Young Writers Society

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Alyssa | Beach

"Damn, Cassie. Of all times to pass out." Alyssa grumbled to her unconscious friend, carefully lowering herself to the ground and leaning over to tap her cheek. "You awake? C'mon, wake up. You've gotta help me get my bags out of that damn plane, unless you want to starv-"

A scream filled the air and Alyssa turned to see a bolt of lightening knock a boy off his feet and fry him. The smell of burnt skin instantly filled the air and Alyssa started to gag.

The beach exploded. People screamed and took off for the jungle. It seemed she wasn't the only person with an injured leg, for some guy knelt down to pick up a girl and hurried into the woods. From her left, she saw another bolt of lightening strike close to a guy and he fell, his leg streaked with red. He was, too, helped up and people ran. No one paid them any mind.

"Hey! Come back! Help us!" Alyssa shrieked, waving her arms uselessly as her classmates left her for dead. "Help! She's unconscious and my leg- please!"

But no one stopped and soon the beach was vacant. With a whimper, Alyssa scanned around desperately. They were only a few feet away from the plane. With a cry of pain, she dragged herself forward until she was by Cassie's feet, then painfully dragged her friend and herself beneath the plane. It took minutes of pure agony as flares ran up and down her swollen ankle until, finally, they were safe.

Alyssa buried her hands into her face and wept as lightening crashed down around her and her friend remained motionless.

Damien | Jungle

I kept losing count.

After about ten minutes of trying to count the stars, I sighed, and sat up.

Standing up on one leg, and found two big sticking, vine, and leaves.

"Could work as crutches..." I whispered to myself, and plopped down onto the ground.

Holding one of the sticks, I put half of the leaves on one side of the stick, and tied them down with part of the vine. I did the same to the other stick.

"Ah. Here we go." I said, standing up, placing my ghetto crutches under my arms.

Putting all of my weight down on the crutches, I tested to see if they would break. They wouldn't.

I smiled to myself, pleased.

"Lets go explore." I whispered, still smiling.


I ended up going towards the plane. Maybe there's some useful items inside it.

After arriving, I looked around the deserted beach, and noticed that the storm had died down slightly.

"Well," I said out loud. "let's just hope this is worth it."

Making my way towards the plane, I heard whimpering. Somebody crying.

"Hello?" I called out, looking behind me, then back at the plane.

I hopped to the plane, and looked inside. "Anyone in here?"

The crying ceased, and I heard someone moving.

"Oh, thank...thank goodness. Help!" A voice cried.

It was near the plane.

"Where in the world are you?" I shouted, looking around.

There was a silence, then the person spoke. It was a girl. "Follow my voice."

Who was that?

I adjusted my crutches, and hopped around the plane. "Where are you?!"

"..down here." The voice said, right beside me.

I turned, then looked down. "Oh.."

The girl had pretty dark blue eyes, and it looked like her hair was a brownish color.

She was drenched, and there was someone beside her.

"Give me your hand!" I said, the rain starting to pour down harder.

The girl reached out, and caught my hand. "We have to get my friend!"

Putting all of my weight on the plane, and grabbed the unconscious girl by the arm, and dragged her out from under the plane.

"I'm gonna need your help carrying her." I told the girl. She was sitting.

"I...I can't." She whispered.

I looked at her leg, then back at her face.

"Here." I handed her one of my crutches.

Placing my one crutch under the arm that my bad leg was on, I hefted the other girl up. She wasn't very heavy, but I still needed help.

"I would carry her, but I have a burned leg, and walking on it wouldn't be a very good idea." I told the other girl, who was now standing on one leg, the crutch under her arm.

"Alright.." She said, grabbing her friends arm, and draping it over her shoulder.

We slowly made our way to the forest, and once we reached out destination, I stopped, and let the girl go, then sat down.

"I'm Damien." I told the conscious girl, who was now sitting a few inches away from me.

"I'm Alyssa." She said.

