The Island

Part 9 - 4

Four:

A certain someone was kind enough to spare the occupants of the cabin a night of peaceful sleep. The occupants all found themselves staring at the final night on the island, night thirteen. It was about seven in the evening when Emma found herself outside JT's door. Even though it was open, Emma still peered from the outside and looked for JT. He was sitting on his hideaway bed, his usual spot. "Hey." He looked up and saw Emma. She came in and took the round seat she always took when she came in to talk to him. She noticed he was reading the same magazine again. "Hey, haven't you gotten sick of that magazine?" She pointed at it. "Kind of. But reading it takes my mind off things." He replied. "Oh, same." She nodded. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. She looked around the room, still surrounded by deer mantles and bookshelves. The empty fishtank by the bed looked dustier than ever. She looked closely in it, studying the way it looked. She tried to imagine fish swimming inside. All contained in one giant box, they probably don't even notice until they hit the glass. She imagined being a fish, and how weird it would be to live in a tank. Especially because it occasionally would rain food from a giant that thundered to the edge every now and then. The thought made her giggle. JT looked up from reading his magazine again. "What?" He chuckled. "Oh, nothing." Emma said. She continued with her thoughts about the fishtank. She thought about the fish eating the pebbles of food again. She envisioned one fish being the selfish one, the one who gobbles up more than their fair-share of food. The unfair one. The one that makes everyone hate that fish. Emma's thoughts became increasingly and increasingly frightening. "Emma?" She imagined this alpha fish, a piranha disguised as as a goldfish. All it wants is blood, and to rule the tank. "Emma." JT hadn't looked down from his magazine. She perked her head up out of her thoughts and into JT's eyes. "You don't seem alright tonight. Is everything okay?" JT asked her. She put her head on her hands. "JT, I just had this really bad thought. It was really bad." Emma replied, concerned. JT paused. "Well?" He said. "Are you gonna tell me?" Emma slowly blinked and tried to focus on JT. "I think... No, I don't even know if it's even significant. I just think all this anxiety about tomorrow is getting to me." JT set his magazine off to the side. "Well, I can promise you that you're going to be fine tomorrow. Are you packed?" "No, not really." Emma replied. She took her hands away from her face and began to calm down. "Well, you should." JT looked toward the door. "But I don't want to leave. I want to be here with you." Emma words made JT freeze. For a second there, he could have sworn Emma had just quoted Carmen. "...and you are a really nice guy..." Emma's words faded in and out of JT's mind. Suddenly, a rush of guilt plunged into JT's heart. "...but I feel like you're a bit withdrawled..." JT suddenly started to panic. Not only had he realized that he screwed Carmen, but he liked Emma more. And if Emma found out that he and Carmen had a one night stand, Emma would be devastated. "...I feel like you're ignoring me-" "Wait, I'm not ignoring." JT lied. He knew he was avoiding Emma as well as Carmen. He knew he couldn't see Emma after Carmen, but he really never put much thought into why. Now we knew for sure. "Can you tell me what's up with you?" Emma asked politely. JT exhaled. "After celebrating with Michael, the party made me feel like we'd be okay. But since Jeanette's little stunt, I have lost hope that we are going to leave this island free." JT felt more guilt for lying again. But he was good nevertheless. "And I get that." Emma scooted closer to JT in his seat. "I understand. I just wish you'd tell me more." "Well, we're leaving this hell in less than thirteen hours. We just need to keep cool and know that those pilots can help. They're going to want to help, am I wrong? It's not like the pilots are cops. They're going to help us get out of here." JT replied. Emma looked away and sighed. "I really hope that you're right." She said. "I do too." JT agreed. They paused, letting silence fill the room. In fact, all that could be heard was soft voices coming from somewhere else upstairs. It was unclear what room they were coming from. Emma stopped listening to the muffled voices and looked back to JT. "Can I ask you something?" Emma asked, breaking the silence. "Yeah." JT nodded, looking to her. "Did Michael tell you to lock Jeanette away?" Those eight words struck JT even harder than the thought of Carmen. He removed his filter and just decided to spit it out. "No. He didn't."