Island of the Unemployed

ANOTHER CASTAWAY

Of the many problems River had to deal with in his short life, sleeping was not one of them. So, he was surprised and frustrated when, on this particular night, he endured an unrelenting restlessness, dogging him to get up. Determined to rest, knowing he had a big day of work ahead of him, he remained in a prone position until the chirping of birds announced the approach of daybreak, at which time he knew he had fought a losing battle. It was time to surrender to the inevitable. He quietly got to his feet, slipped away, and began to walk aimlessly, biding his time until the others awoke.

River's mind continued to clear. Each day the world came into focus just a little bit more. Everything look so bright and sharp.

On this morning, he had no agenda. He was free to just walk, and think on this still, quiet morning. He soaked in the striking beauty of the trees and plants around him, the feel of the crisp morning air filling his lungs. He listened to the chirping birds as they seemed to sing out of the pure joy of being alive. There was a connection with the world around him that he never knew before.

His wandering led him to the ocean shore, where he was greeted by an orange globe hanging low on the horizon, with a few thin clouds stretching out as far as the eye could see. In the solitude of this incredible morning, he got the feeling that this amazing scene was orchestrated just for him. Maybe this was the reason I couldn't sleep. Maybe I was meant to be here on this perfect morning.

He began to stroll down the beach, lightly kicking up sand as he walked. He watched the fine white grains jump into the air and fade back into the ground. This is going to be a good day.

Then, he noticed something in the sand in the distance. He couldn't tell what it was, but, for some unknown reason it caused him concern. He quickened his step. Then he went into a jog, and then a run. Soon, he could see what it was that inexplicably caused him worry. It was a person. A woman, on her side, partially buried in the sand.

He skidded down the beach and fell to his knees. "Hello? Can you hear me?" He hesitated before gently shaking the woman. She was breathing, but remained limp, unresponsive. Her face was badly scratched. Should I pick her up and bring her back to camp? What if she's hurt? Could that possibly make things worse? I can't just leave her here alone while I get help, can I?

The peacefulness of the morning vanished just that quickly. He knew he needed to do something fast, make a decision, but he was lost. He needed guidance, some sort of direction, someone who could tell him what to do. But he was alone.

"Please! Please! What should I to do!" he muttered.

Then he had a thought. Don't worry, this is the reason you couldn't sleep. Was it a thought or something else? Something external.

He took the pair of glasses from the sand and placed them in one of his pants pockets. Then he picked the woman up, managing to balance her on his right shoulder. He trudged back to camp, unsteady from the weight. Occasionally veering to one side or the other,

When he approached camp, everyone was awake finishing breakfast. Vladi was collecting coconut shells when she noticed River coming.

"Oh, my! Who is that?" she exclaimed. The group turned to find River, with an unconscious woman draped over his shoulder. They rushed to help lay the woman on the ground.

"She must be dehydrated. We need to fin' a way to git some water into her. Someone git me some water!" Cian directed. Vladi quickly responded with a filled half coconut shell. Cian took it and threw the water in the woman's face. They stared, waiting for a response. Nothing happened.