From Sand to Nand

Chapter Four

The walk was more difficult on some than it was on others. Not because of the distance nor the weight of their luggage, but more so because of the sorrow and grief that travelled along with them.

The crowd made a chain as everyone followed behind the Captain and Pei. The Master at Arms walked behind to tend to and oversee the process. Luckily, there were more hands than items to carry, so almost all the supplies were transported to their destination with ease.

The crew handled the unclaimed baggage and other supplies, while the guests each carried their own articles. The walk seemed longer than it should have, as guests dragged their feet in the sand, wiped sweat off their brows, and whispered prayers for all they were leaving behind under their breath. Some turned to one another for distraction, and small cliques visibly started forming among younger crowds. The conversations were drastically different—either about nothing or everything that had just happened. However, almost everyone wanted to confront reality a little bit at a time rather than all at once, so silence would fall upon the groups quite quickly and quite often.

The fairer-skinned were starting to feel discomfort in the afternoon sun, which had subtly caused them first-degree burns. On the way up, they tried covering their heads and shoulders with clothing, hoping to prevent the redness from spreading across their cheeks. Those with sunscreen shared it sparingly.

When they finally reached the waterfall, the beauty it offered gave everyone a moment of relief. Some were tempted to make a sprint for the valley and rush down to take a cooling swim. But instead, they stood in place, forgetting about their burns and losses for a moment, and looked on in awe.

The captain had been thinking of ways to avoid contaminating the natural resources and decided to make an announcement while the members settled. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he called. He had not addressed the crowd since before the sinking of the Elevation. These folks deserve an explanation, he thought. "Thank you for making this transition so orderly. Watching us work together gives me hope. I'm, to some extent, at ease and grateful for our synergy. At the same time, I understand we have all just experienced a terrible tragedy."

To his surprise, no one interrupted. They had all been waiting for him to finally speak. And so, he continued. "In light of these events, I now feel obligated to give you all an explanation. Yesterday, at around this time, I received a report from my First Mate, who is ... no longer with us. He informed me of a small, unforeseen popup-storm that was quickly growing. I had my team monitor the event as we tried to steer the ship toward shallower water, which was closer to this island. The ocean's currents picked up faster than I ever experienced, and before I knew it, we were at its mercy. I couldn't control the ship. Popup storms and ocean currents don't ordinarily progress the way we saw yesterday. I'm sorry to say that the terrain of these waters proved to be unfriendly. I saw on the Elevation's sonar a high reaching mass of land protruding out of the water and tried to avoid it. But the current overtook us and overrode the capabilities of the ship's engines. We crashed. I sent Officer McSchmitt and his men down to check the lower decks for damage. When they reported that we had started taking on water very quickly, I made every attempt to send a distress signal, but I didn't receive a response. Just before we lost power, I gave the announcement to abandon ship and we evacuated. We, again, were left to the will of the storm and..." His words got caught in his throat as he struggled to force them out. "Many of us didn't make it." Half of the crowd broke down at the reminder. "I have not slept, and my crew has worked tirelessly throughout the night retrieving any and all we could. Some are still missing. As for those we have found, we're going to set up here today, and then tomorrow we'll hold a funeral ceremony for those we've lost. To those of you who require time to cope, take as much as you need. My Master at Arms, my crew, and myself will all be working around the clock to make the call to rescue. In the meantime, there appears to be an abundance of fruit on the island and fresh water." He pointed to the waterfall. "Try to eat and stay hydrated with the means we have nearby. Anyone capable should lend a helping hand to set up shelter and gather supplies. Being that we don't know how much water there is here, please avoid contaminating any bodies of it by going to the bathroom or swimming. If you need to clean yourselves, take containers to fill with water and then return here with it to bird bathe in. And finally, let me just once again stress how important it's that we all function in unity. Civility is our greatest ally. We suffered terrible losses, but we're going to be alright. As your captain, I will do anything in my power to address the problems we face, but I ask you all to not deliberately seek conflict. Emotions are high, but if we all chip in and work together, we'll make it. If you have any concerns, please discuss them with Officer McSchmitt. Thank you."