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The Beach



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Thu Nov 19, 2020 5:51 am
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Carina says...



Jack couldn't help but smirk at Eliza's question. It always amused him to hear about Americans idolizing the UK, and although he felt neutral about it, Olivia idolized the US. She did her Master's at the coasts of California, and although Jack stuck around at the homeland, the long distance relationship gave him the courage to ask her for her hand in marriage. It was part of the reason why he preferred traveling to the Caribbean rather than the coasts of Italy or Greece, but it was more of a coincidence, really.

"That's part of it," he said as a nod over to Moira. "But it was mostly my wife. We wanted some time off from the kids, and for some reason she loves your country."

The words hung in the air as he was once again reminded that he was unable to find Olivia, but that only gave him hope that she was still alive.

For a moment Jack was reminded when he thought maybe, instead of a cruise, they should instead fly to San Francisco and rent a car to drive down the entirety of Highway 1, stopping at every point imaginable. But a cruise was easier and required less planning. It was an easy decision.

And a deadly one.

He didn't want to think about this anymore.

"You said you found a first aid kit, right?" he blurted out, glancing at everyone and noticing that everyone sustained some injuries that they powered through. He still had some glass shards stuck on his leg, although it has been so long, the blood dried around it and he no longer felt the pain. "Let's bandage any wound we might have."

Week 5 -- Post 3/5 -- 281 words
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Thu Nov 19, 2020 4:33 pm
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Elinor says...



Moira tried to smile. This entire day was still at the forefront of her mind, but talking seemed to help her forget about it, if only for a moment.

She sighed, and hugged her knees even tighter to her chest. She hoped, no matter what, that she'd be able to sleep tonight. And she tried to tell herself how beautiful this was. If they were going to be trapped, at least they'd be trapped in paradise.

"My friend was getting married. This was supposed to be our last hurrah." She took a deep breath. "I wanted to go to Hawaii." Moira sighed. “Never been to England, though. I always wanted to see people driving on the other side of the road.”

Then Moira buried her knees in her chest. “Anyway, I’ll stop talking.”

Week 5 -- Post 3/4 -- 131 words

All our dreams can come true — if we have the courage to pursue them.

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Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:02 pm
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Valkyria says...



Eliza nodded and leaned back. She grabbed the edge of the first-aid kit and dragged it forward.

"Here it is," she said. She opened it, and although the contents were a bit soggy, they looked ready to use. "Your wife must be optimistic, then. Although I suppose, England is not the greatest country in the world either, considering. No offense, Jack."

Eliza looked over to Susan. "Your injuries look the worst, so I'll bandage you up first if that's okay."

Without waiting for an answer, she smiled at Moira. "Please don't stop talking. I heard Hawaii is beautiful. Lilo and Stitch is my favorite movie."

Eliza sighed and started unwrapping the gauzes. "My friends and I were going on a cruise before we graduated this year. Before we finally said goodbye to our childhoods."

Week 5-- Post 3/5-- 135 words
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Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:28 pm
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Elinor says...



Eliza had just finishing saying that Lilo and Stitch was her favorite movie and that she'd been on a graduation trip with her friends when something caught her eye in the moonlight.

Was that a--

"Excuse me," she to Eliza, pursing her lips.

It was almost too good to be true, but there it was. A ukulele had somehow washed to shore. It was filled with water and a little out of tune, but once she dried it out and tried playing it, it sounded good.

She wasn't sure who this had belonged to, and didn't want to think about how they were most likely dead. It had almost seemed like a gift from the heavens.

"How about some Elvis Presley?" Moira asked. Then, she began to play and sing.

This is the moment
I've waited for
I can hear my heart singing
Soon bells will be ringing
This is the moment
Of sweet Aloha
I will love you longer than forever
Promise me that you will leave me never...


She didn't care if everyone was staring. As far as she was concerned, she may as well have been in her own world. Then, she finished the song.

Now that we are one
Clouds won't hide the sun
Blue skies of Hawaii smile
On this, our wedding day.


