********************
Time Jump~
Gregory Fletcher's POV~
The following morning, I woke up halfway through sunrise. The orange-yellow brilliance ignited the island coast's chilly sand and the sky's emptiness, providing everything in sight a stunning glimmer. Stirring animals and noisy insects were easily heard deep within the nearby rainforest.
Wilfred was sitting only a few feet away from where I had spent the night, around an undersized blaze with Geoffrey, Juanita, and Shania. "You should get a bit more sleep," he told me quietly.
I kept limp for a moment, shivering from the nippy temperature of the grains beneath me, then stretched my limbs with a tired moan, almost a cry. My body was still a wreck after yesterday's unforgettable event. After rubbing my eyes, I wobbled upright and let my eyes adjust to the light.
Austin, Isaac, Velma, Miley, Susie, Alayna, and Lianne slept elsewhere on the beach. They, like me, were covered in goosebumps due to lying on the uncomfortable sand all night. Susie was using her vest as a pillow, and the jewels of Austin's wristwatch shimmered in the early light.
"If you won't get more sleep, at least come eat," the heroic man with muttonchops encouraged.
My stomach was practically devoid of food, indicated by my belly growling like a feral big cat as I rose to my feet and wandered to the fire that crackled. Shania offered me two ripe oranges when I lowered between her and Juanita. The wriggling flame already warmed me from head to toe.
The lady in gray nodded ahead. "We found an orange tree farther up the coast, not too far into the jungle, and harvested what we could and brought them back. They're all we've got for now."
I showed my sincere appreciation, physically and verbally. "Thanks."
A miniature wave washed onto the shore, bringing a mass of seaweed. A couple of squawking birds searching for a meal swooped down from overhead and anchored a few yards away from the other awakened survivors and me. The scenery was gorgeous, and the vibe was peaceful.
The Hispanic woman queried in a respectfully soft voice. "What island are we on?"
The blond Australian answered. "Without a map, I don't know if any of us will know for sure; that's why we've got to be careful when we get near that jungle. God only knows what's in it."
Geoffrey scowled, gesturing aimlessly. "We can't stay on this beach forever, dude. This sand is too cold to sleep on, and there are only oranges for food. We're going to have to go in there."
"And I completely understand that point of view, but unfortunately, I don't know what we are doing today yet, all right? Perhaps it would be best if we were to have leaders to keep us—"
Shania scoffed dismissively. "Leaders? I don't want any damn leaders. All they'd achieve is telling me what to do when I've got myself to worry about. I'll gladly make my own decisions."
"I am talking about leaders, Shania, not dictators, and leaders think about everybody. All we would need is maybe three well-intentioned people to step up so we can be safe and healthy."
Juanita passively spoke again. "Listen, at the end of the day, all our survival comes first, so we need to be ready to do whatever we need to, right? Whether somebody commands us or not."
The noises of serene nature replenished the equatorial air. A couple of the other surrounding islanders occasionally shuffled in place, asleep on the gritty sand or cognizant on a worn-down log. At one point, I noticed the Australian pilot, Frank, was nowhere to be seen on the seashore.
Wilfred seemed to have read my mind. "He was gone when I woke up," he asserted.
The African-American fellow pointed behind himself, down the miles of beach. "Footprints in the sand lead that way. Me, Wilfred, and Shania followed them until they led too far into the jungle."
More than inquisitive, I was also disappointed and, admittedly, somewhat aggravated. "So he just abandoned us, took off on some random-ass island we know nothing about?" I questioned.
"Obviously, Sherlock."
Juanita cocked her head with a calm expression that conveyed a thousand words. "He is only being informed of the situation. There is no need to get an attitude so early in the morning."
"Chick, our plane literally exploded yesterday. Now we're stranded on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, maybe for the rest of our lives. My bad attitude is the least of your problems."
"That doesn't mean we want to hear it," I spat.
Wilfred threw out a palm, irritated at virtually every survivor not resting in the vicinity now. "All right, that's enough! We all need to get along if we want to get off this island safe and sound."
