The Reign of the Lost (ON HOLD)

Chapter 3.3

It had been three days since the crash and to say things had calmed down would be untrue. Everyone was still on edge, still trying to find any means to escape their reality. They hadn’t thought much of the future, they just hoped they would get rescued soon, surely someone must know that their plane had crashed and they’d be sending out a rescue party – but why wasn’t it here yet? It had been two whole days.

As for the Island they knew as little about it as they did when they first crashed. Most people stuck to the beach and would venture only a mile deep into the forest for privacy, they had taken to assigning certain areas as the ‘toilets’; you’d go in pairs and one person would stand at a rock to inform people that the area was being used. Also thanks to Matt and George’s exploring, they had found a stream of flowing water in the forest which could be used as a bath, to everyone’s relief. People actually changed out of the clothes they had been wearing for days.

For the past few days, personal hygiene just wasn’t on the forefront of everyone’s mind when they had so much to think about it, became irrelevant and with the smell of the dead bodies disguising the smell of the living ones, everyone grew immune to it.  Everyone from Rodesworth knew each other and they were getting closer as the days passed but their relationship with the Harrow Grammar School boys was a weird one. At first all judgmental looks and such were tossed aside – when the plane crashed everyone was helping each other, even though they were strangers. But after, it became apparent that the HGS boys didn’t want to ‘socialise’- they would still help out when necessary, like helping bury the bodies etc. But there was an air of awkwardness when it came to making friendly conversation etc. There was something fake about the way they talked with them. So naturally the Rodesworth students stopped trying to make friendly conversation after a while and stuck to only speaking to them when they needed to, they exchanged casual pleasantries but it was clear that they were on separate paths – so to say.

After the second day Edward had decided they needed to build an S.O.S fire, to get the attention of passing planes, although they hadn’t seen a single one of them since they arrived. No one was doing anything it was as though they just expected to be rescued no one was thinking practically except him. So Edward awkwardly called everyone together (even the HGS) boys. After he told them that they needed to start thinking of practical ways to get rescued he looked around at the faces of everyone and realised that most of them weren’t as bothered as he thought they ought to be. They were in denial and making an S.O.S would make it only more real, so they just casually agreed and when it came to asking for volunteers to help there were a coulple of people who stepped up straight away like Josh and Amy as well as George and Matt, everyone else just wasn’t up to it. All the while through the announcement the HGS boys had stood at the back and taken it all in, but there were no volunteers.

Edward looked towards them; ’’ We could use a little more hands?’’ he said his eyebrows raised in anticipation. The HGS boys glanced at one another. One of the boys, who was busy playing with a twig, straightened his back and realised that none of his friends had any intention of helping Edward; ‘’ Yeah, course I’ll help’’ he said casually.

‘’OK great,’’ said Edward glad to have one of the HGS boys joining, as it would help for them to all be on the same page. ‘’We’ll set off at first light…’’ he realised he didn’t know the boys name.

‘’Danny’’ said the dark-haired boy.