The Riders of Veradae

I

It was only one hour into the escape, and people were already arguing.

"How could you forget the provisions! You had a week to sneak it onto the boat!" Nate exclaimed, exasperated.

"I didn't even know there was a boat until three days ago, because someone," Erin sneered, looking at Kelly, "forgot to tell me."

"I didn't believe them when they told me! Why would those monsters even have a boat? They hate water!" Kelly retorted.

"Ugh! Fine, let's see if there are any provisions on the ship already," Erin said as she opened the hatch to the storage below the deck.

As soon as all of the crew were below deck, Alexis found and lit a lamp that was hanging on the ladder. Light flooded the space, and all the items they had smuggled on came into view.

"Okay, let's see... tent poles, tent canvas, fire rocks, wood, fresh water, knife kit, machete, and oh! Here!" Alexis held up a dusty box. "A survival kit!"

"Let's see," Kelly said, taking the box. "Dried fruit, jerky, healing balm, bandages, needle and sutures, and a Swiss army knife!"

"That should be enough for now," Erin said.

Nate was still mad. "That won't last us long, even if we land soon!"

"If where we are going has no food, we won't last at all, and the probability of an island having absolutely no food is actually very low, so -"

Erin got cut off by Nate's exasperated sigh as he started to the ladder and went above deck.

"What?" she complained. "I'm just -" but she was cut off again by Kelly and Alexis leaving

When everyone was back above deck, they had their first dinner on the boat. As it turns out, Alexis gets seasick, and the only good food was the jerky, since the dried fruit was basically unedible. They threw the fruit overboard, and Nate accidentally spilled half of the fresh water. By the middle of the next day, everybody was restless.

Thunk. Erin threw another knife at the open hatch door. Thunk. She threw her last knife and climbed out of her chair with a sigh to retrieve them.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Kelly complained.

"Hmm, let me see... no."

"Go fishing?" Kelly suggested.

"There are only two fishing rods, and Nate and Alexis are using those."

"Start a fire to boil some fresh water?"

"No."

"Organize supplies?"

"No."

"Ration food and water?"

"No."

"Is that all you can say? No?"

"No."

Kelly sighed in annoyance and headed below deck. She closed the hatch door just after Kelly threw another knife.

"It's time to turn right, if we want to avoid the Fire Reef," Nate pointed out, looking at a small red spot in the distance.

Erin jumped up. "First off, it's turn to starboard, and," she peered towards the direction of the red spot. "That's not a reef."

The red spot, in fact seemed to be moving. Even worse, it seemed to be moving closer, and not just because they were sailing towards it.

"Dang, what is that thing?" Nate asked incredulously.