Scarlet's POV
You know what really sucks? Waking up not knowing where you are or how the heck you got there. The headache ain't a plus either. I slowly sat up squinting when I came face to face with the glare of the sun bouncing off the crystal clear water. I was on a beach. A pretty desolate beach. I got up, a process of pain and cringing and turned around to look at the rest of what seem like maybe an island. What I saw shocked me. I backed up till my ankles were surrounded by the surprisingly warm water. What lay before me was a wasteland of green. Trees, vines, bushes, everything was tangled into a beautiful mess. Or once beautiful. The forest, at least the perimeter of it, was littered in junk. It was all rusted metal and strange fabrics. It looked like something that once belonged in a steam punk store.
I bit my bottom lip, something I tend to do when I'm worried, and noticed how dry and cracked my lips already were. Great! My amber hair was most likely a rats nest too. Oh well that's the least of my worries.
I then found myself on the ground tumbling. A giant wave had come over me knocking me to the ground and shoving me up the beach. I was more confused than anything, I was barely in an inch of water...that couldn't have been possible. I continued to cough seeing as plenty of water made its way into my body. I was laying on my back almost to the tree line in dry sand with the air knocked out of me. I don't understand. I was no where near the crashing waves, and how did the rouge wave send me this far up, and especially, how is the sand still dry? When I finally recovered I sat up noticed I was siting on something. I reached into my pocket to find my favorite switch blade and a by far ruined dollar. Huh well hey, at least I have a knife.
I got up again and trying to process everything and ignore the fact that I'm soaking wet and the suns dropping. Seeing as I didn't have much day light and I was in a state of weakness I decided to camp out where I was for the night. If I had to guess I think well one I was on an island and two it would be Palmyra Atoll and uninhabited island. The island its self is insanely beautiful, a total paradise but looks can be deceiving. This magical island is uninhabited due to it being 'cursed' and the waters being dangerous due to being infested with a shockingly large population of aggressive sharks and to top it all off the fish are said to be piousness. Now I of course have no idea if this is true or not but I'm hoping for the not. The curse says something about shadowy figures lurking in the wasteland of a forest, ghostly lights flashing in unexplored areas and sea monsters waiting for their next victim in every body of water surrounding or belonging to the island. The part of the beack I was on look exactly like a picture I rememebred seeing of it.
After reciting everything I know about where I might be (Thanks 9th grade geography project) I dreaded being even at the tree line but I had no other choice unless I wanted to be dragged out towards the sharks. I walked up to the tree line quickly finding the perfect spot to build a shelter. Two strong branches pointed out towards me were perfect to build a platform on. Luckily, my knife I had on me was my tactical survival knife. The handle was covered in para-cord and the inside was hollow holding flint and a small fishing kit. It's a present my dad had gotten for me and was by far one of my most prized possessions.
I had manged to collect enough branches to lay out on the support branches and used the para-cord from my knife to tie them down. I quickly cut some large banana leafs down from surrounding trees and laid them down on the platform. I didn't have to deal with a roof seeing as plenty of foliage draped over the shelter. Once that was over with I made a fire which provided to be still somewhat difficult even with my flint due to my clammy hands. The wet clothes that clung to my freezing body slowed my production down immensely by making me shake so bad it caused my back to hurt. Once I finally got a fire going I stripped off my soaking clothes wringing them out then drying them over the fire.
That night had been one of my worst. I was very familiar with insomnia but this experience brought that up to to a whole new level. I did not sleep once. I was constantly alert analyzing every noise and movement. I felt like a helpless child in a nightmare and I hated it. At that moment there was nothing I craved more then seeing the sun rise though it felt like years away. I'm not scared of the dark but the unknown that comes with it. Feeling helpless like I cant do anything but live in fear is my fear.
So when light hit the beach relief washed over me and I then realized how tired I was. I was also of course hungry and probably dehydrated. But all those thoughts washed away as I heard something. A voice. A human voice.
"Hello? Hello!" Someone shouted off in the distance.
With a burst of energy I was up and sprinting towards the voice. It was a males voice I think. Leaping over a pile of fallen rocks there was guy standing knee dip in the water. If this is the place I think it is and the story's are true, he wont last long being even that deep in water.
"Hey get out of there! Dude hurry!" I called running up to the waters edge.
His expression was a mixture of relief and confusion. He came out of the water onto the sand.
Before he could speak I did, "If this is the place I think it is then you really don't want to be in that water."
He continued to stare in confusion. "I'm Scarlet by the way, do you happen to know how you got here cause I didn't remember anything when I showed up on the beach yesterday and I still don't."
"Jude" He said, "I woke up here yesterday to but no, I don't remember much."
Jude was tall and had dirty blond dreads tied up on his head. He had a slight accent. Maybe Australian.
"Huh well at least we aren't alone now." I said evaluating him. He seemed nice.
"Nope!" he smiled. "Do you think there are others?"
"It's defiantly possible." I said looking at the forest.
"Beautiful isn't it?" He asked also gazing at the forest.
I looked at him, "Deadly is more like it."
_____
Hehe cliff hanger...sorta :3 I'm super excited to start this book! I know what your thinking...I already suck with updating my other book daily buttttttt I couldn't wait to start this! :P I hope you guys like it so far I cant wait to continue this book! :)