Isaac suddenly jeered. He had awakened and stood behind Shania and me with maddened facial features. "But honestly, does Frank really deserve to leave this place safe and sound?"
"The accident wasn't his fault," Juanita defended. "You even said yourself that the engine blew up. There was nothing he could have done to keep us in the air. He probably left because of you."
"Who the hell cares about the reason why he left? The fact is, man, he's not here right now, and because he is why we're stranded, I don't give a rat's ass about him not being here right now."
"He might know more about this island, Isaac! I mean, he's had to have flown over this place before, surely! Regardless, I'm certain he knows more about it than any of us do. We need him."
Geoffrey muttered. "Asshole would've said something yesterday if he knew more about it."
"Not necessarily! You boys are attacking a man who had no control over the accident and was likely driven away because of the embarrassment he received in front of everybody yesterday."
Smoothly, Shania remarked. "Listen, I know we were shaken from the accident, but all the man had to do was be more open with us. Instead, he blatantly ignored the questions thrown at him."
"He was the captain of the flight," Geoffrey added. "He, out of everybody, should have calmed down his passengers by letting us know what he knew. You never hide emergency information."
Juanita continued disputing, defending the missing flyer. "That isn't fair! He was being harassed left and right and needed Alayna to back him up when somebody pointed a finger in his face."
"Maybe he should've piloted better."
Isaac nodded in agreement with Geoffrey and Shania. As he finally crouched beside the woman wearing the torn gray tank top and Wilfred, an awkward silence wafted over everyone. Only the tropical wilderness, the ocean, and the fire made sounds as the uneasy morning dragged along.
Time Jump~
A few hours later, everybody, now awake, was spread out along the seashore, chatting or sitting alone like Austin, who was again forlorn on the boulder by the crag and slouched, though wholly clothed. Frank was widely understood to be absent, but nobody knew where he disappeared.
I was seriously discussing with my best friend and Alayna beside the mound of burnt logs in the middle of the windy coast. Elsewhere, college friends Geoffrey and Velma were together, Juanita and Shania conversed with the childless mother, and Isaac squabbled with Susie and Wilfred.
"They were being assholes," I murmured, referring to the trio of antagonists at the daybreak breakfast. "I mean, we haven't even been on this island for twenty-four hours, and we're already falling apart. If we don't get everyone settled down fast, we're not going to get anything done."
Lianne stated firmly. "So one of us needs to man up and take control of the situation. With no guidance, there's no direction, and with no direction, there's no way to go, so... Alayna?"
The Australian flight attendant shook her head. "No, I will turn bossy if I need to, but I am not going to be a leader," she refused. "Until we have one, we need to learn to be a communitive—"
"Can we please get everyone together?!" the Fisher member unintentionally interrupted.
With an exhale, Alayna led Lianne and me to Susie, Isaac, and Wilfred. Austin slid off the isolated boulder, and he and everyone else piled together, benign muffled mumbling occurring along the way. The sun made the equatorial view picturesque, just as it had done in the recent dawning.
"Thank you," the freckled Susie acknowledged. "Now, the first thing we had planned today was to gather stones and logs for the several SOS messages, but alongside that, Frank must be—"
"Seriously?" Isaac groaned with a peeved loll of his head. "We've got more important things to do. I mean, Christ, I don't hate the fucking guy, but he made his own grave. I'm not wasting valuable time because of a decision he made himself. You'd all be smart to think the same way."
The young guy with dreadlocks bounced his shoulders nonchalantly. "I think the same way, one hundred percent. We should think about ourselves first, not the snake in the grass," he opined.
"Geoffrey!" Velma gasped with a frown, disappointed with how casually her friend acted about the topic. "How could you say that? He's an innocent man, at least until he's proven to be guilty."
"Innocent men don't hide answers, yet he hid them despite having more than enough time to show them. He's either a snake with something to hide or a weak man who can't take the heat."
