Clay and Kylene's Island (ON HOLD)

Chaper 1: Kylene

-Kialee

I walked through the trees, feeling the deep green leaves brush my skin. I suddenly felt so very alive. So connected with nature. I stood rooted in the spot for a second. I wondered why I wasn't panicking. Maybe it was because I didn't have a memory.

I closed my eyes and relaxed against a tree, sitting on a big root. Jeez, these trees were so big... I was about to get up a few minutes later when I heard a noise in the tree above me.

Standing up, my knees slightly crouched, I squinted up into the tree. There was nothing. The small jungle wasn't silent, of course, because of the caws of birds and limbs gently shoved by the wind whispering against each other, but the tree above me was silent.

...Almost too silent.

Could it be that there could possibly be another person on the island? Even if there was, they were probably insane in the result of being so alone. What person would be completely sane when you lived in complete solitude?

I remembered suddenly that I was a good climber. I'd once climbed this big tree by this big white Victorian house - my house? - when I was smaller. I grasped the lowest branch and swung on top of it. My bare toes gripped the smooth bark. I reached for another branch, pushing my arms through the bright green shapes, and began to slowly make my way.

As I climbed, I thought I heard a distant crinkling, like someone moving through the trees. I suddenly took on a new speed, anxiously curious to see what was creeping about, avoiding me.

I swung onto a branch and came face to face with a fat bird.

I stared into its big eyes, startled.

"Clay, Clay, Clay!" it squawked suddenly, making me jump and nearly fall off the narrow limb. Thankfully, I had decent balance.

Could it be a coincidence he had repeated a fairly common name? Perhaps? Perhaps not?

I reached out timidly at the bird. It just stared blankly. I stroked one sleek feather, enjoying the feeling of it. Who knew birds could be so shiny and soft? He reminded me of my dad's car... Oh, so I knew I had a shiny black Pontiac! Sweet. However, I had no recollection of what my dad looked like.

"You the little noise maker?" I whispered softly.

"Clay, Clay, Clay!" Ha! Was that a hidden message?

"Clay?" I spoke softly, letting my hand drop. It was sort of surprising that the bird had let me pet it.

"Clay, Clay, Clay, Clay!" it agreed eagerly, doing a little hop on the limb, its bright feathers flapping wildly.

"Don't mind the bird," a deep voice said.

I whirled around on my limb as quickly as I could without falling off. A branch above me, his long legs dangling over each side of the limb, was a guy. He looked to be around my age, sixteen.

"Um. Hi?" I said, a little stupidly.

The guy chuckled and held out his hand upwards. I stared at it. What did he want me to do with it...?"

"Oh, right. You don't know." The guy grabbed my hand bluntly, leaning down, and poked my pointing finger at the center of his palm. Uh, okay...? He then clasped my hand, linking our fingers together, and abruptly let go. "That's a greeting. By the way, I'm Clay."

"I kind of figured," I murmured. "Your bird likes your name."

Clay shrugged. "That's the only word Kooky has, and can I think, learned. He flies across the island squawking my name all the time."

I licked my lips, looking uneasily past the limbs where I can see a faint golden light from the sun.

"Oh."

"So what's your name?"

I glanced at him. "Oh yeah. I'm Kylene. I think."

"You think?" He raised an eyebrow.

I grasped the locket around my neck. "All I remember is pain, and then I woke up. And now I'm wondering, why am I talk comfortably to a stranger when I remember nothing and now I'm on an abandoned island with him?" I tried not to look at him, but I failed. I looked.

Clay was smirking. "Ha. Well, I was dropped off here when I was five, and I basically remember nothing... Besides the occasional flashbacks, you know?" He stood on his branch with perfect balance casually and leaned against the trunk.

I nodded. "Right." I studied him; he had sun bleached hair from the sun, and he was tall, tan, and muscular, probably since he'd been on his own at this island for so long. All in all, he was very...attractive. I wasn't the normal hormonal teenager. I didn't like boys that much. I considered them at the level of dogs. [A/N: No offense, just going with the story]. However, I had to admit there was a good looking guy around.

He was looking at me too, and I suddenly felt self conscious. Not knowing who I was and all kind of made a girl feel pretty incapable.  We were there in silence for a moment or two before Kooky jumped on Clay's shoulder and squawked in his ear, "Clay, Clay, Clay!"