[Charlotte Kendall]
My calves were so tight while walking through the jungle. I honestly couldn't tell how much longer I had until I collapsed. And Ashton, every step that we took he whined about a pinch or a tickle in his feet. I knew he wasn't trying to make me feel guilty since I am the one who took his shoes.
I stepped over a rock in the middle of the path and suddenly my knee gave out. I stumbled to my shins placing my hands out into the dirt in front of me before I landed on my face. Ashton was quick to jump at my rescue.
"Char! You alright?" I felt his hands on my shoulder blade and winced. He gently stepped back and helped me to the other side instead. "I think we're almost there."
"Ashton I don't recognize a single bush on this side of the jungle. Do you think we are headed in the right direction?" I grumbled under my breath a bit before slowly gathering to my feet.
Ashton hesitated to reply. I watched him squint up and down the paths towards the beach by any means. I looked up too and found the sun planted farther west than where we were. We had been out here all day for sure, walking in circles and claiming to have seen the beach in the distance. For the past hour or so, we have been following the sun west but every time we look up again we lose track of our distances.
"We are running out of daylight." He states pulling me up straight and directly beside him, "We better hurry and find our way out of here, or else we are going to be stuck here for another night."
He started gently tugging at my arm and before I knew it we were off again without a break. I was starving and lightheaded. I honestly couldn't picture myself safe on the beach again after this terrible day.
As we walk through the thick brush I grab my shoulder and think back to the moment we left the caves this morning. The writing on the wall had me thinking again, I pictured the red writing inside the rock and wondered who Michael was, or if he was still alive. The writing said he had survived but who knows for how long. Did he get rescued, is he still here? Perhaps he set the fire in the jungle to attract rescue? Nothing was connecting and Ashton was done talking about the possibilities hours ago. He still thought it was crazy that any human being was living on this massive island all alone, yet here we are.
The sky was darkening and I knew the sunset was coming. "Ash I don't think we'll make it," I state in a sad huff.
He sighed too once stopping immediately in his tracks. I almost run into him but I had my arms out, pinned to his lower back before slowly dropping in awe. He was still so muscular through his ripped shirt and extremely tan around his shoulders and down his arms.
"We can't stop." He spoke in a deep voice. It was almost seductive, making me tingle down to my toes.
"Bu-but I think it would be best to get some rest."
My sentence barely came out as Ashton turned to look down at me. His eyes drooped in defeat and the crooked grin was visible in a shadow. I don't know how I was turned on at this moment but something about Ashton looking all rugged in the jungle felt so sexy. I felt guilty for having these sudden dirty thoughts until I touched his wrist and he quickly pulled away.
"Come on Char we have to make it at least one more hour."
I sort of whimpered once he started walking away from me again and felt irritated with myself. I have to stop thinking of Ashton in that way.
I groan and run through the threes after him, "Hey you have to understand that we have been out here all damn day without a proper break or anything to eat. Ashton I can't keep going, my legs are starting to give out for crying out loud."
In an attempt of protest, I drop down to sit against a tree trunk. After several seconds and when Ashton realized I wasn't stumbling out behind him, he turned around and crashed back through the trees. "What the hell are you doing? I said let's go!" Suddenly the tone in his voice wasn't playful. But I stayed put.
After another minute Ashton groaned and plopped down onto the dirt beside me to rub at his feet.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell." He hung his head low and scratched at the back of his neck before scooting back and pinning his head up against the tree trunk. I slid all the way down and rested on my butt as well before placing a hand on his bent knee.
"I know you don't mean to be mean Ashton. You're nervous to be out here at night, I know I am too."
He smirked a little before patting my chapped hand. I smiled at him before suddenly remembering something extremely important.
"Oh my God Ashton!"
"What?" He suddenly snapped back into a nervous expression.
"I forgot this whole time I had a compass!"
I reached behind me and grabbed the silver compass and popped open the side. The compass spun out of control before finding north and dangling the arrow at the top. Ashton nudged me on the shoulder before letting out a relieved chuckle. I set the compass west and the arrow began spinning out to our left.
He jumped to his feet ready to go while laughing that I had this the whole time and never thought twice about it. I felt guilty for forgetting about the most important thing to have, a sense of direction.
"Well, let's get a move on it." With a careful tug upward Ashton had pulled me to my feet again and leaned over to get a view of the arrow before finding the direction in real life. "I still can't believe this." He chuckled under his breath before pulling me into his side.
"Please don't blame me." I pout playfully.