"Or both," Shania snarked, her hands planted intensely on her hips.
Isaac drew on an arrogant smirk as he accosted Alayna, who was already annoyed by the meeting. "What'd I tell you? It's not just me who thinks that. He brought us to this island assuming he would perish in the accident so he wouldn't have to face the consequences."
Lianne glared and crossed her arms. "What the hell kind of conspiracy is that?"
"A possible one, which is why I'm not spending a damn second of my time looking for him. Instead—and you're welcome to join me—I'll be on the search for the stones and the logs."
Susie stuck out of hand. "Hold on now!" she quickly hindered. "We need to be organized to deal with our two objectives, the first being materials for the signs and the second being Frank, yes?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever. But I just said I'm not wasting valuable time looking for him. I'd rather put today's light to use by getting us closer to home, just as any sensible man or woman would do."
"I'll go with you," Shania volunteered with no reluctance whatsoever. "And for the record, believe it or not, I know it isn't moral, but I'm looking at the bigger picture. We're stranded."
Miley, solemn, had never spoken to the entire gathering of islanders until now, as she was still completely devastated over the traumatic loss of her two adolescent children. "I'll help, too."
Seconds later, the final enlistee, Geoffrey, raised his hand. "I'll go."
Velma pleadingly stared at her college friend through her thick-rimmed glasses and seized his wrist in a delicate fist. "Geoffrey, no," she beseeched, "please, just... stick around a bit longer."
"I'm sorry, Velma, really, but... I want to go home, man, not track down some old dude in a jungle full of poison ivy and venomous spiders. We need to think about that, about ourselves."
Isaac turned to the most youthful female, whom he, and probably everyone else, saw as the most emotionally vulnerable survivor. "The man left on his own choice, hon. Now that he's a goner, we've got to focus on ourselves, like your friend said, or else we'll be jaguar food, too."
Velma shook her head, her mouth wide open in shock, and her pupils expanded like those of a frightened doe on the road. "No, that's sick, to-to just leave an elderly man out there like that."
Shania huffed, fed up. She lazily hit Isaac's arm with her knuckles to gather his focus. "We don't need her anyway," she affirmed. "The four of us are enough to bring back a few stones and logs."
The content Isaac nodded, then swiveled to Susie. "Got any extra bags for us?"
Hesitantly, Susie sauntered to the ashy logs of the pit. She knelt and grabbed one of the only four backpacks withdrawn from the submerged airplane, though each was tarnished with the unmistakable aroma of salty seawater. Then, clearly against her will, she delivered it to Isaac.
After Isaac jerked his head toward the wet jungle, he parted from the remainder of us with Miley, Shania, and Geoffrey. The only one to peek back was the African American, who genuinely seemed hurt, but he, too, entered the dense forest, becoming shadowed the farther he traveled.
"We didn't want to stop them?" I wondered aloud.
Juanita set a gentle hand on my shoulder. She was always looking out for the rest of us as if she were a mother and we were her grown children having a predicament that was having trouble being solved. "If this morning told us anything, Greg, they wouldn't have gone with us anyway."
Wilfred recalled the period. "All of them but Miley were the ones being unreasonable during breakfast," he explained. "It doesn't matter, though. Their choice is theirs, and ours is ours."
The Australian with dotted skin looked at the rest of us, sighing with her hands on her waist but perking up immediately thereafter. "Well, with all that drama out of the way, I suppose it is our job to go on a rescue mission. We can also help the other group by bringing back rocks and logs."
"I, um, am actually going to hang back, sorry," Austin communicated, sounding contemplative and tentative simultaneously. "I'm on your side, for sure, but... I don't think I'm ready, not yet."
"Okay, we're not going to force you to go if you don't want to," Alayna approved. "That's something I want all of you to remember. We're in this together, as a team, understood?"
Austin and everybody else bowed our heads gratefully, and then he began to lumber toward the uneven boulder at the bottom of the mossy bluff. While he was doing so, Susie collected the other backpacks and passed one to Wilfred and another to Alayna, keeping the third for herself.
