for a playmate. He belongs in a zoo, so we will carry you home and the monkey somewhere else."
The children were placed in the automobile, with Linda being last. While the officers backs were turned, she motioned to George with her fingers to run away and to come back to them when the police officers were not around. With gorilla speed, George quickly climbed to the top of a building and while the officers were trying to get him down, he began to move further away. The offices continued in their attempts to catch him and distanced themselves from the automobile.
Linda noticed that the police officers had walked away from the automobile. They had left the car door open, so she whispered to the children to follow her. She quickly disappeared between a few houses, unnoticed by the officers. The children were right behind her, the older ones carrying the youngest. When the officers could no longer visually follow George, they returned to their vehicle and realized the children were gone, too.
"Perhaps they went home," said the policeman.
"Well, maybe. But, we still need to call in and get some people out here to search, just in case there is something fishy," said the police woman.
"Right," answered the man.
It did not take George long to discover the children. They were sitting in a park at a picnic table discussing what they should do next. Counting Linda, there were six children -- the youngest, Jack was three years old, Sissy was five, Shirley was six, Harold and Harvey were twins, seven years old, and Linda was the oldest at ten years old.
"I don't know what they will do to us if we are caught. None of us have any parents now and they want to put George in a zoo. I suggest that we look for a way to get out of here. I am sure they will be looking for us," said Linda.
Looking around her surroundings, she spotted a bus station.
"Let's go," she said as she stood and started toward a bus that was parked with the motor running. Inside were passengers waiting while the bus driver unloaded some freight from the compartment underneath the bus. Linda and the children sneaked on the bus and got seats in the back.
Linda sat behind two women that were talking about a wedding. One turned to Linda and welcomed her. "Are these your brothers and sisters?'
Linda, not knowing what to say, nodded her head.
"Where are you headed?" asked the lady.
"To see our grandparents," was the first thing that came to Linda's mind.
"I see you have a pet," said the other woman, referring to George. "Has he got a name?"
"George" was the answer.
"George! Well, we knew a girl once who had a pet gorilla named George. He lived on an island, but she had to leave him to go home."
"What is your grandparent's name?" asked the other woman.
Thinking fast and assuming that it would not do any harm to mention the name of her great, great, great grandmother, Linda said, "Uh -- I have only one now. Her name is Lizzie Jane."
The two women looked at each other with a startled expression.
"Gorillas grow only on certain islands in this part of the world. Did you get yours from an island?"
"Yes," answered Linda.
The other woman spoke, "It is easy for those islands to stay hid because they are surrounded by fog. Was there any fog around your island?"
Thinking that was normal for islands and not to raise suspicion, Linda replied, "Yes."
The two women whispered something to each other and Linda saw them nod their heads. Had she said something wrong?
Suddenly, one of the women turned back to Linda and said, "Hide George. Here comes the bus driver!"
"Well, we must have some new passengers," mentioned the bus driver as he came to the back of the bus. "May I have your tickets?"
"Tickets?" asked Linda. She was not aware that there was a fare involved in riding the bus.
"You don't have tickets?" asked the bus driver as he stared at Linda.
"Oh, I am sorry. It is our fault," said one of the women. "We were to meet them here and they did not know they had to buy tickets and we assumed the ones who brought them here had bought the tickets. We will pay whatever is necessary."
"Okay," gruffed the driver as the women gave him the money. He departed the bus, went to the windows, purchasing the required tickets for the six children and returned the stub to the women.
As the bus started, Linda said, "That was very nice of you. Whatever made you do that?"
"Let us just say that you look like nice kids and are not run-a-ways. I believe you really are going to see your grandmother. What was her name again? Lizzie Jane?"
--To be Continued
© 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
All characters and places are fictitious and any resemblance to places or persons, living or dead, are coincidental.
If I Am Correct, Then They Returned And Were Found By Either
Lizzie Jane herself or her daughter. Either way, quite a ride.
May Your Light Forever Shine