The Reign of the Lost (ON HOLD)

Chapter 3.1

The next day Alia had awoken thinking she still lay in the comfort and safety of her own bed and in order to avoid facing the fact that she was stranded on an island, she did not open her eyes and lay in the same position for almost 3 hours. She thought of her parents, of how her mother would’ve felt when she didn’t get a call from her, did they know her plane had crashed? When would she see them again? Would she ever see them again?

Many of the others like Alia did nothing but lay and sit around. No one missed the distinct smell that lingered in the air; it smelt like nothing else in this world, a rancid smell tinged with sweetness like rotting meat, sprinkled with cheap perfume; a smell that one remembers for the rest of their lives… the smell of rotting bodies.

Adam, Josh and Eddie had joined some boys from HGS and had taken up the task of burying the twenty or so bodies that lay in rows covered up by whatever clothing they could find; towels, t-shirts, etc.. The coverings did not stop the thousands of flies from gathering around them.

They spent the morning digging graves in the sand; a site relatively far from where they had settled. At first they used their hands but quickly realised they would need something more practical; they went about and found random things such as a curved metal shard from the plane and a flask. One by one they dug the graves, dragged the bodies into them and filled them with sand. They sweat like never before with the sun beating on their bare backs. Some other guys joined them throughout the day.

Alia watched Jordan and James; a pair of twins from HGS, as they lifted a body, to move it into its resting abode. She caught site of strands of distinctively red hair that she knew belonged to Emily. Although she wasn’t close friends with her, she remembered Emily from class, she was really tomboyish and obsessed with football, she would always be talking about some match that was on last night. She was always laughing and messing around. Recollecting such a memory felt strange to Alia, it was as though it was a different time or another life... a dream, compared with where she was right now. She looked over the bodies and hoped Samar’s was in a better state… no she couldn’t think like that, Samar could still be alive, but where was she?

Miles, a built boy, with black hair that was oiled and parted perfectly, each strand of hair in place was busy cleaning his shoes and ordering Sebastian- a shorter spotty boy, to go fetch his belongings from around the beach, whilst some other HGS boys busied themselves by playing football with a bunch of crumpled paper; which turned out to be very difficult with all the sand everywhere.

It was a little past midday when the group of boys finally took a break, Annabelle and the others shared today’s meal; uncooked pasta, among the rest of their group. Matt and George were not with them they had gone into the forest to search for some clean water, the need for which was growing as they became dehydrated and weaker by the second.

A few miles away from them sat Lilly’s group which had now reduced to just Gemma, Amy, Josh, Nina and Adam. Nina was fiddling with her guitar which she had found earlier that morning. Alia was bemused by the fact that Nina's guitar was undamaged by the plane crash which killed so many people. How had something so worthless and easily damageable survived when so many lives were lost? She realised she was cooking a unhealthy hate towards the object and decided to turn her thoughts elsewhere.

After the boys returned to filling graves, they only finished when the sky was full with stars and they could barely make anything out. They had counted 23 bodies. 23 souls that left the world, why were they alive? How did they deserve to live anymore than the bodies they had lay in the ground? Who decided who lived and died? Why weren’t they dead? After all they were on the same plane…

During the day many reassuring smiles were exhibited by everyone, they were all in the same boat and going through the same thing, whilst being sympathetic everyone showed as much kindness as they could, to help each other, the little that they could. Because deep down they knew that they needed every little bit of good they could cling on tot to make this unbearable situation a little more beearable.

Matt, a wide-hiped, ginger haired boy went around to the groups around the four fires that were lit, and offered them chocolate. He finally arrived at the group of HGS boys, who farther out than the rest.

‘Hey, do you guys want some chocolate’ he offered, interrupting the boys’ conversation, they stared at him blankly awaiting some sort of explanation.

He looked around to the unfamiliar (and rather intimidating) faces, assuming they hadn’t heard him Matt said ‘Chocolate….do you want some?’

Miles looked Matt up and down, then snickered, ‘Nah.. your alright mate.’ He said with a nod and an amused look in his eyes.

Matt embarrassed as blood rushedd to his cheeks, walked away back to where he had earlier been sat. He shook it off, and talked with George about which area of the forest they would explore tomorrow in their search for water; they had been unuccessful today. Alia had seen the scene which occurred between Matt and the boys but decided not to ask Matt about it as she noticed he was behaving a little oddly.

Everyone was chattering away, when Nina began strumming her guitar. She tuned the strings and began playing whilst singing;

I got troubles oh, but not today
'Cause they're gonna wash away
They're gonna wash away

And I got sins Lord, but not today
'Cause they're gonna wash away
They're gonna wash away

And I had friends oh, but not today
'Cause they done washed away
They done washed away

Lord, I've been cryin' alone
I've been cryin' alone
No more cryin' alone
No more cryin' here

We get lonely Lord, but not today
'Cause we're gonna wash away
We're gonna wash away

And I got troubles oh, but not today
'Cause they're gonna wash away
This old heart gonna take them away

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* Have a listen to the song attached to the chapter try imaging a girl singing it - lost fans will get why I had to include this ;)