Island Falls

Barely Surviving

Isabelle: Hey readers! I am working on a cover for this story, and hope to have it completed as soon as possible. Hope you're all nice and freaked out about whether or not these guys are gonna come across any of their friends' dead bodies in the ocean! 😈

Bella: Wow! That's evil!

Isabelle:  Yes it is! I've been planning out SPTR, and I'm in my evil author mode.

Bella: Wow. What a mood.

As the sun breached the horizon, Preston was the only one awake to greet it. The other four were sleeping in the raft, huddled together against the water. The rich boy kicked his feet lightly, adjusting his arm to look at his watch. Two hours and then some had officially passed.

"Psst. Hey," Preston poked Fiddleford, waking him up slightly. "Hey, Country Boy."

"Hm?" Fiddleford blinked and squinted at Preston. "Whassit?"

"Your turn to sit in the ocean," Preston said. "Let me up."

"Alrigh', alrigh'," Fiddleford yawned. The two teenagers switched positions, allowing Preston to lay down in the raft. He closed his eyes, struggling to get comfortable- or, as comfortable as could be- and rest.

The sun climbed higher into the sky, soon making it too hot and bright to sleep. All five teens were awake now, sitting idlely in the raft.

"...I'm thirsty," Bella said after awhile.

"We all are," Preston snapped. "But we only have a limited supply of water."

The raft, the group had found, had come equipped with a stash of emergency supplies. Dozens of freeze-dried meals than served everyone twice, half a dozen bottles of water, a flashlight, a lighter, a compass, a first aid kid, and fishing tools were among some of what was stashed away.

"But we have like, six bottles!" Bella complained. "Can't I have a little?"

"We don' know how long it'll be till we reach land, Bella," Fiddleford said. "That water migh' just barely last us."

Bella sighed and slumped down into the raft, running a hand over her dolphin's ruined 'fur'. She hadn't let go of either of the Beanie Boos since the shipwreck, and even now they both rested on her stomach. With no warning, she began to cry.

"Babe? What's wrong?" Stan asked from the side of the raft.

"Flips, an-and Flippy- I lost them," Bella sobbed, clinging to the two Beanie Boos she had left. "When the- the ship went do-own."

"Oh for goodness sake," Preston rolled his eyes. "We're stranded in the middle of the ocean with limited food and water, and you're worried about a pair of stuffed animals?!"

"Hey, leave her alone!" Stan yelled at the boy.

"They're a comfort object fer her," Fiddleford glared, moving to wrap an arm around Bella. "She freaks out when she loses one under normal conditions. Ah'm surprised she lasted this long without a meltdown."

"...are they really that special?" Bud asked softly. Bella was unable to speak at this point, instead only breathing heavily and clinging to herself. Her body was visibly tense, and her hands were closed tight around the fabric of her shirt.

"Extremely," Fiddleford answered for her, rubbing her arm.

"Bella, sweetie," Stan spoke, and the teen looked over at him through her tears. "When we get home, I'll replace both of your Beanie Boos for ya, ok? And buy you three new ones."

"Mm?" Bella made a questioning noise.

"Really," Stan grinned. Bella sniffed and dug her palms into her eyes, desperately wiping away the tears.

The days passed by slowly, filled with endless twenty question games and one-word storytelling. At points, Bella was too bored to play even those games (which she had suggested), and resorted to sitting in silence, which was odd for everyone aboard. They always put off eating as long as possible, in order to make the food last longer, but once Bella was about to have a meltdown from hunger, they couldn't wait any longer.

"I wish we could cook this stuff more than with just a lighter," Bella said when they were eating one of the meals. It had included chicken, as well as various fruits and veggies.

"Yeah, raw vegetables are pretty gross," Bud agreed.

"No no, raw vegetables are fuckin' awesome," Bella shook her head. "Carrots kinda suck without ranch, though. I mean the chicken. It's already gross without the bread- breading?- but it's like way too chewy."

"Well it ain't exactly like have the option to not eat it, Bella," Fiddleford said. "These meals're all we got."

"I know," Bella sighed. She bit a carrot in half. "...did you know that it takes the same amount of jaw force to bite a carrot in half as it does to bite off a human finger?"

"...I did not," Preston replied slowly, eyeing her strangely. "Why do you know that?"

"Tumblr," Bella shrugged. "...I miss Tumblr."

"...Does that mean I could easily bite off my own finger?" Stan asked.

"Well, no, because your brain won't let you," Bella said. "But you could bite someone else's finger off."

"Huh," Stan nodded. He saw Bud hide his hands behind his back. "Relax, Gleeful. I'm not gonna bite your finger off. ...right now."

"'Right now'?" Bud repeated, his voice high with nerves.

"Keep flirtin' with my bifriend and we'll see how well it goes," Stan threatened, returning to his meal.

"...I know we probably shouldn't waste any food, so..." Bella held up a handful of strawberry tops, "does anyone want the leaves from my strawberries? I know they're edible, I just... I really can't."

"Here, Ah'll have 'em," Fiddleford said, holding out his hands. "Unless anyone else wants some?"

The others shook their heads and denied his offer.

The teens fell back into an uncomfortable silence, with nothing except the gentle splashing of ocean waves and their own miserable contemplations, wondering what was in store for them and their friends.

If their friends were even still alive.