Stranded

by Chance Carter

  “I agree,” Joss echoed, “I’m burning out fast.”

  “Why don’t you both get some sleep. I’ll keep the fire going. Better safe than sorry, right? It will keep the mosquitos away, plus we have no idea if there are any predators in this area,” Daniel insisted, offering Joss a kiss on the forehead.

  “Okay,” she agreed, “but wake me up in a few hours. We’ll take shifts.”

  “Me too,” Ryan mumbled, barely audible. Joss smiled at him then turned back to Daniel.

  “Promise to wake me?”

  “Of course. Get some sleep, love,” he nodded, stealing a kiss.

  “I heard that,” Ryan chuckled, raising his hat to grin at them. Joss shook her head and giggled, not sure how to respond. “Come to bed and give me one of those.”

  “Who, me or Joss,” Daniel quipped, a playful gleam in his eye.

  “Either, I’m not picky,” Ryan laughed, drawing chuckles from them both.

  “Slut,” Daniel teased, tossing a twig at him. It bounced off the ground, inches from Ryan’s head.

  “You know it, big guy,” Ryan grinned, patting the ground beside him. Joss laughed again, warmed by the playful banter.

  “Goodnight,” she purred, leaning in for another kiss. Daniel kissed her softly, unapologetically, before releasing her. She crawled into bed beside Ryan, curling up beside him. He wrapped his body around hers, kissing her on the neck. Minutes later she was sound asleep.

  * * *

  The next morning Joss woke up, disoriented and thirsty. The men were sitting by the fire, sharing a quiet conversation, looking quite content. Surprised she had slept through the night, she sat up and quickly pulled on her boots, her bladder screaming at her.

  “Morning,” Ryan said as soon as he saw her moving.

  “Morning,” she replied, crawling towards them. “Why didn’t you guys wake me?”

  “You were sleeping so peacefully we didn’t want to disturb you,” Daniel answered, handing her some dried mango. She took it from him and sat down between them, carefully regarding them both.

  “We were going to take turns watching the fire,” she grumbled, pulling off a piece of the dried fruit with her teeth. It was deliciously sweet but only served to make her more thirsty.

  “Don’t be cross, love. We handled it,” Daniel soothed, handing her some water. Ryan nodded, charming her with his own smile.

  “Sorry,” she nodded, recognizing her impatience. She appreciated their thoughtfulness, but she refused to be treated like a fragile flower. They’d been doing enough of that since her fall. It was embarrassing. “I appreciate you letting me sleep, but please don’t do it again. It’s just the three of us for the next little while. We’ll all need to pull our weight,” she insisted, a little more gently.

  “Of course. Truthfully, I had a hard time sleeping anyway,” Daniel smiled reassuringly. He knew she would scold them for not waking her but he was ready for it. She was a proud woman. It was one of the things he loved about her.

  “Is everything okay,” she asked curiously, her sharp tone quickly shifting.

  “Yes, I’m just anxious to move on, I guess,” he assured, catching Ryan’s eye. They grinned at each other, sharing the same page.

  “I’m going for a quick walk, to freshen up a little,” she smiled, ignoring the exchange between them, as endearing as it was. “Want to pack up as soon as I get back?”

  “Sounds good,” Ryan grinned, too wise to disagree.

  Smiling, she stood up, shaking her head at both of them, submitting to their charm. It was pointless to be angry with them. After more than a month on the island, they had come to know each other’s quirks quite well, and the truth was, they liked doing little things to make her happy. It was in their nature. Her knee jerk reaction was to resist it, but truthfully it did make her feel special. She was just afraid to get used to it.

  As soon as she returned, they tore down their camp and reloaded the raft. Ryan insisted that she eat a little more before they set sail, certain she would need the protein for the day’s exertions. She didn’t disagree, sharing a piece of dried mullet with them.

  The ocean was much calmer than the day before, making their launch much less stressful, and within minutes they were back on the water paddling towards their destination. It was a perfect morning, a light cloud cover shading them from the scorching sun. The wind was behind them, making light work of their rowing, pushing them along at a much faster pace. She didn’t want to jinx them, but everything seemed to be working in their favor.