I looked around, and found two more sticks. "Could you hand me some of those?" I asked her, pointing at some leaves behind her.

She nodded and pulled a whole bunch off, and handed them to me.

Grabbing a vine that was laying on the ground, trampled, I broke it in half, and made another pair of crutches.

"Here you go." I said, handing Alyssa one of the crutches.

"..thank you." She whispered, and took it.

I stood back up, and grabbed the other girls arm again, and watched Alyssa do the same.

We made our way to the others.

Saph

Zoning in and out of consciousness all day is all I can do instead of sleeping. After that nightmare, I don’t want to go to sleep. So lying there, wrapped in P.J.’s arms, getting lost in my thoughts, is better. Or maybe not.
All I can think of, though, are P.J.’s lips pressed against mine. His arm draped across my waist. How he’s always been there when I need him most since the crash, and I met him. I thank my lucky stars that I did.
After a while, I carefully get up, careful not to disturb P.J.’s slumber. Damien and Alyssa had gone, walking away some time ago. I think there was a voice, but in my delirium, I hadn’t noticed.
I pat my pocket and find my knife there. My smile is wide, almost lopsided and silly. I sit down a while away from P.J. and face him. I pull my pocket knife out and open it, staring at the blade. I can see my reflection in the silver steel. Pale, gaunt face, cuts all over my skin, large, frightened blue eyes, and messy, black hair in tangles around my face.
Long, messy black hair.
I take the huge mass in my left hand and start hacking at it. I watch as strands fall around me. I find tears rolling down my cheeks, and I laugh a little. My laughter wakes P.J., and he sits up groggily, rubbing his eyes. When he finds me gone, he looks around wildly until his eyes rest on me, almost directly opposite him, cross-legged, blade in hands.
“Wh-what are you doing?” He stammers tiredly.
I say nothing and continue cutting. Within moments I have more hair around me than on my head. I tug on the strands that don’t even touch my shoulders, and stick out around my ears. The smile that graces my features is almost psychotic.
“Saph! Your hair!” P.J. exclaims.
“I know!” I try to hold back the sarcasm. “Sorry. Yes. It was too messy for me. I hate dreadlocks. They’re disgusting.”
P.J.’s eyes soften as I walk over to him. I kneel down beside him, and he watches me carefully. Slowly, he reaches his hands up to run them through my hair.
“Well …” he begins, brow furrowed in a frown as he studies me.
“Well?” I raise an eyebrow.
He smiles, his golden brown eyes sparkling. I can’t help but suck in a breath. He is very handsome, and his eyes are very striking. I love his eyes.
“I think it suits you. You look very pretty,” he finally says, and kisses me on the lips.
My lips pressed against his curve into a smile. I wrap my arms around him, kissing him back, holding him close. When we part, I’m smiling happily.
“I think you should have a hair cut too,” I joke, holding the knife up to my face.
P.J.’s face falls, and he looks like he wants to run away. “No, no … I … I like my hair as it is,” he stammers.
I throw my head back and laugh, closing my knife and putting it away. “I was only joking, Peej,” I assure him. He gives me a suspicious look. “Besides, I like your hair the way it is.”
He smiles, then says softly, “I’m hungry.”
I laugh. “Same here. I’ll … see what I can find,” I say, just as footsteps behind us alert us to the presence of other people.
Alerted, I grab my knife and hold it in my hands, standing up quickly. The blade doesn’t come out, but I prepare for the worst. I spin around, blue eyes blazing.

Alex • Beach

These people have the attention span of a moth. You show them a light and they go towards it. Then they touch it to find it hot and they leave.

Alex didn't know what he was doing wrong. He had had a good idea. People had come with him. They had started working on it, but no one really seemed interested. Every now and then a person would leave, and someone else would go with them. Soon it was Alex all by himself, like it had been most of the time.

He didn't want to get angry, though. He controlled his emotions. He knew it wouldn't get him anywhere to just rage against everyone, so he had decided that he would no longer do that. The Alex that worked then was the Alex that had run through the forest and killed the boar, except smarter now. He did not let emotions get in the way. All he could do, was work.