"If I were to guess here Miss Charlotte, you were trying to keep me out here all to yourself for one more night." He teased with a quick wink and I suddenly felt those knots in my stomach again. I certainly wasn't but would it have been a bad thing if I did? "Oi I'm kidding, come on we have to beat the sun now!" He yanked my body forward towards the trees while looking back once in a while to make sure he was still headed west. In no time the sun was down and the compass was dark again.
+
"I recognize those set of bushes, you see them?"
"No, everything is a black mass to me." I snapped sarcastically once running into Ashton's side, "Of course I see them but I still don't think this is the right way."
"How could you not think this is the right way, come on trust me." He grabbed my arm and dragged us both through the tunnel of huddled trees.
Everything was pitch black but outlines of perfect jungle trees and sugary bushes were our leading way out of here. I felt like we were still wasting time and the compass was useless. But Ashton insisted that we follow it until he started "recognizing" plants and rocks.
"Ashton I think we should reconsider-"
"Shh!"
He kept pulling me through the jungle with an exciting grip. I halted which caused his arm to snap back and stop him in his run. I released my grip on him but he never unraveled his fingers.
"Did you just shush me?" I snapped in an annoyed tone.
"What?" He choked back with a tight wrinkle above one eyebrow. "Come on Char, I really think we are close." He started to turn around again, yanking my arm forward and behind him.
"Ashton, I think we should-"
"Shh!"
"Stop doing that!" I shouted in annoyance. I slapped my hand away from his and planted my legs firmly, folding my arms and glaring up at him once he turned around with large green eyes. "You know you-"
I ended with a muffle once he stepped forward and cupped my mouth shut. His hand was sweaty as he pinned it to my lips. I squirmed, punching my fists into his chest.
"Charlotte just listen." He whispered harshly into my ear while pinning himself into my chest. I stopped squirming once everything went silent. Ashton slowly dropped his palm from my mouth and leaned backward with his head tilted to the sky.
"What is-"
"Shh!" He did it again so I stomped his bare foot with his own shoes. "Ouch! Charlotte, god dammit listen!" He suddenly groaned. I froze before he turned to face the direction of the "familiar bushes".
I listened. I heard Ashton grunting under his breath as he lifted his stubbed toe into the short air and then down to the ground again. I instantly felt terrible for stepping on him after he offered me his shoes for the walk back. After listening around his muffled bruises I heard something soft in the distance. It was a powerful rush but it wasn't until the silence in the jungle stopped.
"The waterfall!" I yelled out causing Ashton to flinch forward.
"I told you!" He piped up, grabbing my hand again before limping after the noise. I helped him jog along the way until he had his footing again. Suddenly the sound of the rushing water was so close, almost directly below us at this point. Ashton tripped several times as I stopped to steady his footing again. I really felt terrible for stepping on his at this point. "I'm fine, I'm fine" He would wave me off every time.
The water was loud and crashing into the lagoon with great force that once we broke past to twin crossed trees Ashton and I were sucked under the edge of the creek. I tripped backward falling on top of Ashton as we slipped on the muddy slope. We both landed backward on the creek's side and were halfway sunken into freezing water.
"Oi, it's fucking flooded!"
My elbows dropped backward into Ashton's chest causing him to groan. The water was steep outside of the river bank and overflowing on the top portion of the waterfall stand-off.
"It must have been leftover from the rain!" I yelled before tossing myself off of Ashton and farther into the water. I was absolutely freezing, stinging my bare legs with ice until he was able to climb back up and over the bank. Once I saw his hand hovering over my head I grabbed on and planted my heels into the soggy mud. "How are we supposed to get down now?" I gasp once we were both on slippery yet safe ground.
Ashton was breathing heavily and coughing into his muddy fists. I looked down at my scraped knees and black painted skin while catching my breath and thought. Ashton sucked in a harsh and wheezy breath before coughing it back out into his fist again.
"Are you okay?" I ask quietly.
"No, I think I might have popped a lung." He joked.
"Oh stop it."
"I'm serious!" He wheezed.
I tilted my head and raised a sharp eyebrow, "Ashton,"
"Charlotte!" Suddenly my face heated up into pink excitement. Ashton rose too, turning over to look out behind him right as Emma climbed over a fallen log beyond the tree line. "Thank God, you two are back!"
"Emma!" I yelled over the moon while struggling to climb up. Ashton helped by hoisting my legs up in the mud and then dragging himself out next. I would have helped but I was too busy running into my friend's arms. I cuffed my cheeks into her shoulders once our arms were squeezed around each other.
"I was worried sick about you guys!" Her voice softened into the sleeve of my shoulder. As her arms tighten around my blades I winced at the touch. "Charlotte you're bleeding." Her voice deepened once I was pushed forward and turned around like a showcase dog.
