Stranded

Chapter 5

It turned out David boarded the same plane as us, I was so shocked to see and I happened to have lost my balance but he caught me before I reached the ground.

His eyes piercing towards mine, "Anna"?

I guess that was when he realized that it was me. He looked so shocked like he had seen a ghost.

"Hands off me", I said in a voice that could pass for a whisper, I didn't even know how I regained my voice cause I felt so speechless.

For some seconds, we stared at each other, his eyes searching my face. He looked like he couldn't believe it was me.

I looked away.

He grabbed my waist pulling me in for a tight hug, for a moment I was lost in his embrace but when I got my sense back, I pulled away from him.

"What are you doing here? geez Anna is this you? you're alive?

The last sentence must have driven me over the edge cause I retorted harshly. I was annoyed that he thought I was dead, did he not want to have anything to do with me that badly?

I asked myself, feeling a sharp pain in my heart.

"I'm alive, very much alive I was saved, I didn't die," I said angrily to him.

"But I saw…..he was saying but I caught him off, which left him surprised as to my reaction towards him.

"Let's not go over the past, that shouldn't be the worry here, we need to figure out how to make it out of here, I can't believe I'm in the middle of nowhere", I said breaking down in a sob. He moved towards me, I drew back.

"It's a miracle that we're still alive Anna, I just can't believe that such a miracle could happen" he replied. I looked at him, his eyes moist, he still had that caring look he's always had.

"I think the best thing to do is to go search for other survivors like us, I think we should start from there", he groaned and touched his stomach, I could see the blood stains on his shirt. He must have been hurt from the crash, I too was hurt.

"Are you okay"?, I said staring at his blood-stained shirt

He nodded. "It's just a little scratch, I'll be okay. Let's go".

He led the way and we walked, I was so famished but I kept on trudging ahead. I had only eaten a little in the morning.

He must have noticed cause he asked me if I wanted to rest but I declined and continued walking.

There was no one in sight, we called out frequently but not even a single soul was out on the island, rather our voices reechoed.

I remembered my best friend, Mel, and started sobbing, letting out my emotions all out, it was like I had kept them bottled up. Dave came towards me immediately, enwrapping me in his arms, I let him hold me. I just needed someone to hold me, I would have gone nuts if he wasn't here, cause the thought of being alone on this Island already gives me the shivers.

I trembled as he held me, stroking my hair.

"She died, I couldn't do anything she died, I wish she hadn't tagged along, I wish….

"Shush shush, he said in a calm voice, he pulled back and looked at me, he cleaned the tears in my eyes.

"Who's that? who died?" He asked

My best friend, she was with me on the plane, I had woken up and when I went to the crashed plane, she was there, she… I broke out again.

He pulled me in again, gently stroking my hair, I heaved a sigh, a sigh of relief.

He had suggested we go to the crashed plane, and when we got there, Mel was still there, the tears came back again into my eyes but I held them in.

"Let's give her a burial, I think that's the least we could do" he suggested

I was thankful to him for that, my mind was blanked out that I couldn't think of that.

"Okay, that would at least give her spirit peace, I said looking up to him.

Mel was buried, I couldn't believe such a day would come. I decided that I needed to be strong if I wanted to leave here alive.

"Thank you, She would be so grateful, thanks for coming up with this"

"It's no biggie, May her soul rest in peace".

"Let's look for anything that would be of any help to us till the rescue team comes for us, I'm sure they would", he said reassuringly. He must have sensed my fear.

***************

"What do you mean you can't find her, what have you people been doing for a month now, My daughter has been missing and you can't even find her. What have you people been doing for a month"!

That's the question Aunt had been asking the Air Force agency for a month now, they seemed to have been finding it difficult to locate us. Everyone was so worried about us, the news of the plane crash had skyrocketed and some thought everyone had died. It was difficult for them to find the Airplane itself, not to talk of us.

It was chaos at home, My family was worried about me, and I missed my brother, how worried he would be now.

I stretched turning but David was nowhere to be found, that was unusual, he usually told me before he left, cause he didn't want to make me feel alone or scared. We never talked about what happened that day, I had told him that I didn't want to talk about it, and we had decided to keep it aside for now, until we make it out.

I decided to go search for him, scaling through the forest, I had picked up a stick for protection against anything that I might encounter, I had gotten brave in my stay here, and it amazed me.

Lost in my thoughts, I never imagined that this day could ever come. Suddenly I heard rustling in the bush, I turned in the direction of the sound, but I couldn't see what was there, I increased my pace, but then the thing came in front of me.

It was a wild beast, I couldn't make out its name. I wasn't sure I had ever seen such before, it's eyes sharp as scissors, fixed on me. I couldn't move. I stood transfixed on the ground. Holding tightly to my stick, which I know couldn't be of any help to me as regards this animal.

The animal slowly moved to me, I retraced my steps slowly. I thought that would be the end of me. As it sprang towards me. David rushed it and they both fell, Dave moved to the animal with all his might, fighting it off with his weapon, and he happened to kill it. The animal fell to the ground, dead.

"Are you okay?!, David asked me looking all over my body to see if I was hurt.

I was shaken up, and he pulled me to him, calming me down.

" Where did you go?, you didn't tell me when you left, I was worried, so I went to look for you, you always tell me before you leave". I heard myself say.

He slowly pulled me away, looking into my eyes, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just wanted to get something we can eat, I wanted to make it before you woke up, but I was late. It was hard catching a Rabbit" he said with those puppy eyes of his.

David took my hand in his and we started walking towards our home, Dave started groaning in pain, he had been hurt from the fight he had with the animal, and he was bleeding profusely, his hand left mine as he fell.

"Dave!, hey, oh my, you're bleeding "!, I cried out", I placed both palms on the bleeding area, but that didn't stop the bleeding.

Gradually, his eyes were closing until his eyes were shut and his breathing was slight……