Stranded Love

Our Secret Spot

DAY TWENTY-TWO

Neither JJ or Kiara have brought up what happened two days ago. Obviously Kiara wants to know what made him ignore her but she's not going to pry. Something is bothering him that he isn't willing to share and she'll wait until he's ready to. The pair quickly reverted back to their usual selves and resumed hunting together that evening. JJ also moved his sleeping mat back over to hers. Kiara could swear that it was placed closer than before too.

The Carrera girl noticed that Sarah has been rather jumpy, especially recently. She knows the Cameron girl has struggled with the trauma caused by her wretched father and brother, both almost killing her in cold blood. Ever since they arrived on the island she's been worried about them appearing and would occasionally call out that she sees something on the horizon that could be them. In the end it's just something she's made up in her head due to her strong paranoia. Kiara holds so much sympathy for Sarah and offers her comfort whenever she panics. The girl often comes to Kiara to talk about it.

Cleo has started putting some weight on her toe although she mainly uses her heel to walk around. It still needs regular cleaning and Pope ensures that she's almost always wearing some fig leaves to cover it up, except for an hour or so where they let the wound get some air. Somehow it looks as though they've dodged infection once again. She's not sure how long that will last though unfortunately.

Kiara has recently done her mid-morning berry hunting on a different side of the island and she has noticed these bush rat things scattering through the undergrowth and climbing the trees. The idea of protein that doesn't come from fish is very appealing to her. She could practically taste the welcoming lack of salt on her tongue from this different kind of food. So that's what she's going to do: Kiara is going to catch one of these things. She's definitely the most stealthy and quiet on her feet out of all the Pogues – Cleo would be a close second but her injury means she wouldn't be able to do it – from all her sneaking out of the house for keggers and bonfires. She's the best candidate for it right now.

The girl wakes up early in hopes of spearing one of these rats before they become active for the day. She leans up and stretches her arms in front of her and her shoulders pop. She feels relief when her back also cracks. Kiara rubs the sleep from her eyes and glances to the right.

JJ is lying on his side and is still sleeping soundlessly. He has the bottom of his sleeveless shirt pulled over his head and covering his eyes. She's seen him do this a few times and is undoubtedly a way he keeps the sand and light out of his eyes. She fights the temptation to pull the shirt from his face and admire his calm expression. When he sleeps is just about the only time JJ looks at peace. Such peace is incredibly hard to come by for him.

Kiara naturally plays with the bracelets around her wrists by twirling and twisting them. She's looking ahead at the ocean when she feels the fabric of a bracelet break and come free from her skin. There's a split second of panic thinking that it's her matching friendship bracelet with JJ but she finds that it's a different bracelet that she weaved about a year ago. To think that a six year old bracelet lasted longer than a recent one.

The wind whistles as Kiara looks to JJ again and tosses the broken accessory to herself a few times. She'd usually use his bandana to keep her hair back but unfortunately she can't see it anywhere. So instead she uses the broken bracelet and manages to tie her hair into a decently high ponytail. She shakes her head and it holds.

Satisfied, Kiara hauls herself to her feet and stretches out again. She silently drinks a coconut and retrieves her spear which leans against a post of the shelter. With the bottom of her spear the girl writes a note in the sand telling the Pogues that she's gone berry hunting early. She doesn't want to tell them that she's hunting for a bush rat because if she manages to catch one then it'll be a nice surprise. If she doesn't then they'd be none the wiser to it. It's a win, win situation.