Anomaly; Stranded The Series (bxb)

Chapter 9: Epiphany

The jungle was quieter than usual that day, an eerie calm settling over the island, as if the world had paused, holding its breath. The storm from a few nights ago had stripped the island bare in some places, leaving the trees twisted, their leaves torn away, and the ground littered with debris. Everything felt unsettled.

And so did Eli.

His body ached from days of hard labor, his mind still reeling from the tension between him and Jonah. They hadn't spoken since that fight—since Jonah had practically demanded that Eli figure his shit out. Eli had buried himself in work, like always, hoping to avoid the weight of it all. But avoidance only worked for so long.

Now, as Eli trudged through the dense jungle, searching for more materials to reinforce their shelter, his thoughts were louder than ever. Every step felt heavier, like the jungle itself was weighing him down, dragging him toward a truth he wasn't ready to face.

Jonah had been right. Eli had been pretending—pretending not to see the cracks in their relationship, pretending not to feel the growing distance. Pretending not to feel... something more. But he couldn't admit it. Not to Jonah. Not to himself.

Eli wiped the sweat from his forehead, his hand trembling slightly as he pushed past a thick vine. The heat was unbearable, the air sticky with humidity, making it hard to breathe. Or maybe that was just his anxiety choking him from the inside out.

The memory of Jonah's words echoed in his mind. I've been in love with you for years.

Eli had replayed that moment over and over, trying to make sense of it, trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do with it. But no matter how hard he tried, he always came up blank. He wasn't ready for this.

He wasn't ready to confront what it all meant—what it meant about him, about Jonah, about them.

The jungle was growing denser as Eli wandered further from the beach, the trees closing in around him, their branches heavy with moss and dampness. The silence was unnerving, the usual sounds of the island—birds, wind, waves—all muffled by the thick canopy overhead.

Then came the sound.

A sudden rustling in the bushes to his left.

Eli froze, his heart leaping into his throat, every muscle in his body locking up as his mind went into overdrive. It was too loud to be the wind.

His grip tightened on the machete he'd been using to hack through the underbrush, his pulse thundering in his ears. He stood still, straining to hear, to see anything through the thick foliage around him. Another rustle. Closer this time.

Eli's breath hitched in his chest. He didn't know what was out there—whether it was a wild animal, or something worse—but he knew he couldn't outrun it. Not here.

His mind flashed back to the stories they'd heard about islands like this—about predators lurking just out of sight, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Eli swallowed hard, his grip on the machete slick with sweat, his heart pounding in his chest.

Then, out of nowhere, something moved.

A blur of dark fur, muscles rippling, eyes gleaming through the underbrush.

A boar.

Eli barely had time to react before it charged, its tusks gleaming in the dappled sunlight as it barreled toward him, its massive body plowing through the bushes with a force that made Eli's blood run cold.

"Shit!"

Eli spun on his heel, instinct kicking in as he sprinted through the jungle, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he ran. The sound of the boar crashing through the foliage behind him was deafening, its snorts and grunts echoing in his ears, drowning out the pounding of his own heartbeat.