Keeping watch in the bridge was Rick but he was tiring,
his eyes weary from constantly searching the fading
horizon. Were they starting to play tricks on him? Who was
that waving from the rocks? A little girl stranded, alone,
scared. The sky had become angry and the sea was
getting rough. He couldn’t just leave her there. Was she
even there at all?
“I think we should split up. Try to find anything that survived.
I’ll look in the forest, see if there’s anything on this stupid island besides us.” Darryl just wanted to be alone, he didn’t
want his brother and nephew to see him break down and
weep, as they only knew him as being tough and fearless.
“Be careful Darryl,” Rick called out as his brother stomped
away. Despite him trying to hide it, Rick knew how his
brother could get when things didn’t go his way and this
Rick swung the boat sharply starboard towards the rocks, time Rick felt a bit to blame.
throwing the rest of the crew out of bed. Everyone took
their positions as the boat kissed the passing rocks. The
Rick and Carl had been searching the polluted beach for
rough sea began hitting the boat, pushing it in any direc- hours when Darryl finally came back. He had some fresh
tion it felt like.
cuts and bruises on his knuckles and forearms but he was
“Rock!” panicked Glenn gripping the railing as tight as he calmer and more relaxed.
could. The boat was shoved into the sharp rocks, flinging “You guys find anything?” asked Darryl calmly.
Glenn across the deck.
“There were a few things that were still salvageable,” Rick
“Darryl, get Carl!” yelled Rick out the bridge window. The pointed over to their pile. There were a few dented cans of
sea threw itself over the boat crashing down on the crew, spaghetti, some ripped clothes, a tangled net, a bent fork,
trying to grab anyone it could to take them away.
an odd pair of boots and a few other bits and bobs. But,
“Grandad…!” screamed Carl reaching out for him but it
there was just one problem, everything was wet.
was too late. He was gone. The sea was too strong and it “Did you have any luck?” Rick was hoping for some good
took control.
news.
“Nope… there was nothing, nobody else is here.” Ricks
Cold, wet and exhausted they dragged their ragged
heart sank. The fear inside grew larger. It all began to feel
bodies up a sandy beach towards a forest. Rain pound- hopeless. What if no one’s out looking for them?
ed down on their tattered backs. Waves crashed up the
“Well then, I think we should set up a camp,” suggested
beach trying to drag them back into the trap of the rock
Rick pushing the fear aside.
filled ocean, but the sea had no leverage now that they
“I saw a nice area earlier, half way up that hill,” Darryl
were on land. They made it to the forest edge. They made wasn’t very enthusiastic about it.
it to shelter. They huddled together for warmth and sat in
“Lead the way.” Rick was trying so hard to sound hopeful
silence. It was just the three of them. They were the only
but the other two didn’t buy it. They walked in silence. They
ones left, the only ones to make it to the island, the only
set up in silence. They did their own little thing to help out,
ones to survive.
but in silence. Darryl made a fire, Carl collected wood and
Rick rationed out the little food they had. It wasn’t going to
By the time morning came the sea had given up on
last them long.
catching them, the sky had finished its tantrum and birds
were out singing. Their bodies ached and their stomachs Several days had passed, maybe weeks. For them the
moaned but they were still alive. They emerged from the
long, hot days just mashed together. They had attempted
dense forest shivering. A fresh tear ran down the young
to escape from the island a handful of times, all of which
boys face.
failed miserably. They began to feel trapped. They slow“Dad, where’s Grandad and Uncle Glenn?” It was just the ly began to give up on the idea of ever getting home, so
look on his father’s pale, scratched face that gave him
focused their energy on simply surviving. They worked
the answer he was dreading. They looked out across the together to hunt and fish for food and collected water from
beach. They could clearly see the large rocks protruding a stream close to their camp. They had adapted to life on
themselves out of the now calm ocean. They could also
island.
clearly see the boat but it wasn’t a boat anymore. The
ocean had pulled it apart. It had been slapped across the The sun had not risen yet but they could not sleep. Carl
rocks and thrown across the beach. The mangled boat
was the first to get up. He looked out across the darkened
lay defeated and helpless, everywhere.
sea. It was quiet and calm. His eyes closed. He took in a
deep breath of the fresh morning air before returning his
They stumbled across the beach trying to figure out where attention back to the beauty of the ocean. He had finally
they were. Calm waves splashed over their bruised, wrin- accepted that he might not ever be able to get home.
kled feet. They approached what they thought was a hunk
of the hull. Darryl crouched down and ran his hand along Jess Kite
the rough edge. A sigh of disappointment escaped from
within him, he had hoped it was all just a dream.