Only Ocean

Part 22

Meghan Polinsky's POV.
Day 19, morning

It has been five days on this island. It was hard but better than a raft. Edmond and I managed to get a lot of water and we were still short on food but finished the rabbit. We were becoming stronger and my eye was slowly healing and my bruises went from obsidian black to a faded shade of olive green. Edmond stopped coughing up blood but he was still weak. But after the food and water, he was impressing me with his skills. He carved a bowl out of wood and sharpened a rock into a knife. It was time to get the day started so I took a sip of the water I collected in the container. Only a small amount to get me through the day.

I stood up and stretched. I looked at Edmond who was still out cold against the tree we've been sleeping by for the past days. I left him in peace so he could sleep as long as he needed to.

I walked some ways and found a very long stick. I picked it up and examined it. I walked over to a root hearing my stomach growl.

I looked up and saw ripe bananas. My mouth watered as I thought of them in my mouth. I stood on a nearby rock and lifted the branch high enough to get some bananas to fall down.

I saw a bundle of bananas shake before breaking off their branch and dropping down. I quickly tossed the branch away before gracefully catching the bananas. I didn't waste time ripping one-off before peeling back the skin and taking a mouthful. The flavor was sweet but bitter. It was sticky at the top of my mouth. I finished the banana and ate five more. I felt sick but full. I couldn't stop myself.

I looked up to my left at the sun slowly rising from the northeast. Edmond and I had walked North ever since we were able too.

But I also noticed the array of coconuts clustered together in a tree higher up. I licked my lips and stalked over there. My stick wasn't tall enough so my other option was to climb up the tree.

I wrapped my arms and legs around it and made my way up. My arms and legs were tired and still just bone but I managed to get high enough so I could sit at the top. I wiggled a bit and almost fell off but caught my balance fairly quickly.

I grabbed at a coconut and pulled it off with a lot of force. I almost fell off again. I grabbed two more and I was holding three in total. I was about to climb down when something caught my eye from very far away and way too deep in the woods. Far enough in the woods where there were no more palm trees but bigger trees.

It was smoke.

I think it was a fire. It was too far to tell but I've seen fire smoke before and this was it.

And it was not hot enough for it to be a forest fire from the sun. So it has to be man-made.

I quickly memorized the direction in which it was coming from and took one more look west before climbing down.

I ran out of the woods I was getting fruit in with coconuts and bananas almost falling out of my arms I had so many.

I carried them and ran as fast as I could a million thoughts bouncing in my head. What if it were humans in the same situation?

My feet took me faster as I found Edmond against the tree sharpening the knife.

"Edmond!" I yelled. He looked up when he heard his name.

"Fire! There smoke! I saw the smoke!" I said out of breath. I dropped the fruit into our big wooden bowl Edmond crafted.

Edmond ignored what I said and grabbed the bananas with the same look I had in my eye when I found them. He didn't waste time stuffing seven down his throat faster than I did.