Chapter 12: Emily

As we make our way back to the beach, the other groups are converging, too. Jason is waiting for all of us, the injured survivors sitting around him like he’s their one-way ticket to meeting God. People approach him and hand over the items they found, including Tom.

After a moment of studying the items, Jason looks up, the smile gone from his face. “Okay, so, we have a shoe, a bucket, a small length of rope, and seeds. That can only mean one thing: there are people living here. Or, there used to be. The only question now is, where are they?”

For once, I totally agree with Jason. The only way those items got here is because there are other people here. And if there are other people here then there must be houses. Food. Water. Cars. Phones. All we have to do now is find these mystery people and get them to help us.

“So now what? Do we send out a search party?” Larry asks.

“We could, yes.” Jason nods. “Or we could stay put.”

“You can’t be serious.” Tom raises his voice, startling me. “What good will it do to stay here and do nothing?” He makes his way to the front of the group and stands beside Jason. “Obviously there are people on this island. We need to find them.”

A majority of the group nods in agreement, me included.

“Yeah, we’ve got to do something. For all we know, everyone back home thinks we’re dead. What if no one is looking for us?” Larry asks.

My eyes widen, and a pang of fear stabs my gut. I clutch my stomach and double over. I don’t know why that thought hasn’t crossed my mind before, but Larry could be right. How often do people survive a plane crash? Sweat drips down my back, and I swallow against the dryness in my throat. If the world thinks we’re dead, we’re on our own.

“You okay?” Aiden gently places his hand on my back.

I nod and straighten. The group is speaking in harsh whispers and accusatory tones. The full reality of our situation is sinking in, and if a decision isn’t made soon, things are going to degrade into anarchy. I’m tempted to suggest to Aiden that we break away from the group and fend for ourselves. I don’t want to be here when things get out of control. When it becomes life or death, even Jason won’t be able to keep everyone in line.

“It’s been over seven hours since sunrise,” Marjorie says.

I glance at her, surprised to find her standing so close. She’d been nice to me last night when we searched the plane. I’m glad she’s okay.

“Nobody has heard or seen a plane flying around. There are no boats on the horizon.” Marjorie points toward the ocean. “I hate to be the one to state the obvious, but the longer we’re stuck here, the lower the odds become of us being found.”

Jason gives a sympathetic smile, and a ball of dread lands in my gut. Tom remains silent. I rub my hands up and down my arms but that does nothing to rid my bones of the chill settling deep within.

“I know you’re all scared. So am I. But on the bright side, we’ve managed to gather enough supplies to last us a couple of days. I suggest we keep the fire burning hot so any planes flying overhead will see it, and we can build an SOS in the sand,” Jason says.

“You’re right,” Tom says.

My jaw drops. Tom—the man who, so far, has been honest and direct and in-charge—now wants to just sit around and wait for help? I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

“We should do that, but we also need to be doing more.” Tom’s voice is firm. “I suggest a small group pack some supplies and hike across the island. I’ll lead them.”

My breath catches. During our hike, Tom told Aiden he’d found something. What does he know, and why isn’t he telling the whole group? I don’t know what he’s hiding, but I’m going to find out. And if Tom still does need Aiden’s help, I’m hopeful I’ll be included, too.

“And what if you get lost?” Jason crosses his arms over his chest. “What if rescue arrives while you’re gone and we can’t find you? What about wild animals?”

I narrow my eyes and tilt my head. Why does it seem like he’s trying to stop us from exploring the island? We might find food or shelter or help. Isn’t that what we all want?

“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m willing to take my chances if it means we can find help.” Tom mimic’s Jason’s stance, and the two of them have a silent stare-off that quickly becomes uncomfortable.

Unease spreads through my body, and my skin feels like it’s on fire. Nothing about this is right. I shift on my feet, and Aiden moves closer. His hand finds mine, and our fingers lock. His hand is warm and comforting in mine, and the tension in my shoulders eases a bit.

“I’m with Tom on this one.” Larry gives Jason an apologetic shrug. “I think a group of people should hike the island while the rest of us stay here and keep searching for supplies from the plane. We should be able to find enough stuff to build a raft or…” Larry pauses then smiles brightly. “The life vests under the seats. We can use those with some other things to build a raft sturdy enough to send out a group to look for boats or land.” He’s way too excited about this idea, and I shift my weight uncomfortably.

“By my calculations, we’re somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Or possibly the Bearing Sea depending on which side of the Aleutian Islands we’re on. If we manage to build a raft, how will we guarantee it will hold up? It could get popped and sink, or you could be attacked by a shark. And then what? You’re stranded in the ocean.” Jason shakes his head, defeated. “I’m sorry, but I think it’s too risky.”

As much as I want to rally behind Larry’s idea, I can’t. I wouldn’t want to be on a homemade raft. Getting eaten by a shark is a real fear. So is drowning.

“It was just an idea.” Larry sighs. “Then I volunteer to join Tom and hike across the island.”

Jason hangs his head momentarily, as if he were hoping the plan would change, then looks out at the group. “Does anyone else volunteer to go with them?”

Without hesitation, I raise the hand Aiden is holding, bringing his into the air with mine. He gives me a sideways glance and a curt nod. Marjorie raises her hand, too, and so do two other men whose names I don’t know. Aiden and I join them off to the side, away from the main group.

“Anyone else?” Jason asks.

I look around the group, waiting for a few more hands to go in the air, but none do. That’s fine with me. Although, the more people who volunteer, the safer it might be. There’s always strength in numbers. But knowing Aiden will be with me eases some of my fears.

“Are you absolutely sure about this, Tom?” Jason’s tone is pleading. “You have no idea what you’ll encounter out there.”

