Stranded (GirlXGirl)

Chp. 11

Claire’s hand was gripping mine so hard I was sure I had lost blood flow. We were practically running through the jungle towards where we had spotted the smoke’s existence. The smoke had been fairly far away from where our camp was, there was now doubt we would have never discovered it without going to the mountain. 

The smoke had appeared on the edge of the trees, so I knew they would be somewhere on the beach like me and Claire had done. How could we have not met up somewhere?

Claire stumbled over palm leaves as I pulled her through the forest, my heart was pumping with adrenaline as we neared sand. This was it, I was only praying it wasn’t crazy as natives that could inhabit this island, then we would be dead. 

What if it was Mallory?

Oh God, please let it be Mallory… I couldn’t contain the pain and longing to see my best friend. I knew I shouldn’t assume it was her, but there was that little glimmer of hope, and it would stick with me until the truth was revealed. 

Soon we ran into a little camp, it wasn’t as big as ours but it was pretty well sized, made out of palm leaves and branches. I spotted on suitcase lying open in the hot sand as the fire crackled next to it. No one was around, which made me wonder.

Why would they leave a fire unattended?

Then suddenly I was shoved into the ground, face first into the hot sand as Claire fell next to me. I turned over, holding up my hands for protection, “No, stop!”

I looked into the face of someone I recognized, well, two faces I recognized. Tyler’s voice rang out first, “Alex? Claire?”

My heart nearly broke in sadness as I realized it wasn’t Mallory, the tears were barely held back.

He held out his hand, helping me up as Claire was being helped up by Hunter. I spoke, “Why’d you shove us?”

“You scared us, we heard you coming but we didn’t know who it was. We ambushed you, but God are we glad to see you guys!”

I had been close to Tyler and Hunter my Junior year, but we hadn’t had classes together this year so we had stopped talking a bit. Reuniting with them here, well, it was a life saver, and I couldn’t be happier we weren’t alone. 

“You guys want some food? Water?”

We sat on two logs they had that apparently subbed for chairs, and I nodded, “Please, we’ve been traveling all day.”

“Where are you two camping out?”

I pointed down the beach, “About two or three miles down, we hiked to the mountain to get a look out, saw the smoke and came running here in hopes of discovering more people.”

Hunter spoke, “And here we are.”

We laughed to ourselves, taking meat that wasn’t fish and swallowing it. They must’ve killed a rabbit or something, but I didn’t want to ask. Hunter and Tyler were just as dark as us, if not darker, their bare chests glowing with sweat. Their hair was getting long to, as it hung in front of Hunter’s eyes, and Tyler’s was being held back with a headband.