Island Rush (7 page)

I watched him unzip it. At the top laid a pale and blue strapless dress.  Under it, more clothes.  The same type of clothes that I packed for the trip.  The clothes were just a size larger than me I noticed.  It was safe to say this was the luggage of one of my now dead female classmates. 

I moved the blue fabric aside and sifted through some of the other clothes.  I dug out one of the first light shirts that I could find: a nice navy blue, cotton, and plain tee-shirt.  It would be nice knowing I could still have something to cover me up and not just my bra.

After Mr. Rush assisted me in slipping the shirt on since I was still filled with pain, a silence slipped over us.  A hard silence as we stared down at the open suitcase I briefly riffled through.

We sat there for a long moment, staring at each other and the open bag.  It was the first time that we just took it in.  Like really paused and handled accepting the fact that we were here.  On an island, stranded.  With no way out and no way back to the people we knew.  No way for Mr. Rush to go home to his loved ones. 

What hit us harder, and brought a very thick and terrible feeling, was knowing the majority of the junior class was gone. The fucking majority. It made my head hurt, my stomach twist, and my chest tightened in pain.  These were people I knew, people with families who probably received the news by now that their kids were not safe.  I knew I was the luckiest person on that plane along with Mr. Rush.  I just didn’t feel lucky with how much I saw was lost today.

We sat there for a bit longer.  Staring at nothing, saying nothing, but thinking everything.  Until we knew, for our sakes, we needed to move.  We needed to block the pain – mentally and physically – and do what we must.  It started with zipping the suitcase back up.

Mr. Rush knelt up and picked it up with him.  And of course, I wanted to argue that I could carry it if he didn’t want to; we were both hurting after all.  I mean, his bare back was tense as he carried the bag with stressed muscles. But I didn’t have the strength to fight him on it at the moment. I didn’t want to say or do anything.  I just followed behind him as he walked towards the grass and trees. 

We headed back into the forest, searching for what could take days to find.  At least we were alive.  That’s what I needed to be grateful for.

Chapter 5

The sun was dimming in the sky.  The day was turning colder with every step we were taking. It didn’t help when the breeze it brought pushed against my back.  It was still aching from that stupid cut.

Mr. Rush stayed ahead of me and walked sluggishly, even if he tried doing so with determination.  We both were still in a great deal of pain. Then add him carrying a suitcase and me dealing with a deep cut.  What made it worse?  We have been walking for maybe three or four hours already.

“Do you think we should stop for the night?” I asked, my back screaming to stop as well as my whole body. 

“We can stop soon. Just a little further. It would be best to find water tonight.”

“You really think we can find it tonight? This place is huge.”

“Yeah, it’s huge. But there must be a water source close. We have been walking straight the whole time.”

I had no idea what he was talking about, but I stayed with him, dragging behind. “What if we don’t find it at all? We will have to drink our own piss,” I said, anything so he will stop.

Turning around and stopping, he looked at me like I was crazy. “Um, excuse me?”

He wasn’t walking so I instantly sat on the ground.  My abrupt change in movement made me groan loudly. I continued speaking though after a moment.  “Yeah, if it gets bad enough, we are going to have to drink our own urine.”

He looked amused, which was fairly weird to see. “Yeah, you think so?”

“I do,” I said, still stalling to stay on the ground. I wouldn’t admit it to him, but the cut on my back was starting to hurt more and more.  I wasn’t lying before either. Drinking your own urine could work, but it had clear drawbacks.

“Maybe, but let’s just hope it doesn’t get that bad. Now, stop stalling and get up. We need to keep moving.”

“Fine,” I sighed as I got to my feet.  However, it was only to fall back again, dizziness taking over.  My ass hitting the ground again, I clenched my teeth violently to stop a shriek.  The pain would not stop shooting in every direction from that cut.  I was relieved when I saw him drop the suitcase.  He helped me to my feet by grabbing both my hands. He held me firmly there and glanced behind me at my back. 

“Oh shit,” he whispered, his eyes wandering over my lower back when he lifted the shirt slightly. 

“Language, Mr. Rush,” I snorted, keeping my mind off the pain as much as I could. He didn’t reply but just stood there, frozen as he took in my back. His lack of a response made me apprehensive.

