Between Land & Sea

Living the good life, lying in a handmade hammock, enjoying the sound of the ocean waves, Ivan Three Eyes was carried away by the common sensation of liquor. He slept peacefully, protecting his face with a hat.

A few meters away was the only thing that he managed to rescue from the shipwreck; a barrel of rum that would serve him until he figured out where he was. For now, he was just waiting for the sun to settle before he started his day.

Just before dawn, his ship—the Land Lover—had been the envy of the seven seas. However, now he was a mere man from the mainland. Ivan had managed to rescue the bag he always carried around, and by sundown he was ready to investigate the island.

The undergrowth by the seashore was too thick, a bad sign when it comes to seeking help. The first thing he had to do was figure out how big the island was, so he got out of his hammock, losing his balance due to the liquor he had been drinking to calm his nerves.

The attack came without warning and it was possible that there were no survivors of the shipwreck. Ivan clearly remembered how close he had come to being hit by a cannonball. It was impossible, how could a ship get within range of the cannons without a warning?

Disappointed by his lack of leadership, Ivan went for a walk in search of survivors.

The island is bigger than I imagined, Ivan thought. After walking for an hour, without a trace of life, he decided to return…until he saw the smoke from a campfire rise in the distance.

This was a sign, although Ivan didn’t know the type of people he would find. That’s why he decided to approach quietly through the undergrowth. After a few minutes he heard voices, instantly knowing he was dealing with natives of the island.

Either way, he was cautious while approaching. The voices became louder with every step, they were the songs of a celebration. Ivan caught a glimpse of the campfire, it was larger than he expected, and he finally saw a member of his crew tied to a log.

He immediately ducked down. Damn it, he thought. They probably have the rest of my crew.

Ivan watched carefully, while the savages performed a ceremony—the possibility of cannibals increased. He decided to walk around the campfire and reach his crew.

There were more natives than he expected to find, men and women dancing with the fire. Ivan noticed more of his men tied up. I’ll have to save them before it’s too late.

He quickly lowered his bag to pull out a couple of guns. Ivan loaded the powder and ammunition, and as there were only four shots he had to exercise caution. He also took out a knife and placed it on his belt next to the weapons.

The captain approached his crew silently and began to cut the bindings of one of his men. “Not a word,” he whispered.
One of the natives saw the shipwreck’s captain helping his crew and gave a cry of alarm. Two other natives ran towards them, Ivan stood, firing twice with the same gun, leaving the bare-chested men on the ground.

“Here,” Ivan said, passing his pistol and bag of powder and ammunition to one of his crew. “Reload.”

Ivan continued to cut the bonds of another man, and left the knife in his hand. “Take care of the rest.” Then, he got up to face the tribe, pointing his gun.

The natives were ecstatic from the surprise of the shot. They weren’t used to that kind of explosion. Ivan raised his gun and fired again.

“Ready, my captain,” said Green Foot, passing the loaded gun.

Ivan took the pistol and saw that one of the natives was running towards them. Without consideration he fired again, knocking the man down.

“Reload,” Ivan said, passing the emptied pistol. Then, he turned to face the natives. “We don’t want trouble,” he said, pointing his gun from side to side.

The rest of the castaways finished untying their bonds. “Easy guys…” Ivan said, taking a step backwards. “We’re going to get out of here alive.”

The crew of the Land Lover led by Captain Ivan Three Eyes moved cautiously until they reached the seashore.

“Keep going…I’ll tell you when we get there,” Ivan said, staying behind the group to make sure they weren’t being followed.

The pirates ran until they reached the barrel of rum, and immediately began to drink and prepare the camp for the night. Before long they had a fire and one by one fell asleep.
The sound of the jungle helped even the most fearful close his eyes. Before long, the silent footsteps of the natives began to stalk the small encampment of castaways. The sleeping pirates were unable to realize the danger that lay ahead.

A shot woke them up. The men instantly opened their eyes to find the captain standing next to his hammock, with a pistol on each hand. “Rest guys, tomorrow will be a long day.”