Not many people had seemed to have wanted to come with him, but he hoped some of them had gone with Elvis. He knew Elvis would also make a good leader, he hoped so. But there was no way of knowing. Unless he went back to the jungle, of course, but he would not do that, for that would distract him from his work at hand.

However, the only people that had come, even if it hadn't been long, had, in fact, helped him. They had started building a raft, and now a few dead logs lay attached each other. Alex didn't know whether his plan would work, so that makeshift raft would have to do. He quickly attached his large boar-hide kite to a sturdy vine. He hoped it would hold. He dragged the raft to the edge of the water, where a few waves reached it but didn't pull it into sea.

This is it. The moment of the truth.

He tied the other end of the long attachment of vines to his wrist so he wouldn't let go of the kite. Then he positioned the kite one way and started running along the beach. He had done that countless times in Mexico, where he lived, in a fishing village. The kite would pull the raft and it would be easier for them to fish. What he didn't know was wether the kite would work with boar leather.

It did. The kite caught the wind and lifted. First it was only slightly, but then the kite was sailing through the sky. Alex ran to his raft and jumped on it, pushing it into the water. The winds were strong, and they pulled Alex towards the sea.

"WOOHOOOOOOO!" He screamed with joy. Tears of relief escaped his eyes, and for once he was truly happy. He noticed some people staring at him from the beach as well as a few of them next to the plane.

That's right, let them watch. Let them see who will truly give them fish. And maybe, just maybe, we can escape this hell of an island like this.

As he quickly sailed through the water, he thanked the island. Maybe they wouldn't be enemies after all...

Elvis | Jungle

Whether my sight was getting better or I was just getting used to it I couldn't tell, and by it I mean I was getting better at telling the difference between people and trees. Great accomplishment, eh? Babies can do that.

I really wasn't sure where everyone had gone off to. Most had wandered off, and from the sounds of PJ and Saph I was currently glad I couldn't see. So it was Faith, Ezzie, and myself currently working on our boar encasement. I braided strips of vines and palm fronds together to form rope as Faith and Ezzie worked on our spear idea.

The plan was to find the central location of the boars and, as they were sleeping, place the spear fence in a circle and close it off with a make-shift gate. At the right level the spears would ward off the boars and keep them inside. If we trap them around their water and food source they won't even know the difference. Too bad we were down to three people working on this.

As I braided the rope, holding a section in my mouth as I did so as to keep it taught, I wondered if Alex was having the same trouble with numbers as we were. Damn, we had the right idea in the beginning grouping off together. We are the core workers with the addition of Ezzie now that I had gotten her food.

Well if these people expect us to do all the work they have another thing coming - maybe we should rebuild the treehouse, or maybe that would just divide us again. Or maybe we should focus on getting the hell out of here.

But then...maybe we won't be able to make it out there in the real world after this. Most of us have lost so much - a friend, sanity, legs, sight, and who knows what else. Maybe we won't be able to go out in to the world and live like we did anymore. What if we can't do it?

"Can someone point me to the palm trees? I can't tell the difference between trees yet." I said, tying the end of the rope and setting it beside me in the growing pile.

I didn't think I was going to get my sight back, and without it my entire life changes. Will I ever be able to make it in the real world again if we ever get off this island?

Lilly|Jungle

Lilly was staring at the ground. She was on her knees. The dark brown of the earth, layered with every color of green imaginable. She ruffled her hands through the leaves to break the silence. "Indigena, do you want us to leave?" Lilly asked, not meeting her yellow gaze.
"No, daughter." she said in a silk voice. "I would like you to stay."
"Me, or us?" Lilly whispered.
"All of you. You are all my children." she said. Her voice was soft and sincere. Like a mother's.
"We want to leave." Indigena got to her knees. She lifted Lilly's head with her hand. It felt like feathers on her skin. She looked into Indigena's eyes.
"You're extra special." she said. "The world doesn't understand you like I do. You put chemicals in your sister's cereal." Lilly stiffened. "She deserved it. You were neglected. She got all the attention. You needed some too, you had to get it. And what did they do?" her voice was rising "They threw you away! Like you were nothing. Here you are someone. Here you are special. Here, you are my daughter, and I, your mother. You are special to me, Lilly." Lilly was in tears.
"Mo-Momma?" Lilly choked "Momma?"
"Yes, my daughter." Lilly hugged her.
"Don't ever leave me, Momma. Don't ever leave me."
"I never will, child. I never will."


