The Island

The sky was filled with dark angry clouds. Rain poured down over the endless sea. Loud roars filled the air, accompanied by lighting, flying through the sky like an untamed animal. The waves grew larger and larger, reaching for space and then crashing back down to Earth, taking everything, it could down with it. A barrage of water with the power to crush you on a whim, hit the shore of a nearby island.

On the shore three men wash up. Drenched, covered in sand, eyes and throat burning from the salt, they awake to nothing. The island was desolated. Not even the passing birds would stop to rest here. The rain was starting to a stop, though the storm still loomed over them, just waiting to begin again. Sometime had passed as the three men would roll around on the cold shore of the island. They were confused, dazed, almost trance like. They had no idea had much time had passed when they finally came to their senses and sprung up from there ground as if they had been shocked. The three looked at each other in silence. Their eyes said all, where are we? And how did we get here? But each of them already knew the answer; no one knew. The three men took a moment to collect themselves. No introductions were needed for them. They knew each other well already, friends. Josh, Jacob and Alex.

Each took a good look around the island. There was not much to see besides a few half dead trees, some rocks, and what maybe small animal bones.

“Look!” shouted Jacob as he pointed out to sea.

“What?” the other two asked.

“Look,” he repeated. “Out there on the horizon. It’s a ship.”

He was right. There was a ship far off. They began to feel hopeful. The ship was here to save them. But then Josh thought, “How could that ship be here to save us, we haven’t been gone that long, have we? How long have we been gone? Where are we?”

“The boat is far off. We should make a fire of some sort, so it can see us.” Suggested Alex.

“Your right. Even if it’s just smoke it’ll see it.” Replied Jacob.

They all ran in different direction, finding whatever they could to burn. There was not much, and it was still wet. Still, they pilled what they found together, some sticks and old plant life. Then they used some stones to create sparks. For hours they tried, the fire would not light, only pieces of smoke would spit out of that soggy old wood and then go back out again. It was getting darker; they were all tired and aggravated. The ship could no longer be seen on the horizon. They surmised that the ship had finally moved out of sight, continuing whatever voyage it was on. Josh, Jacob, and Alex each curled into little ball on the shore and feel asleep.

The day came quickly, or at least what seemed to be the day. The sky was still filled with intensely dark clouds, not even the sun seemed to be able to break through. When the boys awake none were too hopeful, they had missed their chance at getting the ship’s attention. Alex looked out to sea, to his astonishment the ship was still there, it had not moved. He informed the others, who too saw the boat in the same spot as before. They decided that if they were not going to get a fire stated, then they had to do something else to get the ships attention. They had nothing on them, only their clothes, and with nothing else left on this pitiful small island the only other option was clear, they must swim to the boat.

“Only one should all go while the rest wait here.” Said Josh.

“Your right,” agreed Jacob.

“I’ll go. I am the strongest swimmer out of any of you,” gloated Alex.

“Yea, but you haven’t eaten in days, right?” Josh commented confused.

“Yea, but neither have any of you. SO, that still makes me the best choice.” Alex replied.

With decision made. Josh and Jacob watched as Alex swam to the boat. It was going to take him time, as the boat appeared to be extremely far away. Despite the looming storm, the water was calm. Hardly any waves appeared for what seemed like miles. Jacob and Josh continued to watch their friend swim to the ship. Hope started to fill their hearts again as Alex made it further and further away. Alex must have been about three hundred feet or so out when he turned around to give his friends a wave, letting them know that he was doing okay. The two boys smile and waved back at their friend when suddenly a large shark jumped out of the water and ate Alex. The boys watched, horrified and speechless, as the blood of their friend filled the water. Alex was taken so quickly he did not even have time to scream.

More time passed, even days perhaps, as the Jacob and Josh just sat on the shore, still in shock from the death of their friend. They began to thin. There was no food on this island, not even bugs. There was no fish in the nearby shores, and even id there was the two were too scared to step foot in the water. What if the shark was still there? They were thirsty, but there was no fresh water. Their skin began to dry out and crack. The cracks were painful as they would bleed and get sand rubbed in them. Jacob began to get agitated as he watched the ship. Jacob began to speak,

“Have you noticed that nothing has changed since we got here. The weather, the sea, even that boat is still out there. WHY!?” he cried throwing sand and rocks at the water. “That ship. What is it doing out there? It does not come closer, but it does not leave.”

“Jacob calm down, please. Getting yourself worked up isn’t going to do anything.” Josh pleaded.

Josh began to chase after Jacob as he ran to another part of the island. Jacob pushed him off him. He wanted to be left alone. Josh, not knowing what else to do let him be. As nigh came around again Jacob found himself alone, curled up behind a rock. He was filled with dread. He did not want to die, but he knew it was going to happen. No food, no water, no one to rescue them. Death was all but assured, but he did not want to die so young, let alone a painful death. Surely, he would die a painful death, starvation, or dehydration. Though not the most painful ways to die, it surely would not be painless or quick. As Jacob cried to himself, he heard a voice.

“Over here….” The voice whispered.

“Who is there?” asked Jacob.

“Over here Jacob.” The voice said again. I t was more manly this time.

“Josh is that you?”

“Of course, it me. Come on, I found a way home.”

“You have?” rejoiced Jacob.

Jacob ran to Josh’s voice. Jacob was so happy, that he forgotten how tired, and hungry, and thirsty he was. He almost did not know how he was running the way he was. None of it matter, they were going home. Jacob could see Josh far ahead of him waving him over. Jacob kept running and running, but still Josh was so far away. How is it I cannot catch up to him? Jacob thought to himself. Still, he kept running until suddenly Josh disappeared.

“Where are you, Josh!?” he shouted.

Jacob noticed his legs were wet. He looked down to re4alize he had run out into the ocean. He was confused and scared. What hap just happened. He knew he heard and saw Josh. None of these thoughts mattered, as the shark that had eaten Alex, now had come to collect Jacob.

It was the next day as Josh decided to go and find Jacob. He figured he had enough time to cool off. Looking behind every rock and behind the few trees, Josh could not find Jacob. There is no place to hid. Where is he? Josh asked himself. There was no place to go. Jacob had just vanished, leaving Josh now all by himself. More days passed as Josh found he did not even have the energy to keep his eyes open. He began to have hallucination of food, just to come to his senses after he had chomped down on a rock, breaking some of his teeth. He even began to hear voices. He knew they couldn’t be real since there was no one here. But still the voices began to become louder and louder as each hour passed. They were beginning to drive him crazy. He looked out to the see, that ship still there. Josh became angry.

“Why are you there!” he screamed at the4 ship.

Knowing he was going to die anyway; he threw himself into the ocean. What did it matter if he starved of if the shark ate him? He swam frantically towards the ship. He swam and swam, yet still the ship got no closer, the weather grew angry once again. The storm finally back. The thunder roared loudly, and the lighting danced through the clouds. The waves reached again for the sky taking Josh up with them. They crashed back down, throwing Josh under the water. He burst back up to the top for air, just for the cycle to repeat itself. Everything turned black as Josh could no longer keep conscious. He could feel the air in his lungs be replaced with salt water that burned his throat. The ship still sat on the horizon of the water.

The rain was starting to a stop, though the storm still loomed over them, just waiting to begin again. Sometime had passed. On the shore of the small island three men wash up. Drenched, covered in sand, eyes and throat burning from the salt, they awake to nothing. No introductions were needed for them. They knew each other well already, friends. Josh, Jacob and Alex.