A Wild World 2: Trapped

3: Leaders and Fights

By the time you got back, the discussion the adults were having was over. Everyone seemed pleased with what you found, but your brothers were slightly concerned that you were digging through debris.

They had decided it would be best to move further inland while staying fairly close to the shore, just to be safer. So, you helped move everything to a clear spot just inside the trees. After getting a clear camping spot established, you started splitting up the supplies amongst the six of you. Everyone got an equal amount of food and water, and it was made clear that you had to ration it.

Besides the low supplies, fact that you were stranded, and Martin was hurt, there was another issue. It was becoming clear to everyone, and it was putting strain on the already tense atmosphere.

"We should look for some sign of human activity here, see if there's anyone who can help us," Chris suggested. Aviva and Koki shook their heads.

"We need to focus on gathering more supplies. We don't have enough to last long," Aviva argued, crossing her arms.

"What are you two thinking? We need to figure out a better way to care for Martin's leg. It needs stitches, and antibacterial-" She said.

"I know!" Chris and Aviva cut her off, speaking simultaneously. They glared at each other. The three continued arguing, their voices raising to yells over what to prioritize. You, Jimmy, and Martin exchanged glances.

"Uh... Anyone want some stress served with a steaming hot plate of power struggle?" You laughed awkwardly, and Martin smiled a little bit.

"Don't forget the side dish of fear," He added, trying to be his usual goofy self. The two of you giggled a little bit at the dark humor. Then your brother sighed. "I'm so sorry. You knew something was going to go wrong on this trip, but we didn't listen."

"Don't worry about it. Who was right and who was wrong isn't important now," You said, watching with a worried expression as your friends fought. You could hear Aviva wheezing, even though you were several feet away. You decided to check on her later.

"Uh, for the record, I agree with Koki," You offered. Martin stared incredulously at you. "That injury really needs proper medical care. Aviva needs help, too. She seems to be doing worse than she was earlier. We have to find more first aid supplies."

"Are you serious? Aviva's the one that's in the right," Martin replied, gesturing to her. He glanced at the pathetic stock of food. "We have to worry about that. We hardly have anything."

"Uh, I'm with C.K., we should find people. They might have everything we need," Jimmy said. He tapped his fingers together anxiously. Clover nipped at your heel. You looked down, and she gave you a warning stare. You sighed at her.

"Look, we can't be divided over this. We all have to-" You started calmly.

"Could you not tell everyone what to do for once? You're not even an adult," Martin snapped. You backed away from him quickly, taken off guard by his sharp tone. He didn't stop talking. "You're just a kid, you shouldn't be trying to take initiative. Just once, let us handle this. Last I checked, you don't know how to survive in this kind of terrain. You've been in deserts and rainforests, but not island jungles. Maybe you could learn something, instead of trying to teach us what we already know."

You gaped at him. It didn't sound like your brother talking, but those words were coming out of his mouth. You had no idea what to say. But you didn't have to respond, because he didn't stop there.

"First of all, I don't need to be taken care of. Yes, my leg isn't in great condition, but I can handle myself fine." He whirled around to face Jimmy, pointing accusingly. "Second, we don't even know if this island is inhabited by humans, so you're hope is hingeing on an empty promise of civilization."

Jimmy lifted both his hands as though surrendering. His expression was hurt. You could hear Aviva and Chris talking over each other behind you, Koki grumbling to herself a few feet away, and Martin was still ranting in front of you. The yelling, mixed with Clover's now hostile growl aimed at Martin, the roaring ocean, and the chirps and caws of jungle birds behind you, was too much. It was pounding on your ears, and you suddenly felt constricted, as though the world was folding in around you. You were starting to become hyper aware of all your senses. You could hear, smell, and feel everything. Only your vision seemed to fail you, growing blurred as panic gripped your insides.

"Wild Cat?" You couldn't tell who spoke, the voice getting lost among the chaos that only you seemed to recognize. The yelling increased, and you subconsciously cringed. You kept your gaze fixed on the ground, finally forcing yourself to walk away quickly. You heard paws scampering after you.

After you'd been walking for several minutes, the sounds of yelling and talking had dulled enough for you to hear your own thoughts. You found a tree right by the sand, and sat against it. You took breaths and shook your head to try and clear out your overwhelmingly alert senses. It took a while for you to finally relax enough to look around.

In front of you was a small fire pit. The sand was disturbed, like someone had been dragged. There was a small, torn green cloth nearby as well. An icy chill went down your spine as you realized this was where Chris and Aviva had washed up. Your brother must have tried to warm her with a fire. You shuddered at the memory of how unhealthy Aviva had looked when she and Chris had found you.

"How did they go from helping each other to fighting?" You asked, not really knowing if you were talking to yourself or some higher power. You felt a rough tongue lick your arm, and looked over. Clover purred and rubbed against you, and you ran a hand through her fur. You sighed unhappily. "I'm not trying to bother anyone, and I'm not trying to take charge. I just want to help. I didn't even realize I was causing problems."

You stayed where you were for a long time, telling Clover about your frustrations and fears. She laid on your lap, a rumbling sound in her throat as she occasionally rubbed against you to comfort you. When you looked up from petting her, you noticed the sun was setting in front of you, setting the ocean on fire. It was a breathtaking scene, and it filled you with mixed peace and hope looking at it. You glanced down at Clover again with a small smile.

"Well, whatever the others decide to do, I'm sure it'll help us get out of here."

(A/n: Hey, everyone! It's been a while. Changed the aesthetic of my profile, put up a new book, all that fun stuff. Sorry for not writing in a long time, my 2021's been insane. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of the story, and I'll do my best to write more.)