It had been two hours. Lilly and Indigena sat opposite each other, talking about Lilly's life. Tears were shed, laughs were shared, secrets were spilled, then laughs were shared again. At some point, Indigana had brought fresh fruit. Lilly couldn't quite remember when, but she dismissed her wonder. Indigena was the island, after all. Eventually the subject of the plane came up.
"So it was you who crashed the plane." Lilly said, a smile both on her face and in her voice.
"Yes I did." she said "I could hear you. All of you. Screaming for change. There are many like you here. Those who, deep down in their hearts, crave change. Even if they're too afraid to let the thought cross their mind. Everyone here wants it. Everyone else died on that plane."
"You truly know us, mother." Lilly said compassionately. "But lots of them are yet to realize this." Lilly chuckled " Too blind to see the opportunity they've been afforded. It's sickening, really." Lilly took another bite of her fruit.
"Let me show you." Indigena said, rising to her knees. She shuffled over to her. Indigena placed her hand on Lilly's forehead, her thumb between Lilly's eyes. "See." she said, dragging out the word.

Lilly could see. Her eyes were open, but it's not the tree tops she saw. It was the beach. There were helicopters on the beach. Kids, and people in black clothes were walking towards them. "They're leaving, mother. They're leaving." Lilly sobbed.
"No, child. Look closer. Look at the individual parts, not the whole picture." Lilly focused her sight. She saw Mr. Uptight. She noticed his legs first, then the angle of his body. He was being dragged. Others were too. Some walked. Others were being fighting, trying to run. Somebody got away and ran for the forest. She was shot down. "They say they want to leave, but in their hearts they want to stay."
"How do we convince them, mother?" Lilly asked, still entranced. Indigena chuckled.
"That's where you come in, daughter."

P.J.


Saph had whipped around facing the door to find a monkey just sitting there, staring at us. I slowly scooted away towards one of the knifes laying on the ground as Saph stood still struggling to open her knife. I reached out and grabbed the handle of the knife and scooted very slowly back to where Saph was. I reached up and grabbed her hand as she helped me standup. I stood next to her, balancing on one foot, as she let out a battle cry. I jumped at the monkey reaching out to grab it as I watched carefully waiting for the right moment to throw my knife.

"P.J., throw it bloody now!" She yelled still trying to tackle the monkey.

"No, I have a plan." I yelled back.

Saph kept on battling against the monkey letting out screams and moans of anger every once and a while. She did one last great big leap and land right on top of the animal. I leaned my wrist back and flicked the knife forward hitting the monkey right in-between the eyes.

"Whoa dude," Saph said crawling off the huge animal.

I smiled widely at my self and hopped over to where the monkey was laying dead. I sat down next to it and pulled out my knife. I pushed the monkey off the back of the tree house making sure not to hit anyone below and crawled back over to where Saph had taken a seat.

"I think I might keep this knife," I said letting a laugh rise in my voice.

'Defiantly," She replied staring blankly at where the monkey was.

I slid the blade along the hem of my shirt to remove all the blood off of it, then flicked it down, and placed in my pocket next to my gloves. I sighed looking around the small tree house for food, nothing.

"I'm still hungry." I said looking down at my lap.

"I'll go find some food." Saph said standing up.

I nodded and she ruffled my hair before leaving the tree house. I sighed and grabbed the pillow we left up against the wall and laid down on it. I curled up in a ball, took of my shirt, and slowly fell asleep.

