The Island

Day three

*Alfie*

I hadn't slept all night, and I didn't even understand how the others could. The heat, combined with the sadness and fear was unbearable. We had next too no food too survive on and too be honest, Zoe was the only thing preventing me from flinging myself into the ocean and joining Louis.

But still the sun rose and shone on my bloodshot, sleepless face. Slowly the groans and grunts of the others waking filled the air, and a new day had begun.

"Alfie, you haven't slept" Zoe grumbled from beside me.

I looked at her and somehow, in the midst of all this, I couldn't help looking at her, no make-up, no moisturizer or serum, not even brushing her hair, and somehow she was the most beautiful I'd ever seen her.

"Nah, I don't get how you can sleep in the middle of all this."

She smiled, probably the first in three days any of us had.

"Because when I sleep, I'm not here, I'm in dreamland. And I'm not sad anymore." She sighed, a far-away look in her eyes "you should try it you know."

"Alf mate, we need too go get breakfast" Jim grunted, already up.

Reluctantly, I got up and joined him.

As we got out of earshot from all the girls I hissed "this is pointless. We're all going too starve."

Jim looked straight ahead, like he couldn't hear me, but he replied;

"I know. I was thinking, there's too many of us too keep healthy. The half a rodent suppers are nowhere near enough-"

"No shit sherlock" I shot back, getting tired of this pointing-out-the-obvious part of Jim's scheme "I can feel myself wasting away here"

"We're all starving, mate."

"So...?"

"So...…" we walked along a little before Jim finished "we should split up"

"WHAT!?" I stopped in my tracks, convinced I'd heard him wrong.

"I think you, Zoe and Louise should split up from me and Tan. There will be more chance of us all surviving."

"HOW D'YA FIGURE THAT OUT? JIM, WE NEED EACHOTHER! IVE ALREADY PROBABLY LOST HALF OF MY BEST FRIENDS, DO YOU REALLY THINK IM GONNA WATCH ANOTHER TWO LEAVE?"

"ALFIE, STOP SHOUTING!"

"WHAT!? YOU TELL ME YOU'RE ABANDONING US IN HELL AND IM SUPPOSED TOO-"

"SHHHH" Jim waved his hand in my face and looked as though he was listening.

"Don't you tell me too-"

But jim had run off into the greenery, shouting my name.

I followed him, fully intending too pound him until we reached it.

And holy crap, it was glorious.

A beautiful, shimmering lake lay infrount of us, millions of fish rushing past, their scales shimmering like an underwater rainbow.

My thirst suddenly doubled, and I fell too my knees infrount of the water, cupping my hands cautiously, unsure if the water was safe.

I looked at jim, who was already sipping carefully.

When he was finished he looked at me and smiled

"Its fucking amazing"

I smiled back and we both plunged into the lake, the cool water coating our grimy bodies and hair and washing the dirt away,the fish rushing under, around and over us still, and for the first time in three days, I laughed. A genuine, croaky, Alfie Deyes laugh.