Hawaiian Wedding Song was a better choice than My Heart Will Go On and she thought of it because of Hawaii and because Jack had mentioned his wife.

"I used to watch Blue Hawaii with my mom growing up," she said. "Always had the biggest crush on Elvis." It felt odd mentioning that in front of Jack, but it was fine. Crushes were a normal thing to have, after all.

Week 5 -- Post 4/4 -- 228 words

All our dreams can come true — if we have the courage to pursue them.

-- Walt Disney





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Fri Nov 20, 2020 3:52 am
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KateHardy says...



Susan listened quietly to the talk about the US and the UK and then everyone talked about why they were on the cruise in the first place. She thought back to why she'd been on the cruise herself which then made her think of dad again. Before that line of thought could lead to any tears, she focused back on her fish, trying to tune out the conversation around her.

Jack then suggested that they should all patch up their wounds and she looked up. Eliza was grabbing the first aid kit from their pile. It was pretty soggy but everything inside looked serviceable. Eliza turned to Susan.

"Your injuries look the worst, so I'll bandage you up first if that's okay."

"Umm, alright," said Susan, "I'm okay with that." She gave her a grateful smile and scooted over.

Eliza sighed and started unwrapping the gauzes, talking about her friends and why they'd were on this trip. Susan couldn't help but wince at the mention of friends and a last hurrah, knowing very well that one of said friends were lying nearby, departed from a lot more than just her childhood.

Moira then got up investigate something out on the beach and returned with a instrument that Susan could vaguely recognize as a uka something that she'd never bothered to learn how to properly pronounce. Moira began to play it, singing something along with it. Susan couldn't help but stare. She really was good.

Week 5 --- Post 3/5 --- 244 words
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Fri Nov 20, 2020 6:23 am
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Carina says...



"None taken," Jack said in response to Eliza before she moved on to the next topic. He could help with injuries, and ordinarily he may have been insistent in helping, but just for once, it was nice to sit back and not do anything.

It appeared that the conversation started to head towards why they went on the cruise, and he sit back and let them talk. He didn't really want to think about this anymore.

Then, Moira miraculously found an intact ukelele. Jack made a sarcastic mental note to place that next to the flamingo float, but then she started to tune the instrument and started to sing and hum.

He shifted his position to look at her. She had a very soothing voice, and sure, it seemed ridiculous that they may have been the only survivors at the shipwreck, but here they were, gathered around the campfire to sing songs... and it made Jack feel at peace.

He found himself tearing up a little that the song obviously had romantic wedding intentions, as it reminded him that tomorrow was his ten year wedding anniversary. Pretending to itch his eyes, Jack got up to his feet when Moira was done, forcefully willing away any dulled pain he felt at this point.

"We should figure out where we'll sleep," he said, making eye contact with Moira for a quick moment as if to say thank you. Then he looked over at Eliza patching up Susan, waiting to see if she had any instruction for him. She seemed to be the natural leader here, and he was glad to let her have it.

Week 4 -- Post 4/5 -- 272 words
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Fri Nov 20, 2020 10:14 pm
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Valkyria says...



"We should figure out where we'll sleep," said Jack, looking at both Moira and Eliza.

Eliza nodded and finished patching Susan up. "If no one else needs to be checked at, we can head into the woods." She pointed in the direction she and Susan had gone to get vines. "It doesn't look like it will rain tonight, so I think we can build shelters tomorrow."

When the others gave their consent, Eliza grabbed her walking stick and stood up on her uninjured leg. When she felt herself falling, she jammed the stick into the ground and stopped.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Eliza started to lead the way into the woods, but she stopped again.

"Almost forgot about our supplies," she said. Eliza hobbled back over to the pile. She bent down, thinking about what to do. "We can put them on the flamingo and drag it behind us."

Together, they loaded their supplies onto the float and tied a vine around the flamingo's neck.

"Back to the woods," said Eliza in a poor attempt at a joke. She cringed inwardly.

When they finally reached the woods, they stepped over fallen vines and branches. The night air was warm and dense, but Eliza found them a little clearing under a big tree.

"This might be good," she said. "What do you guys think?"

