P O V Ruby:-
I opened my eyes and groaned, a chill running through my body as my senses became aware of where I was.
I had hardly slept a wink all night, what with all the noises from outside the cave.
It was a pretty scary experience listening to the sounds of the jungle, what with the snorting and snuffling from the many animals that live on the Island.
One of them even tried to get inside the cave, during the early hours of the morning. It sounded very large, and angry. I think the cave was probably it's den, and it certainly wasn't pleased that I was there.
I had screamed and shouted at it, then grabbed one of the branches, hitting it against the other ones that blocked the door, trying to make as much noise as I could, which seemed to do the trick.
But that was it then, I was wide awake, too scared to go back to sleep.
I had crouched against the back wall of the cave, shaking with fear for hours, until the exhaustion took over me and I dozed off.
I hadn't been asleep long, probably about half an hour at the most.
I stretched my legs out, wincing with pain from the cramp that had formed through lack of movement, my muscles clenching tight in my calves.
I punched them hard, trying to soften the muscles, crying out as they pulsed violently under my fists.
Eventually they eased enough for me to sit up, the tears starting to well in my gritty eyes, spilled down my cheeks.
My whole body ached, especially my broken finger, that had throbbed
UN-relentlessly throughout the night, and still did.
My stomach growled angrily, the nausea of emptiness rising up in my throat, caused me to gag and heave violently.
I needed to sort some things out today, for one I needed food, not just coconuts, but something nourishing filled with protein and goodness.
I also needed a better place to sleep, If ….......God forbid I wasn't rescued today, and then there was some sort of s.o.s sign, I had to advertise somehow to let possible planes or boats that know that I was here.
I sighed, getting up stiffly. I had a busy day ahead of me.
I stepped out into the sunlight, blinking hard at the brightness, my eyes gradually getting used to the light.
The sun shone down on me, warming my chilled body, and I took a deep breath of clean fresh air.
I looked up at the sky, mesmerized for a few minutes, watching the gulls circle elegantly above me.
They soured around, making me feel dizzy with their speed, then one at a time they took a nose dive straight at the water.
I found myself holding my breath as they plunged into the turquoise seas, waiting until they rose back into the air, water droplets splashing around them, a fish in their beaks. I released my breath, relieved to know they were safe.
Wandering over to the edge of the water, I waded in up to my knees, the water warm and inviting.
I sat down slowly then began to wash myself, the heat of the water making me feel as if I were in a bath.
I sighed contently, as I washed, the warmth soothing my aching body.
A little while later I emerged from the ocean, clean and refreshed, then made my way along the beach, letting the sun dry my skin.
I began looking for pebbles, the bigger the better, and pieces of driftwood, in fact I was looking for anything that could be of use to me.
Wandering aimlessly, I thought about the sea gulls, and how they had managed to catch the fish so expertly.
I really wished I had tried harder on my fishing trip with my father, I could have really done with the knowledge now I thought grimly.
Maybe I could make some sort of rod or spear, after all, how hard can it be to fish? People do it all the time.
I began to look round more fervently, picking up pebbles as I went, then every so often took them back to the cave and dropped them outside on the floor.
Once I had gotten enough, I walked to the middle of the beach, and began to display them, forming large letters, each about 6 foot in height.
Standing back to admire my handy-work, I spelt it out loudly.
“S.O.S”. “
"If an aeroplane doesn’t spot that" I spoke to myself, “Then they must be blind.”
Now all I had to do was make a fishing rod or spear.
My stomach growled in agreement, causing me to giggle lightly to myself.
Going over to the edge of the thicket, I searched around underneath the trees, eventually finding two suitable branches.
The first one was long and slightly pointed at one end, Ideal as a spear.
The second being much shorter and considerably wider, about 2inches in diameter, would make a great club for protection.
Happy with my selection, I made my way back towards the cave and sat down, then picking up the sharp stone that was just inside the entrance, I began to shave away at the pointy end of the longest stick.
I thought about how hard must have been thousands of years ago, how everything would have been a great task to complete. I mean look at my home made spear, I had been working on it for several hours, It was hard work, perspiration was dripping from my forehead, and my arms ached.
But I suppose it was different then I sighed.
People would have been used to it, because that was all they knew, they would have been hardier.
Not like me, who was used to all the modern day gadgets that were about, like fridges and cookers. I stopped suddenly as something popped into my head.
