Burning your Alibi.

Chapter Three: Huts on the Beach.

I huddle around the area, tired and worried. My hands pull at strings of earth, tying them into an unsteady hut.

Simon stands besides me, his eyes distracted, wide and bored as he stares aimlessly at the hut, a big pile of sticks in his arms for me to reach.

"Are you alright?" I ask cautiously, my eyes wandering over his face as I see him blankly look over to me.

"Yes, It's awfully humid,"

"Well we are almost done with the first hut, after, we can go get water." I offer, seeing him blankly look away from me and nod.

I take a handful of sticks from his hand, feeling the pinch edges pierce my skin uncomfortably.

I place them in a bunch, trying to attach them together, a leaf on the ground next to me, ready for use.

I move, one hand holding all the sticks as I lean down, picking up the leaf, before trying to weave it around the sticks, pulling and prodding for stabilization.

No one else but Simon has helped me the whole day, including the gathering of the materials, to the building. He has been the only one doing anything.

I step back as I finish trying to tie it, watching over the leaves and sticks, Simon moving inside the hut after setting down the sticks, moving to work inside.

"Hullo? I asked if you had any water."

I turn quickly, my eyes looking over as I spot Jack.

Standing there, his ginger hair plastered over his forehead, his icy blue eyes shot down on me. His fingers wrapped nicely around a sharpened stick, his top half naked. Covered in sweat and dirt, his shorts tattered.

His cheeks a slight red as he lifts his jaw, looking at me, waiting.

"Yes, over there, by the tree, there has to be some left." I nod, pointing over to a tree, watching him carefully. I see him move, his body looming over towards the water, picking up a coconut shell, before raising the water to his lips, drinking heavily. Water messily runs down his neck, wandering down his jaw as well before he parts.

He breathes out heavily, his chest heaving a bit as he shakes his head, wiping his face. His sharp eyes move over to me, breathing out unevenly, I move, grabbing to the hut as Simon shuffles around in it.

"Up a little," He calls out softly from inside.

I move a bit, trying to raise the hut in my hands, pinching the sticks.

Suddenly the hut tilts a bit too hard, the leaves fluttering down, Simon's head perking out from the sudden ruckage. His face guilty.

"Sorry.."

I sigh, rubbing my forehead.

"It's okay Simon."

I move, leaning near Jack, my face filled with tiredness. He watches me, crossing his arms and looming his eyes over my features.

"We'll never get this done." I shake my head, pessimistically staring at the ruckage as Simon crawls out of it.

Simon dusts off his leg, reminding me of the bloody burn scars that loom over his body, scars and fresh scratches from the awful crash. I turn my head away, choosing to forget about it for now.

"We've been working for hours, This is starting to wear me out. Everyone keeps running off, You remember when I had that meeting? How everyone was going to work hard till the huts were finished?"

"Besides me and my hunters,"

"Yes, I understand that, the littluns– They are hopeless, The older ones not much better besides that. All day Simon was the only one working to help me, everyone else was off bathing, eating, or playing."