"Emma it's fine, I'll have one of the twins fix it up no problem."
"Wait," She paused. Ashton limped up the bank again and over to my side as Emma blinked back and forth between us, "Where's Denise and Benson?"
My lips parted in surprise, "You mean they aren't back yet?"
"Well, Brandon and I amused you were all together." Her grey eyes were large in fear as Ashton sighed with a horrible cursed word. He walked away with his arms up in his hair, repeating the same word under his breath. "How did this happen? What are we going to tell Brandon?" Tears started to bottle up under her eyes so I quickly grabbed her shoulders and started shoving us both to Ashton's side.
"We tell him the truth, come on lead us back," I say quickly as we collect Ashton and pull him back through the jungle again.
Once we were jogging back through the trees with Emma straight ahead in silence I looked up at Ashton with my arm still tucked under his. His features were all torn up in guilt. I told him we should have stayed for Benson and Denise but he insisted.
"I know what you are thinking," I whisper, "But don't beat yourself up about this."
He dropped his frozen stare and just glanced at me with annoyed eyes. "Come on you two, the beach is just around here."
Both of us looked back at Emma who was throwing her hands up and waving to the left. Ashton stiffened up and hobbled beside me until we broke through the trees and landed on the beach's soft sand. I gasped up excitedly, unraveling from Ashton's side and stumbling over to where Emma was speaking to Brandon. Brandon was up on his feet in an instant and rushing over to us. He caught me in his arms with a big smile plastered on his face.
"Damn, it is good to see you two!" He laughed while dragging me over to the fire.
The rain started to tap the sand and silently splatter across my skin. I glanced over to Ashton as Emma poured water over his face to wash the dirt. I watched him throw his hand up to stop her before whispering something into the air. She shook her head and mouthed "Don't say that" towards him. Brandon started asking questions about his sister which caused my stomach to turn with sharp knots.
"Emma said you were bleeding, Charlotte where's my sister?" His last string of questions ended with a big one. I swallowed as he helped pour water into my mouth with a shelled coconut. Once the water was drained I glanced around the camp quickly and instantly noticed Tyson's tent set up perfectly, still beside the fallen tree near the edge of the jungle.
"How's Tyson?"
Brandon paused. He dropped the coconut into my lap and slowly shut his lips into a tight line, "You're avoiding my question." His voice was low and sickly. He was her twin, shouldn't he have felt if she was dead or not?
"I don't know," I whisper.
"You don't know what?" His brows tightened as the water from the sky began to fall faster. "What happened to my sister?" I was starting to feel more scared than nervous about telling Brandon about his sister until Emma and Ashton were hovering above us.
Ashton scooped me back up onto my feet as rainwater slid down the sides of my arms. "We lost Denise and Benson once we reached the site of the fire." He spoke for me as Brandon jumped to his feet as well.
Lightning struck inside the jungle in time for the thunder to roar directly above us. The flash across Brandon's face was ghostly as fear grew upon his.
"I think we can find her though," Ashton shouted over the thunder.
"Really!" I gasped.
"You were supposed to scan the area of the fire in case there were people around, not run right into it!" Brandon shouted back even after the sound of the thunder.
Ashton's lips tighten as he gulped down nervously. I was looking up at both of them in confusion. It was hard to tell why Ashton seemed so angry all of the sudden. His fists squeezed shut and slowly drained of blood. Brandon was silent until frustration exploded out of him like gunfire.
"What the hell happened out there! Tell me everything!"
I jumped back from Ashton's side and stepped across towards Emma. She placed her hands on my shoulders and held me close to her side as Brandon continued to scream and toss his arms up in a fit.
"We were separated after a tree crashed over us in the fire." Ashton hesitantly answered.
"So for all you know, she could be dead!?"
"No all we know is that she could be lost."
"What about Mr. Benson? Please tell me he's at least with her?" Brandon's throat was cracking against the battle of his frustration and tears. Emma held me closer to her side, touching my sore spot over and over again without realizing it.
Ashton shook his head, "I don't know, I was lucky to find Charlotte after the fall."
"Of course, you were lucky huh! I suppose she was the only one you were looking for anyway!" Brandon snapped. That was unfair.
"Brandon!" Emma shouted. I was really hit with guilt too as Ashton stood tall in front of Brandon. It almost looked like one of them was going to throw a fist soon.
"Did you do that to her shoulder as well then? You know while pretending to fight demons at night."
