Why We Sank

Seven ➸ Ghost

"Shut up and let me act like I care about you."

Paradox smiled. "Okay."

Aurora nodded. "Good."

"I know you're capable of that feeling... what's it called? Oh yes, love?" Paradox shivered violently while she spoke.

Aurora started walking faster, knowing that the sooner they made it to the fire, the better it would be for Paradox. "Love is for children."

Around the circle of the fire, there was a circle of people. And around the circle of people, there was another much larger circle made up of the eleven survivor's trunks. Jake flinched at every noise and every movement. It was one of those night where everything was bad. Like every nerve ending in his body was firing at once, and his blood was made entirely of adrenaline. Staring into the flames helped, but he knew he needed to take action to make sure everyone stayed alive. No one else seemed more qualified than him.

"Okay," Jake spoke in a loud voice. "We're going to need to take shifts watching the fire. If it goes out, we're going to freeze to death."

"In light of prior events, that doesn't sound so insane." Logan said with a laugh laced with disbelief. "Normally, that would sound crazy. Go to sleep and die... That only happens to old people, when their bodies just shut down from living a long, happy life. Guess this is our life now, huh? Not wanting to fall asleep incase we become so cold we never wake up?"

"Logan..." Kithara reached out and touched her fingertips against his arm.

"Don't." Logan moved away. "I don't know you, you don't know me."

Jake sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. This is never going to work. "I'll be one of the first to stay up. Three other people need to join me, and then we'll switch out after... four hours... ish. Okay?"

He waited for an answer, but everyone just stared.

"I said, 'okay?'" He raised his voice

"Alright." Foster spoke. "Nicole and I will stay up." His wife glared at him.

"Anyone else?" Jake looked at the faces illuminated by the fire's light. "Fine. Just three of us. Mirage, Audrey, and Oliver next."

Audrey opened her mouth to protest, but wisely decided against it.

Jake stared into the fire again. "Go to sleep." He demanded, poking the charred wood with a stick.

Mirage woke up to someone shaking her. One of these people she didn't remember the name of yet. It wasn't the boy that had saved her from drowning in her cell; he had already gone to sleep.

"It's your turn, hun." A woman's voice filled her ears.

"Thank you." Mirage sat up. She felt stiff, and wasn't sure if it was from sleeping on the beach, or from how tense she was. She scooted forward, towards the fire, and held her hands out to warm them. She smiled when she thought about the last time she had been near a campfire.

~~~~~Mirage~~~~~

Mirage jumped on top of a fallen tree, holding her phone high in the air.

"What do you think you're doing?" Her older brother laughed.

"Cell service. I was in the middle of a conversation. It was important."

"Come on, M. I know you're used to the hollywood glam, but this is a family vacation, remember?"

"I know, and I'm enjoying it, really! But..."

"No buts." He lifted her off the trunk of the fallen tree and threw her over his shoulder. "S'mores. We're going to make s'mores and tell stories about every stupid thing we did when we were kids."

"Alright." Mirage laughed. "If I get yelled at for not answering calls though..."

"Then you can blame me."

~~~~~~~~~~

Mirage bit her lip and looked up at the moon. It shone like diamonds and looked like hope. She might be a million miles away, but her family was looking at that exact same moon, and when the sun came up, they'd be looking at the same sun. They were still connected, they always would be. As long as she could see the moon at night...

The fire cracked and flickered. Mirage jumped when a spark landed on her jumpsuit.

"Don't worry, it probably won't hurt you," Oliver said.

"Probably," Mirage repeated with light sarcasm.

"Well, if you catch on fire you could always run into the ocean, so I think you're good." Mirage laughed at his smile, only visible because of the fire's glow.

"Good thing I can swim."

"Good thing Paradox can swim..." Oliver turned his head and looks at her sleeping body, curled into a ball beside Aurora.

"Yeah," Mirage whispered. "No kidding."

"I've only known her for like... what? A little more than a week? But I felt sad when she died." Oliver paused and then laughed. "When I thought she died."

"Warren called her Ghost when he brought her back." Audrey finally spoke.

"Fitting." Mirage said.

"I agree. And I mean, it's Warren. You know that nickname is gonna stay." Oliver raised his eyebrows.

"He likes nicknames then?" Mirage asked.

"Oh right, you're... Yeah. Yeah he does. He used to call Paradox green eyes."

"She does have really, really green eyes." Mirage nodded.

"Yeah." Oliver yawned. "How long do you think before we're rescued?"

Mirage shrugged. "Who knows."

"Well it better be soon." Audrey kicked the sand. "I can't sleep here another night. I'm freezing and wet."

Mirage rose her eyebrows. I have a feeling it won't be that soon...

*YouTuber voice* HEY WHAT'S UP YOU GUYS

Thank you for reading! And for voting maybe? You should do that too ;) 

What are you opinions on some of the character relationships so far? I'd love to hear what you think, or what you'd like to see in future chapters. 

Until next time, Andrea out. *drops mic*