With each survivor now prepared for the trek into the near rainforest, I averted my orbs from the blond in the blue flannel to the freckled redhead. "I'll go see if I can find out what's up with him."
The confident Susie patiently nodded. "As Alayna stated, we are a team. Any positive reinforcements will always be validated. Just remember that time is ticking, all right?"
I caught the concerned attention of a pensive Lianne. She was pondering something crucial, but I leisurely trailed the footprints of Austin's flip-flops in the sand. He glanced up at me from atop his favorite rock and offered me an amiable smile when he heard me, and I delivered one to him.
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
Austin lost the minimal pleasantness he had presented me with, which made me believe he had faked it. He glimpsed past me, then folded his masculine hands and bent forward, huffing with his head craned to gaze authentically into my eyes. "You really want to know what I'm thinking?"
"Yeah, I really do. In fact, the whole reason why I came over here was because I wanted to know what's going on. After our talk yesterday, I thought I'd given you the reassurance you needed."
The golden blond snickered but returned to being serious when he nodded constantly. "Okay, the truth is, the truth about what I'm thinking is that... I don't think we'll be going home soon."
I grimaced, my brows dropping toward a point like my heart plunged into my belly. "You don't?"
"I mean, none of us even know where the hell we are, Greg. And if Frank were able to contact help like he claimed he did more than once, we'd have been rescued by now, don't you think?"
Deliberating greatly, I dropped my stare and placed myself beside the brooding Austin, who scooted over to make more room for me on the boulder. "So you think we're stuck here then?"
"Honestly, yeah, but I don't know for sure, of course. I'm just saying we should've been rescued by now, right? Why haven't we been? It makes me wonder if Frank lied to protect himself from..."
"Isaac and his people? Yeah, I hate to admit it, but they might be right about Frank. So what do you want to do? You seem like a tough guy who'd be pretty capable of braving the wilderness."
"Well, if things don't turn out our way, I won't have a choice but to do that... or at least try to."
"Then a good start would be to share our worries with the others. They deserve to be aware of every possibility if they aren't already, or else all we'll accomplish is getting ourselves injured."
"But I don't want them losing hope, Greg. What I'm feeling now about being deserted is just, you know, a... a silly feeling I've got in my gut. Help could be on the way as we speak, for all I know."
"But if it's not, we'll need to think ahead and prepare for a hike down the other path. How about you and I go out for food, maybe find a shelter, like a cave or something? I'll recruit Lianne, too."
Austin rubbed his veiny hands together gradually, thinking incredibly keenly, bobbing his left leg, and repeatedly nodding until he gave me his entire attention again. "All right, let's do it."
With me silently overpraising myself for succeeding in my line of work, the two of us abandoned the basking rock and then meandered leisurely to the assembly of discussing individuals by the deceased fire. At the sight of us, each of them shifted and hushed to listen to what we had to say.
"Feeling good, Austin?" Alayna queried.
"Better, thanks to Greg," the strongest guy appreciated. He chose his next words carefully. "But I was thinking of the possibility of us not getting help, so we'll look for food, shelter, just in case."
Wilfred frowned, suddenly sad. "As much as it pains me to confess," he puffed, "that is probably for the better. The worst thing we can do now is not be prepared for every possible outcome."
The flight attendant nodded cordially. "That is very smart thinking, boys, so I will go with you," she registered. "We can take this bag with us." She bobbed her shoulder to emphasize her pack.
"You know I'm not going anywhere you're not, Greg," Lianne told me with a loyal beam, "at least not on our second day here. Besides, three groups of four are as even as even can get right now."
Susie was satisfied with the plan. "That leaves everyone else with me," she confirmed. "Now, it will be hard to traverse the jungle with no map, so be sure to make notes of your surroundings. If anyone somehow happens to get lost, stay exactly where you are, and we will retrace our steps."
