Lost Island

Chapter 11: The End Is Coming

As Captain Drake gave her the directions, Levi's thoughts absent minded left reality as he imagined the future with a smile playing at a corner of his face. The future. He had one! He had a future worth living if everything played out right. This very moment was the very moment he'd been waiting for since they'd first got stuck, trapped on this island for what he'd thought might be forever. This moment. The moment when they'd get to communicate with someone - anyone from off this island.

"You're coming?" Captain Drake questioned impatiently, the words coming out rudely - but at the same time excitedly coming from his mouth. "Good, and hurry!"

'You're coming?' "I'm coming home Rylie. Daddy's gonna make it," Levi whispered in a barely audible voice. "Don't worry, I'm coming home." As he said this he barely noticed the single tear that slivered slowly down his face. The single tear that was shed of pure joy.

"When will you be here?" the captain asked into the radio. "'A couple days'? No, that's too long. 'Or more'?"

Levi continued to imagine life back home again, telling himself that this was for real when a hand suddenly went firmly over his shoulder and looking over at the foreign hand's owner found that they belonged to Harry, a wide smile over the red-haired man's face.

Captain Drake pressed the button of the radio, ending it with a scoff of disbelief as he shook his head. He almost looked upset, Levi noted, but he wonder how he could be. The captain placed his hands on his hips as he turned to face everyone as if he were about to say something of importance, and they all gave him their attention.

"You may have heard something of our conversation, but I'll just tell you everything I was told anyway. Okay, so apparently we must endure this joke of an island for at least another couple days' time. I know," he said and chuckled a forced laugh, "but I assure you I'm not kidding." Looking at everyone to see their reaction, he was nothing short of surprised when instead of looks of dread or anger, they all were evidently happy; it was clear. Everyone was actually rejoicing.

"What, didn't you just hear me?" Captain Drake demanded of them all as they continued, patts on the back and hugs being made just in front of his questioning form.

"Yes, we did!" Harry answered him, offering his hands out for April and she accepted, the two hugging one another. "We'll be okay!"

Captain Drake's look of disbelief dragged out, his eyes drifting upon each of them over and over. "What? We'll be stuck here even longer! I don't know about you ladies, but I'm through! I can't stand to so much as look at the sand under my feet any longer, I'm done with all this! We have been here for days and days; not one day uneventful, all filled with fear...and-and unanswered questions...and pain. And loss. We have lost people during our vacation here, and..." He trailed off, unable to continue any longer and marched off, his frown directed on the ground.

Levi's smile faded somewhere during the captain's speech. He didn't know where. Every word he said was true, every word of it but that was the very reason Levi was rejoicing. That's why they all were. After everything that's happened, after everything they were forced to endure, in the end they now know they'll make it. But somehow the captain didn't think the way the rest of them did and Levi wouldn't be able to understand for the life of him.

Levi watched the captain walk off, rounding the forest. He felt the urge to hurry after him and join him so that he wouldn't be alone, but somehow his feet stayed grounded. As if they couldn't move. He knew the captain wanted some alone time so that was exactly what he was going to get.

"Be aware of snakes....and people!" Harry called to the captain when he was a distance away, his form getting far away and blurry, and there was no indication that the angry man even heard him.