Together

Together

Chapter 1

There I stood, the silver sand curling around my feet, gentle waves crashing onto my legs. I flipped my jet black hair out of my eyes as I looked out onto the now calm ocean. I began wondering, where I was, what had happened, and what I was going to do next. The vicious storm had come onto the boat too fast. It now all seems like a very painful dream to me, more like a nightmare.

The high sun beat down onto the beach where debris from the boat and bodies were scattered about. A seagull squawked from the cloudless blue sky above me, diverting my attention for a moment, the bird was free to roam, always at home in the air.

“Shit,” I quietly said, “Now what.” Turning my back to the horizon of water I looked to see if anyone else was conscious. Just last night I was on a innocent boat trip with my dad’s co-workers. I don’t know why I even came, me and my dad are so far apart. Guess it was his final attempt to move closer to me. I probably wouldn’t have went if my girlfriend, Liz, couldn’t have came along. I figured a sunset beach and a cruise, if you could call it that, would’ve been romantic, I didn’t plan this or I would have never brought her.

“Liz!” I yelled. “Liz! Where are you!” In a panic I combed over the beach looking for her. “Liz, come on where are you,” I quietly said, “There!” I spotted her about 50 meters to my left and began to dash towards her. I slid down in the sand beside her, kicking a small wave of sand up. “Liz! Are you O.K.?” I said as I lightly shook her. Coughing and spitting up water she came alive. “Liz everything’s gonna be O.K. I promise.”

“Andy!” She hurriedly said as she wrapped her arms around me. “Where are we? What happened??”

“I don’t know but I think the storm we ran into killed the boat. But I‘m so glad your alright.” I hugged her back tightly. “Can you stand up?” I gently lifter her upwards. “No injuries,” I looked her over. “Good. Now, help me check on the others that were on board.” She nodded and headed for a body.

In the end, out of the eight that came, there was one that was injured aside from the countless cuts, scrapes, and bruises on everyone. The owner of the boat had a piece of wood that had speared him through his left shoulder. Sadly, one was dead. A middle aged woman by the name of Jackie. She was sleeping below deck when it had apparently collapsed into a mountain of planks and boards.

Collapsed and broken planks, boards, and splinter was all that was left of the not too huge boat. The remaining survivors of the wreck; the injured Captain Stodel, Irwn Winkler, Kim Henkel, Robert Chartoff, and my dad Mike salvaged what they could from the pile of wreckage.

“We’re trapped on an island,” I thought, “or where ever we are, but, all that matters at this time is that me and Liz are still together.”

Chapter 2

“Aye, so what all do we have to work with now? What did we manage to salvage?” Capt. Stodel’s voice boomed.

“Ummm…” Irwn was the first to speak up as he pushed his cracked glasses up to the bridge of his nose, “I found 2 gallons of water.”

“I found a full gas can.” Kim says after a short pause.

“Flare gun with two shots left.” Robert quickly says.

“I found this old radio.” Mike says as he hands it to Capt. Strodel.

“Humm…” Capt. Stodel inspects it as he whips it down on his white T-shirt, “Sadly it’s completely useless to us unless we can find an antenna.”

“So you mean we’re stuck on this piece of shit, barren island with a radio that doesn’t work, limited water, and two fucking flares! What the hell?” Robert angerly yells as he kicks up sand.

“Hey! Calm down alright. We’re all stuck here too, yelling isn’t going to solve anything.” Kim says as she places a firm hand on Roberts shoulder. Robert looks back at her intensely.

“Aye, the lady be right all yer carry’n on and what have you isn’t gonna solve no problem.” Capt. Strodel says. “Now, I think as the first order of business we need to tend too would be finding if this island is inhabited and find where exactally are we. But before that we need shelter. Grab the supplies we‘re a‘go‘n into the forest.” The old captail finished as he pointed into the thick shrubbery that surrounded the dense forest. His shoulder-length gray-brown hair flowed in the light breeze that passed through. I looked out into the forest, tightened my grasp on Liz’s hand and walked toward the vast sea of green.

“Andy,” my dad spoke as we walked over to the jungle, “Are you O.K?”

“Of course,” I exhaled quickly, “Ship wrecked in a random place. Never felt better.”

“I just wanted to make sure your going to be alright, you and your girlfriend are the youngest here. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen too you. Your going to have to man up here, she’s going to be depending on you son.”

“Mike! I’m not a little kid anymore. I’ve matured and grown up. I’ll be fine.”

“Well if you need me…”

“I have many times when me and my mom are at home and…” Was all I got out before Liz quickly tugged me aside.

“Andy. I know you don’t like your dad but in this situation can you just please tolerate him.” Liz spoke in a firmer tone.

“Yeah, I guess your right. I’ll try, it’s just hard.”

“Tolerate it. And I‘m sure you can find something about him you don‘t hate. I love you and I know I‘m going to need you here, so don‘t spend your energy being mad and holding grudges, so let‘s just all work and get through this.” What she was saying was something I had told her and many people to do, tolerate. Tolerate meaning you don’t have to like it just put up with it for a while. But either way she was right, we all have to work together. Especially in situations like this.

Walking through opaque mass of shrubs we came out in a seemingly different world. This world was darker and much more humid than the beach. The temperature wasn’t near as hot though. Trees and vines were in abundance. The canopy was very thick as so that little light seeped through. I used my wristband to wipe sweat from my brow. I could tell we were in for it as I took my first steps into this strange, steamy world.