The Mission

This is just a little thing that I wrote a while back saved in my archives. This isn't all of what I was going to write, so I might post more. Please critic my work :) I want to improve~

Day 1: I've landed on a mysterious island, devoid of humanity, full of mystery, with only my flashlight and a bit of beef jerky to munch on. I have no idea how I ended up here, but I better find some water, I can't survive long without it.

Day 2: I'm starving and walking through the jungle, having foolishly eaten the rest of my jerky, and now having nothing to chew on as  I navigate this dense greenery. I only hope that I'll find some water soon.

Day 5: I've only found a bit of water, the rest was being heavily guarded by a few unfamiliar big cats. I'll have to try again somehow, because this small portion won't last very long in these conditions. I have also yet to catch a single small animal in my homemade snare, I think I'll have to resort to eating bugs for now.

Day 7: This flashlight has helped me through many a time, but now it's chosen a fantastic time to start dying-- the light is flickering, so I'm going to have to shut it off to preserve battery life.

Day 10: I managed to catch a small bird that was foraging on the ground, and killing it swiftly by banging it's head on a rock. I feel so terrible, but I have to survive to get off this island. The bird itself tastes alright, but I think I got a feather in my mouth. 

Day 11: I ran into an unfriendly tiger today, in which I had to scramble into a tree so I could avoid having my leg ripped off. Then I had the misfortune to run into a banana spider and scream like a little girl. I think I seriously almost wet myself. I also found this neat-o cave, but it looks like something has recently been in it. No food was caught today, but my bug diet is working well since the bugs here are crunchy and large.

Day 14: I smell, I think I've lost ten pounds while on this island, and I have to keep a vigilant eye out for water and for predators. I'm really feeling this sense of dread in the pit of my stomach, because I think something is following me...

Day 16: Ok, this entry is really fast because I just avoided a giant black thing in the dense brush. I think it might be coming back. I need to find some food and fast, or else I'll collapse from exhaustion. Water is plentiful  though, since it just rained.

Day 18: I saw that huge shadow figure again! I think he's following me...I really need to-

The rest of the writing is covered with splotches of blood, and is illegible. This  journal was collected after researchers came to this island investigating a Bigfoot case. This and a tuft of brown fur was all that was recovered. from the scene, along with an old blood trail that ran into the underbrush, which led to a lone cave. Investigators have not detailed this opening as of yet. 

CASE FILED: CODE-NAME: BIGFOOT ISLAND

OPEN FOR INVESTIGATION

***

            Tony cursed his luck, looking over the case file once more. He was going to be investigating this case with almost no evidence. The blood turned out to be from Dan Wilkson, a cliff diving daredevil with a hunger for adventure. No one knew how he got on the island, but some say he got there by plane, which had crashed and caused him to acquire severe head trauma. Others say he was shipwrecked with a bad case of amnesia. From what the journal said, it seemed the second option was more plausible. Well, whatever, Tony thought grouchily. All he would have to do is go to this Bigfoot Island, and see what was up with this "Bigfoot" myth. This mission was going to be interesting, given that he enjoyed studying Crypto-Zoology. It shouldn't be too hard, and he'd have plenty of supplies for an extended project like this one. With that in mind, he thoroughly began to prepare for the trip.

***

            His feet pounded on the ground, running as fast as he possibly could; holding his right arm, which was gushing blood. The beast let out a deep snarl, smashing through undergrowth as it gained on him with terrifying speed. There was no hope left, so he just turned around to face the oncoming creature. The large shadow looked at him with hellish red eyes, the long fangs drooling with hunger. The monster's acrid breath blew in his face, causing a small cringe. Awaiting death, he stilled, eyes closing. The pain was sudden as the man felt a gaping empty hole in the center of his chest. As he fell to the ground, teeth sharp as needles sawed into his leg bone. Coughing blood and chuckling grimly as the last minutes of his life were spent as a chew toy, the life force quickly drained from his weakened body. Grind, crunch, grind-

            Tony awoke with a start, drenched in sweat. His hand reached up and felt his chest, which was still whole. Struggling to catch his breath, he reached for the glass of water he kept on his nightstand. The cool liquid trickled down his tightened throat, making his heart slow to a steady thumping beat. A shadow then flashed by him, causing him to choke and splutter all over his baby blue bed sheets. His girlfriend shifted positions beside him and grumbled, but otherwise, did not stir. Looking around with dilated pupils, they caught a glint of light as it flew past the window in a blur. Realizing what it was after a tense pause, he sighed in relief. "Oh...just a car." Tony chuckled nervously to himself. Turning onto his side again, the troubled man fell into a dreamless slumber.

