The Native Code (Co Written By CTHands)

Mother Nature Strikes

It had been a little over a week. There had been no signs of rescue, no boats, no planes, no nothing. They weren't losing hope, but they were coming to realize, that rescue wouldn't happen overnight. They needed to start thinking long term, how they could survive. The weather was changing. Rain was becoming heavier, winds were becoming stronger. They had to find something better than the lean-to. 

Over the past week the dog had been staying by the pilots grave, and every morning Mike would go to the dog, feed him and give him water a few times a day. The dog had yet to leave the pilots grave, until one morning... Mike woke to the dog laying outside the lean-to, staring at him. Mike sat and pet the dog. "What's the matter boy? You hungry?" Mike fed the dog a few small pieces of leftover fish from the night before. He expected the dog to go, but he stayed. 

It was the middle of night, pitch dark outside. A cool breeze in the air. All of the sudden, it became a raging storm of terencial downpour with thunder and lightning. The thunder woke them, the lightning lit the sky like it was mid day. The lean-to blew into the distance, as if it were a kite. The three had to hold on to each other to keep from being knocked over or sent flying. 

Mike was terrified, he was screaming and crying. It hadn't been this bad since they got here, not once. He was hanging on to Carol as Dusty held them both. Mikes fingers were clutched so tightly on Carols back, it was as if a knife were penetrating her skin. Carol, through her own fear, tried to calm Mike. "Mike, it's okay! Its gonna be okay!" She had to scream over the sound of the thunder roaring like a lion in the wind. Her drenched hair stung her face as it blew hazardously in the wind. Dusty continued to hold them close, attempting to shield them from the elements. 

Dusty lifted them off the ground. "C'mon, fallow me!" He directed them deeper into the wooded area, in hopes that the change of environment would help. He pulled them along. They reached  a tree with a wide hallowed out bottom, and he pulled them inside to a seated position. He sat on the outer part to shield them from any wind still terrorizing them.

They weren't sure how long it had been, but the storm subsided. Dusty stepped out, the bright sun filtered in rays through the trees. It seemed to be early to mid day. "Dusty?..."

"You guys can come on out now." Carol climbed out and helped Mike up. Mike limped over uncomfortably to where Dusty was standing. The ground was muddy, trees had fallen over, the air had an eerie silence to it. Not a bird was heard through the distance.

They made their way back to the beach. The dog was nowhere to be seen. "Maybe he's in the plane!" Mike tried to run, but his leg gave out. Carol caught him as Dusty searched for the dog. Dusty reached the plane, and there he was. The beautiful Akita laid in the plane. He was slightly wet, and went right up to Dusty. "C'mon boy, yeah thats it, c'mon." Dusty brought the dog over to Mike, who quickly pulled the dog into his arms.

Due to the severity of the storm they had just experienced and how in just a short time what little they had accomplished was taken away with no fault of their own, they decided to expand their search area for additional food, a fresh water source and materials to create a stable shelter.   After a quick cleanup of the shoreline where their SOS sign lay beneath layers of seaweed and driftwood they gathered fresh coconuts that had washed ashore. Then with whistles in tact they left to explore farther than they have ever gone.  Carol and Mike  teamed together and Dustin headed in the opposite direction.  The had promised to blow their whistles every few minutes to make sure they were in safe distance from one another.    

Carol and Mike wandered by the banana trees to see if they were still intact.  They gathered some more spices since the ones in the lean-to had blown away.  Carol said to Mike, " You know I just thought of something, If the coconut shells aren't broken too badly when we crack them open, we could use them as bowls and not have to eat our fish off of sticks, and we could spice them up more that way."

Mike chided in  saying, "yeah, and the dry husk of it's shell will make  it easier to start a fire."   In the distance they heard Dustin's whistle blow and Michael lifted his own and gave it a good puff.