The Opposite of Paradise

He's Satan's spawn, of course he's good with fire.

"I've honestly never been so turned on."

I had won the 'Paper-scissors-rock' deal and so the power was in James's and my hands. We decided to travel in pairs to collect anything we deemed valuable to the group, whether that be for food or shelter, and bring it back to our current location. Ana had marked a large palm tree with a cross so that we knew where to meet, and then we set off in the opposite direction of the boys.

On our venture amongst the palm trees and faint moonlight we stumbled upon some fallen coconuts, large palm leaves, and a couple rocks which could be used to hold down any shelter the boys might have found. The walk with Ana was slow as we tried to avoid tripping on roots or step on any unwelcome insects, and it was somewhat tense. Without the playful conversation from before we were left alone with our thoughts – something I had found to be dangerous even at the best of times.

It occurred to me that Ana had suppressed any grief for her mother by focusing on her own survival from both the island and from Dylan, yet now it was all she could think about. It was written all over her, the way her eyes stayed cast along the ground and the weary slouch of her posture. I was sure I looked no better, with Sephora at the forefront of my mind, but for the sake of Ana I made no attempt to discuss how we were feeling. I'd always been good at reading people, and words were the last things we had needed.

However, words were all Dylan seemed to be giving now that our group had reunited. He had been watching Ana strike one of the coconuts for a while now and he couldn't seem to get enough of it.

"I'm being serious guys. Girls who can survive stranded on an island have become my new fantasy," he said, continuing to stare unashamedly at Ana who was blissfully unaware of Dylan's attention.

James was once more leaning against the palm tree with raised eyebrows as he listened to his friend and I was sat near his feet, cross-legged on the sand.

"Dylan, instead of gawking at Ana maybe you could try and start that fire you've been boasting about for the past hour?" I said with a glance at the scrap pile of twigs below him.

Him and James had managed to find enough stray pieces of bush to give us a chance at making a fire. They'd also scrambled together some berries, although none of us were sure if they were actually edible yet so they had gone untouched.

"I might help Ana with that coconut instead," he said with a smirk over his shoulder. "You give it a go Grinchy, I've got true love to handle." And with that he strode off to where Ana was still hammering away at the same coconut.

I watched the pair in amusement for a few moments. Ana's eyes lit up with laugher as Dylan said something stupid to catch her attention. The worries of the day seemed to melt off of her whenever he was nearby and I found myself grateful for what he was doing. Even if he was unaware of it, Dylan was the kind of distraction she needed to keep those treacherous thoughts from breaking her down, and beneath her annoyed expression I could tell she knew it too.

"So are you still fantasizing a threesome with those two or can we make this damn fire?"

James's words pulled me out of my daze as I tilted me head up to give him a dry look. His lips quirked upward slightly as he tried not to laugh at my expression but his green eyes glowed with mirth.

I didn't bother with a reply, instead standing up to get closer to the pile of makeshift firewood he had collected. James pushed off the palm tree and followed, standing opposite me yet staring seriously at the ground.

I nudged the sticks with my tattered sneakers and realised James was barefoot. With a glance over at Dylan I saw he was too.

"What happened to your shoes?" I asked him, cocking my head to the side, hands on hips.