“Look, we need to continue searching the island for anything that’s washed up or any supplies we can use. We need to get water back here and boil it. We need food…there’s, there’s pigs we can hunt.”
Keyon and Antonio started to laugh. I glared at them then looked to Trevor and we both started laughing too.
“You gonna hunt pigs bro?” Keyon asked.
“I’m not,” I laughed. “I was hoping one of you guys know something about that.”
“What else do we need?” Amber asked in a serious tone.
I straightened my face. “Um, maybe see what else is in here.”
“Do we really want to stay here?”
“What do you mean?”
Amber pulled her hair back and twisted into a loose bun. “This cave...way back here. What if someone comes looking for us?”
I frowned. I wanted to tell her that no one was looking for us, at least I didn’t think so. It meant more to me to be out of the elements than to sit on the beach hoping some boat drove by. It didn’t make sense to wait on the beach for rescue.
“It’s safer in here,” Reggie suddenly said.
He hadn’t spoken in days. Him and Sherry had stayed to themselves and we made sure to give them space. None of us knew how to treat them, none of us knew the right words to say.
“It’s not safe in here,” Amber retorted. “We don’t know anything about this place or what really lives in here.”
“It’s safe,” Reggie said then turned his back. “I’m going to bed.”
He got up and walked away. Sherry shot a look at Amber then followed him into the shadows. Amber started to call after them, but she swallowed the words and lowered her head.
“They’ll be fine,” Chase said then turned to me. “So, what’s the plan captain?”
We talked well into the night. Everyone gave their opinion and eventually we settled on some form of organization. It wasn’t much, but it was something to build on and hopefully keep us from killing each other.
I would take the lead, if you could call it that. All that really meant was I’d try to keep order and get everyone to agree. To appease Amber, I also agreed to work on building a signal that we could keep on the beach in case a rescue did come.
Antonio and Keyon would be responsible for water. I’d show them the way to the pond and they’d get the water back to the cave and boil it daily. Amber called them the irrigators, which meant they also had to designate a place for restroom use.
“We can’t have Chase shitting in our water supply,” Trevor said adamantly.
Chase and Hanson wanted to hunt. There were plenty of pigs on the island and who knew what else. Chase had been hunting with his dad in North Carolina so according to him, he knew the proper way to field dress and clean the animals.
Trevor declared he was the explorer. His first mission was to find what else was in the cave and if it was safe for us to claim it as home. That job suited him, he was increasingly becoming more irresponsible and I wouldn’t want him tasked with something that we depended on to live.
Amber and McKinsey were going to help me with the signal. Once that was complete Amber said she’d go with Chase to hunt. McKinsey was fine helping wherever she was needed and we figured sooner or later Reggie and Sherry would do the same.
So, with a plan intact, we all went to bed, ready to get started in the morning. I laid on my back, my head resting on a rolled-up jacket I’d scavenged. The night played a soft lullaby full of chirping bugs and sounds that gave me goosebumps. For the first time in a long time I felt optimistic. Like if we stuck to the plan, we all might be okay.
“You got room for two?” Amber asked as she stood over me.
I smiled and scooted to the edge of the itchy maroon blanket. She sat down and stretched out next to me, nudging her head next to mine on the makeshift pillow.
“Where’d you find this?” she asked. “The blanket?”
“There were a few in the luggage we brought back. I don’t know where the rest went. I think Chase might be hoarding them.”
Amber laughed. “You did good back there. Taking charge and all.”
“Eh, it wasn’t taking charge. Just…just getting everybody to work together.”
“Well, they needed it. We all need to work together if we’re gonna get rescued.”
I wrinkled my face and bit my tongue. Amber had been pitching this rescue story since we ended up on the island, but day by day it became less likely. I was starting to believe that I might spend the rest of my life living like that Tom Hanks movie.
“You know we are getting rescued, right? They aren’t gonna just leave us here.” She pushed herself up onto her elbows and stared me in the eyes.
“You didn’t hear it…you didn’t listen to him. Something is wrong out there Amber.” I reached out my hand and swept the hair behind her ears. The smoldering flames cast a dim light, dancing across her cheeks, illuminating the soft features of her face. “He sounded so scared. I…I just don’t’ know.”
“We gotta hold onto something,” she said lowly.
Sighing, she wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her head in my chest. I hugged her back. It was good to feel her warm body next to mine, good to feel like something was still normal.
We didn’t talk anymore. I just laid there in silence listening to her breath. I was awake long after she fell asleep, watching her, feeling her subtle heart beat pulse like a drum. I didn’t want to move.
It was that, that made everything right. The two of us, finding one another and turning this tragedy into, into something I didn’t know yet. I could’ve stayed in that moment forever, I could’ve melted into her until we became one and everything else faded away. And it was with that thought that I finally fell asleep.
The next morning, I woke to a growling stomach and dry mouth. The only food we had left were some stale crackers and we each had a bottle of water to ourselves. After that was gone, I scoured the cave like a zombie, but the only thing edible were grubs and we hadn’t devolved that far yet.