Velma motioned ahead. "Speaking of, we should follow the footprints on the beach first," she suggested. "They could only be Frank's, and Isaac's group went a different route anyway, so..."
The auburn-haired lady nodded, then looked at the four of us not going with her, an earnest and caring expression on her speckled face. "Be careful out there, my friends. We will see you soon."
"You too," Austin parted.
After Susie happily studied her club affiliates, she started to steer them toward the lefthand side of the coast, where the imprints of the last airline pilot were leading away. Then, Austin marched onward, steering Lianne, Alayna, and me into the exotic rainforest consumed by high humidity.
Time Jump~
Ten minutes later, my teammates and I found ourselves stomping through thick greenery in the clamorous jungle, attempting to create a path by pushing leafy bushes, stringy vines, and low-hanging branches out of our way. Sometimes, in the far distance, a capuchin monkey screeched.
Austin and I were strolling side by side in the front while the two women talked just a few yards behind us. All four of us were already perspiring from the temperature, so minuscule insects such as sweat bees often bothered us, pestering us even when we frequently swatted at them.
The black-haired dancer snickered. "I would have packed my hiking boots had I known this was going to be part of our spring break vacation, Greg," she remarked, half-serious and half-joking.
"I wasn't even on vacation," the Australian flight attendant noted with barely a chuckle. She ran her palms down the sides of her wrinkled uniform and loosened her silk scarf around her neck.
"Just look at it as if all won a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a beautiful rainforest," I recommended.
"That isn't bad advice, but it would be better if we had the proper gear. I mean, if we weren't in this insufferable position, we'd be crazy venturing this place in workwear, flannels, and T-shirts."
"Maybe we still are crazy," Lianne murmured as if to herself. "But hey, Susie has that nice vest. Her whole aesthetic makes her seem like she's on some African safari; it's damn impressive."
"Speaking of outfits," I said, "if we don't get rescued, there will come a day when our clothes will be too torn up for us to wear. If anyone knows anyone crafty enough to keep us comfortable..."
Alayna spoke in a tone as if she were shy or ashamed. "Well, I like arts and crafts, so if we really do end up stuck on this island for that long, I promise to do my best to keep everyone covered."
My best friend since middle school cooed excitedly. "Ooh, are you going to give us leaf bras?!"
"Um, I'm no expert at that sort of thing, but yeah, I could whip up some of those with vines and coconuts for us ladies. How would you boys feel about sporting pretty skirts with flower belts?"
I jested. "Hey, I don't care what I wear or don't wear as long as I'm feeling free and breezy."
"What about feeling humiliated for being two grown men nearly thirty years old wearing skirts all day? Because I am totally going to humiliate you; it would be my source of entertainment."
"That's a fair price to pay."
Lianne cackled, clapping once as she staggered forward. "Oh god, please don't torture us like that, Greg. I know we're close, but we're not that close. Hell, I don't even know the other guys!"
"I'm sure that'll change. I mean, the second part will, not the first part. We'll never be that close. As long as we're bearing this hot island, though, nothing will stop me from wanting to feel cool."
"Well, thankfully, the women outnumber the men on said hot island. Maybe that and your budding bromance with Austin will keep you from speaking guy talk with us, right, Austin?"
The girls and I laughed pleasantly, and even the quiet Austin cracked a slight grin he attempted to keep hidden. We fell into tranquil silence thereafter as we tramped over more dropped twigs. Birds, like parrots, sang captivating songs above, and timid woodland critters scampered below.
I made a confession, ensuring only the male at my side could hear me. "You know, if this island doesn't turn out to be that bad, I'll probably really like living here, despite the whole 'my family is on some other giant landmass, and there's no way to get back to them' problem, obviously."
The brawny Austin gave me his attention for the first time since leaving the beach. He genuinely appeared amused and interested in conversing with another human being. "Truly?" he quizzed.