  They’d been peacefully rowing for hours, well into the afternoon, when Ryan nervously called out, “don’t want to panic anyone, but is that a shark?”

  He was pointing fifty yards in front of them, his free hand shielding his eyes from the sun. Joss grabbed the binoculars, zeroing in on the spot. For a second or two, she saw only unassuming waves, rolling easily in and out of the frame, until the large grey dorsal fin cut sharply into view.

  “I see it,” Joss stammered, trying not to alarm them. She knew it was just a matter of time before they came across a shark or another ocean predator, but it was no less intimidating. “I’m sure it’s just being nosy. Let’s just ease our paddles out of the water and wait it out. It will probably just swim on by.”

  “I’ve never actually seen a shark up close,” Ryan admitted, pulling his paddle in, shifting his legs beneath him. He wasn’t crazy about offering his appendages as bait.

  “I once had an encounter in Thailand. My mates and I were diving off the coast of Phuket and came across a Blacktip Reef Shark. It wasn’t too interested in us, not aggressive at all, but came close enough,” Daniel offered, gesturing for the binoculars.

  Joss handed them over, then pulled her paddle onto her lap before double checking the ties on her life jacket. As brave as she tried to be, she didn’t like the idea of a raft being the only thing between her and a shark; it looked too much like a dinner platter.

  “Wow, that’s a fair-sized fish, isn’t it,” Daniel laughed, apparently more excited than scared. “I think it’s coming to take a look!” He raised himself up on his knees to get a better view.

  “Fucking hell, Daniel, you don’t need to wave it over. Sit down, man. You’re making Joss nervous,” Ryan chuckled anxiously. Joss shook her head at him, forcing herself to smile.

  “Sorry, it’s not every day you get to see these magnificent creatures,” Daniel said, following the shark with the binoculars. He’s right there, on the bow, about 20 yards out. Do you guys see him?”

  They did, and neither of them were as thrilled about it as Daniel, although his enthusiasm did set Joss a little more at ease. Ryan looked at her nervously, offering her his hand which she readily accepted, both of them silently wishing the same thing; that Jaws had his fill of sea turtles or stingrays that day.

  “I think it might be a bull shark,” Daniel explained, this time with less enthusiasm. His tone shift did nothing to settle Joss’ nerves, or Ryan’s either for that matter.

  “What does that mean?” Ryan asked flatly, shifting closer to the raft’s centre.

  “Nothing, don’t worry,” Daniel assured, not as convincingly as Joss would have liked. “They can be aggressive animals, and quite curious.” He casually sat back down, as though anchoring himself.

  “Wow, he’s really close,” Joss quavered, certain she could see it looking at them. It swam around the raft, cautiously closing in on them. “What should we do?”

  Ryan looked up at her anxiously, unaccustomed to anything but confidence from her. It unnerved him but he needed to stay calm. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, unsure whether it was for her sake, or his own.

  Suddenly the shark veered towards them, gently bumping their raft, causing it to pitch to the side. All of them gasped, grabbing at the raft for support, too frightened to speak. It circled one more time before returning to investigate. Daniel swiftly stood up, picking up his paddle, and smashed at the water, striking the animal on the head. It pulled back, de
fensively rolling it’s body away, its tail smacking against the surface of water, the force swamping their raft.

  “Oh my god, Daniel!” Joss yelled reaching out for him. He’d lost his footing and tried to pull himself back, but slipped and fell onto his side, rolling towards the edge of the raft. By the time Ryan reached him, half his body was submerged in the ocean. He quickly yanked him up, just as the shark swung back around, its razor sharp teeth bared for a bite.

  The ruckus nearly capsized them, and they came dangerously close to losing their supplies, maybe even their lives. Joss had never been more frightened in her life. The last thing she wanted was to be a floating entree. Being in the open water terrified her, life jacket or not!

  Surprisingly calm, Daniel shifted out of Ryan’s death grip, gratefully patting him on the back. “I think that worked, mates,” he stuttered, clearly more frightened than he let on, “looks like he’s gone.”

