Stranded....With A Twilight Star

Stranded

Taylor and I had been swimming for miles and it was getting tiring. He was strong enough to support both of us in the water so when I got tired, I leaned against him and helped him the best I could to swim along. It had to be hours later until we had spotted an island.

"Is that an island?"

"I think so. We should get there, so we can rest. I can tell you're getting tired from all this swimming. I have to say I'm getting there myself."

I nod and help him swim over to the island. We weren't too far away from it, so it took us shorter time than expected. When we finally reached it and came up on the beach, I had fell to my knees, since my legs have given out from the swimming.

"You alright Pearl?"

"Yeah, just all the swimming tired out my legs and they gave out."

"We can wait here for a while until you get your strength back if you want."

"If I just wait here, I'll get stiff. I'll be alright." I nod, getting up to the best of my ability. "How far away from civilization do you think we are?" I ask, looking around. 

"Pretty far if I have to guess. This island is deserted, in the middle of nowhere."

"Nice." I shake my head, and dig my phone out of my pocket. "And my phone is fried....great." I sigh. "Do you have your phone?"

"Left it on the boat. Plus I doubt we'd even get a signal out here."

"Yeah true. So...up for exploring? Seeing what's on the island?"

"Yeah sure. I mean who knows what time it is, we may have to find somewhere to stay overnight."

"Like a cave or something?"

"Exactly. If not I think we may have to build something."

I nod, he and I heading farther inland, and into the forest that inhabited the rest of the island. After what seemed like hours of walking through brush and everything, it really was only like minutes. 

"So I don't know about you, but I have like zero survival skills. I mean, growing up in the city you really don't need them you know?"

"Yeah, I get you. Don't worry about it though. In all honesty, I'd much rather be stranded on this deserted island with you, than be alone."

"Touche."

It took us the rest of what we thought was the afternoon to explore the forest on the island. But we stopped that exploration when we came across this huge, clear, blue lagoon-like area of water.

"Whoa."

"This is amazing."

"Yeah. Who knew within huge forest on a deserted island there's be something as great as that."

"Looks like staying on this island for who knows how long won't be a bad thing afterall."

"No.....but let's go it looks like it's clouding over. I don't see a cave and we're gonna need shelter if it starts to rain."

"And what are we going to make a shelter out of?"

"Sticks and leaves. What else?"

"True. Well let's get to it. I'd rather we sheltered from the rain than be in it."

He nods and we make our way back through the forest and back to the beach, along the way finding sticks, leaves and such from the trees that are on the ground so we can build a shelter.  We got as much as we could on our way back to the beach, dropping them in a good spot before going around to find more. After we've found enough, we started to build the shelter. 

"Is it just natural instinct for guys to know how to build things? Even if it's just made of leaves and sticks?"

"Survival 101."

"Right." I laugh. 

It took a while, but we finally got a shelter big enough for both of us made. It ha since clouded over completely, but no rain...yet.

"So, how long do you think we're gonna be stranded out here before someone tries to find us?"

"Who knows. But I do have to say, out of everyone in the world, I'm kind of glad I got stranded on a deserted island with you. We can probably build a friendship with how long we're gonna be out here."

"Nothing wrong with that."

"No, no there's not. I would actually love to be friends with you. We already have a lot in common as it is anyway, so we should become friends easily."

It wasn't too much longer where the clouds got darker and it soon down poured. Thankfully the shelter that Taylor built for us was keeping us dry. Plus we were already under trees anyway, so we were sheltered even more.

"So, how long do you think it's gonna rain?"

"Who knows. It's already late afternoon." He says as he checks the watch he had on, which just happened to be waterproof.

"Hopefully this rain will stop soon so we can build a fire to stay warm tonight."

"If not, we'll find somehow to stay warm."

Thankfully it didn't rain, it just clouded over and it did start to get cooler. We both walk around the beach and the forest, grabbing anything that can be burned to start a fire. Of course since none of us had matches or any source to form a flame, it had to be done the old fashioned way and that took forever. Though, it did get started before it started to get darker, thank god.

"Just in time, it starting to get darker. Losing daylight."

"Right? Took forever to get a spark because I don't carry around lighters or matches or anything. Not that matches would work anyway after being in the ocean. But are you getting warm?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"You hungry? Gathered some fruits and such earlier, figured we'd need them of course."

"Oh definitely. Give me anything."

He gathers a selection of fruits and such that he got earlier today, handing them to me, before taking some for himself. 

"Of all the times to get stranded on an island right?"

"Exactly. But we'll be okay."

"We will be. But who knows how long we'll be out here before they actually come looking for us. I'm just glad it's you that I'm stranded with and not anyone else or by myself."

After eating, we stay sitting by the fire for a while longer, talking amongst each other and just getting to know each other better. Some time after that, I was starting to get tired and Taylor clearly knew, despite me wanting to stay awake.

"Why don't you go lay down and get some rest? It's been a long day."

"I'm fine, honestly."

"Is that why you keep almost dozing off? Go ahead. I'll be fine. Just gonna watch the fire for a bit longer before I go to sleep myself." He remarks. 

"Yeah, I suppose. Night Taylor."

"Night." He nods as I get up and walk over to the shelter that was built and I try to lay down as comfortably as I can, focusing on the sounds around me from the fire crackling, to the ocean waves, to the animal sounds coming from deep in the forest, and it isn't too much longer when I doze off.

Taylor had stayed awake and by the fire for a little longer. He looks back at me and sees me sleeping, my back facing him. He grins slightly before turning back to the fire, staring out into the ocean as it's dark. But a while after that he lets the fire burn down as he heads over to where I was sleeping, taking a spot next to me so that he could sleep as well.

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Sorry it took so long to get this updated. I was just more focused on other stories at the time. Hopefully this isn't too short. I had the chaper started already so it was easier to write from that.