Ship Wrecked

Chapter 10: A Miracle

"How many days have we been out here on this ocean? I need land, food, and water," Jules replied. She licked her lips and glanced at the sword. It was still surprisingly still shiny and clean. "Why is the sword still shiny and clean?" Emrys tried to push up to look at the almost dead girl. Her hair had gone into knots and snarls. Her eyes were very depressed and no light was in them. Her dress was torn and ripped and she always said that it was her father's dress that he gave her. He felt compassion for her and ashamed that he yelled at her. "I have always wiped it down to keep it nice. I just knew that King Charles would do the same." Jules smiled, but it held pain.

2 days later:

"Jules, Jules! Wake up! There's something you need to see," Emrys hollered. Jules fluttered open her eyes and glanced around. Something was in the distance. "What is that? It looks like... like," Jules held tears from spilling over her face. "Land. It's a miracle," Emrys placed his hand on her back. Jules placed her head on his shoulder and smiled. Land was not too far away and we are going to be safe from sharks and ourselves. I am so proud of what we have done together. Jules smiled to herself and laid back down and closed her eyes.

..................

A firm hand shook her shoulder and a bump made Jules wake up. She never beheld such beauty for a very long time. "How long have we been on this boat, Emrys? I need to know," Jules replied while staring at the beach. Emrys glanced at her then at his tally-marks that he made in the wood with his nails. "16 days with hardly any water and no food," Jules gawked at him. "16 days?! How am I still alive!" Emrys shrugged and climbed off the raft. He stood for the first time in a long time. He fell face first in the sand. Jules giggled and went to help him up. She collapsed too. He stood up on his very weak legs and held out a hand to her. "Thanks," the princess replied. She was up beside him and they were making a slow progression to the forest of palm trees.

"There will be fresh water in the center," Emrys stated, but then whispered to himself, "I hope." Jules licked her lips just thinking about fresh, clear, cool water on her lips, face, and inside her throat. She planned on drinking all the freshwater. She smiled to herself. When she did, a cut split open on her scorched lips. There were multiple cuts that had split open the past 2 weeks. She placed her finger against it. She felt her mother's wedding ring. She wanted to cry and sob uncontrollably, but she couldn't. She didn't have any strength or water. "Emrys, can I have my father's wedding band, please?" Jules turned to him with pleading eyes. He shook his head, "I don't want you to lose your father's ring. It fits mine just fine and you could lose it." Jules took the chain off her throat and placed her mother's wedding ring next to the heart. "Place it next to this heart on the other side. It will stay latched around my throat." Emrys nodded his head and slid the ring down the chain.

..................

It was about an hour until they were inside the forest of palms and were protected from the Sun. Jules never felt so sunburnt and so tired in all her life. Her skin was red as a tomato and scorched as a burnt piece of toast. She walked behind Emrys most of the way.

Emrys turned a sharp corner and yelped. Jules was confused. She had never heard a grown man yelp before. When she did, she squealed like a pig. Emrys and Jules were in vine nets and were suspended above the ground. "What? How?" Emrys looked at Jules, who was petrified, then down to the ground. They were about 22 feet off the ground. He sucked in his breath. He was terrified of heights and wasn't planning on falling or jumping from this height. A rustling came from the bushes. Then some more. Jules thought to herself Please let it not be Nick. No Nick. No Nickolas.

A young man leaped out of the bushes along with a girl. They both looked older than Jules, but way younger than Emrys. The young woman had light brown hair and dark brown eyes while the boy was really tall and masculine compared to the girl and had blonde hair and sky blue eyes. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here," the girl replied to the tall boy. "Some survivors from a shipwreck. How about that? Matthew, cut them down." The boy, known as Matthew, nodded, pulled out a knife, and cut them down. The two shocked prisoners fell to the ground. Jules tried to stand, but the girl shoved her back down. "Thomas, Sarah, Eila, and Noel! We have some prisoners!"