Act IV

“Alright, so in the morning we’ll get another group together to go ashore. A couple of them that almost shit their pants today, they stay behind this time. Pick out guys that can handle themselves,” Karl said. “We’ll bring our trading materials along with us, see if we can’t bribe our way into getting to see what’s what around here.”

“So you really think we can make friends with those island assholes?” Jack asked.

“And why not? Besides, there’s no choice. I’ve got to see for myself what this Dong is,” Karl replied.

“Just another islander legend. They needed a god to worship, Dong is it.” Anglerod theorized.

“Great, we’re here to make a film about a myth,” Jack complained.

“Bullshit,” Karl shot back. “That wall’s not there for no reason.”

“You said yourself those people don’t even remember anything about when it was built,” Jack argued.

“Did you see the gate, though? They’ve kept that thing together. There’s something in that island they want to keep in there,” Karl insisted. Suddenly, the sound of the drums from the village started up again.

Anglerod shook his head. “This late and they are still going at it?”

“It’s a shame there’s no way to film it in the dark, it must be something to see alright,” Karl said.

“You really are a glutton for punishment, aren’t you,” Anglerod observed.

“Oh, fuck off,” Karl shot back.

“Say, where did Anne get off to?” Jack wondered, looking down at the deck.

“Who knows. Maybe down in the crew quarters stirring up a gang bang again. I swear that girl is insatiable, I really lucked out with her. I’d have half a mind to go film it if it didn’t mean I’d have to pay all those sailors to be in the picture,” Karl said. “Even without my camera, I have half a mind to go join in.”

“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea actually,” Jack said, rubbing his cock through his pants as he set off to go find her.

“How about you Skipper, want a piece of that hot ass?” Karl offered.

“As if letting you hire me for this trip wasn’t already undignified enough,” Anglerod grumbled. Karl gave him a knowing stare. “Alright, alright, she’s spent a few nights in my cabin on the way out here. What the hell do you want from me, there’s no way I’m turning down a smoking hot slut like that.” Karl just laughed in response.

Jose walked the length of the deck with Blake by his side, keeping watch. He glanced down at the deck, then stooped down for a closer look. What appeared to be some debris turned out to be several beads, some of them still together on a string while others sat loose. “Captain, captain!” he shouted in a panic.

“What? What the fuck’s the matter?” Angelrod said as he approached a few moments later.

“Look what I find on deck, sir!” Jose said, handing over the handful of beads.

“Oh, shit. That looks like something the islanders were wearing. They’ve been on board!” Anglerod said.

“What’s the ruckus?” Karl asked, approaching with Jack close behind him.

“We need to search the ship. Jose just discovered that natives have been on board. Might still be here or have taken something.”

“Those motherfuckers! It’s Anne, they must have gotten her. She’s not on the ship, I checked every room, stem to stern. Nobody’s seen her for hours,” Jack said.

“I knew I was going to regret this mad quest of yours, Dickem,” Anglerod said. “Alright, let’s get the crew armed and in the boats. We’ll go get your girl and then we’re casting off from this Godforsaken island.”

Jack, Karl, Anglerod, and a group of sailors ran through the village towards the wall, just as the villagers finished closing and securing the large gate. They could hear Anne on the other side, screaming, “Let me go! Somebody help me!” The villagers crowded the top of the wall, looking over and chanting. The trio of men made it to a gap in the gate that provided just enough of a window to see through, as the natives fell into a reverent silence.

On the other side of the wall, a lagoon stretched out, strewn with rock formations and swamp vegetation. They watched as something emerged from the water with an odd gurgling roar, a great beast that was composed almost entirely of tentacles. It crawled across the ground approaching the wall on eight giant tentacle arms covered in suckers. Further up its body, it had another eight smaller tentacles, plus two more longer ones with clubbed ends, reaching out ahead of it. At the top of the monster sat a ridged shell that spiraled around itself, opening frontwards towards its lower side, harboring a face that was merely a pair of yellow eyes and a writhing mass of small tentacles. Though the torchlight was dim, they could make out that the beast’s skin was a revolting salmon color, and its shell a dirty beige covered with a significant amount of green algae. At its full height out of the water, it stood about fifty feet to the top of its shell.

“Holy mother of God! It’s like some sort of evolutionary throwback of cephalopods all mashed together into a Lovecraftian horror!” Anglerod observed.

“You a marine biologist now, Captain?” Karl asked.

“I’ve picked up a few things in my years. That monster looks like somebody piled a squid on top of an octopus, and then an ammonite on top of that! I wonder if we’re looking at an honest to God kraken!”

“I don’t fucking care what we call it, it’s going for Anne!” Jack pointed out.

Anne was dressed in the red kimono they had seen earlier, and was tied to a pillar on a cliff overlooking the great Dong’s approach. She struggled against her bonds, the panic evident in her screams grew exponentially as the beast made its way towards her. Finally, its gruesome head loomed directly in front of her, and the small tentacles reached out, coiled around her body, and pulled her away from the pillar, easily breaking the rope that had held her there.

“Oh God, it’s going to eat me! Help! Please somebody do something!” she yelled.

“Men! Get that gate open!” Anglerod ordered. The sailors set to it, but found it no easy task to deal with both the heavy bars across the gate and the villagers that wanted to make sure it stayed closed.