stuck (short story)

Stuck

Word Count: 3647

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“You have been selected to participate in a "Survival" reality TV show. You and one other contestant will be put on a remote desert island out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

To win, you must outlast the other contestant who is to be placed on the opposite side of the island (with no contact allowed between the two of you, or the outside world). At any time you may give up and call for rescue with a special radio that has been provided.

Your backpack is limited to ten personal items of your choice (along with the rescue radio) that will fit into a regular size backpack. Decide which items you will take, and make it final.

Good luck.”

Evan’s hands trembled as he read over the letter one final time, the eardrum-shattering sounds of a  roaring helicopter in the background as the blades were spinning so fast they threatened to blow the paper right out of his hands.

“I’ll have to take that, you know,” A nearby employee told the boy, holding out an empty hand while the other was holding his tie, attempting to keep it from blowing in the winds created by the helicopter.

“Yeah, I know,” Evan yelled back, competing with the sounds as he grudgingly handed over the paper.

The employee nodded as he promptly ripped up the sheet, allowing the bits to blow away carelessly. He handed Evan a helmet, goggles, and headphones before shoving him inside the machine.

The twenty-something year old only took a deep breath before watching as the helicopter lifted from the ground with a loud skid, ten carefully descended into the sky.

Evan wasn’t sure why he decided to take up the challenge. He didn’t need the money, nor did he want to be on Tv. Maybe he just needed a cool story to impress his future roommates with, or perhaps he simply needed something to spice up his boring, college student life.

After all, with financially stable parents who were willing to pay for anything he needed, taste buds that didn’t agree with alchohol, and social anxiety that held him back from attending parties, he was feeling run down. It was the same thing daily; wake up, attend daily classes, work late shift at the nearby Starbucks, then read for a bit before going to sleep. Nothing special, nothing cool, only the same, stupid routine every day. Evan was sick of it.

That’s probably why when he saw the application form for a cool ‘Survival Challenge’, he jumped at it and turned in his form that very night.

Now, he was seated on a helicopter, on his way to the ‘deserted’ island. His leg wouldn’t stop bouncing, nor would his heart stop racing, but he took it as a good thing. He was excited.

He only knew two things about the other person on the island; (who he wasn't allowed to communicate with) his name was Connor and he was roughly 23-24 years old. Evan wasn't sure why he was given the information, seeing as it wasn't going to be if any help, but for whatever reason he remembered it.

He just wished he could have remembered to pack shampoo too before leaving his house.

He quickly tightened the straps of his backpack just as the last sign of land left view, and all he could see while looking down were dark blue waves crashing against each other in a pointless fight.

Evan was careful while choosing his specific ten items, thinking over every situation he would have to face, what he would need and which items would already be available on the island, such as coconuts or wood for fire.