Saph|Jungle

I walk through the jungle quietly, and hear the sounds of laboured breathing and many voices. I reach a clearing to find Elvis, Faith and Ezzie building some sort of contraption.
“Whatcha’s doin’?” I ask softly, swaying on my feet.
They all jump and spin around to stare at me in fright. Then, recognising me, they give me curious looks. Ezzie seems to be smiling slightly.
“We’re building a trap,” Elvis says warily. “Didn’t you have longer hair?”
I pull at a short strand. “Yeah, but I cut it ‘cause it was too messy,” I explain, and then look at them again. “So, what are you guys doin’?”
“Building a trap,” Faith says.
“Want me to help?” I offer, thinking it could benefit if I helped. Food can wait a little longer.
“That,” Elvis says almost angrily, “would be super.”
With a smile I help them build a large fencing area. It takes well over five hours, and still isn’t really complete. Elvis, too, seems to be having difficulty because he can’t see.
“Where’s your boyfriend?” He asks while we take a break.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I snap. “Well … I don’t think he is, anyway. But he’s back at the camp.”
A curious look from Elvis. “What are you doing?” He queries suspiciously.
“Well, since you so kindly asked,” I retort. “I’m looking for food.”
Ezzie smiles at me, and Faith picks up on her work. “How have you been, by the way?” She asks. She looks like she’s been through a lot since the storm.
“Eh, not bad,” I shrug. “What about you?”
Ezzie’s smile falters. “I’ve been alright.”
A silence stretches between us, and I decide to take my leave. I say good-bye and good luck, and head for the beach. I just hope P.J. isn’t too worried about me.
When I come to the sand, I spot a raft in the water with a figure on it. I watch curiously, wondering who it is and what they are doing.

Elvis | Jungle

"Didn't she just offer to help us?" Faith asked, knowing the answer, as they watched Saph wander off.

"Maybe the island is getting to her," I said through my teeth, braiding yet another make-shift rope with end end stuck in my mouth, "She did hack off all of her hair."

"You saw?" Ezzie declared, a hitch of excitement in her voice.

My eyebrows furrowed as I thought for a moment, using the palm in my mouth as an excuse as I tied the end. I hadn't seen, they had said it...but she got so excited at the thought of me getting better...

"Her outline looked different," I said, not technically lying seeing that it did. I just figured I may as well give her as much hope as I can while we're stuck here. I could feel Faith looking at me, as if she knew I was lying. That would be just like her. But just like her, she didn't say anything and went back to her work.

Setting down the rope I pushed myself up, muttering to them that I was going to find a bathroom and that I wouldn't wander off past calling distance. I stumbled off, calculating how far to go. I had to distance myself from where they were and I knew the clearing where PJ and Saph were would be coming up soon, so-

"Oof!" I declared, stumbling over a large mass. I really needed to stop doing that.

I turned my gaze to the tripping hazard and it had the outline of a person, so I apologized, "Sorry about that, didn't see you there" Okay, that was a bad joke.

"It's dead." I heard a voice say.

"PJ? What's dea-" my hand froze when I felt the what. The very hairy what, with fur that couldn't belong to anything other than a monkey!

"What did you do!?" I shouted, grasping the monkey in my hand and lifting it up, cradling it, "I told you not to do this!"

"It attacked me and Saph!" He yelled back defensively.

"It's family is going to come after us, they'll recognize our smell!" I yelled, clutching the limp chimp tightly as if doing so would bring it back, "Are you aware that monkeys can PLOT murder!?"

I turned on my heel, doing so hearing other footsteps.

"Elvis?" Faith called, "What's wrong?"

"I need to get to the river - monkeys can't swim, they'll think it drowned! It'll wash of our scent, too! Where's the river!?" I demanded, fumbling over my own feet.

