nycdaug Chapter 202: The Island
Chapter 202: The Island
Felix Sherman patted her chest, still shaken. "Okay, now I believe that no one’s been to this island before. Look at these seabirds. It’s obvious they haven’t seen many people."
Samuel Hughes had picked up a branch at some point and was now walking ahead, using it to tap the grass and clear a path. Roxanne Fulton asked in a small voice, "Seabirds are a protected species, but what about their eggs?"
Riley Perry explained while surveying their surroundings, "The wildlife protection act specifies that ’wild animals and their products’ refers to the whole animal—including spawn and eggs—as well as their parts and derivatives.
So, everyone be careful. Make sure you don’t step on anything you shouldn’t."
Roxanne Fulton shivered and obediently fell in line behind Riley Perry, terrified she might wander off and step on something.
Riley Perry found her reaction amusing. ’The production crew must have scouted this island before filming. If the ground were really covered in eggs, they would’ve already dealt with them.’
After crossing a grassy field, the group soon entered the mountain forest. Riley clearly heard the two women beside her let out a sigh of relief.
"It’s so quiet here. If I were stranded on a deserted island all by myself, you couldn’t pay me to run up this mountain alone," Roxanne remarked curiously.
Felix Sherman replied, "The choices you make depend on your circumstances. When it really comes down to it, the will to survive will make you overcome anything."
After another ten minutes or so of walking uphill, Samuel Hughes said suddenly, "There must be large animals on this mountain."
Roxanne Fulton immediately froze, her eyes darting around. "Best Actor Hughes, when you say ’large animals,’ how large are we talking?"
"Hmm, besides things like wild pheasants and rabbits, I guess anything else would be considered large."
Felix Sherman asked, "There aren’t any tigers or leopards on this island, are there?"
Riley Perry walked over to where Samuel Hughes was standing and followed his gaze. It was a pile of animal droppings.
"The production crew wouldn’t be that cruel! This looks like wild boar dung!"
Samuel Hughes glanced at her. "What are you so happy about?"
"What makes you think I’m happy?" ’I wasn’t even smiling, okay?’
"Your whole vibe just screams ’happy.’"
Riley said, "Okay, I’ll confess, I am pretty happy. It’s because among all the wild animals, only boars have had their protections lifted due to overpopulation. They’re fair game."
The others were secretly alarmed. "Riley, that’s a wild boar! No matter how skilled you are, if you see one, you need to run!"
"Alright, alright, I was just saying. What are the chances we’d be lucky enough to run into a wild boar, anyway?
I did spot a wild pear tree, though. Come on, let’s go pick some pears."
"Where? Where is it?"
Riley pointed, and sure enough, there was a tall wild pear tree in the distance with plenty of fruit on its branches.
Samuel Hughes used his stick to push aside the tall grass and lead the way. When they all gathered under the tree, another problem arose. The wild pear tree was three or four meters tall and as thick as a grown man’s waist, making it impossible to reach the fruit from the ground.
Without a word, Riley took a three-step running start, planted her foot on the trunk, and scaled the pear tree in two more steps.
Below, her two fangirls let out cries of amazement.
Riley rustled through the branches, picked a few pears, and called down, "Catch! Let’s see if they’re any good."
All three of them opened their hands to catch. Three yellow-skinned pears landed precisely in their palms. Riley picked one for herself, gave it a quick wipe, and took a bite.
"Mm, this one is so sweet! And it’s incredibly fragrant. Are wild pears supposed to taste this good?" Roxanne said.
Felix Sherman chimed in, "Mine’s really sweet too. There’s nothing wrong with these pears except that they’re a little small."
Riley finished her pear and then quickly started picking more.
Her backpack was currently empty except for some small bags for organizing items. She took one out specifically for the pears and didn’t stop picking until the tree was bare. Then, she leaped down from the branches.
"Anyone want another one? I can get them for you."
All three refused in unison. "No thanks, they’re too sweet. One is enough."
The main issue was that they hadn’t found any fresh water yet, and eating too much sweet food would make them thirsty.
"I’m strong, so I’ll keep the pears in my bag for now. We can split them evenly when we get back."
Felix Sherman was deeply moved. They hadn’t helped at all, yet Riley was not only going to split the pears with them but also carry them all by herself.
"Alright, then this big sister won’t stand on ceremony with you." There weren’t that many pears anyway—they only half-filled Riley’s bag. There was no need to be overly polite about a few pounds of fruit; that would just make things awkward.
They continued their search on the mountain. They didn’t find a cave, but they did come across a snake resting in a tree. Their arrival must have startled it, because it woke up instantly. Its red eyes swept coldly over the four of them as it immediately went into an attack stance.
The two women’s faces turned pale with fright, and Samuel Hughes tightened his grip on the stick in his hand.
Forget the women—even a grown man like Samuel Hughes broke out in a cold sweat at the sight of the snake. Especially since its skin was a riot of color, a clear sign that it was venomous.
The bullet comments were going crazy: [Director Warren, go save them! If our Best Actor Hughes gets hurt, you can forget about ever filming this show again!]
[Oh my god, why are they filming in such a dangerous place? Best Actor Hughes just said there might be large animals on this island. What if they actually run into a wild boar? The cast would be sitting ducks!]
[Riley Perry, hurry up and get rid of the snake! Isn’t she the biggest show-off? Why isn’t she doing anything now?]
[Are you f*cking sick in the head, you upstairs? Do you hear yourself? Is that something a human being would say?]
[Most girls are afraid of snakes, let alone a venomous one! How can you expect Riley Perry to deal with it? Or are you saying your Best Actor Hughes’s life is more precious than anyone else’s? Riley’s life matters too!]
[Forget about ’girls.’ The moment that snake appeared, my damn dog started yelping in fear. He’s more of a wuss than I am! Sure, some people like snakes, but I guarantee you most people in this world are terrified of them!]
Snakes are a really tricky animal to deal with. Even if you don’t recognize the species, you know they’re a protected animal and definitely can’t be killed. The only option was to stay away.
But now it was about to attack them. Felix Sherman was so scared she was about to press the distress button.
Riley immediately released her own aura, directing it toward the snake. The small snake seemed to sense that the person before it was not to be trifled with. After giving Riley a deep look, it retracted its attack posture, slithered down the tree, and quickly slipped away.
After it left, the other three visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh my god, my legs went weak just now. That snake was clearly about to attack us. Good thing it left, or we might have been done for," Roxanne said.
Felix Sherman rubbed her arms, which were covered in goosebumps.
"Please, please don’t let us run into any more snakes. I’m definitely going to have nightmares tonight."
[AHHH, I think I’m going to have nightmares tonight too. I’m too scared to be alone now. WAHHH, Mommy, I’m never watching an adventure show again.]