Julie barged in through the door, a small frown on her face. Mack looked up at her from his book, his blonde hair falling over one of his ocean blue eyes. "No success at hunting today?" he asked, voice soft. Sitting down next to him on the couch, Julie slowly shook her head. It's been a while since we've had a good meal, what with all the animals evolving quicker. I can't remember the last time we've had a good deer for dinner. I miss it a little. Just then I saw Clara storm in, red hair flowing behind her. She looked at everyone with fierce annoyance burning in her hazel eyes.
"For once, one of you could help us in hunting!" Her voice was riddled with rage, making me flinch slightly. She was always frightening when she was mad.
Ryan gave her a little smirk, leaning back in his chair. "You said you could handle it."
We, Ryan, Mack and I, used to do all the hunting while Julie and Clara stayed home. Clara had gotten tired of doing nothing all day and said that just because they were girls doesn't mean they couldn't hunt. So, we let them go instead of us. They both did great at first, but now....
Clara went up to Ryan and punched him in the arm. Hard. He moved away, leaning towards the left side of his chair, a yelp coming from his mouth. Satisfied, Clara marched upstairs, flipping her scarlett hair behind her shoulders.
Ryan shook his head at her and waved a hand. "She's so picky. First she's mad that we don't ler her hunt, now she wants us to? I don't get her." Mack laughed, rolling his eyes. "I don't think anyone does," he said. Julie only smiled at him and nodded, holding her head on her hands and leaning her elbows on her lap. She was always so quiet, I sometimes forget what her voice sounds like. It's pretty high pitched, actually, almost like a child's. Almost.
I leaned back on my chair, staring up at the ceiling. Clara had been getting angrier lately. More than usual. She's usually more inward about her anger, usually not lashing out at Ryan, who is the one who makes her angry most. It's strange, her change of attitude. I suppose she's getting sick of this island, which is understandable. 13 years in this place can get annoying, what with all the survival and storms.
But that didn't matter now. Now, we have to find something to eat for dinner. Even a rabbit would be acceptable. Mack looked around at Ryan and I, his blue eyes seeming distant. He must have been thinking hard about something, I can't tell what. His lips turned up a little at the ends after a moment, and he clasped his hands together as he stood from the couch.
"Well, I guess it's time for us to go out and hunt, you two." Mack smiled slightly and Ryan and I both stood, grabbing our spears and jackets. Mack scooped his bow and arrows up in his arms, swinging the bag that held the arrows over his shoulder. He waved a hand to Julie and we exited the shack, closing the screen door behind us.
Mack led us into the forest, readying his bow and arrow to strike at anything moving. Though his hair flopped over his eyes, I'm sure he could still see behind them. Ryan started swinging his spear around, spinning it on his fingers while Mack wasn't looking. He smirked at me, challenging me to do the same. Of course, I couldn't do that, so I smiled and brushed his challenge off silently in response.
After a while of sulking in the bushes and hiding from tree to tree, Mack turned to us, a finger pressed against his lips. He pointed to animals in the distance, only it's silhouette though. There were two of them from where I could see. Ryan got his spear ready, creeping up towards the area silently, while Mack steadied his bow and arrow. He flipped his hair out of his eyes and aimed cautiously. I looked over his shoulder at the area, worried that he might hit Ryan, which has happened before. Of course, he had gotten better at his aim than back then, but I still worry. I heard a small, quiet yelp from where Ryan was, along with a rustle of bushes. One of the silhouettes had collapsed, the other oblivious to what was happening. Mack must have heard it too, because as soon as that happened, he fired his arrow and struck the last animal in it's side. Ryan came back running, a wide smile on his face. "It was deer!" he proclaimed, raising his gray, metal spear in the air. Mack and I celebrated too, then followed him to where the animals died. Ryan and Mack hauled the deer back, while I decided on having a feast and killed a gray, medium-sized rabbit.
We returned promptly to our shack, introducing the girls to our meal. Julie smiled and ran up to Mack to give him a hug. I heard Ryan give a small "aww" at the sight, making Mack wave a hand at him. Clara just nodded at us with a barely noticable smile and started to cook the deer and rabbit.
Gathering around in our small dining room (a.k.a a room with a semi-small round table and chairs in it), Clara and Julie pass out plates with chopped deer and rabbit on it, decorated with leaves. Mack and Ryan immediately start digging into the food with their forks, devouring the meat quickly. Clara, Julie, and I took our time with eating, giggling at them both as they made a mess. Clara rolled her eyes at them, raising her voice. "I'm gonna have to clean that up, yknow!" she said, her voice filled with annoyance.
Ryan nodded, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "And I care?" he laughed. I smiled at him, shaking my head. Julie giggled to, biting into a piece of rabbit. Running a hand through his dark brown hair, Ryan rolled her eyes at Clara in response to her slapping his arm.
All of a sudden, Julie raised her hand, trying to get our attention. We looked at her with wide eyes, awaiting to hear her voice for a second time today.
"When are we leaving here?"
And there she goes, asking the question we always contemplated at night, under our sheets. Julie looked around at us, curiosity burning in her eyes. She was the youngest out of all of us, so she had yet to realize the truth. Whatever left of a smile Clara had had completely diminished, and her rage returned to her eyes. She kept quiet for the moment, though. Mack glanced at Julie, then let his gaze settle back on the chunks of meat on his plate. His voice was soft as he spoke up. "Not for a while, Jules," he said simply. Ryan nodded in agreement, taking a drink of water.