I shrugged, my humor from the previous conversation now dissolved and disappeared. "I mean, sure, it'd take time to get used to being naked in the jungle, eating wild plants, probably hunting animals, and smacking yourself to kill bugs, but if you put all that stuff aside, I think it'd be nice."
The blond snickered. "So long as these bugs leave me the hell alone, being naked won't be a problem. This place is already too humid for me to even wear what I'm wearing now. As for keeping us fed, I don't think I'd have a problem with hunting and gathering; it could be fun."
"Huh, it sounds like I was right about you being a tough man capable of braving the wilderness. If we hand out roles, you and Wilfred are strong enough to handle the woodwork for shelters."
"Well, any survival activities we do while on this island will more than likely be an activity I've never done before, but if help doesn't come soon, I'll be prepared. You can all count on me."
"You don't like giving up, do you?"
Austin shook his head, abrupt heartsickness swamping him and causing him to soften. "That's why I was secluded yesterday. I went into that damn plane expecting to be a hero to every single person, Greg, but... I wasn't. A twenty-eight-year-old guy can't do that, but I thought I could."
I sulked. "Everyone has those moments when they feel like they're so much more than who they actually are, especially when they're someone like you, someone who gives everything their absolute best, and you did the absolute best you could; that's all that can ever be asked of you."
"It's something that'll take a little time to get over, but I know you're right, so thanks, man, seriously. If you hadn't talked to me yesterday, I wouldn't have been able to sleep last night."
"Good to know I didn't go through almost six years of college to earn a bachelor's and a master's just for you to disregard my brilliant knowledge. There is a lot of useful advice up in this brain."
The athletic man looked at me, a lively smirk expanding across his stubbled face. "Something tells me my stupid ass regrets acknowledging that. I even made a promise to you, didn't I?"
"You did, so you better keep it because we're going to need you if we end up stuck here for a while. You've got the muscle, you've got the heart, and I'm sure you've got the smarts, right?"
"I'm no bodybuilder, but I do believe I've got sufficient muscle and the heart, and what I don't know is what I'm willing to learn. Susie will be a great source for that to everyone, not just me."
"Definitely. Now that I'm feeling better, I've actually been meaning to go around and get to know the others more. Susie's probably my prerogative, but Velma and Geoffrey are at the top of—"
Alayna suddenly whistled. "Hey, boys!" she hailed, pausing beside Lianne and facing off to the side. "I know we're still strangers and want to get to know one another, but we hit the jackpot."
Austin motioned ahead indifferently, giving the dark-haired women access to direct him and me to an enormous patch of tomato-developing bushes. Dozens of multicolored insects like dragonflies, beetles, and caterpillars were snacking on a reasonable number of the juicy fruits.
The red-attired flight attendant wiggled off her pack and set it on the grassy ground. She then unzipped the amplest compartment and widened the inside. "Okay, start picking and tossing."
As Austin and Alayna began gathering edible berries from their bloomed plants, Lianne secretly beckoned for me to unite with her at a shrub just distant enough from them to where they could not hear us whisper. She and I crouched beside each other and commenced to harvest adeptly.
"I, um... I wanted to talk to you about Austin," my best friend mumbled. "He's still distraught over yesterday and will hardly talk to anyone, but he's bonded with you, so... is he all right?"
"Well, the conversation we just had was only the third one we've had since we met, so I don't know much about him, but from my viewpoint, he's bouncing back at his pace," I professed.
"God, that's a relief to hear. I didn't know if he was still feeling guilty about yesterday. With him and Miley being so remote compared to the rest of us, I was really getting worried about him."
"Oh, yeah, he's still upset about that, but he's confident he'll bring his A-game before long. I'm just trying not to rush him. Nobody should rush him. He needs as much time as he needs."
"Of course, and I don't blame him at all. But thinking he could have done more is an unfortunate negative of the 'knight in shining armor' type. We need to make sure he stays mentally healthy."
"I agree, especially knowing Isaac obviously doesn't take too kindly to him and Alayna, two of the best survivors we could partner with. I worry about what will happen if we can't go home."
