They slept in each other's arms, underneath a tree.
The night was cold. To keep warm, Debbie kept snuggling closer to Carlos in her sleep. The touch of their bodies aroused him. But he understood: now was not the time.
Debbie realized too, when he turned over and she saw his erection. "S-sorry… it's really cold," she apologized.
The only thing she had on was a bikini. Of course she was cold.
Carlos realized he should have built a lean-to. Then at least they'd be warmer.
Carlos adjusted his breathing and held her tighter. "Go to sleep," he said.
And Debbie, comforted by his touch, drifted off easily.
Carlos removed his arms and got up quietly. Then he took off his swimming trunks and draped them over her, hoping it would be enough.
Since he was already awake, he decided to search for something to create a shelter. Vines, branches, palm fronds, etc. He walked into the moonlit woods to find something that could keep them warm.
Debbie was sound asleep, but her eyes snapped open when she heard Carlos shouting, "Debbie! Debbie!"
Startled, she shook off sleep and got to her feet quickly.
Her eyes were blurry and her head was muddled. Something was moving in front of her. She blinked to clear her vision. Then her eyes widened in shock at what she saw.
There were two monsters! One was moving her way, getting closer and closer! Carlos was fighting off the other one.
This was like nothing she had expected for this vacation. It felt as if she were in a bizarre dream. She froze and forgot how to react until she heard Carlos' voice urging her, "Danger! Run!"
Debbie came to her senses. The monster was taller than an adult. It looked like an orangutan, but it wasn't. With long hair covering its body, green light shining in its eyes, long fangs bared, it was far uglier than a gorilla.
Debbie felt like hurling.
She grabbed a bamboo branch to defend herself.
"Come here! Lead it to me!" Carlos said to her.
Debbie ran over to him. Sure enough, the monster followed her. But now Carlos was in danger. He had to fight two of them.
Carlos intended to attack it with a stick, but he realized the stick was too light. He needed to do more damage. So he threw it away and kicked the monster hard in the chest. It fell onto the ground and made a blood-curdling sound.
Seeing Carlos, the neat freak, fighting the monster with his bare hands, Debbie decided to ignore the bile rising in her throat and join the fray. They had to survive. That was priority number one.
She discarded the stick as well, and attacked the monster with her bare hands.
With the moon staring down at them, Carlos and Debbie fought monsters in the dead of night.
"Don't go toe to toe with it. It's way stronger. Find ways to end the fight quickly," Carlos advised. "Be careful. If it's too strong for you, stand behind me."
Debbie smiled as she exercised her wrists. "Don't worry. I know Tae Kwon Do," she said, raising her eyebrow.
Carlos was a bit more relaxed, knowing she wasn't panicking. He turned his attention back to the monster, and focused on taking it down as fast as possible. They both focused on that.
Debbie's bikini was torn by the monster's long, wicked claws. Luckily, she wasn't hurt.
Soon, the monster Carlos was dealing with was knocked to the ground. Carlos put a foot on its shoulder to keep it down, and picked up a stone. Without batting an eye, he used that stone to smash its skull in.
Unconscious or dead, it didn't matter. It wasn't moving anymore.
Debbie gave the monster she was dealing with a few reverse sweeping kicks. The ugly thing roared, got to its feet, and dashed out of the forest and to the shoreline. She watched it, confused, and wondered if she should follow.
Carlos noticed her hesitation. He grabbed her wrist and said, "Don't."
The monster stopped at the water's edge and kept roaring at the sea. Its voice pierced the darkness, making everyone feel uneasy. It didn't sound like anything on this earth. Carlos took Debbie into his arms.
Next, something weird happened. The sea level rose. Inside two minutes, the water reached their feet.
This was bad, they realized.
The monster was still yelling, waving its arms. "It must be some kind of sea monster trying to drown us. Wait here, I'll go finish it off," Carlos decided.
But Debbie didn't want to stay there alone. She caught up with him and said, "I'll go with you. Let me help."
Carlos was worried. "It's not safe. Stay," he said quietly.
Knowing his stubbornness, she conceded. Carlos ran up to the monster. The beast had its back to him, and the man gave it a kick with all his might, sending it sprawling in the water. The beast still struggled, which astounded him. An ordinary man would have been paralyzed or killed from that blow. The brute seemed to shrug it off.
He wasted no time, standing on it with both feet to keep it from getting up. He was trying to drown it, so no matter how much the monster struggled he wouldn't let go.
Debbie looked at the monster Carlos had killed. Then she picked up a rock, ran to Carlos and was ready to hit the other monster in the head.
Carlos stopped her. He took the rock from her hand and scolded, "Go back!"
Debbie wanted to say something, but the look in his eyes was so determined she had to turn around and leave. His legendary stubbornness left no room for argument.
The water had risen above their ankles. If they couldn't kill the monster quickly, they were going to be drowned. Who knew where it would have stopped? Would the creature have submerged the entire island?
Not long after Debbie walked away, she heard sound of struggle and the monster's shrieking. Knowing it was going to be bloody, she didn't turn her head.
However, after a while, worried about Carlos, she looked back anyway.
The monster was dead, floating in the water, which was receding back out to sea. At its height, the sea had reached their shins. Then it retreated, only covering their ankles, and at last, they could see the shore again.
Carlos walked back to her. Together they watched the tide carry the two monsters back out to sea. Eventually, the water was serene again, quiet like a shy maiden.
Afterwards, Carlos and Debbie washed themselves in a small stream. Small streams carry fresher water than larger ones.
"Go back to sleep. I'll take guard duty." Carlos sat against a tree with his left leg outstretched, the right leg bent. He pulled Debbie closer and let her sleep on his lap.
Debbie didn't object. She was afraid that some other monsters might appear. "Wake me up later. We'll switch."
Carlos nodded, "Okay, close your eyes."
The fighting wore her out, and Carlos' scent was soothing. Within minutes, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
Then a whisper woke her. She opened her eyes slowly. There it was again… "Debbie…"
"Yes," she responded, her words slurred by sleepiness.
"I want you," she heard him whisper.
"Okay," she smiled in her sleep.
He started to caress her, to nuzzle her neck. His desire grew stronger with every passing moment, but eventually, he stopped.
Watching the woman who was in a light sleep, he clenched his fists to keep his desire in check. He could have her, but he also had to consider the problems she would have to face afterwards.