Ezzie | Jungle
Elvis drug a dead monkey by, yelling about a river. I hesitantly grabbed one of the dead monkey's arms and started pulling it in the direction of the river. "Elvis, this way."
He nodded and followed. "If they come by.." I started, my mouth dry. "Won't they smell it on us?"
"We all take a dip in the river then." Elvis muttered.
"Oh." We shoved the monkey into the river, and Elvis sighed.
"What's wrong?"
"What?" I asked, looking at him.
"You aren't so.. gripey. Or cheery. Or.. I don't know, you aren't acting normal."
I shrugged, then realized that he couldn't see me. "I'm still mad at Damien."
"No you aren't." He mumbled, as he reached forward and rested his hand on my head. "You already forgave him."
I sighed. "What makes you think I'm upset?"
"You've been sighing, and you've been quiet. Was it the berries?"
I looked down. "No, it's not the berries. Though, hearing about it from Faith was very embarrassing."
"What, then?" His hand slid over my head and trailed to my face.
"Well.." I blushed. "I'm really worried."
"About?" Elvis looked at me, even though he couldn't see me.
"You." I whispered, my face reddening further. Elvis' hair hung in his face as he thought.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. What happens if we get out of here? If we go back to the real world.. and. And you still can't see?" My voice was soft, and thick with tears.
"It doesn't matter." He said. I pulled away in disgust.
"Yes it does."
"Nobody will care. The doctors will know. But I don't think we'll leave."
"Shut up!" I snapped, tears falling. "Elvis, I can't live like this! I can't let you-"
"And why not, huh?" He asks, anger filling his unseeing eyes.
"Because... You stupid!" I yell, "I.. think that I love you!" Then, like the coward I am, I turned and ran.
I didn't get very far before I collapsed onto a log. Tears poured from my eyes as I sat.
"Stupid. Why are boys stupid? Why can't they have any common sense? Stupid." I muttered.
"Oh, what a baby." A voice said from behind me. I whirled around to see Faith.
"What?"
"You're acting like a baby." She repeated. "Come on, Ezzie. I thought you were a big girl."
"I am.. I just... I did something stupid."
"Oh?"
"I told him that I thought I loved him." I mumbled. "I think I deserve to act like a baby."
"Who, Elvis?" She asked, shocked. "Well."
I blushed. "It was stupid. We got into an argument."
She shrugged. "You might want to get cleaned up." I looked down at my dirty clothes in disgust. "You can clean your clothes and while they dry, bathe. There's a water hole near here."
I nodded. "Why are you being so nice?"
"Because we have to stick together in the tough times. Now, I better go make sure Elvis is alright."
I blinked. Oh yeah. How stupid of me. He can't really see, and I left him in the middle of the woods. While running like a baby.
Why do I have to be stupid?
I shrugged to myself, and turned to find the water hole.

Elvis | Jungle

"If they come by.." Ezzie said, helping get the monkey to the water, "Won't they smell it on us?"

"We all take a dip in the river then." I muttered - it was an easy fix that I hoped would work.

"Oh." she said simply, uncharacteristically, as we rest the monkey in the river to be found by the others. Her short response confirmed my suspicions: something was eating away at her.

Sighing, I turned to face her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"What?" she asked innocently, turning her face to look at me.

"You aren't so..." I took a moment to find the right word, "gripey. Or cheery. Or..." maybe those weren't the right words, "I don't know, you aren't acting normal."

"I'm still mad at Damien." she said after a pause.

"No you aren't." I muttered, able to see right through her facade, and reached forward in search of her, "You already forgave him."

"What makes you think I'm upset?" She shot back with a sigh.

"You've been sighing, and you've been quiet. Was it the berries?" I asked, brows furrowed as I was now genuinely becoming worried. This wasn't like her.

She turned her head away from me, "No, it's not the berries. Though, hearing about it from Faith was very embarrassing."

"What, then?" I asked, moving my hand from the side of her head over the contours of her face.

"Well..." she started slowly, her cheeks growing warm beneath my fingertips, "I'm really worried."

A cloud must have passed over the sun at that moment because everything grew darker and I had more trouble finding her. Searching for her face, I questioned, "About?"