“I know.” Tom nods. “But we have to do something. These supplies won’t last more than a couple days…” He glances at the mass of hungry, scared faces, his gaze landing squarely on me for a long moment. I want to look away, but I can’t. He gives me a faint smile, then returns his attention to Jason. “We’re going to be fine.”

“Okay.” Jason pats Tom on the shoulder in what I guess is meant to be a comforting show of camaraderie. “The rest of us will stay here and wait for rescue. In the meantime, we’re going to ration what food and water we have so that we can—”

“Rations? I have a two-year-old boy. How will I feed him?” another woman asks as a frightened toddler clings to her leg.

“I’m diabetic. I need to eat to keep my blood sugar up.” A frail, older gentleman takes a step forward and stumbles. Larry steadies the man.

Jason sticks his hand in the air, demanding silence. “You all have valid concerns, which is why I’d like to make another suggestion.” He directs his attention to the those of us who volunteered to explore the island. “Stay here with us tonight and help us gather more supplies and food. Then, first thing tomorrow, you can head out. This way, if help arrives tonight, you’ll all be here, and if it doesn’t, then we can rest knowing we have a plan in place.”

Tom looks to us for an answer. I really don’t want to sit on the beach for another night, but Jason makes some valid points.

“Yes,” I say, and eventually, the rest of the group agrees, too.

“All right, we’ll stay for the night, but we’re leaving as soon as the sun’s up tomorrow,” Tom says.

Where have I heard that before? A knot forms in my stomach. What if he takes off and leaves without us like he did last night? My heart races, and I shift nervously on my feet. I don’t want to be left behind again.

“Fantastic.” Jason claps his hands and beams a vibrant smile. “We managed to collect a lot of stuff last night, but it was dark, and I know we didn’t get everything. A lot of seats and blankets were thrown out of the plane when it crashed. We can start by gathering those and building a sleeping area over by the fire.” He points to the massive pile of wood burning several yards away from the wreckage. “I assume I don’t need to say that the elderly, women, and children all get the seats first?”

No one objects, and a strange sense of pride washes through me at the realization this group of strangers is working together so well, that despite not knowing each other and being scared, everyone is willing to help one another.

“Does anyone here have any survival training or know anything about edible plants? There has to be some berries or fruit or something we can eat,” Jason says.

No one speaks up, and a little bit of the hope I have slips away. Things are so much worse than I thought. I’m eager to get away from everyone. It’s becoming harder and harder to breathe. I pull my hand from Aiden’s and flex my fingers. He tries to catch my gaze, but I refuse to meet his eyes.

“Okay, keep a look out as you’re searching for stuff. Hopefully, we can find some sort of fruit tree. While the groups were out searching this morning, we did find several large pots that we can use to boil water from the ocean. Mark is an engineer, and he’s going to build what we need to make the water drinkable.” Jason nods to a tall, lanky man in his late thirties. Mark waves to the group.

“Are there any other questions or concerns?” Jason asks and is met with silence. “All right then. Let’s get to it. May God protect you.”

The group disperses. I’ve never been the type of person who likes to be told what to do, and having a complete stranger dictate my every move isn’t settling well. My entire body itches, and I can’t get rid of the constant nausea rumbling in my stomach.

“Hey, guys,” Tom whispers and motions for his small group to gather round. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t have a good feeling about this island.”

“Neither do I,” Aiden says.

“Wait. What?” I jerk my head toward Aiden. “What do you mean?”

Tom and Aiden share a look that unsettles me. “I don’t want to make assumptions until I know more, but has anyone else noticed the severe lack of wildlife around here? Not so much as a mosquito.”

I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. I hadn’t noticed—until now. But he’s right. There haven’t been birds or bugs of any kind. Not even pesky flies. “So what does this mean?”

“I’m not sure.” Tom glances around as if, once again, he’s worried someone might be eavesdropping. “But we have to explore this island. We need to know where we are.”

Larry nods his agreement. So does Aiden.

“Okay, so what should we do now?” I ask, knowing I won’t be able to sit around and do nothing. Not now.

“I suggest we gather our supplies now, so we can easily get to them tomorrow morning.”

“That’s a good idea,” I say. “I noticed a large, hallowed log when we were out walking this morning. We could hide everything there for safekeeping.”

“Perfect.” Tom glances over his shoulder, and I follow his gaze. Mark, the engineer, is staring at us, and a shiver wiggles up my spine. “Okay, we’ll meet up later.” Tom turns on his heel and walks away.

I inhale sharply, the pain in my chest like razor blades. “Tom! Wait up!” I jog after him.

When he stops, there’s a mix of compassion and annoyance etched across his face.

I ignore it. He’s not going to get away without giving me some answers. “You’re not going to ditch us again, are you?” I cross my arms.

Shock crosses his expression, but it’s gone as quickly as it appears. “I didn’t ditch you. I was investigating a hunch.”

Clearly, he doesn’t know what it means to ditch someone. “And what did you find?”

He sighs and rubs his forehead. “I told Aiden I would talk to him later, and I will. But now’s not the time. We have an audience.” He nods over my shoulder.

I turn to find Mark staring at us. Again. What is up with that guy? Does he want to be part of our group? If so, why didn’t he volunteer? And when I turn back, Tom is gone. Frustration bubbles up inside of me, and I head toward the water, needing a moment to myself.

“Emily!” Aiden calls after me.

I ignore him. The salty, cool air and the monotonous splash of the waves calms me. My breaths come easier, and the pain in my chest eases. I tilt my head back and bask in the sun’s rays. Closing my eyes, I clear my mind.

Everything’s going to be okay. We’re going to get rescued, and then I’m going home. Everything’s going to be okay. I repeat the phrase over and over, hoping I’ll start to believe it.