Honors English
The Most Dangerous Game Essay
10-1-12
The Most Dangerous Game 2: Finding Whitney

Morning came, as Rainsford stared out the window of the wayward tower he couldn't help but remember Whitney, his charming hunting accomplice. Whitney and Rainsford hunted together very often and Rainsford could not remember a day when Whitney wasn't at his side, tracking a buck or skinning a snow leopard. He was a great hunter and an even better friend. Rainsford thought to himself “Where is Whitney?” and at that moment he wondered if Whitney had survived ship trap cove. The General had clearly stated that no ship had ever made it through there successfully because of the unmarked rocks, but Whitney was no novice at sailing, he could have had enough skill to maneuver the rocks and steer clear of danger. Rainsford quickly dismissed the thought. “Why wouldn't he come looking for me if he survived.” Rainford turned in his restless doze trying to forget about Whitney, but something didn't seem right. He couldn't shake the feeling that Whitney was still alive. He pondered this Idea and then came to the conclusion that he had no choice but to search for Whitney.

Rainsford only came to this conclusion because of the lack of sea worthy vessels on the island. He knew that he needed Whitney's expertize to help him build a raft so he could get off this horrible island where memories of the hunt still haunt his dreams. He started preparing for his journey. He packed all the non perishable foods that the General had stored on the island and then began to map out the isle with the memories of the hunt. He knew of the Death Swamp and decided against searching around it not only because of the danger of quicksand, but because even Whitney could not get out of that deep quicksand. He replayed all the moments of the hunt through his head with such detail, it was like a movie. He thought that he would check the cove first and try to find some clues about Whitney's disappearance.

After a breakfast of Russian soup and tea, Rainsford set out for the cove. Before he left on his journey, he decided to check the General's study. He wanted to see if anything in the room proved to be useful in his search for Whitney. He searched the room for a long period and came up with nothing. He decided to check the Generals bookshelf for any books by him because he didn't want people to discover that this man hunted humans with the techniques Rainsford had documented in his novels. He discovered his book on hunting snow leopards and began to take it down from the shelf when he herd a click. The bookshelf then slid aside revealing the most beautiful thing Rainsford had ever seen, It was a gold plated rifle that was completely customized to the General's likings. Rainsford grabbed the gun, loaded it with the bullets provided and set off for Whitney. He knew that leopards were present around this region in the world and he didn't want to take any chances.

Old habits told him to cover up his tracks and mask his sent. He had to keep reminding himself that unless Whitney was alive, He was the only person left on this heinous island. Moving as fast as he could through the thick undergrowth, he could hear the roar of the ocean crashing against the rocks like a freight train. As he crept closer and closer to the cove, a thick mist began to obscure his vision. He decided to light a torch to clear the mist. It took a little more effort than Rainsford expected due to the heavy moisture in the air. Once the torch was lit and burning bright, he started off in the direction of the sounds of the ocean. He came up on a clearing and then he was frozen by fear. He thought that he might find Whitney's corpse, washed up on the rocks like a rag doll. He bit his lip and trudged on through the clearing and was surprised at the sight.

The yacht that he traveled here on was crashed up on the rocks. He hurried down the cliff side as carefully as the lose rocks would allow. He reached the wreckage and searched for Whitney. After about ten minutes, he came upon a trail of footprints, starting at the wreckage and going in the direction of the other side of the cove, which had surprisingly calmer waters. Rainsford followed the trail and saw that it lead into the ocean. He shouted in frustration. “Why had he gone off into the water?” He thought and thought and then came upon the realization that the dogs that the General had on the island must have drove him into the water. That must mean he survived the crash, but where did he swim to. Rainsford stared off into the abyss of gray. The fog was too heavy to see out in the open water. Dusk was upon him, so he decided to set up camp for the night. He found the softest, driest sand he could and laid down. Sleep however, never came, just a light daze with thoughts of his hunting partner whirring through his head like a tornado.

When morning came Rainsford was relieved to see that the fog had lifted. He could see now that beyond the cove there was another land mass off in the distance. Rainsford thought to himself “That is where he must have gone to escape the dogs.” Rainsford then packed all of his supplies that wouldn't be soiled by the salt water and jumped into the warm Caribbean.

The other island never seemed to get closer. He thought that he had been swimming for hours when finally he felt the warm sand under his feet. He looked around, taking in all of what the island had to offer. There were plenty of cocoanut trees. That was a good sign to Rainsford, he knew that Whitney would not die of starvation because of the heavy surplus of tropical fruit. He searched around the beach where he landed. He thought all hope was lost until he stumbled upon a piece of packaging form an emergency rescue kit from his boat! Overwhelmed with joy. Rainsford started off into the woods of the jungle, knowing that his friend was somewhere in there.

Night had fallen over the deserted island and Rainsford had grown weary, for he had been trudging through the creepers of the jungle all day now. Once his legs could not take any more, he collapsed, and could not get back on his feet. He dosed off and only was awoken by the sound that he had been researching in the past months, it was the sound of a leopard stalking him in the night. As swiftly as he could he rolled over and grabbed the General's rifle. He realized that he was at a great disadvantage because of the low visibility, and fear paralyzed him for just a moment. That was all the creature needed to pounce on Rainsford. He screamed in pain. He knew that the leopard had broken a few bones and he was left defenseless. Rainsford turned his head and saw the rifle, gleaming in the moonlight like a distant star. He herd the creature roar and he thought that this was the end for him. His only regret was that he could not find Whitney. “At least I will get to see him now.” Rainsford thought. Just when the creature was done toying with his pray, and moved in for the kill, Rainsford's screams were drowned out by a sound that was very familiar to him. It was a gunshot, but not just any gunshot, one that made his fear disperse as quickly as it came. “How's it going Whitney?” said Rainsford. “Oh, you know Rainsford, just the same old same old. Hey, have you ever tasted leopard before?” said Whitney.