Parasit
895 Words
A rancid odor immediately assaulted Darren and Elvira's noses, making them reflexively cover their noses.
The man who came out first was Vincent, the man who kidnapped her.
Beside him stood a woman with matted hair and a face half dusted. Her eyes widened the moment she saw Darren.
Eloise.
His wife.
The woman he once thought loved him but had only been playing with him.
The woman who cheated on him with his boss—a Chinese man, fair-skinned, with slanted eyes.
Watching them with a sharp gaze, Elvira immediately noticed the tension between them.
"Who are they?" she asked suspiciously.
Darren clenched his fists. His eyes locked with Eloise, who looked surprised, then turned to Vincent, smiling sarcastically despite his miserable condition.
"They..." Darren took a deep breath, trying to quell the anger that was beginning to boil.
"...are traitors."
Upon seeing Darren, Eloise smiled nervously. "Darren? Oh my... are you alive? We thought you were—"
Darren cut her off with a cold stare. "You thought I was dead?"
Eloise covered her mouth, unable to return Darren's piercing gaze.
Vincent, on the other hand, just chuckled. "Well, well... who would have thought? The loser Darren is still alive and even enjoying grilled fish." He glanced at Elvira with an appraising look. "And you even have a pretty friend. Interesting."
Elvira noticed his gaze and felt instant disgust. She stepped closer to Darren to show whose side she was on.
"You two stink," Elvira said matter-of-factly. "You should have showered before approaching us."
Eloise looked offended. "We almost died in the forest! We were starving, thirsty, and—"
"Oh? So now you're coming to me for help?"
Vincent chuckled. "Look, Darren. We're all trapped here. Whether we want to or not, we have to work together."
"But what if we don't want to cooperate?"
Eloise looked panicked while Vincent was still trying to maintain a calm expression.
Darren looked at them impassively. Deep down, he knew two things:
First, the two of them couldn't be trusted.
Second, Darren would never trust either of them.
And in a situation like this, power belonged to those who could survive.
Not them.
Darren decided to sit back where he was, his gaze coldly fixed on Vincent and Eloise, who were still standing at the edge of the campfire. The fish he had grilled was sizzling again, its aroma even more tantalizing. Yet, the tension between them thickened.
Vincent, who had been trying to remain calm, finally snorted. "Look, Darren. You can stay angry at us, even though I did nothing wrong to you. What happened was your fault too; you never listened to me. You're never self-aware, you're stupid, I'm smart, and I always know better. If you had listened to me, none of this would have happened.
"Now, we're both stranded on this island. We have to share our resources if we want to survive. This time, you need to listen to me, got it, Stupid?"
Darren grinned. "Share? You mean seize?"
Eloise sighed in frustration. "Darren, please. We haven't eaten anything since yesterday. We're starving."
Elvira, watching the conversation, folded her arms across her chest. "You two are pathetic. You insulted Darren, put him down, called him stupid, and now you come begging after smelling grilled fish." She glanced at Darren. "Are they always like this?"
Darren chuckled. "Oh, worse than this."
Vincent's eyes narrowed, his face hardening. "Enough of the pleasantries. We need food."
Darren noticed how Vincent's expression shifted. His eyes gleamed with ambition, his body tensed as if preparing to act.
Eloise seemed hesitant, but she was clearly on Vincent's side.
Darren sighed and raised his wooden spear, pointing it right at them.
"Don't even try it."
Eloise gasped, her eyes widening. "Darren, you—"
"Please don't make me chase you away in a harsher way," Darren continued flatly. "I caught this fish. I cooked it. You did nothing to earn it, so don't expect to enjoy it."
Vincent chuckled. "Oh, so you think you can survive on your own?"
"I'm not alone," Darren replied without hesitation as he glanced at Elvira. "If you think you can take my food, try it."
Vincent and Eloise looked at each other, and then suddenly, Vincent lunged toward the grilled fish with his hand outstretched.
However, before he could touch it, Darren made his move.
Deftly, he swung his spear backward and struck Vincent's chest, pushing him back forcefully.
Vincent gasped and fell backward, sand filling his mouth as he coughed.
Eloise screamed and hurriedly knelt to help him. "Vincent!"
Elvira let out a small laugh. "You guys are pathetic. Even now, you're still acting like parasites."
Vincent rubbed his face, now covered in sand, and looked at Darren with a hateful gaze. "Alright. You want to play rough?"
"I'm not playing. I'm just guarding what's mine." Darren smirked wryly.
Vincent's eyes flashed angrily, but he knew he couldn't win in a straight fight.
"Let's go, Eloise," he muttered angrily. "Let them die here."
Eloise looked indecisive but finally followed Vincent, who stormed off from the campfire, his expression dark with resentment.
Once they were far enough away, Elvira laughed and patted Darren on the shoulder. "I have to admit, you were pretty cool earlier."
"But are you sure you want to let them go? What if something happens to them?"
- Writer