He quickly went behind me, letting my arms go. “Sit back down.”  I didn’t fight him as he slowly had me sit.  Sitting behind me, he then added, “Take your shirt off.”

I didn’t have the strength to tease him or even question him on it.  I held in my scream as I slid my arms out, making my back tense.  I was relieved that he helped me with the rest, pulling it off me.  My vision was starting to spin and make my mind ache. 

Next thing I knew, from my blurred side vision, he moved from where he was behind me.  Mr. Rush came back into my view, sitting in front of me as he dragged the suitcase closer.  I was confused as to what he was doing, but he had an expression of purpose.  Then I watched as he unzipped the bag.  He pulled out a white shirt with a colorful design along the sides. 

Despite the dizziness, I could still see – and see his concerned face.  “What is happening?”

“It’s turning a little white and puffy.  We cleaned it out, but with walking, more dirt got in it.  Even with cleaning it, there was still a chance of infection from the water too.” He scooted closer towards me as he tore at the fabric of the shirt he grabbed. Making it longer by tearing it, he then slipped his hand under my arm with one end of the ripped shirt.  He wrapped it around my back.

He took the two ends in front of us and spoke softly.  “Hold this.”  I listened and grabbed both ends so it stayed wrapped around me. He grabbed the shirt I was wearing before, and he tucked it into the makeshift belt. It pressed against my cut. 

When he came back around in front of me, he took the two ends from me. “Be strong. I’m going to have to tie this tightly. It will hold your shirt on your cut. It will help until we can clean it again.”

I nodded and took a deep and shaky breath. I didn’t like the sounds of that at all.  I was already going through so much pain.  From the crash and from this cut… Now, that pain would intensify big time.  All I could do though was let it happen and get it over with. 

He gripped the material harder and pulled the two ends, pulling the shirt into my cut more. I forced my cry to stay in when I jerked forward as he pulled.  So, after seeing that, he knelt up very close before me and shifted his leg so it draped over my lap.  It would keep me still at least.

He pulled again until he decided it was tight enough and tied a knot that was against my stomach. I shivered at the feeling of his fingers making contact. It was the only thing I could focus on that didn’t cause me overwhelming pain.

He let go and now, my shirt was tied tightly to my cut. I felt awful. “I’m going to be sick,” I groaned, my eyes falling to the ground.  I felt like my body was going to explode.

“No, you won’t.”

He let me rest on my stomach.  My face against the cool ground wasn’t really helping, though.  I was already freezing with night coming in and now being without a shirt. “If we are going for water, we better go now.  Otherwise, I won’t be willing to get back up.”  It was a very hard thing for me to say.  It made me somewhat happy when I got this response.

“No, it’s pointless now that it’s dark. And your back will slow us down.”

“I’m slowing you down,” I mumbled in a numb voice, one he couldn’t hear. It was true, and I hated when that thought hit me.  I was slowing him down.  I hated feeling weak like that.  I sighed and tried to brush it off.

“We can stay here for the night,” he said, mainly to himself.

I felt him lift me off the ground to my feet.  He helped me walk in what little light we had left to a big tree, where he guided me down to lean against it. He dragged the suitcase over too and snatched a shirt out, handing it to me to put on over my now patched cut. I can say it helped a little bit in keeping me not nearly as cold.

He took out a couple other outfits and piled them on the ground against the tree next to me. “When you’re ready, that’s your pillow. It would be best to go to sleep now. We should get up early.”

I stared at him as he took a few more outfits out of the bag, making himself a pillow. He looked up at me and saw my gaze set on him and paused in what he was doing.

“What?” he asked.

“I never understood how you were always so calm. Organized and collected. Even now – though I admit, you have changed.  It’s extremely annoying, how neutral you are sometimes.” I shut my mouth and looked away. I knew I wouldn’t be able to control my mouth around him but I had to try.

“Changed?”

I internally groaned.  Of course, that’s all he got out of what I said.  “You are this… robot. Always going through the day with what you’re supposed to do with no feeling.  You are never excited or happy about much. And your hair and face, I mean, why—” I cut myself off in a sigh.

Luckily, what I told him was plenty. “I can give you a detention for that.”  Did he even hear what I was talking about? 

