Strange Woman
1233 Words
“It seems that out of all the passengers on that ship, only that woman and I survived.” Eric took a deep breath.
The setting sun bathed the beach in golden light as Eric noticed something unusual at the shore. At first, he thought it was just a pile of driftwood carried by the waves, but as he approached, his heart pounded. A man lay motionless, face down in the sand, with a horrifying gaping wound on his back.
“Oh, God.” Eric knelt beside the body.
Carefully, he turned the lifeless man over. His face was pale, lips tinged blue, and his vacant eyes stared blankly at the sky. A deep, jagged tear in his abdomen left no doubt in Eric’s mind, it had to be a shark attack.
Eric let out a long sigh, scanning the empty beach. He wiped the sweat from his forehead before he began searching through the man’s clothing.
“Sorry, buddy,” he muttered. “But you won’t be needing this anymore.”
From the dead man’s pocket, Eric retrieved a stainless steel watch that was still working, an expensive-looking Parker pen, and a sealed pack of chocolate biscuits. As he rummaged through the man’s belongings, a voice startled him.
“What are you doing?”
Eric spun around quickly. A woman stood several feet away, her face frozen in horror. Her long, black hair fluttered in the sea breeze.
“Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be waiting for help back there?” Eric asked sarcastically.
“You … you’re robbing a dead man?” Her voice trembled, a mix of fear and anger. She covered her mouth with both hands, staring at Eric in disbelief.
Eric stood up and brushed the sand off his knees. “I’m not robbing. I’m surviving.”
“By stealing from a corpse?” She stepped closer, her sharp eyes locking onto his.
Eric raised his hands. “Listen, this guy is dead. A shark attack, I think. He doesn’t need a watch or a pen anymore. But us? We need anything we can get to survive.”
The woman shook her head in disgust. “You don’t even know him. What if he were your father? Your brother? Your friend? Would you want someone else to treat their body like this?”
“If I died from a shark attack, feel free to take whatever you need from me,” Eric replied flatly. “Dead people don’t need possessions. It’s simple logic.”
“Logic?” The woman let out a bitter laugh. “This is about respect! About humanity! You can’t just throw away morals because we’re stranded!”
Eric slipped the pack of biscuits into his pocket, ignoring her judgmental gaze.
“I’ll bury him,” Eric finally said. “That’s respectful enough, isn’t it?”
“After you looted him?”
“After I took what could help me stay alive,” Eric corrected her.
“Alright, Miss No-Name,” Eric rolled his eyes. “You can help me dig a grave, or you can stand there and preach about morality while I do it alone.”
She bit her lip. “You really have no respect.”
Eric began digging with a piece of driftwood he found nearby. “How long do you think we’ll be stuck here? A week? A month? A year? We don’t know. But what we do know is that we have to survive. And that means using every resource we have.”
“There still have to be limits,” she argued, though after a brief hesitation, she knelt down and started helping him dig. “We’re still human. We still have to respect each other’s privacy, uphold the law…”
“The law?” Eric chuckled. “Look around. Do you see a courtroom? A police officer? A judge? There are no laws here except the law of survival.”
“But still, you should have some compassion. At least a little,” she said.
“I am showing compassion by giving him a proper burial. What more do you want?”
“But you robbed him. You took everything he had.”
“And if I didn’t, would his belongings be buried with him? Would that be useful? He’s dead, and we’re alive. These things will do more good with us than six feet underground.”
The woman fell silent, unable to argue anymore.
They dug in silence for several minutes. Eric occasionally stole glances at her. Despite the dirt and disheveled appearance, he couldn’t deny how beautiful she was. Her long black hair, sun-kissed tan skin, and strong posture all intrigued him.
After they finished burying the body, the woman stood with her arms crossed. “I can’t stay near someone who doesn’t respect basic values.”
“Who asked you to stay with me?” Eric raised an eyebrow.
“This island isn’t that big. I don’t want to keep running into a person with no morals like you.”
Eric considered her words, then pointed toward the beach. “Fine. Let’s divide the shoreline. That line, from the big coconut tree to that rock over there, is the boundary. You stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine. Deal?”
The woman seemed surprised by the suggestion, but after a moment, she nodded. “Fine. But don’t ever cross into my side without my permission.”
“Same goes for you,” Eric replied.
As night fell, Eric returned to his temporary shelter, a small cave near the beach cliffs. His stomach growled. He decided to go diving, searching for food among the nearby coral reefs.
The seawater felt cold against his skin. Carefully, Eric swam between the corals, gathering clams and sea urchins wherever he could find them. Once he had enough, he made his way back to shore.
Eric started a small fire with the dry branches he had collected and began preparing his food. The scent of roasted seafood filled the air, and soon enough, he saw the woman standing near the boundary they had agreed upon.
“Excuse me,” she called out, her voice much softer than before.
Eric looked up. “Yes, Miss No-Name?”
She winced at the nickname but continued. “I … I haven’t eaten,” she admitted, clearly uncomfortable about having to ask for help. “And I’m really thirsty.”
Eric studied her face, pale, lips dry. He felt a little guilty for being so harsh earlier.
“I have coconuts,” Eric said, pointing to the ones he had collected earlier. “You can buy one from me.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Buy? With what? Do you think I brought my wallet when the ship sank?” She glared at him.
Eric smirked. “There are other ways to trade besides money.”
“Don’t joke.” She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
Eric looked her up and down with an expression that made her shift uncomfortably.
“Well, everything has a price.” Eric chewed his food. “I worked hard to get this, so I’m not giving it away for free.”
“But, I don’t have any money.”
Eric’s gaze lingered on her, filled with intrigue. “You can trade it for something else. For example-”
- Writer
