Adventures at the Earth’s Core

Adventures in the Lost World

Episode 1

Atawna and the Lost World

Chapter 10 Revelations

Lin Yao screamed in pain and terror. Again and again the huge phallus of the savage priest was thrust into her. It was ripping her apart, but she could not escape the brutal violation. All around her savage faces leered at her and grinned at her pain and humiliation. Desperately she arched her back attempting to escape the horrible ordeal, but that only seemed to make the situation worse, allowing the high priest to penetrate her ever more deeply. Hands reached out and touched and pinched her writhing, sweat-covered body. Dozens of hands. They fondled and stroked every part of her anatomy and all the while the priest kept pounding her, never letting up in his endless and brutal assault.

She screamed again. Blood poured from her ravaged vagina. So much blood she was sure that she would bleed to death. She could feel herself weakening, her strength slowly flowing out of her. She was dying. She opened her mouth again and then…

A bright light stabbed her eyes. Breathing heavily she tried to raise her sweat-soaked body but fell back, too weak to move. He eyes adjusted to the light and she looked about her. The first thing she saw was James sleeping just a few feet from her. Someone had dressed her or rather had put her shirt and pants back on. She was missing her bra and later she found that her underpants were missing as well. Her shirt was open to the waist and she could see that her torso was bound what appeared to be with strips of soft bark. She tried to move again and winced as she was reminded of the painful flogging she had received. Now she knew why she wasn’t wearing a bra. And now she knew that her dream had been real.

For a few minutes she just lay quietly where she was. She had been tortured and then raped. It had been a truly horrible ordeal, but somehow she had survived. James must have rescued her. She gritted her teeth and tried to move once more, but fell back with a groan.

The sound attracted the attention of the dark-haired girl who had been in the cage next to James. Lin Yao remembered her well and recalled that the girl had seemed somewhat hostile. There was no sign of that now as the girl raised a cup fashioned out of leaves to her lips. “Drink,” the girl said. Surprisingly the girl spoke in English.

Lin Yao sipped from the makeshift cup and as she did so James awoke. “How are you little sister?” he asked.

“Better,” Lin Yao asked. “But very sore and I have an urgent need to attend to something very personal.”

James grinned. “I’ll get Atawna to help you, but take it easy. We’re nine stories above the ground.”

It took Lin Yao a little longer to complete her task than she had expected. Almost every part of her body ached, but she was especially sore where she had been flogged and between her legs. It took her a minute or so before she could even stand, but with a little help she was able to make it. She didn’t go far, just to a part of the tree that was screened off from the area where her bed of leaves had been. Upon attending to her needs the dark-haired girl helped her back to her bed.

“I think introductions are necessary,” said James. “We really didn’t have much time to get to know one another when we were in the cages.” This is Atawna; she is the one who healed you. She seems to know a great deal about medicinal herbs. I don’t know what she used, but I believe that the wounds on your back are going to heal without a scar.”

“Thank you, Atawna,” Lin Yao said. The dark-haired jungle girl nodded coolly. James had taught her what ‘Thank you’ meant. Lin Yao looked at James. “I don’t think she likes me.”

“Nonsense,” said James. “She saved both our lives. She has no reason to dislike you.”

Atawna was following none of the conversation, but she knew that James and Lin Yao were talking about her and she didn’t like it. She got to her feet. “Atawna hunt,” she said, picking up the spear she had taken from the village. Without waiting for a reply she leaped into the branches of the tree and disappeared.

Chara looked after her sister, tempted to follow. Instead, however, she moved over to James and Lin Yao. “Atawna sad,” she said.

“Sorry Chara, I forgot to introduce you,” James replied. He carried out the formalities and then spoke to Lynne Yao. “Why would she be sad?” He didn’t ask Chara. Neither he nor the girl spoke enough of one another’s language to properly communicate.

Lin Yao shook her head. Already her brief exertions had tired her. Lying back on the bed she closed her eyes and slept.

Another day of sleeping and eating did the trick. Lin Yao became much like her old self. Her wounds were well healed thanks to whatever Atawna had dressed them with and she was dealing with the horrid memories of the rape. She was after all Larra Court’s daughter. She was a lot tougher than she looked.