***

            "Toooony!" Angie's singsong voice rang from downstairs. "Come get some eggs and toast before you start your big day!" Groaning, Tony rubbed his eyes, which were caked over by crusty mucus. Heading downstairs, he groggily held onto the railing as the wooden stairs creaked in protest underneath his slippers. Looking up, he saw Angie twirling around the kitchen, her raven colored hair sweeping around her face and highlighting her emerald green eyes. Yawning, Tony marveled his beautiful girlfriend from afar as she hummed happily and buzzed about. Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her softly on the cheek, grinning as she flushed. "Morning, Ang," Tony kissed her again on the other cheek, then looked at the stove. "Breakfast smells wonderful, as always." Angie shooed him playfully to the table, where she soon had a decadent meal placed out. Tony licked his lips appreciatively as he dug in. Angie watched him eat with mirth in her eyes, and then sat down, joining him.

            With breakfast finished, Tony rubbed his slightly bulging stomach and stretched luxuriously in the dining chair. Getting up, he kissed his midnight haired beauty again, thanked her for the delicious food, ascended the stairs, and hurriedly got ready for his "mission."

***

  Driving slowly in his compact car, Tony made a mental checklist of everything he needed for the expedition. Deep in thought, his workplace came into view quickly. The imposing building was taller than all of the surrounding skyscrapers, with thousands of windows, all shining brilliantly in the rising sun. With a little burst of childish excitement, Tony pressed down on the gas and accelerated down the highway.

            Arriving at HQ was as usual; enter employee pin code at the front door, express a greeting to Tucker, the burly security guard, and go to his office on the hundredth floor. Relaxing, Tony sat down in his plush chair and turned on the sleek PC sitting on the desk. A few seconds later, the AI pinged, greeting him in a monotone voice. "Good morning, Tony Stevens. Please swipe your finger on the scanner to log into your account." Lazily running his pointer finger across the blinking icon, the screen expanded as case folders were displayed, with the Bigfoot investigation marked in bright green. Tony wiggled his mouse over his current task, chewing on his thumb skin slowly as he read over the objectives. 

So far, it seemed like a pretty simple operation. One, he would have to investigate the Bigfoot claims. Two, he would have to find out what happened to Wilkson, since his body was not found at the site. Third, and lastly, he would have to find out if there were any other inhabitants on the island so he could bring them back for questioning. Seemed simple enough, Tony mused. Sadly, the day in the life of  the Mythology Investigation Sector's top researcher was never easy.

***

            "You sure you'll be alright? I'll come with you to lend some added security if you need it." Ivan, Tony's best friend and co-worker, said in a worried voice as he edged back from the helicopter's landing pad. "Nah, I'll be fine. This ought to be fun! I'll be back before you know it, buddy." Tony smiled reassuringly at his pale pal. Ivan huffed sulkily, but nodded, stepping back completely as the helicopter's blades began whirring. Climbing into the cockpit next to the pilot, Tony waved at his team as they began to lift off. Soon, the helicopter was hovering over the large city. In the back of the monstrously sized flyer was everything that he needed for the island, all packed up in a large rucksack. "Island vacation all set, eh, Tony?" Mike, the tan pilot, chuckled at him. "Yep, but I have a hunch this thing is going to be a total pain." Tony sighed, making a face. Mike laughed out loud then, patting him on the back. "There, there old buddy. You've done plenty of missions before, you'll slice and dice this one just like the rest!"

***

            His stomach growled with hunger, and he clutched it tightly. The man continued to search fruitlessly for anything that would postpone his intense rumbling. Frisking a fern patch for any edible material, the man suddenly fell forward, uttering a cry as he fell through the bush into a deep, rank cave. 

            Tony was drooling on his arm when he felt a soft cuff on his ear, making him jump. "H-hey!" He cried in protest. "Sorry, man," Mike burst into tears of side-aching laughter. "But you just looked so ridiculous, I had to wake you up or I would be embarrassed for you!" Mike bent over, tears streaming out of his eyes as he heaved. Tony rolled his eyes as he wiped the spittle strand off with the back of his hand. After the pilot had recovered enough to speak, he gestured toward the beach.

            "Well, you're here, bud. Hope to have you back soon. Ivan's going to be worried sick without you at HQ. Be sure to take all caution alright?" Mike's hazel eyes flashed with sudden worry. "Yeah, yeah. Make sure you don't end up killing Ivan for buzzing around your hair all the time while I'm gone, okay?" Tony grinned and slapped Mike on the back. "It's a deal." The pilot agreed, smiling.

            Tony watched the helicopter become a speck in the distance, and then hauled his equipment up with him to face his project for the next few weeks. The ominous feeling he got from it was almost comical; in a dry sort of sense. Shrugging off the dense thoughts, the researcher continued to drag his backpack up the beach, groaning slightly from the effort. Man, was he out of shape. Huffing and puffing after only a few feet, Tony resigned himself to sleeping on the sand. "This is going to be a long night." He sighed. 

Author's Note

Should the dialogue be a bit more detailed? I'm still a bit shaky with it. Hrmmm...Are the "dreams" too confusing? Do I need to slow down?