"If I do manage to catch any fish. How on earth was I going to cook them?”
After all, I hadn't exactly seen any cookers dotted around on the Island, and I certainly didn't have a lighter or any matches to hand.
I sat thinking for a while.
I had watched a documentary once that showed a man stranded on an Island and he managed to start a fire with wood, by spinning it round quickly between his palms.
Maybe I could do that, after all anything was worth a try.
But first things first, getting up with my home made spear in my hand, I walked into the ocean.
I stood still, my arm raised in the air, the spear held high, watching the fish swim around me.
Suddenly I became aware that I was holding my breath, and I released it slowly.
The adrenalin began to pump through my body, my arm beginning to shake in anticipation.
“Now,” I yelled as I brought the spear down hard into the water.
Bringing it back up, I looked excitedly, my face dropping as I saw there was no fish attached.
Damn, I really thought I had got one.
Steeling myself, I tried again............ and missed.
The more I failed, the more agitated I got, which caused me to become more careless. In the end I was just thrashing about in the water, I suppose, hoping that a fish would somehow just jump on the end of the spear.
Of course I knew this wasn't going to happen, but the hunger I felt was beginning to cloud my thoughts.
I was tired, angry, and most of all starving.
Hell, I would starve to death before I caught a fish I thought angrily as I stormed out of the sea.
I plonked myself down heavily on the sand, and picked up my stone, grabbing a coconut, I began to hack away at it scowling with anger as I did so.
I guess coconut would have to do again I thought miserably.
I broke through the outer shell, drank the milk, then ate the flesh. Feeling a little more settled, but not quite full, I sat back against my tree.
I called it my tree, because it was, no-one else was here to claim it, so therefore I had decided that it was mine.
And just to confirm it, I picked up my stone and scratched my name into the bark, followed by two small lines underneath, for how many days I had spent on the Island.
I was just hoping there wouldn't be a third line there tomorrow.
Sitting back again, I looked around miserably.
The worst part about being stranded here was the lack of socialisation, the loneliness was so immense, it made you feel as if you were the only person left alive in the whole world.
I stifled a sob, wishing that I could just have somebody to talk to, even if it were only for a minute.
I had so many things unfinished, so many things unsaid......... to my Mother especially.
Even though we never always saw eye to eye, I would give anything to have her sat beside me, and to tell her that I did love her and that I was sorry for not living up to her expectations. I wondered if she knew yet, and if she was worried?
Would she be pacing about panicking about her only daughter?
I stopped mid thought, a gnawing worry fleeting through my mind, then gasped with shock.
“What if she thought I was dead, what if everyone thought I was dead?”
No-one would come looking for me then.
Panic began to bubble up inside me, threatening to spill out and engulf me in sheer terror.
My heart began racing, I felt dizzy and sick with worry.
What if I never got off this Island?
I let out a loud wail, my whole body feeling as if it were being swallowed up by some hideous beast, my breath coming out in gasps. I began to hyperventilate, my body going into shock, making me feel like I was going to pass out, or even worse die.
“Get a hold of yourself Ruby,” I heard somewhere deep in my mind. “You need to get a grip.”
Somehow I managed to calm myself, as my sub conscience soothed me with it's voice.
I needed to keep my head about me, I needed to stop acting like a sobbing wreck, and start fighting for my life.
I'm not sure how I managed it, but somehow I did, my breath began to slow, my heart slowing back to its regular beat. It was probably some sort of survival instinct or something.
Whatever it was I was thank-full, the last thing I needed was to end up stark raving mad on an Island all by myself.
I took this as my wake-up call, after all, I had survived, while many others had lost their lives. I was the lucky one, even with being stranded hear on my own, at least I was still living and breathing.
I decided then, that whatever life threw at me, I would cope twofold, and give back as much as it gave me.
I would appreciate my time on earth, even if it meant I was to spend my final days by myself on this Island.
Satisfied that I now had my emotions under control, I began to whittle away at the much bigger stick, forming a point at one end, making it a much more suitable weapon to defend myself with.
A couple of hours later, my weapon was finished, and I looked down at it admiringly as I turned it around in my hands.
I was very proud of what I had achieved so far, “Not bad for a girl” I thought, smiling to myself.
I began laughing. If only Luke could see me now I giggled.
Luke was my ex boyfriend, we had split up five months ago.
I had met him at a mutual friends party, and was immediately attracted to him.
He was gorgeous, 5foot 11 inches tall, black hair and blue eyes.