Lianne drooped her shoulders, reaping tomatoes from the lowest branches of the nourishing bush. "Worst-case scenario is he and those on his side turn against us, and we have to fight."
"'The worst thing we can do now is not be prepared for every possible outcome.'"
"Exactly, so if push comes to shove, I am going to defend myself, Gregory, and I am going to defend my best friend and the friends on our side. I don't want to hurt anybody, but... I will."
"We are stranded on an island, after all. I guess it's only a matter of time until people start going dangerously insane, and there isn't anyone but ourselves to stop anyone from doing anything."
"And that's why we need competent people like Austin and Susie on our side, and the way to do that is to prevent Isaac and his people from getting into their heads; that should be effortless."
"Are we going to tell the others about any of this?"
"I don't think there's any reason why we shouldn't, so I'll wait for the right time for us to talk to one of those two. They'll likely call everyone else together and get things settled from there."
"How long should we wait?"
"Well, thankfully, Isaac hasn't done anything to cause any alarm yet. Yes, he's loud and impolite, but he's simply someone understandably focused on working on a way to get home right now."
I merely nodded, with my throbbing brain clouded with reflections, some passive while the rest violent. "Okay, I trust you to find the moment we should tell Austin or Susie. I'll keep watch, too."
Lianne put her hand on my back for a minute, but there was still genuine fear in both of us as we attempted to distract ourselves by continuing to scavenge tomatoes with the other islanders.
Time Jump~
A full moon was out that night, and it was glowing magnificently. Most boisterous jungle animals were fast asleep, but the insects were expectantly awake and twittering as always. Everyone but Frank was on the chilled beachfront, where "SOS" was spelled across the sand with large stones.
Currently, Austin, Isaac, Susie, Alayna, Lianne, Wilfred, and Juanita were working to assemble a gigantic tent made of logs and smaller timber to light it ablaze. Velma, Geoffrey, Shania, Miley, and I were hanging out nearby, savoring the mild temperature of the tropical island's rare wind.
"God, I hope this fire will burn long enough tomorrow to draw someone's attention," I prayed.
"Would've brought back more wood had you and the others come with us," Geoffrey said.
"Don't, Geoff," Velma pleaded.
"No, he's got a point," the woman in gray defended, shockingly as nicely as she could manage. "You spent all day looking for a dead man when you could've been fighting for the greater good."
I rolled my eyes. "First of all, there is no greater good. Each one of us did something beneficial today, and that's what matters. Secondly, we don't know if he's dead, so don't presume he is."
"Hon, if he's not dead, he's too far away to look for now. He's had all damn day to travel as distant as one can. If you're right about him knowing more than us, he'll find his way back."
"He might be hiding somewhere," Velma assumed.
"There were three groups out there today, kid, and none of us came across any shelter worth staying at. He... is... gone. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can focus on yourself."
Before another scathing retort could be uttered, a commotion commenced beside the mountain of lumber, where Isaac was getting up in Austin's face. The latter was biting the inside of his cheek as if that were a method he hoped would help hold him back from punching the former.
"Man, what'd you say to me?!" Isaac raged.
"Hey, cut it out!" Alayna shouted, assisting Juanita in carrying a horizontal log.
"I need to cut it out?! My group's the only people doing shit! You go out berry-picking and soul-searching while we're busting our asses trying to send them home! It blows my mind how—"
"Back off, Isaac," Austin warned.
Alayna dropped her end of the timber and rushed forward to jump between the golden blond and the black-haired businessman. Everyone else stepped closer, too, crowding around as if we were children in a schoolyard waiting for a major physical fight to initiate at the playground.
