Chapter 12 A Deal With The Devil

Jude glowered at me; his expression filled with loathing as always. Even so, he scrambled to his feet and stumbled in that direction. I grew even more wary of him when I saw his perseverance. I watched his staggering figure diminish until he vanished from my sight. Then, I turned to look at the lanky man and ordered, “Gather everyone. I’m calling a meeting!” Everyone soon assembled before me. Apart from the four men, there were more than ten women that lived on this campsite. They must have come from wealthy backgrounds if they were allowed to board the plane in the first place. I vaguely remembered their sophisticated outfits, which was a stark contrast to their shabby clothing now. Some of them were even missing pants and only had a small piece of cloth to protect their modesty. All of them had blank expressions on their haggard faces as if they had numbed out. It was obvious that they had been to hell and back in the past two days. I felt no sympathy for them. Piteous people often had a detestable backstory. These women had made their choice since the day they submitted to Jude. When I was brutally pummeled by Jude, they had stood by and watched. They let people walk all over them, choosing to endure the abuse quietly. These were people who had filled their stomachs with the flesh of their companions. I had planned to kill every single one of them. I knew that helping each other would be the benevolent thing to do as we were all stranded on this island, but these people had committed a despicable act. They must not be forgiven! Although I felt a pang of despair after Jude revealed his secret, I still held firm to my intention. Even if we were to die here, some of us had a shot at heaven while others deserved to burn in hell. Someone had to punish the wrongdoers. There were more than twenty people in this group. I could clearly see the terror in their eyes, and they showed no signs of rebellion. Their reaction was just as I had predicted. After all, history had shown that five fully armed soldiers could massacre thousands of civilians, and this would happen time and time again without fail. That alone was evidence that laziness was ingrained in the human DNA as few people would willingly step forward to grasp the nettle, even in a life or death situation. I strenuously straightened my back and stared at them until they squirmed under my darkened gaze. “I have sent Jude into exile. If any of you wish to follow him, leave now!” I said languidly. The people stood stock-still and looked at me in trepidation, quivering when they met my glare. It was a simple trick to gain the upper hand. Any newly appointed platoon leader would be able to use this ploy to establish their superiority in a platoon, and it worked like a charm each time. I broke the silence. “Great, it seems like everyone decided to stay with me! Am I right?” A few people mumbled incoherently. Furrowing my brows, I cupped a hand behind my ear. “I can’t hear you!” “Yes!” I smiled in satisfaction when I heard their resounding assent. “So, all of you want to follow me - good for you! However, that’s just what you want. I’ve never agreed to it.” They were once again dumbfounded. Emotionlessly, I said, “I can teach you how to survive in the wilderness, and I can bring you along when I look for food. I promise that as long as you’re willing to work hard, you’ll be able to survive! I’m warning you beforehand - I’m not your savior, so you’ll have to work for everything you want.” “That’s all I have to say. Now, I’ll teach you the proper way to start a fire. Those who are willing to learn, follow me. As for those who just want to sit still and look pretty, go to Jude!” My constant shift in demeanor gave them no time to second-guess my motives, so they played right into my hands. They obediently trailed after me and collected firewood according to my instructions. “Starting a fire is actually quite simple. First, find some tinder and arrange it so that it looks like a bird’s nest. Next, choose a stick and a small plank. Drill a hole in the plank and make a groove to form a fireboard. All that’s left is a pair of hands to start a fire.” “Your previous attempts have failed because you messed up the sequence.” I gathered a few twigs and some dry grass. After making sure that the pile was well ventilated, I told them that this was the tinder. I then picked up a stick and drilled it into the fireboard by twirling it between my palms. “You’ll have to rub your hands quickly. Speed is of the essence. Your palms will start to burn and feel painful, but that’s the price you must pay for a fire!” As I demonstrated, the stick started to smoke. I quickly jabbed the smoking end of the stick into the tinder, but it didn’t catch fire. There was not even a spark. “This is the main reason you couldn’t start a fire!” After saying that, I neared the tinder and carefully blew on it. After a few puffs, white smoke started to rise from the tinder, and a few tiny sparks flew as flames began to form. The flames quickly grew. I then strategically placed some thin twigs above it as kindling. “After flames form, add thin twigs to the fire, only adding thicker sticks when these twigs are ablaze. You! Come here and try!” After mastering the key elements, all four men and a few women managed to build small fires. I noticed that the fastest learner was a woman. She had bewitching eyes, and I could see the flirtatious glint in them whenever she looked at me. “Next, I’ll give you pointers on how to select a proper shelter. In summary, it must be close to water, sheltered from the wind, away from danger, protected from beasts, exposed to sunlight, and on flat ground! “I’ll explain why. You’ll have to be close to a water source to ensure that you’ll have water to drink and cook meals. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to wash up. I’m sure that all of you know why it has to be sheltered from the wind after last night! When I said, ‘away from danger’, I meant that you must avoid any places that are susceptible to flash floods, rising tides, mudslides, or other natural disasters. As I mentioned earlier, you must settle near a water source. Beasts are also looking for spots like this, so before you set up camp, you’ll have to observe the vicinity for any footprints or fecal matter...” I explained everything in detail. I was speaking from experience, and I only told them the truth. “I’m teaching all of you because I won’t be living with you. You’re free to choose your own campsite, but I’ll provide guidance and check in on you. There’s a thick primeval forest not far from here; I’ll teach you to forage for food there. Honestly, this is the only piece of good news I can offer you. The forest is unbelievably rich with resources, so you definitely won’t starve as long as you put in the effort.” Under my guidance, they found a flat ground that was sheltered from the wind and promptly built their makeshift shelter. I picked up my axe. “Let’s go, we’ll gather food from the forest!” I selected four women who seemed to be a tad more trustworthy and entrusted them with the task of keeping watch at the campsite. I then led the rest of the group into the thick forest. When we passed the traveler’s palm, I patiently showed them how they could obtain fresh water. I told them that there was a good variety of plants that stored water in the tropical rainforest and that with careful observation, they would be able to find it. Tropical rainforests had a lot of plants that had huge leaves. These leaves could be used to wrap up food, and, if these people were capable, its fibers could be used to weave clothes. The woody parts of some plants were rich in carbohydrates. For example, sago was made from the pith of palm trees. Currently, I lacked the appropriate equipment to fell a sturdy palm tree. However, in a few days, when I had more time on my hands, I could figure out a way to cut down the tree. I generously shared all sorts of information with the group. Perhaps they found me more approachable compared to Jude after spending some time together, or maybe everything I’ve said so far had impressed them. Either way, they slowly regarded me with admiration. The woman with the enticing eyes took the initiative and linked an arm through mine. She pressed her soft, perky bosom against my arm. Her chest brushed against me as we walked, and I could feel a burn building up in my nether regions. “When you’re walking in a forest, a sense of direction is vital. Observing the leaves, looking at the sun, following the Big Dipper... Any of these will do. I’m sure you all know how those work, so I won’t elaborate. As for my preferred method, I just trust myself!” As we trudged through the forest, I left marks in tree trunks using my axe and told them to beware of venomous serpents as they were often camouflaged. I barely finished my sentence when a man screamed and collapsed to the ground. A small, green snake had bitten his ankle; its body wrapped tightly around his calf. I quickly reached out and grabbed the snake. Swinging the axe with my right arm, I cleanly chopped its head off. The snake went limp and slid down the man’s leg, but its fangs were still embedded in his flesh. As he blubbered like a child, I used the handle of the axe to knock the snake’s head off his ankle and crushed it beneath my foot. “Remember, snakes are tough to kill.” I sliced his wound with the blade of the axe, making a cross to let the blood out. “Even if you cut its head off, it can still bite you if you’re not vigilant!” I dusted my hands off and stood up. “You got lucky. You’re still bleeding red, which means that the snake was not venomous. Everyone, pay attention to where you place your feet when you walk! We have no antidote, so if you step on a venomous snake, you’re bound to die!” After bandaging his wound, I instructed a man to hold him up and continued to trek through the forest. A few women were slowing down. After discussing among themselves, they timidly asked, “Can we... drop out?” “Be my guest!” I sneered at them, “Just know that you’ll have to find your own food in the future! We won’t feed idlers!” “F*ck, don’t you dare drop out!” The lanky man raised the wooden rod in his hand, his expression menacing. The women wept quietly and followed us deeper into the forest. Pretty-Eyes stuck by my side, but I saw her gaze become thoughtful as she scrutinized me. I counted the people behind us. There were thirteen in total. I wondered how many of them would be left in a while. That was right. I had only shared the tips for wilderness survival to earn their trust! I had led them into the forest to let the universe decide their fate. Although they were in a pitiful state, cannibalism was something I could never forgive and forget! So, I earned their trust and lured them into this forest. If they could return, it meant that the universe had forgiven them. If not, being compost for the trees was the least they could do to expiate their heinous crimes. I knew it was a twisted thing to do, but some mistakes should never be tolerated. My duty was to protect Hailey and the other girls. I was their guardian angel - I would never let them dirty their hands with a task as diabolical as this. If the heavens would not shine on us, then I would have to become the devil.