Man In The Island

Stranded

The night sky stretched wide above the luxurious cruise ship, adorned with twinkling stars. The ocean waves rolled gently, rocking the vessel with a soothing rhythm. Passengers dressed in elegant attire mingled in the ballroom, enjoying the smooth tunes of jazz music and indulging in exquisite dishes paired with the finest wine.

But that serenity turned into a nightmare in mere seconds.

Boom!

A deafening explosion echoed from the ship’s hull, followed by a violent jolt that made the floor shake as if the ground beneath them had collapsed. The crystal chandeliers swayed wildly, some detaching from their fixtures and crashing onto the tables below. Screams instantly filled the air.

“Oh my God! What was that?!?” A woman in a red gown shrieked hysterically, her eyes widening in terror.

“The ship is shaking! Something’s wrong!” A man struggled to get up from his chair, but a second tremor sent him stumbling, crashing into a table.

Panic spread like wildfire as emergency sirens blared throughout the ship. Red lights flashed along the corridors, transforming the glamorous party into utter chaos. The waiters who had been pouring wine just moments ago were now helping passengers who had fallen to the floor.

On the bridge, the ship’s captain fought to take control of the situation.

“Status! What’s happening?” he barked at his crew.

A young officer with a pale face ran toward him. “Sir! There was an explosion in the engine room! Water is flooding in!”

“Damn it!” the captain cursed before grabbing the radio. “All crew, prepare the lifeboats! We may need to evacuate the passengers immediately!”

Meanwhile, on the main deck, Eric and his colleagues from a tech company were still trying to grasp what was happening.

“This isn’t just a normal shake!” Brian, Eric’s best friend, gasped.

“We need to get out of here!” Eric shouted, eyes scanning the crowded hallway where people were running in every direction.

A blonde woman clung to a pole, sobbing uncontrollably. “I don’t want to die here!” she whimpered.

“Stay calm! We need to get to the upper deck!” an older man in a suit urged, trying to steady his wife, who was on the verge of fainting.

But before they could move any further, another violent jolt rocked the ship. This time, even harder. Several people lost their balance and fell. Water began seeping into the corridors, signaling that the ship was truly sinking.

“Move! Get to the lifeboats!” a crew member shouted, waving his arms toward the exit.

Eric and Brian sprinted with all their might, dodging shards of glass and collapsing furniture.

“Put on a life jacket first!” Brian yelled.

Eric grabbed the nearest life jacket and hurriedly put it on.

Outside, the waves had grown stronger, and the wind howled fiercely. The lifeboats were being lowered one by one, but the line of panicked passengers grew more chaotic by the second.

“Hey! Stop pushing!” a man shouted as several people tried to force their way forward.

A young mother clutched her child tightly, tears streaming down her face. “Please! Save my baby first!”

Meanwhile, a model who had also been on the ship struggled against the frantic crowd heading for the lifeboats. Her dress was soaked with seawater, and sheer terror covered her face. “I can’t … I can’t swim!” she whispered in panic, her eyes welling with tears.

Suddenly, the eerie sound of metal creaking echoed from a distance, followed by desperate screams.

“THE SHIP IS TILTING!” someone shouted.

Panic turned into hysteria. Some passengers slipped and fell into the ocean, adding to the horror of that fateful night.

Eric finally reached the last available lifeboat. But just as he was about to climb in, another explosion rocked the ship. A monstrous wave slammed into the hull, knocking them off balance.

“Ahhh!” Eric screamed as he was thrown into the sea.

He had no time to react as the currents pulled him further away from the sinking vessel. Gasping for air, he reached out for anything that could help him stay afloat, even though he was already wearing a life jacket.

But there was nothing. He had only his own strength to keep swimming, to keep going. Until, eventually, exhaustion took over, and he surrendered to the sea. He drifted in the endless darkness, his only lifeline being the life jacket strapped to his body.

The magnificent cruise ship was now nothing more than a memory. All that remained was the dark night, the cold ocean, and the uncertainty of whether they would survive.

A gentle sea breeze carried the sharp scent of salt. The sky was painted in shades of orange as the sun began to set on the horizon. Waves rolled peacefully, occasionally lapping against the pristine white shore, leaving trails of foam before retreating back into the vast ocean.

Eric lay sprawled on the sand, gasping for breath. The salty taste of seawater lingered in his throat, making him cough repeatedly. Every inch of his body ached, drained after hours of battling the sea. His life jacket had partially deflated, and his clothes were soaked and covered in sand.