"I'm being realistic," Austin snarled. "You can't just shove a possible reality off to the side and expect everything to go the way you want it to. I realized that. You can, too, if you'd listen to—"
Isaac stormed. "Going home is a possible reality, Austin, don't you fucking get that?! Maybe you don't have a family to go back to, but goddammit, the rest of us do! Now get off my ass, or I'll—"
"Stop it!" Wilfred hollered, now hopping into the fray. "We are not going to get anything done with all these arguments! Now listen, Isaac, we want to go home as much as you do, but you—"
"Jesus Christ, then help us, dude! I mean, you go out there and find that man, and then what, huh?! And then what, Wilfred?! He's useless! He ran off by choice, so leave his ass out there!"
"You're so selfish, wanting to put yourself first!" Austin roared. "Not everything's about you! You could've saved more people yesterday, but you fought with the pilot instead, and for what?!"
I also took a stance beside the buff guy in sky blue, crossing my arms at Isaac. "You should be ashamed of how you're acting. Yesterday is no excuse to treat people the way you have been."
The red-faced adult with the man bun chuckled in disbelief, stunned by his opposition. "You're all the same damn way," he seethed. "It's like you want to stay here and live with the monkeys!"
"Maybe try being a bit more understanding," the Hispanic female advised. "All we're saying is that we could be and have been here longer than expected. No one said we're not going home."
"We don't need to focus on one thing at a time," Lianne joined. "That's why we spent the day bringing back food for all of us. If the signs fail, at least we'll have enough to sustain us, right?"
"Because living in the same place as you pessimists sounds so pleasing to me," Isaac snarked.
The tension in the air stayed strong, precisely like how Lianne, Juanita, and I were by sticking next to Austin. Alayna and Wilfred had backed off, but they undoubtedly were not coordinating with Isaac, though Shania was. Susie, Velma, Geoffrey, and Miley remained out of the warzone.
Soon, Isaac scoffed a sharp snicker, then stepped away to stand alone, arms open at his sides. "You know what, if you all are so damn sure we're stuck on this rock, I'll start a tribe of my own."
"No, listen—" the flight attendant demanded.
"No, you listen! If you're smart and want to go home, follow me! Otherwise, you can stay here with SAR, who already lost all faith in getting off this godforsaken island not even two days in."
As expected, Shania walked to Isaac, and to my astonishment, Miley did, too. After a lingering moment, Geoffrey started to head toward the three contrastive islanders until Velma reached out and wrapped her hands around his wrist, resulting in him freezing with an afflicted exhale.
"No," the youngest individual on the isle urged.
"Velma, I want to go home," Geoffrey stressed, trying to be polite. "I got a little brother and a mom and dad who mean way more to me than the old man who put us here in the first place."
The blonde kept her mouth hanging open as she surveyed those of us refusing to accompany Isaac, then the trio of survivors who intended on leaving with him momentarily. Finally, she chose to pursue a valiant decision, letting go of Geoffrey and backing away, shaking her head.
"Velma, come on, please; don't you want to go home?"
"If we're lucky, we'll go home together, no matter what group we're in. I'm staying in this one."
Geoffrey was bewildered at his college friend's rejection declaration but ultimately wheeled around with a mean sneer, chuckling discourteously, as he settled with Isaac's club of outliers.
Juanita was also confounded. "So what, you're just going to take this man's word, huh? Assume he really does know how to get you home?" she tested. "He hasn't shared a single plan of his!"
In the silence that ensued, Isaac scanned his people with an eager grin, then approached my strong savior boldly, pointing a stiff finger at him. "You better pray to God we go home, Austin."
Alayna shoved Isaac away, swifter than a flash of lightning. He glared threateningly at her before returning to his flock and leading them toward the mysterious umbrae of the rainforest. Just as he had done earlier in the day, Geoffrey glanced at the tearing Velma, frowned, and disappeared.
Juanita then smothered Velma in a parental embrace, and Austin dropped his head forward, his palms resting on his hips and his Caribbean-blue eyes shut. His wristwatch ticked mutely as my best friend strode to me and tugged me countless yards away, her steady sight on everyone else.
"This is the time," the Burch member declared, "so tomorrow morning, I'm going to propose a safety method to Austin; it'll let us decide, for ourselves, what we want to do with our own lives."
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