He had this handsome sculptured face, the kind you only find on god's, and was very popular with everyone.
I was very surprised when he came over to me and asked me to dance, as he could have picked any girl at the party, but he chose me.
I had wandered nervously onto the dance floor and gasped as he took me in his arms and whirled me around the floor. I was absolutely smitten.
Things had gone from strength to strength over the following months, and on our one year anniversary, Luke proposed to me at our favourite restaurant.
I had never felt so happy in my whole life, I immediately accepted.
My happiness had been short lived though, as a few months down the line, I found out that Luke had been cheating on me, and that in-fact he was already engaged to somebody else and they had a baby on the way.
I was heartbroken.
“Why Luke?” I had asked him sobbing, my world seeming to end.
“You were a bet,” he replied, no sound of remorse in his voice at all. “Me and my mates had a bet on who could get the hottest girl at the party, and I won. It wasn't meant to go this far, but it seemed to spiral out of control.” He looked down, a little annoyed that he had to explain himself to me.
“But why propose?” I just couldn't understand for the life of me how somebody could play with some-ones emotions like that.
“I don't know, I guess I felt pressurised with you going on all the time about wanting to move in together and eventually starting a family.”
“You felt pressurised,” I had yelled back at him, the tears falling in cascades down my face. “You are unbelievable,” I spat.
He muttered something about a typical girl, and that I was too weak, that I would never achieve anything in life if I carried on sobbing all over the place. I was livid, how dare he treat me like that.
I pushed him out of the door, screaming at him like a mad woman.
That was it, I was finished with men.
I had gone out the next morning and booked my cruise, then worked myself almost to death to pay for my dream.
“Stuff you Luke,” I shouted, waving my home made weapon into the air. “Who's a weak typical girl now” I yelled.
Getting up, I decided to have a wander along the beach, to see if I could find anything else.
I couldn't be too long though, as it would soon be getting dark.
I made my way along the shore, throwing pebbles into the sea, and kicking water into the air.
It felt like I was on a day trip to the sea-side, and I would have almost believed it if I hadn't noticed the shape ahead of me that had been washed up on the shore.
Making my way towards it, I stopped a few feet away, not daring to go any nearer. I looked it up and down, and noticed arms, legs and some blond scraggly hair poking from the top.
“Oh my god, It's a person” I whispered, my heart starting to beat a little faster.
I stood there a while, waiting to see if they moved, but they didn't. Maybe they were dead I thought feeling a little scared. I had never seen a dead body before, and this was beginning to freak me out a bit.
Eventually plucking up courage, I wandered over and crouched down beside them. Trying to see if they were breathing.
Very gently I moved the blond hair out of the way, then drew my breath in with a gasp, as I realised that this was the young waiter from the ship that had served me with my drink.
Fumbling lightly, I felt for a pulse, then finding none I placed my head on his chest listening for the sound of a heartbeat.
I don't know if it was the pressure of my head resting on his chest, or something else, but all of a sudden he began to cough.
I leapt back surprised, my stomach almost jumping out of my mouth as he turned onto his side, then threw up tons of sea water.
The man blinked a few times, confusion set in a grimace on his face,he looked at me with his deep blue eyes, a glimmer of recognition flitting across them.
“W.....what, Where am I?” he stuttered, sitting up.
I rushed over to him, steadying him as he swayed momentarily.
“You, …......... We are on an Island.” I replied.
“How? What happened.”
“The ship we were on ran into a storm,” I began to explain. “It sank two days ago, and I was washed up here, and now you. I haven't seen anyone else.........” I trailed off, a lump beginning to form in my throat.
He seemed to ponder over this for a while, then nodded as if to say okay, I was quite surprised really, as it's not every day you wake up and are told you have been in a shipwreck, and are now marooned on a desert Island. He seemed to take it very well.
“Can you stand....... erm......,”
He looked at me questioningly, then realised what I was saying.
“Kade,” he replied, “My names Kade”
“Okay Kade, my names Ruby, and we need to get you something to drink, and get you out of this sun. I said helping him to his feet.
(Hmmm, so what do you think to Kellen Lutz as kade? yummy eh? also how are you liking the story so far? Ive had no comments or feedback yet, so dont.t know if I should continue. If you like, please click like, if you have any comments, please comment.............. good or bad I don't mind, as long as I can see where I am going to go with this story. Happy reading Gizinks xx )