Week 5-- Post 4/5-- 224 words
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Sat Nov 21, 2020 4:31 am
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KateHardy says...



Susan waited patiently as Eliza started to patch up the various cuts and bruises that were scattered all over her body. Most of them stung and she did her best to avoid making any noises to distract Eliza. It was an unusual thing for her to be on the receiving end of things like this because it was usually Susan that was doing the patching up one of her younger sisters, although she'd never had to patch up anything much worse than a paper cut. The number of bruises on her right now were probably more than both her sisters had acquired in their entire lives.

Once Eliza was done, Susan muttered a quick thank you. Jack had already mentioned something about them finding a place to sleep, which Susan thought was a very good idea, and Eliza was now ordering them to head into the woods. Apparently it wasn't going to rain today, Susan had no idea how she had managed to figure that out without checking weather updates but she believed her, and they could take shelter in the woods.

After piling their supplies onto the flamingo, and tying a vine to it, the four of them headed into the woods, dragging the thing along with them. It was one of the strangest sights Susan had ever seen but somehow also strangely comforting. They walked for a bit before they came to a clearing.

"This might be good," said Eliza. "What do you guys think?"

"I wouldn't mind," said Susan.

Week 5 --- Post 4/5 --- 252 words
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Sun Nov 22, 2020 12:36 am
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Carina says...



Jack followed Eliza and the others to the woods, head in such a daze that he didn't really register her attempts to lighten the mood. He did keep staring at the pink flamingo float that was half blown up that had supplies piled on top of it.

And then he saw it.

A salvaged piece of clothing that he didn't even notice until it was directly in front of him, being dragged by Eliza on the float.

A red shawl with yellow lacing that Olivia insisted on bringing because she was used to the dreary London weather and was convinced she needed it in the cruise to stay warm and stylish. She had worn it on the long plane ride over, only to put it away when she remembered how warm it was when they landed in Florida.

Jack closed his eyes for a few moments and kept walking. She might still be here. She might still be here, he kept telling himself.

Eventually, Eliza found a clearing that she deemed to be good.

Jack didn't care; he slouched down, sat, and nodded, once again appreciating that Eliza seemed to have a natural knack for nature and leadership. "We should sleep in shifts," he said. "We don't know what's out in these woods."

He turned to Eliza again for an answer since she seemed to delegate things anyways.

"Also," he added, "about tomorrow. We need to find drinkable water."

He laid down on the leafy ground, hoping Eliza will pick up the hint that he did not want to take the first shift to watch.

I'll get up early tomorrow like I always do, he told himself. I'll patch myself up. Try to find some some unopened water bottles. Maybe build us shelter. And try to find Olivia again.

Week 5 -- Post 5/5 -- 299 words
chaotic lazy
—Omni

the queen of memes
—InuYosha

secret supreme overlord of yws
—Atticus

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
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Sun Nov 22, 2020 4:14 pm
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KateHardy says...



Jack didn't seem to care about where they were. He slouched, sat down and advised that they should be sleeping in shifts because they had no idea what was inside the woods. As she heard those words it struck Susan that they were in fact going to be camping out in this relatively dark forest on an island they know nothing about. She let out a shiver. Susan knew that she wasn't going to be getting much sleep at all that night.

Jack continued on about needing to find drinkable water the next day and then lay down on the ground on top a bed of fallen leaves. It was pretty clear that he wasn't going to be taking first watch which was strange since Susan had expected him to volunteer to be first. Maybe I should be first. If I see nothing out here I might actually be able to sleep. I'm not that sleepy either.

"I think shifts sounds like a good idea. Maybe I can take the first watch?" said Susan. Or maybe being alone in the dark is a bad idea. "Or should we perhaps keep watch in pairs because you never know what creatures are running around?"

Week 5 --- Post 5/5 --- 204 words
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Sun Nov 22, 2020 4:38 pm
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Valkyria says...



"I think shifts sounds like a good idea. Maybe I can take the first watch?" said Susan. "Or should we perhaps keep watch in pairs because you never know what creatures are running around?"

