Academy Island

Exposed

I tossed another leaf down, knowing it wasn't going to suit my purpose as I picked my way through the plants, searching for something I could make a makeshift skirt out of. The leaves I had found so far had been either big and bulky or too small to do anything useful with, making under my nails black with plant juices when I had unsuccessfully tried to twist and tie them together. I moved another vine from my path, examining it before letting it fall back behind me, scraggly and see through. I had no idea what to look for, or even what to do with it once I found it. Didn't natives use grass for skirts? I paused and listened to the jungle around me, taking in the sounds of wind through every gut-wrenching twitter and screech, hoping I could hear grass rustling in it.

A loud squeal erupted from my stomach, accompanied by the twist of a hunger pain.

I huffed at myself, angry at my body's needs. I didn't know how long I had before finding something to eat and drink became too pressing. I gave up the search for a covering and gravitated back towards the beach, unsure about the bright berries I had seen here and there along the way, shiny orange and so perfect that they almost looked fake. I had no idea what was poisonous and what was safe to eat, choosing to stay on the good side of caution by focusing on seafood I might find. The roar of waves crashing up along the beach greeted me before I could see the water as the vegetation grew sparser around me, letting spots of sunshine through on the jungle fauna. I trailed my fingertips over the red petals of a flower that glowed hazily in a patch of sun, velveteen, it's yellow stamen shedding pollen over them that I rubbed off on my shirt. This place was beautiful, breathtaking, glorious. Also unfortunately untouched by civilization from what I could tell.

Other than my crazy gun-wielding man that was.

My heart beat faster as I made my way down the slope of beach, even though it seemed to be clear of any dogs or men with guns. I couldn't help the paranoia. My uncovered lower half and desire not to get shot kept reminding me of how vulnerable a situation I was in. I gulped back a lump in my throat. I supposed it could be worse. I could have lost my life in the sea, like my family probably had. I fought the quiver in my lip and pulled at a handy blade of grass as I shuffled through sand, needing to fiddle with something to get my mind off of...

Wait. Grass?

It was everywhere around, waving in the warm breeze happily like it was glad to see me. I did a little happy dance, ridiculously excited at my find. I grinned widely while pulling eager handfuls, gathering an awkward armful that draped nicely over my forearm. Vines grew everywhere, woody and stringy, my best bet for a tie. I spent probably an hour collecting and discarding until I found what I thought was the perfect one and another amount of time that I was sure was longer than an hour tying each blade of grass to it in a hopeful line of green.

My skirt was lumpy, uneven and shedding, but it would work, I was sure of it.

I was wrong. The vine broke as I attempted to tie it, letting the grass skirt fall disgracefully around my ankles in an itchy, unraveling heap. It was ruined beyond repair. I kicked the project away, out of my line of sight. Such a waste of valuable time. My throat ached, dry from the air and thirst. The grass around me ruffled, impossible to see through, each elongated blade mixing with it's brothers to hide everything beyond. Why couldn't it hide me?

I collapsed onto my butt and let my arms and legs hang tiredly with no sense of propriety. Forget sitting like a lady, panties were overrated anyway. Sand and the dried salt itched at every crease as I sat there, letting self-pity have it's way in my heart. As much as home had been a place of distant relationships and tiptoeing on eggshells, I longed for the comforts. Clean water particularly sounded heavenly, food, clothes, a bed, a bathroom.

Sunblock.

I felt it now, the uncomfortable burn on my backside as I sat for the first time today. I reached a hand back, feeling uneasily around until I found the line where protected skin met where I had been exposed who knows how long in relentless rays. I lifted my head, looking behind myself so I could assess the damage to my rear.

Bright pink and painfully shining, compliments of the merciless sun.

Everything was too hard. I grabbed at another waving stalk of grass, letting the thin blade trail through my fingers and tears down my cheek. I needed a good cry, anything to let the stress of everything that had gone wrong out. I sniffled, allowing the first groan of a sob choking past my lips when I heard it, faint in the jungle behind me.

Singing. Pure and happy in a deep, clear voice, cutting through my gloom, danger and despair. I wiped my wrist across my moist nose, wishing for a tissue, my tears trailing off at the familiar Elvis tune. I lifted from the sand, brushing carefully at my still airing baked backside, my hunger and thirst and nakedness forgotten as I wove a stumbling trail through barring foliage, hopeful the owner of the voice was as happy and harmless as his song.