She started patching me up, and I let her. The beast was dead, and I noticed Angie didn’t like looking where its body lay.
“Thank you for saving my life,” she whispered. “Again.”
I grinned. “My pleasure.”
“See? I can help you, too. When I packed the first aid kit, I was sure I was never going to use it. But I wanted to look like a smart traveler.”
“You’re a traveler?”
“Well, if you must know, I was abducted by aliens in Egypt. It was my last night there, before my flight to Bali.”
“I don’t know what Egypt is. Or Bali.”
“Places on my planet. Exotic places that I really wanted to see.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t get to see Bali.”
She chuckled. “I got more than I bargained for. But that’s okay.” She was done bandaging my wound, and she helped me sit up. My vision was blurry for a second. She handed me her water bottle. “Bali doesn’t have hot, green-skinned aliens with tusks.”
It took me a second to realize she was talking about me. I smiled. “I bet it doesn’t have poisonous mud and feral beasts, either.”
“Yes, it’s much less exciting than Sorahan Island. Can you stand?”
“Yes.”
She helped me to my feet. I was feeling much better, but I didn’t complain when she grabbed her bag and held me by the arm as we walked out of the forest. As a Zokunian, I healed fast. I wouldn’t need the bandage for more than a couple of hours.
“You still need to eat,” I said.
She winced. “I’m not hungry anymore. Let’s just get as far away from this place as possible.”
And so, we started our trek up the mountain.