Mayday (completed)

Chapter Five

I woke up to the sound of the sun hissing with heat. I saw Ethine still resting, and I decided to crawl out of the tent, embracing the warmth of the sun. I looked towards our pants and they appeared to be completely dry. With a smile, I took off my shirt and put my pants on, allowing my shirt to sunbathe for a few moments.

I looked around, searching for what could be a stray plane or possibly a boat, but there was nothing but sky and water. A few clouds littered the area, but there was nothing for worlds away. I huffed and went back to the perimeter of the forest, allowing Eithne to rest a bit longer. As I searched through the thin outlier(?), I could see a few berries growing and fruits hanging from the high trees. I also noticed that the leaves were coated in what appeared to be water.

Did I really have to use the survival skills that I obtained when I was six? I looked upwards towards the fruit, and it was apparent that they were something foreign to me. The berries were sure to be poisonous, so I didn't want to dare take a chance with them.

I spent a few moments pondering how in the world to get the fruit down when I decided to grab a few stray rocks and toss it at them. After far too many misses, I managed to knock two of the fruits down, and I examined them with caution. They looked harmless enough on the outside.

I grabbed both of them and made my way back to where our shelter was set up. The heat was blistering, and I knew that if I couldn't find water within the next twenty-four hours, I would meet my maker.

I gazed back into our shelter and noticed that Eithne was still sleeping, but she appeared to be frozen in place.

"No," I whispered as I pressed my ear to her chest. There were no sounds; there was no straggled breath or gentle beating of her heart. I pressed my fingers to her neck, and there was no blood running through her veins. I tried her wrists and ankles, but there was nothing. I then hesitantly opened her eyes and expected her pupils to dilate like last time, but I nearly screamed when they did nothing, just like Aisline's.

"God, why did you do this to me! I don't eserve' this!"

I went outside the shelter and fell to my knees, the fruit by my side. I was going to die out here. I was now alone, hungry, thirsty, and both freezing and overheating.

I sadly looked towards the fruit. The outside appeared to be red, and it looked to be similar to that of dragon fruit. It was the size of my palm and had a green top. I hesitantly dug my fingernails into the fruit and peeled the skin off. Inside, the flesh was yellow, and it appeared to drip with nectar of some sort. I hesitantly took a bite, and it was, to my surprise, sweet.

I took a few more bites, and before I realized it, the entire fruit was gone. I chuked the peel behind the shelter and took a deep breath, still in desbleif that Eithne was really gone. What happened? Was her heart weakened and the cold ended up killing her? Did she have a heart attack in her sleep? What if she tried calling for me and I wasn't awake?

I shook my head and thought towards the next best plan, as the day continued to linger between afternoon and dusk, I needed to build an SOS sign.

 I gathered random sticks and stones and built out a giant 'SOS' spelling, hoping that a plane would fly over and spot it. However, I remained skeptical.

By the time night arrived, I was exhausted. I curled back into the inside of the shelter and laid next to Ethine's dead body. She looked like she was just sleeping, but I knew I was tricking myself into believing the false reality.

I let my eyes close, but I couldn't fall asleep for the life of me. The cold was wrapping around my body and squeezing any bit of hope out of me, like an anaconda around its prey.

I tried to keep next to Eithne for body heat, but it was no use; I had to shiver constantly to keep my body temperature from plummeting. 

The night was slow and painful; I could feel myself sluggishly crawl out of the shelter and look towards the sky. It appeared that the clouds gathered in larger clumps and that the waves were starting to become rougher. If a storm swept by, I would have no chance of living.

I looked towards the fruit I did not eat and proceeded to slowly pick it apart and savor any bit of nectar that came out of it. Before long, it was completely gone, and I found myself throwing the peel out of frustration towards the forest.

"Agh!" I screamed into the air, and my voice echoed forward, slowly disappearing over the next few seconds. I kicked the dirt and walked towards my shirt, picking it up and putting it on, thanking the heat it provided, being a stark contrast from last night.

I took a few steps towards the twisted jungle and decided to attempt to find a water source.

A few, for what I can assume, hours later, I stumbled forward and upon a miracle, my eyes feasted upon a small waterfall floating in the background near a lake. I cried out in joy and sprinted over, unsure as to whether or not this was simply a mirage. But, when my feet touched the water, I knew it was real. I felt myself fall to my knees and gulp in the water, savoring every last drop.

After minutes of just drinking, I could feel slightly rejuvenated, refreshed. I took a few last gulps before noticing something, alarming.

A few drops had fallen onto my skin, and I knew they weren't from the waterfall. My thought was confirmed by a roar of thunder coming from the direction of my shelter. I wanted to rush back, but I figured that I was safer in the forest than in the open area.

Within mere seconds, the earth unleashed its wrath, and it threw down a vicious storm. Water threw itself onto me and lightning clashed through the air, thunder booming after it. I was paralyzed with fear. 

I allowed myself to curl into a ball, right on the edge of the lake, and cry in fright. The storm lasted for what felt like years, and every single second of it ran through my bones and terrorized my skin. The droplets felt like bullets piercing through my flesh, and the flashes of lightning blinded my senses. Every waking second I endured this storm only made me ponder what Ethine and Aisline were going through.

 This wasn't how their bodies were meant to be buried; they deserved a real burial, and I couldn't provide that for them. 

After a long, devious time, the storm seemed to calm down and drift away. I came undone from my ball of fear and noticed that dusk was fast approaching, the forest was nearly completely black. My heart fell into my hands, and I found myself rushing towards the path I ran on before. 

I was panting when I made it back to the shore, the sound of the waves confirming I was back to where I started. I fell to the ground and looked towards the two bodies, making sure that I hadn’t lost them into that wretched event. 

I looked towards the sea and just let out a scream. There wasn’t a particular reason for the scream, rather it was everything combined. All the pain and suffering of the past few days was pent up and finally released. I cursed out god, the pilots, everyone who wronged me, and myself. I got on that plane knowing something was wrong, and I paid the price for it. 

I soon started to sob as my back fell onto the sand, and I gazed towards the sky, the north star seemed to be directly on me. The way it shined was simply a facade. It wasn’t hope, it was a cruel trick. 

The waves in the background lured me to darkness like a siren singing her tune, and I knew that something rotten was bound to happen.