Washed Up ≫ A.I

Chapter [6]

[Charlotte Kendall]

Once we made it to the cutout cave Tyson went ahead to check if the tide hadn't made its way up into the caves yet. Ashton and Benson were still trailing up behind us as Emma and I gathered close together for each other's support.

"He likes you, you know," Emma whispered without forewarning. I turn my head quickly and wrinkle my nose up at her, "Tyson, he likes you." She repeats.

I groan, "Please don't say that."

"What, why not?" She squeaked in protest. She obviously knew she was right but I didn't want to argue about this right now, "You've got to tell me how you ended up with h-"

"No, Emma." I cut her off immediately. Her lips close quickly as her body jerks upward, "I don't want to talk about last night. . . ever." She should have felt the same. No story like that one should ever be repeated, all I want is for last night to be erased from my memory entirely.

"That's fine," Emma mumbled, shutting down all conversation over it all once Robert Benson and Ashton come waddling up behind us.

Ashton huffed while placing his hands on his hips, "So where's the stream?"

"On the other side," Tyson answered as he came back into proximity. He looked around at everyone with tired eyes and sweat drenched hair. The dark ends of his hair spiked up against his forehead once he brought his hand to wipe across it. "The tide is inside just like I thought. It could take hours for the waters to spill out by now."

I sigh. Everyone followed along in order to see if they had been poisoned or not.

However, was it all really that important?

I look to the left of me, past Emma and through the treeline. You could hear birds squawking, rodents nibbling and crawling, pretty much every terrestrial life form to ever exist inside that jungle.

Ashton coughed under his breath directly behind me before I noticed all eyes on me. "What?" I asked nervously.

"What are we supposed to do? Are we poisoned?" Emma spat out obviously annoyed that I had dragged them all out here.

Then it hit me.

"Wait, water was coming from the jungle and then into the ocean!" I jump and Tyson nods in agreement. "Then if we go in there and find the water source we can drink farther upstream." It was literally obvious.

Everyone was quiet, processing scenarios about traveling inland. Benson had mentioned it earlier to us so why not follow through with it for an hour or so. Tyson looked inside the tree line and then back over to the group. People were anxious to get water and shade so what was there to worry about.

"What if a boat comes by while we are in the jungle?" He asked.

"We'll split up." Ashton offered. "The girls can stay here on the beach while the three of us look around for the water."

"Hey, that is completely unfair!" Emma shouted, turning towards Ashton with her arms folded across her chest.

I also agreed. It was my idea. 

Ashton shrugged off the idea before looking over his shoulder and then back towards us girls. I noticed his eyes flick up towards Tyson behind me as if he was looking for help out of this one.

"Look, we can't all go-"

"Tyson you are going to need me to find the water, and it was my idea." I turn to pin at him right away before he finishes. I give him a second until he continues.