Stranded Together

Chapter 24

🔵Gabe's POV🔵

My eyes slowly peel open. I'm unbelievably viciously thirsty. Parched is a complete understatement. My mouth is dry and tastes foul. My lips are cracked and feel as if they are bleeding. If I don't drink soon, I will surely wither up and die. I need water now.

I grip the sand in my hands as I try to push myself up. I instantly hiss out in pain and drop myself back against the damp ground.

It's too painful.

I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Or rather like I've swum for what feels like hours nonstop. My legs and shoulders feel cramped and tight. Every muscle in my body feels as if they're on fire.

I try to push myself up again ignoring the tenderness, desperate for a drink. I raise myself and crawl on my hands and knees away from the damp sand. The small movement has me grunting in pain.

I can't do this.

The aching forces me to drop myself again.

I groan in annoyance as I feel the dry powdery sand stick to my damp skin and clothes.

I look up to see that I'm half way up the beach. I can see thick bushes that look to be apart of the islands forest holding what appears to be rain water in their cupped shaped leaves.

The sight of fresh water has my throat throbbing to be quenched.

I wince as I push myself to a standing position. Crawling the other half of the way seems too painful.

Trying not to let my trembling self fall, I slowly shuffle my way to the forest.

I dismiss the pain as I fall to my knees in front of the large bush and drink the water from one of the leaves. In less than three gulps I finish the content, and move onto another leaf. I feel the cool water trickle past my cracked lips and over my tongue. I can't stop. I drink a third leaf, and a forth, and a fifth.

I close my eyes and sigh in relief. I try not to wince as I move off my knees and into a sitting position. I pick a leaf that still held water and bring it to my lips as I lean against the neighbouring tree that provided shade.

Unlike all the other leaves I greedily drank, I consume this one slowly. I take small sips as I look over the beach.

The sand is white a powdery with the occasional piece of dried seaweed. Sea shells are lightly scattered along the shore line. I gaze out to the ocean. The sun reflects off the surface so perfectly making the water seem as if it is crystal. It is so calm now, compared to last night anyway.

The events of last night suddenly seem to replay in my head.

The black night.

The crashing waves.

Almost drowning.

Crying.

Panicking.

Blake.

"BLAKE!" I shout hoarsely as I drop the water filled leaf. "Where the fuck!?!" My eyes widen in panic as I furiously look over the beach. How the fuck did I forgot about her? She isn't anywhere in sight. "Oh fuck." I mumble as I pull hard at my hair and bite my lip opening up the split and causing it to bleed.

Did I actually find her last night, or did I hallucinate the whole thing whilst having the panic attack?

Shit.

Using the tree for support I manage to stand up a little easier than before.

No. I'm positive I found her last night.

I fought the crashing waves to reach her. I carried her for hours until we washed up here. I checked her heart beat to make sure she was still alive.

Blake's not dead. She probably just wondered off.

I brush away a little sand that is stuck to my skin. My clothes and sneakers are still quiet damp, but the sun is high and radiating warmth. I'll be dry in no time.

I have no idea what the time was, but if I had to guess I'd say mid morning.

How long has Blake been gone?

Is she ok?

What am I talking about?

I don't care if she's ok.

Everything that happened last night; everything I said last night, I only said because we were in a life or death situation. My head wasn't in the right place.

I really don't care if she's ok.

She said she hated me.

And I hate her.

She's the one that got us in this situation.

I'll probably die out here.

Where even is here? Some island in the Caribbean's?

Fucking hell.

"Ok, ok, calm down." I say out loud as I start to pathetically hobble down the beach. "You need to find Blake. Talk about what the fuck we're going to do. And then you can kill her. Fuck, I've already started to go insane." I mumble halting when I release I'm talking to myself. Get ahold of yourself Tiller.

I take a deep breath trying to calm myself.

I take one more breath before I continued to shamble down the beach.

Each step I take makes me wince a little. This is a muscle pain I've never experienced before. Never have I ever felt like this after a gym session. That was a serious leg work out last night.

I seem to round somewhat of a corner of the beach we washed up on. I can see Blake up ahead. She is sitting down in the sand facing the ocean. She hugs her legs up close to her.

As I hobble closer I can't help but notice her bloody feet.

"Hey." She says once I was close enough. She's calmer than what I expected her to be. "You're finally up."

"Uhhh yeah?" I say scratching the back of my head, forgetting all the anger I had for her moments ago. "What happened?" I ask awkwardly gesturing to her feet.

"I don't know. You tell me." She mumbles not taking her eyes off the water. She is beginning to freak me out a bit. She hasn't blinked yet.

"Ahhh well...You punched me, we fell off the ship, I carried you, we washed up here."

"You carried me?" She asks, finally turning to look at me. "Why?" Her question throws me off a little.

"I don't know." I respond not having any other answer to give her. We both stay silent for a while after that, neither of us knowing what to say. I gracelessly sit down next to her, unable to hold myself up any longer. I wince in pain and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"So what are we gonna do?" She asks sounding nothing but deflated; like she has no energy left in her.

"I don't know." I mumble again staring out at the ocean.

I really don't know.

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Yikes!! Dramarama!!

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Posted: 9/10/20

~AshLeeJ~