Survive on an Island...or else.

Rob

"I'm not taking your shoes," I said simply. "But if you want to take them off and blister your feet then go right ahead." I stared at her for a moment and then turned away. Foolish. Didn't the girl know how to look after herself? Worrying about others was no way to live.

"Well maybe we could find you a pair," Lacy suggested. "Those- those dead people had shoes." I ignored this. Did she think I hadn't checked them before we buried them? Their feet had been all too small. Perhaps in a day or two a body with the right size would wash up but what sort of condition would they be in? I'd be better off tying a shirt around each foot which actually wasn't a bad idea.

"Come on, let's trek back and tell the others. That way by the time we bring them here tomorrow we'll be ready for another bath."

"Why so grumpy again?" Heather asked. "What was wrong with being happy?"

"We're stuck on a desert island and my parents are probably right now deciding on how to tell my daughter that her daddy's dead," I snapped. "But other than that, sure, I'm deliriously happy."

Lacy

"You know what?" Lacy couldn't stand someone with a smart mouth, when people were just trying to help them, "You don't have to be so rude about it. I chose to take my shoes off because they were hurting my feet. I hate wearing shoes. Don't ever think for once that all of us don't have someone back home that's gonna give up on us, and think we're dead. Now, I don't care, but at least apologize to Heather." Lacy turned and stomped off towards the cave, Heather staring wide-eyed at her.

"Umm... I..." Heather was at a loss for words.

"Just come on." Lacy spoke to both of them without turning towards them, carrying her shoes in her hand. They finally made it back to the cave, where Lacy dropped her shoes and took a seat against the cave wall.

Vashi

So they had come back. I could feel the tight-stretched tension between the little group. What had happened then? Certainly their group was more agreeable than the company I had been left with. I stretched my legs, happy to have my mobility--and independence--back.

I felt I presence slump down next to me and heard the thump as whoever it was sat down, heaving out a sigh of exhaustion.

"So was it an island then?" My voice broke the shuffling silence.

"What? What do you mean?" Ah, it was the savior-man again. I let out a small smile.

"Is it an island? Did you guys go all the way around it?"

Heather,

We made it back to the cave and I slumpled down next to Lacy.

"What you did back there..." I began. She waved a hand in dissmissal.

"It was nothing. I know your young but people should treat you with some respect."

"Thanks..." I muttered. Sasha came to sit down next to us.

"I take it you found water then." I nodded and then did a double take.

"How did you know?" I asked astounded.

"You're clean." She stated as though it should be obvious.

"Oh, right yeah" I blushed in embarrassment at my insolence. Trying to seem intelligent I said quickly "We found it in the forest, if we follow the stream further then there might be a bigger pool. I also noticed another cave. It might be slightly smaller but it is nearer the water." Sasha smiled at me.

"We will move there tommorow. Then we can start building a raft or something to try and get us back to the mainland."

Robert

I nodded and then remembered that a verbal response would be neccessary. "Yeah, it's an island. We got far enough around to see that." Fishing in my pocket for my wallet, I brought it out and flicked through the contents. It was a way of staying sane in this bloody awful place. The photo of my daughter had been damaged by the water but not substantially. I prised it out of the pocket and tucked it into my shirt pocket instead, patting it down gently.

"I don't suppose there's any grub?" I asked. The two days of walking had left me very foot-sore but I had half a mind to go down to the stream and catch me some fishies. It was the only enjoyment to be had.

"We've already eaten it, sorry," Vashi said with a little smile. I wondered what that was about. There didn't seem a whole lot to smile about to me. I grunted and shifted my weight. "How about a pack of cards? Dice?" I asked without much hope. "Maybe we could play noughts and crosses in the sand." If starvation didn't get me soon, despair and boredome sure would.

Vashi

So was the savior-man bored then? Well, his boredom was his own problem. The man would need to learn how to live inside his head.

My smile broke into a grin as the the silence grew louder and the man fidgeted, thumping his head against the wall. Exasperation? Perhaps I ought to humor him. I owed him that much.

"Tell us a story."

There was a pause. "Are you serious?"

"I love stories."