Yawning, I reluctantly untangled myself from Amber and sat up. She smiled and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was tangled into knots and shimmered under the rays of light that crept inside. I wished I could’ve met her in the real world.
“I’m gonna head down to the beach and wash up,” she said in a croaky voice.
“Okay.”
“That was your invite,” she replied with a smile.
Grabbing the soap and toothpaste we’d found in the luggage, she gave me a curious glance then headed outside. I quickly got up and started to follow her.
“That happened fast,” Trevor said.
“What?”
“You falling in love and shit.”
I glared at him for a second then started to head out. “I’ll be back.”
The weather was nice outside. It was still pretty early and the sun had just risen. The air was cool and the sound of the water below sent a rush of excitement up my legs.
We’d been up and down the trail so much that the path had been beaten clear. It didn’t take long for me to make it down to the water where I found Amber waist deep in the lagoon.
“You came,” she said in an excited tone.
“Of course.”
I climbed the rocks and pulled my shirt off then laid my shorts next to them. Stepping into the water, I shivered then dipped my head below the cool surface. The waves pushed against the barrier and more of the ocean slowly flowed into the lagoon.
“I brought an extra toothbrush, just in case,” Amber said and pointed.
“Thanks.”
I reached out and grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste. I’d been gargling with salt water for nearly a week and my teeth felt like they’d grown fur. I never thought I could be excited about something so trivial, but grabbing that toothbrush was like getting a brand-new car for Christmas.
After I was done I grabbed the soap and rubbed a handful into my hair. I could feel the dirt and grime fallin
g away as the suds rolled down my face. I closed my eyes and dipped back under the water letting the ebb and flow push me around like a buoy.
“Wow,” I gasped as my head broke the surface.
“I know right. Who thought taking a bath could feel so great?”
Pushing my hair back, I smiled at Amber and waded closer to her. Her crimson strands were slicked to her head, falling past her shoulders. A tail of foam slid down the arc of her back just as the sun glowed behind her. I felt like I was watching a photo shoot.
“I need to wash this,” she said with a sinister grin then pulled her bikini top off.
I froze, unable to pull my eyes away. Trevor may have been joking, but right there, I was certain that I’d fallen in love with her.
“Come here,” she said and pulled her index finger through the air.
I shuffled my feet forward and she wrapped her arms around my neck. Grabbing her waist, I pressed my chest to hers and smiled.
“Got room for two more?” a voice boomed.
I turned my head and found Chase and Hanson gleaming at us with wide smiles on their faces. Amber quickly turned her back and started to fasten her top.
“Fuck you Chase,” she growled.
“Shouldn’t you guys be looking for food?” I said in an annoyed tone.
“Thought you were worried about smoke signals and shit?” Chase replied. “Besides, you were supposed to be showing Antonio the way to the water. And from what I hear the pigs were somewhere around there, so put on some pants and let’s get moving lover boy.”
Groaning, I turned back to Amber. “Rain check?”
She smiled. “Sure.”
After getting dressed, we headed back up the trail where we met Antonio and Keyon. They both had bags slung over their shoulders with what I assumed were filled with empty water bottles. That was plan anyway.
“Lead the way,” Chase said and held out his hand.
I retraced my footsteps back through the thick bushes and dense trees. The swarm of insects seemed to be waiting for me, like they knew I’d be back. I tumbled forward, fighting them off and ripping through the tangled jungle.
As the sun moved higher into the sky, the temperature rose to sauna levels. The cool air was replaced with sweltering heat and a sticky humidity that made it feel like I was walking through soup.
Sweat poured down my arms in streams. My hair stuck to my forehead and every step I took sent beads of perspiration into my eyes. The day was become a bully and I was a kid with too much lunch money.
“How much farther?” Chase yelled out to me.
“Not much,” I lied.
The truth was I wasn’t sure. But I felt like we weren’t even close. So, I kept walking, fading in and out, letting my mind wander as my feet moved automatically.
Minutes ticked by like seconds or maybe hours. I’d lost all track of time and every day that passed on the island, I grew further from the confines of city life. I knew when the sun came up, when it was at its highest point, and when it was on the way down. Those were the only times that mattered anymore.
I pushed through a cluster of palms and the scenery became vaguely familiar. The trail we were on started to diverge into two separate paths and I laughed to myself.
“What’s so funny?” Chase asked. “Are we lost?”
“Nah, this where we found the pigs. The pond’s just this way.”
I headed down a narrow trail and Chase and the others fell behind me. We walked for a few minutes then the trail opened, and I could see the tall, dead grass up ahead. It swayed back and forth allowing glimpses of the sparkling water behind it.
Pushing the reeds to the side, I stepped forward and stopped near the edge. “Here you go.”
“Good, I’m so fucking thirsty,” Antonio said and charged forward.
“I wouldn’t drink that. There’s a reason we’re going to boil it.”
