Stranded

Chapter 13: An Inch Closer

Erin’s POV

I feel weak. My entire body is numb that I personally think I had been paralyzed. After a few attempts of opening my eyes, I finally succeeded, but unfortunately, everything looks blurry. I guess I’m under some kind of tree for there seem to be green leaves above me. I tried to look for my eyeglasses using my hands but all I could feel were fine grains of sand. Sand? I wonder why.

Feeling the urge to know what really is going on and where I really am, I gathered all the strength I have to help myself sit up. I leant myself at a tree’s trunk and looked around.

I couldn’t really see things clearly. My eyeglasses are nowhere which makes me blind. Not literally blind, but all I could see are the blurry images of the things around me. I saw a vast blue color not too far away followed by a lighter shade of blue. I could also see an orange-colored circle, which, apparently, is the sun setting. Since it is only my sense of sight that is impaired, I could still hear, feel and smell very well. Feeling the cold air touching my sensitive skin, smelling the distinct smell of salt-water and touching the fine grains of sand beneath me, I realized that I am in some tropical island.

Wait. A tropical island?

I remember boarding a cruise ship sailing around the United Kingdom. As far as I know, there aren’t any tropical islands surrounding the UK. I don’t think it is possible for us to travel to the South Pacific that fast. And, weirdly, the last thing I remember is falling head first inside my room.

Who could’ve possibly carried me to where I am now? And why am I out of the ship?

I let off a sigh. There are still lots of questions running inside my mind that Albert Einstein couldn’t have answered then in a minute. I stood and shook the grains of sand from my dress, hoping that the uncertainties inside me would go with them. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on my forehead. I gently touched it and found out that there is a piece of cloth tied around my forehead. I untied the ribbon and began to take it off, but as I got halfway through the process, I stopped. I realized that I must have gotten myself hurt and bled, and now, the blood has dried up that the cloth was actually stuck to the scraped part of my forehead. Since, I still have no idea on how to remove it without getting myself hurt, I tied it around my temple again.

Bored, scared and unsure, I decided to have a little walk around the island all by myself.

Liz’s POV

“I’m hungry.” Niall whined. Wow. So it’s true. I smiled at the thought of what I’ve read in magazines and in what I have seen in the entertainment news. It is true that Niall Horan loves eating so much. I thought that issue was only made for fans to think that Niall is so cute and adorable.

I’ve been smiling the entire time. I do not know if it is about being with the one and only Niall Horan or because of being with one of the greatest and most famous people in the world, but I realized that my reasons are, in one way or another, the same.

I came to know lots of things about him although we don’t chat that much. Just by watching him react to the things around us, I happened to realize that he is not as posh I had thought he was. Turns out, he’s almost like everybody else.

“Hey, Liz!” He snapped me back to reality. I just hope he doesn’t realize that he was the reason why my thoughts are flying around far, far away. I looked at him and asked him why he was calling my attention. “I think we need to go back to SS Destiny. I’m hungry.” He said.

We went back to where the cruise ship is. Surprisingly, there were lots of other footprints at the part of the beach nearest to the ship aside from ours. Niall’s face lit up, as if there is something to be really happy about.