In the Sun

xi.

As we trudged through the jungle, I found myself adrift within my thoughts... pondering how I had ever ended up in such an unusual and abnormal situation.  And most importantly, I was thinking about how Michael, me and everyone else in the group were going to escape from this island once and for all and return home.  I had never yearned to be back home more in my life  than at this point in time.  I just wanted to get out of this place. And I wanted to leave immediately.

Though I was not totally isolated on this island, given that I had my brother and the other people from the cruise, I had never felt lonelier. I felt as though my fears of what was on this island, and what had happened so far on the few days we had been here were consuming me, and that no matter how much I tried to abolish such thoughts, they would not subside.

I was not alienated on this island completely. Though, I was isolated in the fact that no one back in Milwaukee had any idea what had happened. All of my family and friends back at home were absolutely oblivious to the fact that me and Michael had practically become castaways on some random island within the Bermuda Triangle. Given the proximity between them and I, there was no way they would be aware of the cruise lining's sinking until weeks later.  Would we even survive for that long before being mercilessly slaughtered by whatever was occupying this island?  I may not have known what exactly was on this island, nor did I know how we were all going to safely escape and make it back home.  I was terrified at the thought of none of us making it back home. I was fearful of the possible reality that we may never find a way off of this island, and that we would simply be picked off one by one and butchered until none of us were left. I was scared of the thought of another person within the group being murdered. What if Michael was next?  I would not know what to do or how to act if I lost him.  He was my little brother, and the world to me.  I would lose myself without him.

But what I did know was that whatever...or whoever the inhabitants of this island were, they were not going to show any sympathy towards us, nor would they stop until we were killed. I knew that much.  And that was all I needed in order to lodge myself within a survival mindset. I needed to do whatever it took to keep Michael and myself safe, as well as the rest of the group.  I was not going to let anyone else get hurt... at least not without putting up a fight.

"About fucking time," Ace sighed with relief.

After spending what felt like eternity walking and aiming to find the source of the running water sounds, we had finally reached a waterfall.  I hadn't taken any notice of how severely parched and dehydrated I had felt until I was blessed with the view before me.  My throat felt desiccated and wilted, as my craving for any drop of hydration began to possess me.

Copious quantities of turquoise coloured water was gently yet speedily rushing down the rocks, as it met the rest of the water in the river, it created a barrier of frothy white foam as splashing sounds echoed throughout the jungle.  Countless vegetation surrounded the waterfall, decorating the scenery with shades of jade, magenta and lilac.  The diverse colours of the foliage and the water within the river created a mesmerising contrast that I could not peel my eyes off of.  Though the island was eerie and extremely macabre given what had happened in our stay so far, I could not deny that the scenery of the waterfall and the river had a surreal yet also a divine eye-catching beauty.  I was bewitched by it, like a moth drawn to a flame.  I had never seen something so beautiful and heavenly, it felt unreal, like a mirage of some sort that I had imagined due to dehydration and famish.

I hadn't realised that the exquisite view had caused me to totally disassociate.  I finally pulled myself back to my senses and realised that Michael and Ace had already raced to the edge of the river in order to re-hydrate themselves.  I rushed towards the river and began drinking.  The feeling of the cold, fresh water against the withered insides of my throat felt absolutely sublime.  I had completely forgotten how nourishing it felt to be able to drink water at any given time.  However, the only issue was that we had not considered how we would bring some of the water back to the beach.