Tommy was still doubled over with laughter, causing Casey to roll her eyes and pout.
“That’s not funny!” she exclaimed, lifting her hands and dropping them to her sides with a sigh.
“What?” Tom asked in his usual whiny voice, his big grin had suddenly turned into a frown.
Casey was still staring up at the sky, “don’t act like you don’t know,” she turned angry eyes on him.
Tom shrugged, “sorry, it’s not like you would’ve caught any.”
Casey groaned in exasperation and marched angrily past him. Tommy followed her.
“Hey where are you going? Just give up Case you can’t catch a sea gull, it’s stupid. Isn’t this illegal?”
Tommy stopped at the edge of the rock and looked down at the curly haired girl below, Casey had drew closer to the edge of the rock they were standing on and was looking over at something on the other side; she wore a disappointed frown.
“What are you doing? You know we’re not supposed to be out on the beach this early, Case. Let’s just go,” he pleaded, not making a move to join her.
“Don’t worry Tom, we’ll be back in time,” she assured him.
Tommy shook his head, “I knew I shouldn’t have come out here,” and he sat down with a sigh.
“Yeah maybe you shouldn’t have,” she said nonchalantly, still scanning the beach so she wouldn’t have to see Tommy’s insulted frown. It was the most beautiful site she’d ever had the pleasure of seeing, and even though she lived close enough to be able to see it every day and could ride her bike and take in the beauty of the sea from her favourite rock as often as she wished, it always left her amazed.
She turned around and walked back to where Tommy was now stooping, and regarded her surroundings absently; beads of sweat had already formed on her brow.
“We won’t have a chance today Casey, let’s forget it,” he muttered.
“Wait a minute what is that?” she cried, the blank look on her face completely erased.
Tommy shrugged, “who cares.”
“No seriously Tommy look,” she pointed in the direction they’d come from, at the cluster of trees that stood between this secluded beach and the rest of civilization. They usually had to go through it in order to get onto the rocks, it was a dry sandy area, with sharp sticks, thorns and poison plants.
“I just saw something moving through there.”
Tommy’s head shot upward and he jumped to his feet, “What? Where?” he asked frantically, looking with wide eyes in the direction she pointed.
“I don’t know, it was there a while ago,” she said, frowning.
“Jesus! Run Casey, run!” Tommy cried, hopping on one leg like he was fire dancing.
Casey looked about her, her eyes wide with excitement and fear, “what is it Tom?”
Tommy dashed behind her and shoved his hand over her shoulder to motion to the dirty wet man stumbling weakly toward them.
Casey tensed, “it’s just a man,” she said.
“Exactly,” Tommy sputtered, “and he’s heading right for us.”
Casey took a step back despite herself and took a deep calming breath, “so what?”
Tommy jerked her shoulder and she turned to face him, “are you seriously not getting this? Me, you, young vulnerable children, out in a secluded area early in the morning, none of our parents know where we are, there’s a horrible looking zombie approaching us and you say, so what!”
“Please… help me!” the stranger cried as he made two more shaky steps toward them, before he stumbled to his hands and knees.
His weak plea got to Casey and she found herself taking a step toward him. Tommy gripped the tail of her shirt frantically.
“Don’t do it,” he warned.
“Can’t you see he’s hurt,” she said as she shook him off.
Casey hurried toward the motionless man, now sprawled out on the ground before her and she knelt at his side. She turned him over, and found herself looking down at a dark, badly beaten man. He was well built, with lots of curly black hair, now wet and dirty with sand, she imagined he wasn’t very bad looking underneath the red swollen bumps and cuts. She laid a hand on his chest and felt the slight rise and fall of his breathing. She didn’t know this man; he was definitely not from around here.
Tommy made his way to her side cautiously and looked down at the lifeless man at their feet warily, “maybe he’s an escaped slave from Guyana or something.”
Casey looked over at him, “Why didn’t you pass common entrance again?”
“Oh shut up.”
He walked around the man and nudged him with his foot, “look he’s dead, let’s just go, there’s nothing we could do,” he said.
Casey stooped down and shook his shoulder gently, “wake up,” she prodded.
“Don’t touch him!” cried Tommy as he threw himself forward to stop her.
Casey saw him coming and leaned backward; the boy stumbled and fell across the man’s chest. The stranger jerked upward. Tommy started screaming, and didn’t stop until he was a good distance away from the man.
Casey tumbled back on her haunches as she howled with laughter. She stopped when she noticed the man was stirring, his eyelids were fluttering slightly and he was making a throaty groaning sound. Casey crept over to him and leaned over his face; his eyes fluttered open and squeezed shut again against the morning sunlight, the girl smiled.
Brad opened his eyes and tried to rise but he was too weak; he felt he would break into a thousand pieces. He found himself staring up at a smiling girl, who was staring down at him with genuine concern in her bold brown eyes, she leaned closer and a lock of curly black hair tumbled from behind her ears and touched his cheek.
“What’s your name mister?” she asked.
Brad tried to answer, struggling with the tight hoarseness in his throat.
“Brad,” he croaked.
He could not help wondering who this dirty little girl was who had injected a bit of hope into his dark situation. It suddenly occurred to him that he might have died and was in heaven and that she was an angel, but one look at her dirty face wild hair and stained clothes was enough to convince him otherwise.
A chubby faced boy leaned over him now, “is he alive” asked the scared looking boy.
“Yeah” she whispered without turning away from the man before her.
“Hi Brad,” she said cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear, “my name’s Casey.”
She motioned to the boy next to her “and this is Tom” she smiled.
Brad thought it was the most beautiful one he had ever seen, it was genuine and kind and so familiar, he tried to give her one of his own but his bruised lips would not allow much strain. Suddenly Casey’s smile vanished and was replaced with a look of horror.
“Oh no, Mister you’re bleeding!” she exclaimed and she moved away from his line of sight. Brad heard a tearing sound, someone cried out and she returned to his side pressing the cloth against his bleeding forehead. Brad sighed with relief, he was afraid she would run away. A short dark boy with puffy cheeks appeared beside her, he was shirtless and mad.
“Humph, why didn’t you take your shirt off, what’s my mom gonna say huh?” he cried puffing out his already chubby cheeks.
Brad started to rise and she slid behind him to help him up, “water,” he rasped, he had grown as pale as his complexion would allow.
Casey looked over at her friend questioningly the boy shook his head in response.
“Sorry sir, but we don’t have any, but my house isn’t far from here. I’m sure my mom will fix you right up,” she said as she wrapped the torn T-shirt around his wounded head with surprising expertise.
She then stood and propped a shoulder under his arm and Tommy went to his other side and did likewise, but when Brad finally stood they had to hold his waist instead. He looked down at his rescuers and tried to smile he was indeed grateful.