Half-conscious, his mind drifted to the things he craved most at that moment, a warm bed and a hot meal. In his haze, he imagined a massive cheeseburger with melted cheese oozing over a freshly grilled patty. He could almost smell the toasted bun. Driven by hunger, he reached out eagerly, ready to take a bite.

But his dream shattered with a piercing scream.

“Ahhh!”

Eric jolted awake, his eyes snapping open. In front of him, a woman with long, flowing hair stared at him in horror. Her breathing was ragged, and she trembled slightly. Still dazed, Eric blinked a few times before realizing something unusual, his hand had landed somewhere it shouldn’t have.

“You pervert!” the woman shrieked, stumbling back while clutching her arms around herself.

Eric immediately pulled his hand away, both shocked and confused.

“What?” Eric tried to piece together what had happened, shaking his head vigorously. “No, no! It was an accident! I was unconscious just now!”

The woman still eyed him warily. Eric raised both hands in surrender, showing he meant no harm. “I just washed up here, just like you!” he added quickly.

She let out a long breath, though her face remained tense. “Hmph … Fine. But don’t try anything stupid.”

Eric could only nod. He had no intention of arguing, not when they were stranded in such an uncertain situation.

Once the tension settled, they faced the grim reality, they were stranded on a remote island, with no food, no shelter, and no idea when, or if they would be rescued.

The woman quickly picked up a stick and began writing large letters in the sand: SOS. She seemed confident that a plane or a passing ship would see it and save them.

Eric watched her with a blank expression. In his mind, it was a futile effort.

“I don’t think that’s going to help much,” he muttered, sighing.

She stopped writing and glared at him. “Why not? This is the most logical way to ask for help.”

Eric shrugged. “Maybe in the movies. But we don’t know how far we are from any shipping routes. If this is a remote island, even planes might not pass over us.”

Her brows furrowed, clearly disagreeing. “So? You think we should just sit around and wait to die?”

Eric shook his head. “No. I’m just saying we should focus on surviving first before relying on hope.”

The woman sighed in frustration. “Then what do you suggest we do, Mr. Survival Expert?” she asked sarcastically.

Eric scanned their surroundings, analyzing their situation.

“First, we need water. Without it, we won’t last three days. Second, food. I’ll look for anything edible. Third, shelter. Night’s coming, and we don’t know if there are wild animals here.”

She crossed her arms. “You sound like someone who’s been through this before.”

Eric smirked. “Not really. But I’d rather do something than wait around for nothing.”

She scoffed, then continued writing SOS in the sand. “Let’s see who’s right in the end.”

“Suit yourself.” Eric turned and walked away, already planning his next move to survive.

Eric walked toward the shoreline, then began climbing a coconut tree that wasn’t too tall. He plucked a few young coconuts and let them drop to the ground. The afternoon sun scorched his skin, sweat trickling down his temple, but he didn’t care. In his mind, there was only one thing: survival.

Once he had gathered enough, he climbed down and approached the coconuts he had picked. With the pocket knife he was lucky enough to have in his pants pocket, he crouched down and began splitting one open. The cracking sound of the shell echoed through the silent air.

In the distance, at the edge of the beach where the waves lapped against the shore, the woman stood with her arms crossed. Her gaze was sharp, filled with disbelief, as if she were watching a primitive man with no sense of humanity.

Her lips moved slightly, murmuring something barely audible. “Such a weirdo.”

Eric caught a glimpse of her mocking expression from the corner of his eye but chose to ignore it. There was no point in arguing with someone still trapped in the illusion that help would arrive soon.

The woman, now dressed in a tattered gown with disheveled hair, remained standing in place. The sea breeze played with the strands of her hair, but her face remained cold, staring at Eric as if he were a foreign creature who didn’t understand the value of life.

She had spent over an hour writing large letters in the sand with her trembling hands: S O S.

Eric merely scoffed. Naive. How long did she think those letters would last before the waves washed them away?

Still, he said nothing. Only once did his eyes meet hers. In the tense silence, they spoke without words, two strangers stranded in a world that had forgotten them.

Eric chose to return to his task. He tore apart the coconut shell, letting the refreshing water trickle down his parched throat. The coolness spread through his body, giving him just enough energy to continue searching for more food.

Meanwhile, the woman still stood there, as if waiting for something. Or perhaps hoping that Eric would finally realize she was staring at him with pure disdain.

Eric smirked slightly, half in amusement, half in understanding. “Suit yourself. Starve while waiting for help.”