"Alright. Once upon a time, there was a blind little fairy princess who like to have tea parties with her magical pig--"

This wouldn't go anywhere well. The angel girl spoke up.

"Maybe we should get to know each other. I mean, like, we haven't really talked, and it doesn't really look like we're getting off this place anytime soon...Not anything too personal that you don't want to tell, just like, the basic things..."

"Good idea." That was Lady Madame, ready to take the lead again. I could feel her getting excited to take up her role. "Who wants to start? We can just tell a little fact about our lives."

Sasha

"Actually, I will start." I said. "Lets see. Well, I was raised in new York city by a top designer and spent most of my young life designing cloths."

There was no need to tell them about the rest. About how I ran away and joined a gang. about how i spent much of my recent life stealing, robiing people of there possetions. I had even kiiled people. Two of them. They were in my way, and I had no choice.

"There is something more to the story." Vashi said.

"There is." I said.

"Tell us then." rob said.

"Well, eventually I got sick of being bossed around and ran away. after that I joined up with a gang. end of story." I said sharply.

Robert

Oh greeeeaaaaat. Just when I thought the situation couldn't get any more dull I was being forced to listen to stories about how horrible and deprived their lives had been. This was stupid. My story would have been much more exciting. There was a blind fairy princess in it! What could be more exciting than that?

"I think I'll sit this one out," I said. "But please, Sasha, do tell the group more about yourself. Now don't be afraid to admit that you like a drink every once in a while, we're all alcoholics here." I winked at her and settled back down but I soon grew restless again. It felt wrong to be doing nothing.

"Like I said, end of story," Sasha snapped. Ooooh tetchy. "But I'd be delighted to hear about you." Sarcasm much? Did the woman not realise it didn't suit a lady.

"Well I'm secretly heir to a great fortune and my many servants are searching for me now and they will spirit me away to my magical kingdom. Any questions?"

"Is this the same kingdom the blind fairy princess lives in?" Vashi asked, one brow raised in amusement.

"No. She lives in the fairy kingdom." Like duh. Oh to be home telling stories to my sweet daughter. This was agony.

Heather,

"I always wanted to live in a castle, or a mansion." I said wistfully. Rob looked at me like I was insane. I flushed pink.

"Sorry! It's the heat, its making me say things that I wouldn't normally say!" Sasha shook her head at me.

"Lets here it then." She said. And when I didn't respond she sighed. "Your life story Heather.

"Oh! Well..."

"Don't get her started on that, we will be here for a decade with her describing every single trip to the mall." I glowered at Rob.

"Actually, I was only going to tell you the important stuff. But if you don't want to hear it then..."

"Alright, alright. Stop arguing. Heather, the important stuff, not too much detail please." Sasha said looking at me. I nodded and began.

"I live in New York...lived in New York with my flat mate Jake."

"Ooh!" Rob immitated a girly voice. I slapped him. "Hey!" he said but I ignorned him and carried on.

"I was headed to Australia for a vocational course in mmarine biology with my mum but I landed up here. And my mum, well shes... We haven't found her yet so its just easier for me to pressume that shes..." Sasha patted me on the back. They didn't need me to continue.

"Your not the only one who has lost loved ones." She said to close the subject. "Vashi? How about you?"

Vashi

"Vashi?"

Was it my turn already?

"There is nothing that you'd want to know about me."

"Are you sure about that." The man spoke up.

"Unless of course you want me to tell about my castle and servants and flying ponies."

"Where did you live?" Ah, the other female. The one with the deeper voice, the one who seemed like a true woman as compared to the three of us girls.

"I lived in America. With my mother and father." With my sister and my backyard and the big apple tree. With my special school and the bully Michael, my splashing pond and rustling grasses, and my unrequited love who sounded like the Angel-girl. But of course I didn't say.

"That's it?"

"I'm not a talker."

The man humphed. "And I'm glad about that."

"Honestly, I wonder how your family could stand you. Are you always this negative?"

Robert

My family. That was a joke. Every family unit needed a mother and because of me, that was lacking from mine. The question of negativity was the real corker though. I'd tried. I'd tried so hard for the little one. My bambino. "I'm going through a bad spot," I said sourly. An extended bad spot of three years. Oh Maddie forgive me for loving you too much.