“Because you two clowns have weak stomachs? I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse,” Antonio gawked.
Bending down, he scooped up the water and drank from it. I shook my head from side to side as I watched him.
“You’re gonna regret that.”
“So, you saw pigs around here?” Chase asked.
I turned around. “Yeah. They were near the pond and then took off running. Had to be like ten or more.”
“Come on Hanson. Let’s find dinner.”
“Good luck,” I replied as I started to head out. “Oh, and Keyon, you might be carrying dumb ass back. Pretty sure he’s gonna be shitting himself soon.”
Keyon started to laugh as I walked away. The trail was a little more forgiving on the way back. We’d broken enough branches and stomped on enough bushes that aside from the bugs, it was a nice walk.
As the sun reached its highest point, I emerged from the jungle and started around toward the cave we called home. I stopped at the top of the plateau and looked down at the water below, before heading down the narrow dirt trail that carved into the side of the mountain. Before I could even make it half way, Trevor emerged from around the corner running toward me, waving his hands.
“Daniel! Come quick!”
CHAPTER 12
SHIPWRECK ISLAND
A steady drip echoed in the dark. The source was hidden in the shadows, but the rhythmic plop was like a metronome calling out to me. We were headed toward it, following the audible beacon like a map.
Our flashlights cut thin beams through the nebulous blanket, but I still couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of my face. We’d moved far beyond the reaches of daylight. Into the burrows where creatures that didn’t need eyes dwelled.
I followed Trevor through the depths of the cave, down winding tunnels and jagged passages. The air was stale and thick and at times I found myself crawling over slippery rocks through ankle-deep liquid comprised of unknown fluids.
“How much further?” I asked.
“Not long, we’re close.”
“A waterfall?”
Before he had the chance to answer me, I heard the faint the sound of running water. I took a few more steps and my feet splashed into another narrow stream that was sliding through the rocks like a lanky python.
Trevor looked at me and smiled. “It’s more than that,” he replied.
We continued deeper and deeper into the darkness. The path vanished ahead of us, but Trevor moved with conviction. I followed his shrinking silhouette into the unknown, trusting that he knew what he was doing.
Suddenly, I saw a dim light up ahead. We inched closer, the light growing brighter with every step. The cave began to widen, and I felt a shock of relief as the glow of daylight illuminated my steps.
A deep rumbling sounded in the distance. It was like boulders falling down a mountain or dozens of explosions going off miles away. Trevor cut his light off and started to run ahead. He had a stupid grin on his face and was mumbling something under his breath before he turned and yelled back to me, “Hurry up!”
Gripping my flashlight like a baton, I sprinted behind him. He ran a few seconds longer then stopped just shy of a narrow opening. I caught up to him and looked outside.
“What do you think?” Trevor asked.
A wall of water poured down from above me, slamming into a wide, vibrant blue pool ten feet below. The ledge I was standing on sloped to the ground, splitting like a roundabout, circling the water. It was all enclosed under a canopy of towering palm trees, wild bushes and vines that twisted through everything like braided hair.
“Wow!” I gasped.
“Come on.”
Trevor stepped outside and started down the winding path. I fell behind him, staring up at the sheer rock face overhead as I passed under it. It had to be more than thirty feet high, with a stream carving its way right down the middle.
The lip of the waterfall jutted out twenty feet over the mouth of the cave. It sounded like thunder as the water collapsed into the pond. A plume of cool mist rose into the air, drifting through the trees like a ghost.
Pushing through the thick vegetation, I made my way closer. The grass was slick, and my feet sank into the soil with every step, but I continued toward the pool. Once I reached it, I stretched out my arm and scooped up a handful of the cool water. I took a sip then looked up at Trevor.
“It’s freshwater. And a lot closer than that nasty pond.”
“Yeah…yeah that’s good. But there was something else I wanted to show you.”
Trevor turned and walked off into the jungle. I straightened up and stared down into the water for a few moments. It was the stroke of luck that we needed, a pool of freshwater right behind the cave we called home.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and splashed water on my face. My feet throbbed, and my legs were sore from all the walking, but Trevor had already vanished into the bushes. I wondered, what could be more important than freshwater?
“Wait up,” I called out and took off after him.
He charged through the trees like death was chasing him. He was a man on a mission and seemed totally uninterested in anything else. I rushed to catch up and found him standing in a clearing, facing a rock wall. There was a space in between the wall, large enough for a person to pass through. Trevor stared into the break with a crazy look on his face. His eyes were glossy and his mouth hung open.
I looked around the clearing in awe. Now that the trees weren’t covering the sky I could see more of the landscape. The waterfall and the pond were centered in the middle of a massive mountain. We were standing in that gap, staring at a pass that led to the leeward side of the island.
“What is it?” I asked.
Trevor nodded his head toward the opening, but didn’t speak. He slowly raised his hand and pointed in between the two massive rocks.
“What?” I asked again with more urgency in my voice.
Overboard: Deconstruction Book Four (A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller) Page 11
