Dying Embers

Chapter Ten

      After the rain put out the wildfire Carlene, Jessie and I walked back to shore tired and hungry. There was nothing to eat but fish and animals in the forest. You need energy to hunt and I don't have much energy left. After carrying, running, crawling, and breathing in all that smoke yeah I'm exhausted. I fell on my knees in the salt water. and tried to cool down. Carlene laid down beside me and Jessie sat down with the other kids. 

        "I wish this water was colder," Carlene complained. I smiled and nodded. I wish it was colder too. After all that hell yeah. Give me your coldest water. I heard Larry talking to Bridget. They were talking about food and I wish they weren't. It was making me hungry. Well more hungry than I was. I looked up when I was Diana walk into the water. I figured she would stop but she didn't. When she was about waist deep I stood up and ran towards her in the water. I placed my hand on her shoulder. 

          "What are you doing Diana?" I asked. She turned her head and looked at me with pale blue, teary eyes. Her hair was messy and blonde. Dark circles were under her eyes and her skin was beyond heathly. 

             "I don't want to live," she said weakly. 

    "Why do you want to give up?" I asked. She looked back at the shore. I turned my head to estimate where she looking at. It looked like she was looking at Lucifer, Bridget, Larry, Bill and Robert. She turned her head and looked back at me with paranoid eyes. 

          "They are hungry," she whispered. 

    "What?" I asked. 

   "The boy named Lucifer he has a knife. They are all hungry. Trust nobody boy. Not even the kids. Not even that girl you like. I know you do. I saw the way you looked at her. What I'm trying to say is they are hungry and when they don't get food they will do anything to get food in them if desperate enough," she whispered. 

         Canniblism. That's what she meant. My blood ran cold in my veins. No. I don't believe they will go that far. Maybe Diana was just paranoid. No. 

      "I don't want to stay here and find out. I'm going to drift away until I drown, get eaten whatever. I rather do this than get eaten by people," she said with pain in her voice. I looked at her sadly. 

       "It's your choice Diana. I really don't want you to do this but....please don't do this," I begged. She shook her head. 

       "Bye.." she said her voice trailing off. She moved deeper into the water head under. She didn't come up. I turn around and walked out of the water. I fell on my knees on the sand. I looked at the people on the shore. Carlene walked towards me and patted my back. 

        "She wanted to die I guess..," I said sadly. 

     "It was her choice River. I am upset too," she looked at me sadly. She was beautiful but Astrid..I cannot hurt her. We probably won't get on this island anyways. Ugh. What to do. I looked at Jessie who was playing with the kids. I really want to let myself go now. 

         "Carlene?" 

        "Yes?"

    "I want to have fun now," I said sadly. She laughed. 

    "Well alright then. Let's go to the river." She said happliy trying to make me feel better. I smiled. We both stood up and walked into the forest towards the river to have "fun." If I do have fun..