"Because of the crash?" Vashi asked.

"Sure, sure, the crash," I said vaguely. They wouldn't understand. They didn't have children out there depending on them like I did. They didn't have dreams of crashes and water... or at least they hadn't before this. Ah the symmetry.

"And finding Percy?" Sasha prompted. Oh they were all too willing to help me find excuses. I nodded but finding Percy had been more of a shock than anything and I was still relieved it hadn't been one of the women. Women shouldn't have bodies when they died. Their hair shouldn't still be so beautifully arrayed with the red, ah the slender red tendrils. And their eyes. Their eyes shouldn't be watching you, accusing you with their amber touch. They shouldn't be allowed to die.

"What's your daughter's name?" Heather asked. She had lost her mother. Perhaps she thought it helped to talk about it. I was done talking. I'd talked about Maddie to specialists, to groups, to fellow alcoholics when I lost my last footing on the ladder. Not talking about it had worked out much better since then. But I wasn't losing my daughter so maybe I could talk about her.

"Annie," I said. "I hoped she'd have red hair but she's as black as her old man." I half held the picture out.

Heather,

The little girl was really cute. I felt so sorry for Rob.

"Annie." I said the name aloud. "It's a cute name." Rob smiled,

"Yeah. She is so small." I nodded understanding, it was a young age to lose your father. I should know I had lost my dad when I was only eight. Rob tucked the photo away as if to close the subject. I wanted to ask more to take my mind away from my dad but I stopped myself when I saw his pained expression. Lacy, who had not spoken for a while patted Rob on the back.

"Lacy?" I asked. "Where do you come from then?" She gave me a tired expression.

"Look, Heather I know you mean well but this lofe story buisness is upsetting people."

"Oh." I said. I looked around and saw that she was right. "Sorry." I mumbled staring at the ground hoping for a hole to come and swallow me up.

"Lacy, it would be nice to know a bit about you though." Sasha prompted. "Nothing that you don't want to share of course."

Lacy thought about it for a minute. What would she tell them? Anything? Everything? She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it off her shoulders.

"Well... I don't have any kids."

"But?" Sasha pushed at her to continue.

"But I do have a little sister back at home. I've always been the mean big sister. Right before I left, she told me that she didn't want me to leave, and that she forgave me for everything I ever said to her. She wanted me to stay home with her. I didn't. " Lacy hung her head and let her hands fall beside her.

"Oh..." Heather frowned, "Is that why you was mad at Rob for getting angry with me? Because you feel like you left her there on a bad note?"

"Not exactly... I just wish I would have told her how much I love her."

Sasha

"Lacey, honestly, I think she knows. People have a way of knowing things other people want them too. I would know. That goes for you too Rob. Your daughter knows you love her. I am sure of it. People allways have a way of knowing, wether you want them too or not."

"Thank you." Said Rob.

"What do you mean by that?" Heather asked.

"By what?"

"Your last statment."

"Just some trouble with family, and boyfriends."

"Boyfriends?"

"I didn't want my boyfriend to know I was a top designers daughter. That would pressure him to stop being casual with me. He would never take me to McDonalds again. But he found out. We broke up. Than he died shortly later."

I felt tears start to stream down my cheek. I wished they would stop. But they didn't.

Heather,

"Oh Sasha I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked!" I said rushing to her side and hugging her. Her eyes widened and she looked startled at the gesture so I pulled away. "Sorry!" I muttered again "It's just whenever I'm down someone always used to give me a hug, whether it was my mom or my boyfriend until he... Well lets just say I thought you might like a hug."

"Thanks" Sasha said quietly. I sat down beside her and tried to change the subject.

"So are we still moving house, I mean cave tommorow?" I asked to no-one in particular.

"Yes." Rob stood up and addressed everyone. "We know everyone now. So we should head out first thing in the morning." I nodded in agreement and Sasha wiped her tears. Lacy lay down putting her head on one of the rocks that we wern't able to move.

"Night." She said.

"Night." I replied lying down.

"Heather?" Sasha whispered. "Can I sleep here too?" She asked. I nodded absently, it was a bit of a squash but I it was a protected feeling.

"Tommorow" Rob mumbled.