"You." She whispered, her cheeks burning to the touch. She must have been blushing.

Brows furrowed I wondered what she could be distraught over in reference to me, that and whether or not I should push my hair from my eyes.

"Me?" I asked after my moment of thought.

"Yes, you. What happens if we get out of here? If we go back to the real world.. and. And you still can't see?" She said, the sound of her voice providing me with the insight that she was on the verge of tears.
"It doesn't matter." I said, trying to keep her from worrying about my problems.

She shrunk away from my touch and said sourly, "Yes it does."

"Nobody will care." I explained simply, "The doctors will know. But I don't think we'll leave."

"Shut up!" she snapped, the air suddenly becoming very cold as she stepped further from me. It was obvious she was crying as she yelled, "Elvis, I can't live like this! I can't let you-"

She can't live with this? She doesn't have to live with it, I did! She didn't have the fear of never seeing again, of not knowing what was six inches in front of your face. Her future wouldn't be the least bit affected by my lack of sight! And she can't let me?

"And why not, huh?" He asks, unable to hold my tongue, about ready to go on a tirade about whose problem this really.

"Because..." She yelled, keeping me from my diatribe, "You're stupid! I.. think that I love you!"

Then, just like that, she was gone.

"Ezra?" I called, taking a step forward to see if she had just left my field of vision. The splash of walking in to the river licked my legs and soaked my shoes, but I hardly noticed being more frustrated with the fact that I couldn't even see enough to know where she had gone off to, more frustrated with that fact that she said she loved me and ran...she loved me?

"Ezzie!" I yelled, cursing her name under my breath for leaving me here.

At the sound of footsteps I turned to face them and asked, "Ezra?"

"No, it's Faith...I'll go get her for you, though." She said helpfully.

"No, wait, don't lea-" I started, but the sound of her footsteps had already disappeared before I could finish.

"Are you guys forgetting that I can't see a damned thing!?" I shouted, doubting that they had even heard.

Groaning in frustration I kicked off my shoes and socks and peeled of my clothing until I was left standing in my boxers. Jumping in to the icy water I dunked under and screamed until my lungs grew tight from lack of air. I screamed for everything gone wrong. For the crash, for this god-forsaken island, for the storm, for my lost sight, for my lost future, for the words Ezra spoke before she ran, and for the similar feelings I felt towards her within my own heart. It seemed pointless but I opened my eyes...and I saw something.

My lungs burned with need, so I pushed off the bottom and surfaced, the water breaking around me in droplets as I gasped for air and ducked back under. Settling my feet on the ground I opened my eyes, looking up. I could see! Not see see in the sense of color and object definition, but I could see! The light reflecting in the water illuminated the shadows for me perfectly, and I could see the fish swim above my head, the subtle movement of the water as its shadows changed, the monkey that float on top, the person jump in...wait...the person jump in?

The person swam right at me and grabbed my arm, swiftly pulling at me with all their might until we resurfaced.

Coughing, I heard the person yell, "What are you DOING!?" but the water in my ears muddled the sound and I couldn't tell who it was and when I opened my eyes they were still just a shadow, just as everyone and thing had been since the accident.

Reaching towards them I found their arms - it was either a girl or a really lanky boy. Trailing my hands to the face, I recognized the shape. A silly grin crossed my face and I felt like if I smiled any bigger my face would crack

"I can see down there, Faith. I can see." I said through my smile, grasping her tightly in my own ecstasy as I treaded water. I needed to tell Ezra what I saw...that, and a few other things.

Damien | Jungle

I heard some yelling.

Not a lot. Sounded like a girl.

I adjusted the unconscious Cassie, and looked over at Alyssa.

"You alright?" I asked, grunting as I stepped over a big log.

I waited as she took her time getting over it, and pulled Cassie over the log.

"Yeah, perfect." She replied, sarcasm dripping in her voice.

I looked ahead, and sighed.

"We're almost there."

I heard somebody inhale quickly.