"But definitely someday!" I added, trying to keep upbeat. Clara groaned and rolled her eyes once again. She directed her glare at Julie. "No, Julie, we're never getting out of here," she said. Her gaze returned to us. "Stop lying to her." Her words burned into my head, and it hurt me to know she thought that. We were definitely leaving someday, right?
Putting his cup down, Ryan looked at Clara, his face serious. "We aren't lying. Leaving one day has always been the pla-"
"One day? What's with you guys? It's always one day, or someday, or soon. Face it. We're never leaving on here. We're trapped." Clara cut Ryan off, making him glare at her. Mack shook his head, a small frown on his face. "Not trapped, just postponed from leaving. You need patience," he said. Clara laughed sarcastically, swiping her hair out of her face. "Patience? Oh, I've had patience. For 13 years. 13 years, Mack! Haven't I been patient enough?!" she responded. Her tone scared me slightly, not making me want to look up at her. I glanced up a few times, seeing that Ryan and Clara had stood up from their seats and were now screaming at eachother. Julie was looking at them in terror. The feeling was mutual. Her simple question would never be able to be answered simply. Ryan and Clara were now screaming at eachother. Clara repeatedly saying how we were being stupid and oblivious to the truth, Ryan telling her that she was wrong, it all made me so nervous about what would happen next. Mack stood up too, shouting above the two. "Enough! We don't know what's gonna happen in the future, so let's stop trying to predict it! I've had enough of the speculation of when we're going to leave. Get yourselves together!"
Normally, this would have silenced them both. But this time Clara just wouldn't have it. She slammed a hand down on the table, making some water spill out of my cup.
"You just don't get it! We'll never get out of here! Just... Never!"
Clara stormed off... Out the front door. My eyes widened at her choice of exit. I looked at my watch, looking back at Ryan and Mack with horror. Ryan recognized the look, along with Mack, and they both ran after her. Julie and I followed reluctantly, out into the storm. We found Clara far away from the shack, just as the rain had started pounding down onto us. She was drenched from head to toe, her hair stringy and sprawled all over her face. Her hands were balled up into fists, and she was on her knees looking towards the ocean. Turning to us, it was easy to tell she was sobbing, despite the rain. Mack screamed over the loud noise of the rain smashing into the raging waters. "Clara! Stop this! We have to get back inside!" He sounded desperate, reaching his hand out for her to take. Ryan was standing a step behind him, looking up at the sky. It was dark, and the thunder had started to sound. The atmosphere felt heavy, and this was just the beginning of the storm.
Clara shook her head, eyes pleading. She spoke in a voice loud enough for us to hear, but it was shaky and weak, completely opposite of how she usually talked. "What's... What's the point?" It was clear that she was finally at her breaking point, that she had given up. She said it again, and again and again. Ryan and Mack were trying to calm her down, trying to make her stop saying that. But the moment Mack had taken a step closer, a bolt of lightning struck the sand in between them. Terror flashed across his eyes and he stepped back. Ryan pulled him back towards us, too, holding onto his shoulders. "Clara! Come here! It's not safe!" Mack screamed again. Clara shook her head. I could see her shaking, sobbing even harder than before. Lightning struck once again, this time right next to her, making the sand by her smoke. Clara screamed, "There's no point! We're all just trapped here anyway!" She screamed again. She screamed and screamed and screamed, more bolts of lightning coming down around her. I hadn't seen anything like it on the island, where the lightning struck in just one area. It was terrifying. Julie clung on to my shirt, shaking as she watched the lightning come down. I looked up at the sky, almost blinded by the flashes of light. We all backed up frim the strikes, but Mack kept screaming for Clara to come back.
Lightning streamed down from the clouds, a circle of electricity forming around Clara. I held my breath for the moment, afraid to watch where the lightning struck. Clara was screaming her head off, paying no attention to the danger. She waved a hand at us. "Leave me! Just go!" Lightning struck the sand in front of Mack as Clara's hand flicked in our direction. Ryan and Mack jumped back, staring at Clara with horror and realization. She punched the sand and sobbed and screamed, and we could do nothing but yell for her to come back. Then Julie stepped up, letting go of my shirt and walking in front of Mack and Ryan. Mack made sure she didn't go any farther.
"Clara! It's okay! Even if we don't leave, we can still live here, right?! I mean, it's not paradise, but it's fun here! Don't ya think?"
Clara shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. "No, Julie it's not! To know that we could be somewhere else. Somewhere better. No! It's not fun at all!"
"It is! With you! With everyone together! It's fun! And we can be happy!" Julie responded childishly. I could see she was still shaking, both her and Clara.
The lightning calmed down a bit, less bolts coming down and hitting the sand. Maybe it wasn't better or calmer, but it was getting there. Clara shook her head again, slightly less vigorously. She stopped punching the sand, which by now had turned to ash, and was cradling herself and rocking back and forth. Mack, Ryan, and I watched as Julie talked.
Waiting a moment, Julie spoke up again, this time reaching a hand out. "Please!"
A few more minutes passed, and the lightning had gone down to only two or three bolts raining down near Clara. She looked up at Julie, putting her arms down and starting to stand on her feet. The wind blew her hair around and across her face. She trudged over to Julie, taking her hand and holding at as tears, or raindrops, continued to stream down her face. Julie held onto her hand, pulling her towards the rest of us. Clara looked around at everyone for a moment, eyes sad and tired. Then, at the sound of thunder, she came back to her senses. "Let's get to the shelter!" she shouted.