Escaping the Lost Island (working title)

Chapter 24

Isaac only struggled harder. "What's wrong with you guys? We're so close I can almost taste it! We need to turn around!"

"Isaac, please!" Rita tried to quiet his flailing hands. "We need to keep going!"

"Don't touch me, I don't even know you!" he yelped.

Rita retreated, her eyes glassy with tears.

"Jessie!" I held out the rod to her and she hurried to me and took it. I knelt in front of Isaac and looked him full in the face. "Please," I said low. "I'm sorry I yelled, but you need to trust me. Please."

Isaac's confused eyes met mine and his struggling slackened. "But it... But I found-"

"I know," I interrupted. "But that's not what where we're going. We need to go home."

He said nothing but his body slowly relaxed and Toby released him.

"Thank you," I said, carefully keeping my voice steady. "Are you okay now?"

He nodded but didn't look at me.

I looked up at Toby who grimaced at me and shrugged.

"Okay then." I backed away from him, still unconvinced. Perhaps if we just let it go, he would forget this particular hallucination like he forgot who we actually were. I was angry at myself for yelling at him like that. It wasn't his fault that he was thinking this way and it was cruel to take my grief out on him. My stomach was still twisted in painful knots, but freaking out at Isaac wasn't going to make that any better.

Still watching Isaac warily, Toby returned to the coconut shells. I turned back to my task and dipped the rod into the water again. Quiet settled over us. Slowly, the lap of the water against the wooden side of the raft soothed my heartbeat back to its normal pace. The tension in my muscles drained from my limbs only my arms were stiff as they continued to steer the raft. Dip, pull, dip, and pull. Over and over and over again. I hypnotized myself so thoroughly that it took me a moment to react to the sound of a huge splash from the back of the raft.

I turned just in time to see Isaac's feet disappear into the water. The rod in my hands dropped to the floor and I raced towards the still-bobbing edge. Isaac resurfaced, paddling madly in the opposite direction of the raft.

Jessie shrieked and scrambled towards the side closest to him. "Isaac what are you doing? Get back in the raft!"

"Quick, find something to throw to him!" Rita cried.

I whirled, my eyes darting over our supplies. "Nothing's big enough!"

"Hold the rod out to him!" Toby snatched it and ran to the edge. "Someone hold onto me!"

Jessie grabbed him around the knees as he leaned forward as far as he dared. The raft swayed wickedly, causing a wave that soaked the half of Toby that hung over the water.

"Come on Isaac, grab on!" He shouted, waving the rod.

Isaac didn't even look back. He was making steady progress en-route to his imagined island.

Toby whacked the edge of the raft with a cry of frustration. He reached out a hand to Jessie and she helped drag him back up over the edge. Water ran off of his face and t-shirt and when he shook his head, droplets scattered onto Rita, Jessie, and I. "It's no use," he panted. "I'm sorry."

I couldn't believe my ears. He was giving up. My incredulous gaze traveled from Toby's sodden form to the despondent faces of Jessie and Rita. They couldn't be serious! Everyone was acting as though Isaac was- I swallowed-like he was...

"I'm going after him." I was at the edge, preparing to dive when Toby caught me around the waist.

"No."