Uncharted Waters || A Jiara Story

Chapter Five

Gray clouds continue to consume the once blue sky and whistling winds howl through the palm trees.

(Kiara POV)

"We better hurry, it's starting to get dark," I say as we continue to forage through the scraps. I look up at the sky and the storm clouds appear to be thickening, moving quickly inland.

JJ comes from behind a tree dragging a long, leafed palm branch.

"Here help me with this!" He exclaims as he struggles to get his grip on it.

I run over and grab the other end as we walk it over to the pile of stuff and rest it on the ground with the others.

"I think that's good for now....i'm freaking exhausted," he says while sitting and brushing his hands on his dirty cargo shorts.

I nod my head and stand beside him. "Now how are we going to get this all back to camp" I say with arms crossed analyzing that fact that we have over 200 pounds of materials and only two people to carry it.

"Uhh...hmmm well I guess...." JJ mutters while running his hands through his hair. "Now see this is a good time for Pope and his brain to come up with another pulley system to transport all this shit" he utters.

I laugh under my breath. "Yeah well if we had the tools to make something like that, then we'd have the tools to make a boat and get off this damn floating coffin"," I say sarcastically.

He shoots me a smirk and I offer him a hand to help him up. He takes it and stands next to me.

"I think we're just going to have to take a few trips," I say.

"Alight!" JJ claps loudly. "Let's get this show on the road then!" He rubs his hands together and begins to lift what he can. I join him and we begin to head back towards the others.

As we near camp, I see Cleo and Pope building an intricate water catching system constructed of leaves tied together leading to buckets made from broken wood. 

Sarah and John B see us approaching, struggling to hold the materials after trekking almost a mile. They run over and Sarah helps me to carry my handful and John B helps JJ.

"Is this all of it?" Sarah questions as she drops the branches and wood to the ground.

"No, there was too much to take at once so it'll take a few trips" I respond while alleviating the burden from my arms.

"Alright well you two better hurry cause that storm's moving pretty fast" John B mentions from over his shoulder.

JJ and I share a glance and look up at the sky in unison. It has only appeared to get darker and the wind is continuing to pick up speed.

"Let's go!" JJ says as he begins to walk towards where the rest of the materials are gathered and I join him a few steps behind.

After about two trips, we are finally on our last trip back to camp. As we begin to collect the last of the materials I feel a raindrop hit my cheek. I look up and see small raindrops falling everywhere, scattered in their departure.

"JJ-it's starting to rain!" I exclaim while wiping the raindrop from my cheek.

"Okay well let's get this last load back before it starts to storm," JJ responds as he increases his pace in gathering what needs to be carried.

We begin walking back, each holding a load of palm branches and wood. The rain begins to pick up. What was once a drizzle soon turns into a pour accompanied by gusting winds, making it hard to see. The once solid ground, quickly turns into a sinking and slippery mud.

"JJ we gotta hurry!" I exclaim while trying to steady my balance as I fight to see through the pounding rain hitting my face.

"We're almost there!" I hear him yell back. He is walking in front of me but the more I struggle with the rain, the more I fall behind.

One of the pieces of wood begins to slip from my hands due to it's saturated nature and I go to steady it back under my armpit. With this quick movement, I find myself trying to catch my balance on the mud and I fail, slipping to the ground. A sharp pain burns into my arm as I fall on top of the brush and scraps that I was holding in my hands.

"JJ!" I exclaim as I try to sit back up.

(JJ POV)

I hear Kie scream my name from behind. I had been so dead-set on getting back to camp that I hadn't realized she had fallen behind. The rain made it hard to distinguish where she was as everything in my eyesight was blurry and gray. 

"KIE!" I exclaim trying to get a better grasp of where she's at.

"Over here!" I hear her call out and I then see her materials scattered about the muddy surface and her body folded over. She seems to be grasping her arm.

"Kie!" I exclaim dropping the stuff and fighting the rain and wind to run towards her.

I kneel down beside her and help her to her knees.

"What happened?" I try to yell over the pounding rain, but a bolt of thunder then crashes above us, startling us both. I see red water dripping down her elbow and from under her hand that is gripping her upper arm. Grabbing it and moving it, a deep cut on her arm is revealed. I look up at her as she winces in pain and I grab the bandana from my back pocket and wrap it quickly around her arm.

"JJ it's fine!" she exclaims, trying to pull her arm back.

"No - we gotta get back to the others," I say, grabbing her arm back and finishing the tight tie.

"But the stuff - we need it J!" She blurts, gesturing towards the scattered wood and soaked, muddy leaves.

"Kie seriously- c'mon let me help you up!" I grab her underarm, hoisting her to her feet. Her face looks pale as the blood continues to soak the bandana and drip down her arm. "We gotta go!" I begin to help her walk through the rest of the slippery mud. We're both almost running at this point, but my hand never leaves her arm, as I guide her through the trees.

We finally reach the others and I see the makeshift structure that John B and Sarah built sticking out over the grass.

Pope sticks his head from behind the structure to see us running over, worry wiped across both of our faces.

"GUYS!" Pope yells and comes running towards us. The others begin to flood out of the shelter and I continue to help Kie keep her balance as Pope runs over to grab her other arm.

We rush under the shelter and Kie falls into a sitting position, gripping her arm and wincing in pain,

"What the hell happened man?" Cleo chimes in.