Nicho's body language
1058 Words
Night slowly descended, enveloping the island in a suffocating darkness. The campfire they had made was subdued by the winds from the sea. The glowing embers seemed alive, moving left and right, flickering with dim red streaks as they touched the air. The silence was absolute, broken only by the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
Nicho sat by the fire, his hands slightly trembling as he held a piece of firewood he had just picked up from around them. Leftover oyster and sea urchin shells from their earlier meal were scattered across the sand. There wasn’t much they could eat, but at least their hunger was temporarily satisfied.
Beside him, Azura sat with her back straight, her eyes fixed on the fire as if it were the only connection to a world beyond this island. Her hands were busy writing with the pen she had found earlier. Her notebook was nearly soaked by the seawater, but she kept writing. Every stroke of her pen felt like a promise, a grip to hold on to survive.
“What are you writing?” Nicho asked, glancing at her.
Azura turned to him, her eyes full of determination.
“I’m keeping track of our expenses. Everything you’ve given me, everything you’ve done. I promise I’ll pay you ten times over once we get back to civilization.”
The man’s eyes widened.
“Are you the daughter of some billionaire?”
She smiled.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
Nicho scoffed, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.
“Do you really think we can get back?” he said softly.
“How strong is your belief?”
Azura stared at him intently, her eyes filled with exhaustion and maybe, a little irritation. “Of course, I believe. We have to have a goal. Without a goal, what’s the point of surviving?”
Nicho shook his head slowly
“Survive? Surviving is our goal now. What could be more important than that?”
“But more specifically, surviving to build a new civilization. We’ll repopulate this island... hhh.”
The man’s joke only made Azura angry.
“Do you think that’s funny?”
“No, not really. At least I entertained myself. Haha...” he said again.
“Hhh... entertaining yourself, I see.”
Azura slammed her notebook shut with a harsh sound, clearly frustrated.
“You always think like that, huh? Surviving without thinking about what comes after. Don’t you really want to go back to your old life?”
“If we survive, we’ll go back. There’s nothing we can do right now,” Nicho answered, his voice louder, more firm.
“You’re too idealistic. Here, nothing is certain. Even civilization itself could vanish at any time.”
The man said again.
Azura opened her mouth, but no words came out. She felt tired, not just from her physical condition.
She wanted to rest, but there was no place fit for it.
The wind was also blowing strongly.
The temperature had dropped to minus 25 degrees.
For a moment, the only sound was the rolling waves, and Nicho stared out at the sea again. His eyes were empty, as if waiting for something uncertain.
Suddenly, Azura spoke quietly, almost inaudible.
“If I’m not destined to return, I just want to go back for one day to see my father.”
Nicho turned, and there was an emptiness in his gaze.
“I also… want to see my dog, just for a moment.”
Hearing that, Azura chuckled.
“You have no world other than your pet?”
“That world’s been gone for a long time, Azura. I have to accept reality. Whether I’m here or anywhere, I don’t matter.”
Azura turned her gaze to the sand, then stood up slowly, as if not wanting anyone to know how deep her feelings went.
“You might be right,” she said in a voice barely audible.
“But that doesn’t mean I should give up on this situation.”
Nicho watched her, feeling something sink in from her words. But he didn’t say anything. He simply added more firewood to the fire, letting his heart harden like the flames that burned brightly.
“I’ll go look for more wood,” he said, trying to change the subject.
“Alright,” Azura replied.
But as Nicho walked away, she felt strange. Her body felt warmer, warmer than usual. A strange sensation began to creep through her, her heart beating a little faster. Then she realized, the oysters they had eaten earlier—there was something wrong. A sensation that increasingly disturbed her thoughts.
As she walked toward the sea, she tried to calm herself. “It’s just a passing feeling,” she whispered to herself, but her body didn’t listen.
“Maybe it’s just from exhaustion.”
Finally, she reached the shoreline. The sea waited, calm and dark, like an unreachable world. Without thinking, Nicho stepped into the water, letting the coldness of the sea touch his skin. He submerged himself in the dark waters, trying to calm the turmoil within him.
On the beach, Azura still sat with her arms folded across her chest. She watched the fire slowly dying, and for the first time, she felt an overwhelming emptiness. It was as if the world around them was shrinking, leaving only the two of them trapped inside it.
Not long after, Azura heard footsteps returning. Nicho emerged from the water, his hair wet and his face slightly pale. He seemed calmer, though his eyes remained alert.
Alone in this remote place with a beautiful woman. It was indeed tormenting for him.
Azura looked at him, feeling that something had changed within him. However, she chose not to say anything.
“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice softer than before.
Nicho nodded slowly, though his eyes betrayed his exhaustion.
“I just needed some time to think. Clear my mind.”
He walked back to the fire, sitting down without a word. The fire was growing smaller, the remaining flames reflecting the emptiness between them.
In this tense moment, even though they were both in deep silence, there was something connecting them—something more than just surviving.
An understanding was slowly emerging between them, though unspoken. It was difficult to express.
- Writer
