Chosen.

Chosen. Chapter 27

Chapter TWENTY-SEVEN

Kyle

Thursday, 01/21, 8:07 AM.

The Trials: Round Three, Day 11

I throw in the line and hope for a bite. "Come on....here, fishy, fishy. Take the bait." I've been at this for almost two hours now and have barely caught anything. (Ugghh, breakfast is going to be another light meal, it looks like, unless Lance and Shane have any luck with the fish baskets downstream. Or maybe Freddy and Arris found something in the snare traps.)

Some of the dads went out at dawn to try to hunt bigger game again, but, even if they're successful, they probably won't be back until late afternoon or early evening. So I guess it's going to be up to the rest of us to feed the camp today.....which, unfortunately, seems to continue to grow in size, I think--annoyed--as I notice our new Aussie Jace walking over in this direction to my "secluded" fishing spot. Great, what does he want?

"G'day, Kyle. Need a hand?" he asks as he grabs a seat on the rock next to me without waiting for my answer. 'Not really,' I think to myself. But Mom's lecture on good manners immediately pops into my head, and so instead I hear myself say, "Sure," as I hand him one of my fishing poles on the bank. He obviously knows what to do with it and begins to get it ready to cast out.

I sit quietly and continue to slowly reel in my line, trying to concentrate on the task at hand. Oh, but of course, not even two minutes go by before he can't help himself and breaks the silence, "Sooooo, looks like it's going to be a bloody hot one today, don't ya think? It's barely 8:00 in the morning, and it already feels like a 120 degrees out here in the bush." He says this while he stands back up and shades his eyes squinting at the sun, "We need some sunnies today, right, Kyle? And maybe a couple of ciggies, too?" 

"Mm-hmmm," I say without looking up from my line. Hopefully if I don't say much, he'll get bored and go somewhere else. "I wonder if a net might be better in this stream? Have yous tried to make a net or anything?" he asks as he throws his line in again impatiently. "Nope," I mumble.....and then brilliantly offer, "Perhaps you should go work on one with the extra twine back at camp?" He stands up reeling his line in recklessly--with zero finesse for my quiet, calm fishing game--"Eh, maybe later," he answers with a shrug.

Jace casts out again and tangles his fishing line over mine. "Come on, man! Watch it!!" I say, pissed, as I'm forced to reel mine back in and re-cast it. "Real sorry, Mate," he apologizes, as he scoots over to give us both more fishing space and sits back down. He continues talking, "I guess I'm just a little distracted wondering about my family. I mean, I know they can't have terminated or anything because my wrist link hasn't changed.....but I hope they're okay out there, wherever they are on the isle."

I look down at my own wrist link unconsciously and see it's also still the green active color. If at any time a member decides to terminate they will turn red, and, as we all know, a rescue crew is sent out to retrieve you. I let out a sigh of relief realizing that could have been my family just the other day if Autumn wouldn't have decided to tough it out like she did. I instantly make a mental note to go by and see if she needs anything later on. 

I tune back in and realize Jace is still talking, "That group of families though, Mate, they were Bogans, for real. They swarmed on us, and, before I knew what was happening, my Dad is throwing me our main supply pack and telling me to take off before they get all our stuff. Savages, I tell ya!!" He says this last part as he runs his fingers through his hair distractedly. 

I look over at him,"Uhhh, yeah, we've heard from other families about some sketchy stuff that's been happening on the isle," I add now, kind of realizing his plight.