  Joss shifted her gaze from left to right, searching for the creature. She didn’t see any signs of its fin either, but that didn’t ease her nerves any.

  “Christ, that was too close for comfort,” Ryan croaked, hastily rearranging their supplies. “Can we just get the fuck out of here?”

  “I second that!” Joss panted, adrenalin coursing through her veins. She picked her paddle back up, her hands shaking violently. Her nerves were so shot, she could barely catch her breath.

  “I’m good with that,” Daniel agreed, his voice cracking. “I doubt that fucking bloke will come back, but I don’t want to stick around to find out!”

  They used their paddles to right their raft around and quickly aimed for the coast, adrenalin pushing them faster than they otherwise might have moved. Before long they were pulling up on a beach, each of them offering a silent prayer that they’d survived, that it had not been any worse. Speechless, they laid in the sand, allowing their bodies a few minutes to recover from their efforts.

  “Well that was fun,” Ryan said, breaking the silence. “You’d think for an action star I would’ve been less of a pussy. Sorry I ruined the illusion for you guys. Now you know, the movies are all fake.”

  They all cracked up, the kind of full on belly laugh that often follows being frightened half to death. Ryan was always so good at providing comic relief when they needed it the most, but slowly their laughter petered off, their bodies still trembling from the shock. Joss reached out for Daniel and pulled him into an embrace, her tears involuntary and sudden. She allowed him to rock her while she clung to him, emotional and gasping for breath. Ryan shimmied closer so he could rub her back, his eyes pooled with empathy.

  Daniel, sensitive to her needs, held her for a long time, until her sobs became quiet little whimpers, and her breath returned to normal, Every now and then the men made eye contact, as though searching for support. They’d all been shaken up, and although Joss’ tears were not unreasonable given the circumstance, they were unexpected. She’d always been so solid, throughout their entire ordeal, but the close call with the shark was the straw that finally broke the camel’s back. They understood that, and just let her cry it out.

  “You okay?” Daniel asked. He gently moved her hair out of her eyes so he could see her face.

  Joss looked up at him and nodded, wiping away her tears. Always the gentleman, he wished he had a hanky to give her, offering his damp t-shirt instead. She smiled gratefully at him.

  “I’m fine,” she whispered, inhaling deeply. “Sorry I lost it. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “I think we have some idea,” Ryan smirked, making her look his way. “If we weren’t such manly men, we would have been blubbering right along with you.” The truth was, he’d come close to losing it, and even shed one or two tears himself. Daniel too.

  “I think I’m still in shock. I’ll probably lose it later,” Daniel chuckled.

  “I’ll hold you if you do, big guy,” Ryan said, teasing his friend.

  “Thanks mate, you’re a good man, I don’t care what people say,” Daniel winked, coaxing out their giggles.

  Joss offered Ryan a quick hug, then Daniel. “I’m glad I’m here with you guys, seriously,” she admitted. The cry had emotionally drained her, but she felt a lot better. “But enough whining already, we need to get settled in for the night.”

  She looked around, pleased by what she saw. The beach they’d landed on was much better than the previous one, deeper too. She stood up, shaking the sand off her rump, holding her hand out to Ryan.

  “Come on, let’s see what we’ve got to work with,” she encouraged, pulling him to his feet. Daniel stood up too, his eyes to the horizon.

  “I think this might be it, the north side of the island,” he offered confidently. “Do you see how the sun is pitching to the west of us?”

  Joss walked to the raft, lifting her bag to search inside. She pulled out the small compass that had been attached to her survival watch and held it up.

  “Yes sir, we’re definitely in the right spot. We can probably settle in here for the next few days,” she agreed, slipping the compass into her pocket. She placed her bag over her shoulder and picked up a few more supplies, unloading the raft.

  The boys quickly followed suit and before long they had everything up on the beach, far enough away from the changing tide. They built a shelter, once again using the raft as a lean to, quickly filling in the gaps with fronds. They agreed it didn’t make sense to construct anything bigger because their plan was to stay only a few days. Joss made it as homey as possible though, comfortable, while Daniel and Ryan went to collect wood for a fire.