"I'm not feeling too tired," said Eliza. "I'll sit up with you." She sat down and leaned against the tree, gripping her stick like a weapon.

Eliza drew her left leg under her, and she picked at the cast on her right leg. She normally wasn't afraid of the dark, but her imagination was always active, and she found herself peering into the darkness.

At least she wasn't alone. She would probably go mad if she was alone.

The only sounds in the forest were the sounds of her companions' breathing, but the silence was suffocating.

Eliza had always depended on brown noise to help her fall asleep. She hated silence, especially if it was dark.

Trying not to disturb the others, Eliza started humming songs from Animaniacs, hoping they would comfort her during this long night.

Week 5-- Post 5/5-- 173 words
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Sun Nov 22, 2020 9:03 pm
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veeren says...



    they sat and they laughed, they talked and they giggled,
    they acted as if they were not in a pickle.
    the sailors attention, oh how very fickle.
    the back of my head, these thoughts gave a tickle.

    if they could just see me, oh how it would work,
    to tell them where all of their loved ones may lurk.
    they may call me foolish, may call me a jerk,
    but nothing could top how they're already hurt.

The sun had set and the sailors decided it was time to rest. The Captain saw this as his chance to make a move. He skipped along to where a couple of them lay, and noticed another pair sitting up. He squat down next to the one by the tree and tapped on her shoulder.

"How do you do?"

word count - 136 words
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Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:09 am
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Valkyria says...



Eliza's eyes were heavy, and she blinked slowly. She had just begun the Tiny Toons theme song when she yawned loudly.

"How much longer until sleep time?" she muttered to Susan, not caring how childish she sounded. Eliza rubbed her face, trying to energize herself, but she was failing miserably. She drew her knee to her chest and propped her chin on it, loosening her grip on her walking stick.

"We're tiny, we're toony," she muttered, closing her eyes, and Eliza was about to slip off to Dreamland when she felt someone's presence close to her. They tapped her on the shoulder.

She was about to wave off Susan and tell her to let her sleep, but the voice she heard was not Susan's.

It was unmistakably male, and not Jack's.

"How do you do?"

Eliza's eyes flew open, and her heart leaped to her chest. She shrieked.

Week 6-- Post 1/5-- 150 words
There is always something left to love.
- One Hundred Years of Solitude





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Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:15 pm
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Carina says...



Jack was glad Eliza also volunteered to stay up to take watch. He did not trust Susan to stay alert. As sweet as she was, she didn't strike Jack to be someone who could even defend herself if something were to go wrong, nevertheless the whole group.

He let out a quiet sigh, allowing himself to lay down and close his eyes, ignoring the chatter and childish hums (which was fairly easy to do, considering he did this everyday with his daughters). Everything hurt and he was very uncomfortable, but despite all this, he could relax. Shutting off his brain and thoughts in this horrific scenario, even if it was just a short while, was just what he needed.

And then Eliza shrieked.

Jack's eyes flew open, and instinctively he jumped to his feet in alert.

"What? What is it? What's going on?" he asked fast with panic laced in his voice, eyes blinking in the dark as he looked around, not seeing anything unusual.

Week 6 -- Post 1/5 -- 165 words
chaotic lazy
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Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:34 pm
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Elinor says...



Even though Moira didn't need to stay awake, she had a hard time falling asleep anyway. She tried everything. Closing her eyes.

She tried to listen to the waves, a sound that, before today, she had always found calming.

And now, she couldn't help but toss and turn with anxiety.

What if there was something in the forest? Would someone come to rescue them? Would anyone even try or would they assume they all died and not bother? The latter wasn't an unreasonable conclusion to come to.

Beyond that, she felt dirty and grimy, though that was the least of her worries at the present time.

Moira felt like she was just starting to drift off when she heard Eliza shriek.

So much for falling asleep.

"What is it?" Moira asked.

Week 6 -- Post 1/3 -- 129 words

All our dreams can come true — if we have the courage to pursue them.

-- Walt Disney








It's unsettling to know how little separates each of us from another life altogether.
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