Castaways {Jariana}

The Island - Three Weeks Later

"I checked the traps, but we only had a couple of small fish and I had to let them go", Jai said as he dropped to the ground next to Ariana who was sitting in front of their 'home'.

They found the cave after a week on the island when torrential downpours forced them to seek shelter. At first Ariana refused to set foot inside the small, damp, dark cavity, but a strong bolt of lightening striking nearby quickly caused her to change her mind. It was just large enough to sleep two comfortably, but not large enough to stand or even sit up inside. And yet, Jai was starting to think of it as 'home'.

Jai had devised a trap made of small strips of juvenile mangrove root for catching fish. A huge five pounder ate Ariana's diamond on their fifth day. In a wild fit of hysteria, she dived in after it and it took all of Jai's strength to get her out before she drowned herself. They found mangrove trees in the seawater inlets of the island where they grow to twenty feet in height and Ariana mused that if they had the tools, they could probably carve a canoe out of one, ala Robinson Crusoe. Fortunately, the young trees are like small bushes and the pliable root system allowed Jai to weave a basket-like trap which was actually more successful than the diamond lure.

"That's ... fine", muttered Ariana in disgust, as she sat, trying in vain to comb out her long brown hair. It was going back to her dark brown roots and definitely back to her infamous fro. It was matted and tangled beyond saving and she seemed to be ripping out more than she was combing. "I'm getting ... a ... little tired of ... fish ... anyway. Ugggh!", she screamed out in frustration as she flung her comb as far as she could and it landed in some underbrush after lopping the head off a breathtakingly beautiful dark purplish-red colored wild orchid. The island was full of gorgeous flora, but Ariana wasn't noticing it right now. In fact she didn't seem to be noticing much of anything. The most noticeable example being Jai, who was bare-chested and clad in only cut-off shorts. He ripped off his blue jeans below the knee after living through five days of sweltering 90 degree days. The low-slung shorts rested just at his hips, producing a wonderful bag of eye candy.

"What's the matter?", Jai asked with concern. They'd been so busy trying to survive day-to-day that he really hadn't been paying very much attention to her other than what was necessary to live. Now, he noticed how completely wrecked she appeared. Her face was drawn and she'd obviously lost weight and her hair was twisted into clumpy, greasy tendrils which defied the natural order of Arianadom.

"What's the matter?", she echoed sarcastically. "That's a good question. Tell me the truth, Jai. What have I done to deserve this?" She waved her hands around emphatically indicating what appeared to be the entire earth. "I mean ... I'm a good person, you know? I never go to bed with make-up on my face." She held up a finger to count off her points. "I never go out in the sun without a minimum of SPF 15." Second finger up. "I always lather, rinse, repeat ... Every. Single. Time." Third finger. "So tell me, why does God hate me? Why did he strand me ... I mean us ... on this island with no mom, no dad, no Zac.. and ... and ... no soap, for God's sake." By the time she finished her tirade, she was nearly sobbing hysterically.

Jai was shocked into momentary silence. Ariana had been the strong one since this whole thing began. She was the one who pulled him up onto the beach; opened the coconut; started their first fire. Whereas, he was the one who broke down when their signal washed away. In fact Jai thought he could sometimes still taste the sand in his mouth from when she shoved him face-first into the beach. But now ...

"Ariana...", he said slowly and calmly.

"And don't you dare tell me not to panic!"

With as much soothing as he could muster, Jai slowly replied while gently stroking her arm. He'd become much more comfortable with touching her in the past three weeks. It was hard not to when they slept side by side. "I wouldn't dream of it. But seriously, Ariana, I don't see how your perfect complexion has anything to do with why we're here and I don't think God hates either one of us."