"Alyssa?" I turned my head to face her, and she was staring at Cassie, whom was awake, finally.

"Cassie! Cassie!" Alyssa yelled, her voice shaking.

We sat down on the ground.

Cassie groaned, and rubbed her eyes, wincing a bit in the process.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're awake!" Alyssa screeched.

"..where...are we?" Cassie asked quietly, looking around.

"The jungle. Damien saved us!" Alyssa told her, and looked at me, grinning.

She was pretty.

"I did. But, we should get going. There's a stream not far away. You guys can wash off. Then we can go to the others." I said, grabbing onto my crutches, and using them to help me stand.

Cassie stared at my leg. The only thing visible was blackness.

She stood up, and helped Alyssa stand.

The three of us made our way towards the stream.

Peej



I scooted away from the doorway after Elvis had finished yelling at me and sunk back into the wall. I covered my face in my hands and let out a soft sob because I knew that I had just put everyone on the island in danger. I let the tears that I held up for the last couple of day stream down my face in wiggly waves and curled up in a ball on the ground.

I stayed in my little ball for another hour or so still waiting for Saphs return. My shirt had found its way back on my worry was growing bigger by the second. I sat up and looked out the doorway one last time for her before deciding to come looking for her. I hopped down the ladder and onto the jungle floor. I saw a blood streak from where they had dragged the monkey away. I walked towards the beach knowing that Saph would go there.

I dragged my useless foot behind me as I limped towards the beach stopping against trees every once and a while.

I soon saw a figure with short hair sitting crossed legged on the beach. I hopped quicker over towards the figure and sat down next to it, Saph.

"Hey," I said only looking forward.

"Hey," She replied reaching over and brushing some hair out of my eyes. "What are you doing out of the tree house?"

I shrugged, and she nodded pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her head on her knees.

"I'm going to find food." I said standing up.

"Alright be careful." She replied not really paying attention.

I nodded and picked up a long sturdy stick that was laying near her and used that as a cane as I entered the Jungle once more. I pulled out my knife and carried that in my free hand (the left one, P.J. is a lefty if you haven't already noticed). I rotated it between my fingers and stopped to shove berries into my pocket every time I passed a good bush. Soon I had filled my pocket with food and was turning to go back. Then I saw a monkey.

I flicked open my knife and tightened my grip around my cane. I stood completely still as it moved towards me as to sniff me. I remembered what Elvis said about killing monkeys and decided to let it go free. It was at my feet now sniffing my stiff legs and picking at my shoe laces. I continued to stay completely still and look only forward as the monkey ran away from me not interested.

I stood like that for about five more minutes till I was completely sure that it was gone before moving again. But when I did move, I limped as fast as I could back to the beach.

Ezzie | Jungle


I decided that I was stupid. Very stupid.

Remember the chick I saved? The blonde girl. She was young. Helpless. Well, she woke up, and found somebody she knew, then left. I make it sound like she just up and left. She thanked me, and said that she found her sister, so she better go with her. I nodded, my wet hair dripping, and watched as she hugged her sister, who checked her over, then looked at me. She smiled, and waved as they left.
I smiled, happy to have helped.

As I sat on the ground, my clothes damp, I decided to find some flowers to braid in my too-long hair.

I stood and wandered into the woods, avoiding the part where I left Elvis.

What a coward.

I approached a few flowers and smelled them. They were sweet, gentle. Perfect.

I plucked them and broke the stem to make them long enough to tuck behind my ear.

After braiding my hair and placing them in there, I walked toward the beach. Maybe somebody could cheer me up.


I found myself staring at the decaying body in the tree line. I don't know why. It made me feel sick.

So, I turned to the waves and stared at them for a while. Growing bored, I spotted a monkey near the edge of the trees. I slowly approached it, and allowed it's hand to rest on mine. It smiled, and hugged my leg.

I picked it up and put it on my head, and placed it's hands in mine. Then, I walked back into the jungle, ready to face Elvis.