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. You’re no longer my teacher,” I rolled my eyes.

“Yes I am. When we get out of this place, I’m moving into teaching the seniors. So there is a good chance you would still have me as a teacher.”

“There is barely any chance. First, there may not be any ‘out of this place’ to speak of.  If we did make it back though, I still could receive a different teacher.  I’ll have to survive home too,” I mumbled to myself.

I noted right then… that he never really responded to what I said about his behavior. We only switched the subject.  It was clear he knew where I was coming from and was just avoiding it.

I started shivering and took two shirts from my pillow pile and draped them around me. “It’s too late for a fire isn’t it?”

“Yes.”  I could hear the chill in his voice.  “As time goes on, it will get colder so we should get used to this. I’ll make a fire tomorrow night.”

Tomorrow night. How many nights would we be here? How many will we last?  I slid as carefully as I could over to my pillow and laid my head against it.  The rest of my body hugged the cold Earth since I had to be on my stomach. I shifted the shirts on top of me, getting as comfortable as I could.

I was already cold, hurting, hungry, and thirsty. All left was to get scared, and I knew if I laid awake much longer, I would be petrified. The forest was pitch black now.  There seemed to be noises everywhere. I needed to keep in mind that Mr. Rush was here.  It felt better when I heard him lay down too.

Silence fell between us, and I was surprised to feel myself already drifting off. I guess I had nothing to worry about that would keep me up. This was better than being home, and I would take the physical pain over my dad any day.

We lasted our first day here so far, and a lot happened. A lot. I played it all out in my head.  From waking up this morning in my bed to falling asleep on the cold ground in pain.  I couldn’t imagine what else would come. 

I woke with sweat clinging to my skin and the smell of nature around me.  I could see that the sun was just starting to rise.  The shirt I used as a cover last night, it was discarded beside me.  I also saw Mr. Rush wrapped around a few articles of clothing.

I cautiously started to move and sit up.  But I wouldn’t test how I felt yet.  I just moved up and leaned my back against the tree.  My eyes looked down to my side towards him.  It was a very captivating sight.  

The man’s soft snores reached me as I took in his messy features. His hair was sticking with the sweat running down him.  I could see some bruises on his body.  There was also dirt under his chipped nails.  He looked more human. 

I saw him stir and flash his eyes open, looking confused.  As if he forgot why he was waking in the woods.  When his face caught mine, he sighed.  “So it wasn’t a dream,” he whispered sadly.

I pursed my lips before shoving aside my sympathy for him.  “First the staring, then ripping my clothes off, now you’re dreaming about me?” I asked, teasing.

He didn’t respond to that, knowing I knew exactly what he meant.  Instead, he asked, “How is your back?”

“Better so far but I haven’t really tested it.”

He looked down at himself, noticing the clothes wrapped around him. He flung it all to the side and stood up, pulling me to my feet with him. “I should check it before we move.”

He did just that.  He untied the belt around me and checked it, only to find that it didn’t look any better or worse.  After helping me put my shirt back on, he said, “Okay, today we will find a water source. You can walk better at least, right?”

I walked around the little area and winced.  I nodded nonetheless.  Even though I had the cut, I wasn’t in as much pain.  If you ask me, I figured I would be in even more.  I won’t question it, though.

We picked up all the clothes and shoved them back into the suitcase before zipping it shut.  “Are you ready? It will probably be a long day of walking.”

“Yeah. We need water so I can handle this cut.” I nodded.

We started going the same way we did before.  And I swear, not ten minutes later, Mr. Rush suddenly stopped and turned his head to his left. I stopped and looked at him. “Why’d you stop?” I asked.

He only squinted, straining forward and walking to the left now. That’s when I noticed it.  Red and black dots wrapped around a few bushes in front of us. Berries. Red and black berries.

We were both hesitant to feed our hungry selves. He stepped closer, examining them and whether they were safe or not.  Then, he looked down at me and shrugged. It actually made me snort and chuckle.  “You don’t know? You’re the teacher,” I teased.

“English. You wouldn’t know, though, considering your grades and how much attention you dedicated in that class. Or any other class for that matter.”

I stared at him, raising my eyebrow. “You checked my file? From all my other classes?”