As she healed and gained strength she used some of her convalescent time to puzzle out Atawna’s coolness toward her. It came to her quite suddenly. “Idiot,” she thought. It was all so obvious. She looked at her brother. He was an even bigger idiot.

She would have to wait to test her brainstorm. Atawna and Chara were away. The two jungle girls seemed always busy; frequently departing to bring back various useful items including large fronds to be used as bedding and materials for weapons. James spent most of his time watching over her while the two girls did most of the work. It was just as well, Atawna and Chara began were both much more at home in the rainforest. James would just have been in the way.

Atawna returned late in the day. She was carrying supper – some type of deer-like creature she had slaughtered – and materials for a bow. Lin Yao said nothing while she and James helped prepare supper.

By this time she and James had greatly improved communication between themselves and the two girls. They mainly used the point and repeat method, pointing to an object and saying its name, both in the language of the two girls and in English. Within a short time they had amassed a basic vocabulary and were communicating in broken versions of both languages.

After supper it was time for the next lesson. The four of them sat in a circle. Lin Yao decided it was time to try to introduce some family relationships. She pointed to herself and then and then James. “Brother and sister,” she said. The she pointed to Atawna and Chara. “Sister and sister,” she said.

Lin Yao watched Atawna’s face as the concept was introduced. A look of confusion swept over the girl’s face as she struggled with the idea and then a look of slow realization crept over her perfect features. She pointed to Chara and then herself. “Sister and sister,” she repeated. Then she pointed to Lin Yao. “Sister,” she said.

Lin Yao nodded. A look of pure joy shone upon Atawna’s face. Leaping across the small space separating them she gave Lin Yao a big hug. Then she sat back down, her eyes now on James. The look she was giving him could only be described as predatory.

Now it was James turn to look confused. “What the Hell is going on, sis?” he said to Lin Yao. “First you’re telling me Atawna doesn’t like you and then you are exchanging hugs. And why is she looking at me that way?”

Lin Yao grinned. It was her first real smile since she had been raped. “James, you idiot. She thought you and I were married. Now she knows you’re fair game.”

“Fair game?” James turned bright red as what Lin Yao had said sank into his male brain. “Oh Jeez,” he stammered. “Now what do I do?”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that, lover boy. But if you don’t want her jumping on you and dragging you off to the tallest tree I suggest you don’t do anything to encourage her.”

James just sat there and looked first at Lin Yao and then at Atawna. No wonder the girl had seemed a little cool toward Lin Yao. He suddenly felt like a fly in the middle of a spider web as Atawna’s incredible blue eyes fixed on him like a magnet sticks to steel. Chara’s giggling didn’t make the situation any better. He suddenly realized that for the last week he had been sleeping within touching distance of a woman who very likely had sexual designs on him.

“Perhaps I should sleep in a different tree,” James said lamely.

“Great idea,” chuckled Lin Yao. “See if you can find a tree that Atawna can’t climb.”

“I am an idiot,” James thought. But what was he going to do? It would be best if he and Lin Yao found their way back to the rest of the expedition as soon as possible. Lin Yao seemed very much recovered. Perhaps not as recovered as he might like, but strong enough to travel. He had to put some distance between himself and the predatory young woman who was now making little effort to hide her affections for him.

Atawna licked her lips. Her heart beat rapidly. Lin Yao was James’ sister. It was all she could do not to hurl herself upon him. Then another thought crossed her mind. What if James did not find her attractive? Lin Yao looked very different from her and Chara. What if he was not attracted to her? After all, it was obvious that James was from a different world. It was possible that he did not find her appealing as a mate. She lowered her gaze. It was best not to be too aggressive. She would wait for some sign from James before proceeding.

James breathed a little easier. Atawna’s sea blue eyes no longer burned into him. It was hard to figure her out. One minute she seemed on the verge of jumping on him and the next she was as distant as the moon. In any case, the language lesson was over for the night. “I’m tired,” he announced. “Think I’ll turn in. Perhaps we can think about getting out of here tomorrow.”

No one disagreed with him. The sun was setting and Atawna and Chara lived by the sun. When it got dark they slept. When it was light they awoke. Soon the four adventurers were all asleep beneath the tropical skies.

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