  “Joss!” Daniel called out from the jungle. She turned her head, following his voice, his white shirt acting like a beacon. “Come here for a second!” he waved, gesturing her to join them. “Bring the water container and a few empty bottles!”

  She gathered what he asked for and quickly joined them. “What’s up?” she asked, as soon as they were in ear shot.

  “We found a stream, not too far away. There’s a large rock formation about fifty yards in, Water is cascading down the side of the cliff.”

  “Wow, good job!” she praised, handing Ryan several of the empty bottles. She followed them through the bush, her eyes peeled for edibles, until they came to the spot. It was perfect, and so close to their camp.

  “What a stroke of luck!” she beamed, filling the stainless steel container, black from all the fires it had been steeping over. She licked her lips, anxious for some cold water. She knew better not to drink from the cool flow, but it was tempting, especially since they’d been sipping sun-warmed water for several days.

  “It’s so cold!” Ryan said, the water running over his hands as he filled the vessels. “Refreshing!”

  Joss agreed, and wanted to take a quick shower in it, certain she smelled pretty ripe. She slipped her bag off her shoulders and dug out a small sliver of soap. There wasn’t much left to the bar, dwindling down little by little over the past month, but they could probably get a few more showers from it.

  “Do you guys mind if I undress? Take a shower?” she asked, kicking off her boots. She pulled off her t-shirt, baring her breasts. She’d given up the bra weeks ago, opting to use the underwire and straps for fishing hooks. She turned around to find them looking at her, mouths open and nodding, as though there was nothing they would mind less. She looked back at them and smiled, amused by their expressions.

  “Maybe you guys could take the water and firewood back to the camp? I’ll meet you there?” she suggested modestly, waving them away.

  “Oh, ya, of course,” Daniel said first, averting his eyes. Ryan just smiled and shook his head, as though he had no intention of leaving her, half naked, in the jungle, his intentions not noble in the slightest.

  “Go,” Joss giggled, shooing him away. “I’ll come back in ten minutes!”

  They did leave, Ryan looking back several times, playfully challenging her. She finished undressing and stood in the stream, allowing the soap and cold water to replenish
her. She had come to appreciate the little things on the island, grateful for any offering it saw fit to give them, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t miss hot showers.

  When she returned to camp, they were waiting for her, a small fire burning in a dug-out pit. Daniel couldn’t help but notice her t-shirt clinging to her, damp from the shower, her perky nipples curiously pressing against the fabric. He swallowed hard and dropped his eyes, pushing back his arousal. She walked over to their shelter and picked up her wrap, pulling it around herself for warmth, then joining them at the fire.

  “I thought maybe tomorrow we could do some exploring? Try to hike up that ridge, elevate ourselves for a better view?” she explained, taking the water that Ryan offered her. She took a sip before continuing. “I’m hoping to find some fresh greens or berries, set some traps for small animals. Maybe we can catch ourselves a couple of rats?”

  “Yummy,” Ryan smirked, tossing her a wink.

  “Better than dried mullet. I’m dying for fresh meat,” Daniel agreed, portioning out their evening meal.

  They ate their simple dinner quietly, still processing the close call they’d had that afternoon, each of them lost in their own world.

  “I might go for a shower too, wash the day’s grime off me,” Daniel said, his words startling Joss out of her thoughts.

  “It’s starting to get dark. Don’t be too long,” Joss advised gently, concerned for his safety.

  “Ryan will come with me, don’t worry,” Daniel assured, slipping off his t-shirt. She smiled up at him, pushing her damp hair out of her eyes.

  “You could use a bath too, mate,” he teased, raising his brows at Ryan. “You’re a little pungent.”

  “Pungent, you say,” Ryan said, playfully exaggerating Daniel’s accent. “Well I say, old boy, lead the way!”

  “Was that supposed to be an English accent? Are you sure you’re an actor?”

  “Ha ha, very funny,” Ryan replied, giving him a good natured shove. “Let’s go, Hugh Grant, I’ll go with you so you don’t get lost.”