Suddenly it happened and Ashton was the first one to the lunge. His fist connected to Brandon's cheek at the same moment lightning brightened the sky around us.
"Ashton stop it!" I screamed.
I pulled from Emma's arms as she ran off towards Tyson's tent in a hurry. My hands shoved Ashton's left arm over as he straddled on top of Brandon's fallen figure. The two wrestled through the dampening sand as I continued to scream at them with my hands shoving into Ashton's shoulder.
"Stop fighting! We shouldn't do this!" I screamed as Ashton pounded his fist into Brandon's cheek repeatedly. "Ashton!"
Suddenly his hand lifted into the air in surrender after the fifth punch on Brandon's bloody face.
"You know losing your sister wasn't under any of our control!" I cried down at Brandon once shoving Ashton off of him. Brandon coughed up red saliva as he shook to speak. I pinned my neck towards Ashton and glared intensely, "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?" I screamed with Brandon's head cradled in my lap.
"He shouldn't have said that." He huffed while opening and closing his fist.
"Yeah but there was no reason to punch him over it!"
By now Emma was running back to us with clothes wrapped tightly in her hands. Behind her Tyson was limping over, hunched and pale like the last time I had seen him two days ago.
I almost lost my focus until Ashton stood up and wiped his mouth. "My demons are very much alive and they have no connection for you to pin this all on me." He spits to the side with his mouth moving directly towards Brandon.
"Are you seriously making this about you right now?" I question as the rain and wind got harsher.
He rolled his eyes as I helped Brandon sit up. Emma knelt down on his other side and began wiping up his face as Tyson trailed in the back. I never looked away from Ashton even though I was completely disgusted with him at this point.
"This has nothing to do with me but you." He spat.
"What?" I gasped completely unsure about what I am hearing right now.
"Well if you hadn't run from the group after the crash we wouldn't be in this situation!" He shouted back, throwing his hands up before slapping them back down to his sides in anger.
But he was joking right? By the look on his sour face and wrinkled brows, I knew he wasn't but I had kept wishing he would take it all back.
"How could you say this is my fault?" My voice was a whimper and unrecognizable. I wanted him to sigh like normal, whip down his jaw, and scratch the back of his head like he always had. But he didn't flinch. I watched his knuckles turn into his palm as he squeezed at the tension again.
Just standing there without an answer to my question had me in tears. Tyson was behind me finally, tapping my shoulder as I crawled to stand up.
"Why are you being like this?" I asked Ashton as Tyson took my hand. Ashton's eyes flickered from my face to mine and Tyson's laced fingers. His mood was dropping but how could I be the one to judge if he was normal again or not. I truly did not know him at all.
Finally, he huffed, "Charlotte. . ."
"No!" I snap my hand up at him before turning sideways to walk back with Tyson. I couldn't even look at him, this wasn't the Ashton I experienced back in the caves.
"I'm sorry- I didn't mean-"
"I think I heard you loud and clear Ashton." I finally glared up at him behind the fuzzy blur in my eyes. A tear slipped down my cheek right as Tyson pulled my hand slightly.
"Charlotte, let's get you cleaned up." He whispered not once looking at Ashton as well. I turned with him, cradling my side into his. I missed Tyson a lot and seeing him standing, healthier than last time made the air around me feel light again.
As we walked through the rough sand and heavy rain I quickly saw that I was still wearing Ashton's shoes as they clunked and scooped up wet soil. I shook off the shoes, letting go of Tyson's hand before picking up both shoes and turning to chuck them back at Ashton. One shoe hit him square in the chest before he dropped his head and swung his arms around to walk away as well. Asshole.
"Char,"
"Don't make me talk about all of this Tyson," I snap at him.
"Denise!"
We both shift our heads back over our shoulders at Brandon's soft yell for his sister. Suddenly two figures flop onto the sand in a flash motion. Denise was hovered under Benson, cupping her arm to her chest and soaking from the jungle.
"Oh my God," Tyson muttered, leaving my side to aid the others. I wanted to help too but it doesn't take four. Brandon was back to his feet, hugging his sister briefly before setting her down on a stone. His back was turned from me so I couldn't see anything even once Tyson's shoulders were out of view as well.
As Emma and Tyson helped I noticed Ashton just staring blankly at me. I hadn't walked far away at this point and as he stepped forward in my direction I simply stepped back.
I was too hurt and confused by his words and selfishly stayed away once Benson and Denise returned to us. I wanted him to wallow in the guilt for calling me out over this entire mess. Now that everyone was home everything should be the way we left it.
Chapter Songs:
"Water Under the Bridge"- Adele
"Survivors"- Selena Gomez