The Island

10. A Deal

Jordyn

I hit the ground face first. The soft undergrowth catches me when my arms are locked at my sides by the prison bars around me, but it doesn't protect me from the assailant's chin slamming into the back of my head. The impact drives my face forward into the ground. A loud crack echoes through the small clearing, and warm liquid runs down my lips.

I clench my eyes shut against the hot pain spreading through my face. The hands unravel themselves and lift me up by the shoulders. They spin me around, and my eyes burst open.

Before me towers a boy with messy black hair that stands in a halo around his head. His skin reflects the sun filtering through the trees and shines a brighter shade of white than mine does. It looks untouched by the sun. His face is long, and two eyes sit in the center above dark bags. The eyes remind me of fresh ash.

He glares at me for an extra second and then swings.

His fist lands itself right in my jaw, and the hit sends me stumbling backwards.

"Fight back, Jordyn!" Sam squeals from behind me. As I regain my footing, I glance in his direction, only to see that Kaia has reappeared and set her sights on him.

I want to tell him that I don't know how to fight back, but I can't bring the words to the front of my mouth. Cotton suffocates my throat and tongue, and my head pounds from the punch.

Before I can do anything, the boy grabs a handful of my hair and jerks me back towards him. I scream in pain and claw at his hands. It's useless. He's stronger than me, just like the lion was.

Yet, even then, I found my strength. I was agile where the lion was clumsy. My legs lifted the body of the animal off me when my arms struggled to hold myself up.

When the boy swings at me again, I duck. His arm flies over my head, rustling my hair as it does so. Instead of trying to hit me again, he rears his leg back and aims a kick at me.

I sidestep, and his shoe misses my legs.

I'm good at running. Not fighting. I am a cornered rabbit fighting against a wolf, a fish surrounded by sharks. When it feels like there's no way to win, I just get out of there.

I glance around the clearing. Surely there's a way out. Our trail to the water catches my eye, and I lunge for it.

The boy catches me by the arm and throws me to the ground once again. By now, blood covers the front of my jumpsuit from my broken nose. Animals screech around us, attracted by all the noise from two different fights.

On my stomach, I crawl away from him, but he grips my ankles and keeps me from moving.

Come on, Jordyn. Strengths. Use your strengths.

With a grunt, I kick back at him. My foot lands across his throat. He releases me to hold his windpipe, staggers backwards, and gasps for breath. I scramble to my feet and run towards the treeline.

"Don't you dare leave me, you chicken!" Sam screams from across the clearing.

I skid to a stop and stare ahead at the trees.

"I'm serious," he warns, but Kaia cuts him off with a punch to the stomach. I don't see it, but I can hear him hungrily gasp for breath.

I wipe my nose on the back of my hand and turn around to face the clearing. Sam stands across it, glaring at Kaia. She has his knife and hers in her hands and holds them out like she's going to slash through him at any moment. She stands on the balls of her feet. Her body sways back and forth, watching Sam. His eyes dart over at me, then, at his spear sitting a few feet behind Kaia.