The Islanders - Part 6
- Terribly Earnest
Steve crawled out of the tent and touched one of the fish strips. “They seem like they're done,” he said. “Who's going to try them first?”
Everyone looked at Lance and Brent. Lance picked one up and broke off the end of it. He put the fish in his mouth. He chewed a couple of times, them stopped and swallowed.
“Well,” Brent asked. “How are they?”
“Delicious,” Lance told them. “A delicacy fir only for royalty.” He took two more and gave everyone else three. Nobody ate any. They just looked at the fish.
“Go ahead, eat,” Lance said, with his mouth full of fish.
“I can't eat this,” Kris said. “I keep thinking that just a little while ago he was swimming around in the ocean and now he's dead, poor thing.”
“You're going to be dead if you don't eat him,” Candy told Kris. “Now take a bite. It's really good.”
Kris took a bite. “He probably had a wife and kids, too,” she said. “But he sure does taste good.” And she went on eating.
That night Cathy and Brent were lying in the raft looking at the starts. The gentle sway of the ocean was slowly rocking the boat.
“Brent,” Cathy whispered. “I'm scared. What if nobody find us?”
“Don't worry,” he said. “Someone will find us.”
Cathy snuggled closer to him and put her arms around him. “Just hold me,” she said. “I want to get out of here.”
“We will,” he said. “I bet it will just take a couple of days and we'll be home.”
“I hope so,” Cathy said as she closed her eyes. “I sure hope so.”
They had been floating around at sea for two and a half days now and their food supply was running low.
“You had better do some more fishing,” Steve told Lance. “We're out of food.”
“Do the girls know?” Lance asked.
“No,” Steve said. “I decided not to tell them until we really had to.”
Darrel, Brent, Kevin, Steve and Lance were all sitting in one boat talking while the girls were in the other boat. They knew something was wrong because the boys were being so quiet.
“Okay, you guys,” Stephanie said. “What are you keeping from us?”
"Girls,” Darrel said. “we didn't want to tell you this until the best moment. But I guess we have to tell you now.”
“What?” Kris asked impatiently.
“We are out of food and water,” Steve said.
“Oh, my gosh,” Cathy said.
“Completely out?” Cari asked.
“Yes,” Kevin told them, “We are completely out of food and water.”
Everyone was thinking the same thing, that they were going to die out there. Butno one said anything. The boats seemed to be getting smaller and more crowded because everyone was very edgy. They hadn't eaten for a day.
“Steve, could you move over a little bit?” Cari asked.
Steve said nothing.
“Steve, I asked you if you could ...” Cari started.
“I know!” Steve snapped.
“Well, why didn't you answer me?” Cari asked.
“Maybe I didn't want to,” Steve said. “You aren't the only one here. Everyone needs more room, so just shut up.”
“Listen,” Cari said. “I am tired of you acting all high and mighty like the captain ...”
Steve interrupted again, “And another thing, if you didn't want to have that stupid party so bad, I would have docked up ...”
“Well if you had docked up ...” Cari said.
“Stop it! Both of you!” Cathy yelled. “None of us like it here, you know. You aren't the only ones who are tired, hot and hungry. So stop fighting!”
“I'm sorry, Steve,” Cari said softly. “I'm just going nuts. We've been out here for so long.”
“I started it,” Steve said. “I'm just on edge.”
Steve put his arm around Cari and held here, and Cari cried softly on his shoulder. “I love you Steve,” she said.
“I love you, too,” he told her.
Later on the were playing Twenty Questions. Kris was “it.”
“Is it bigger than a breadbox?” Steve asked.
“Yes,” Kris said.
“Is it furry?” Brent asked
“No,” Kris told him.
“Does it have four feet?” Candy asked.
“Yes,” Kris said.
“Land!” Lance yelled, excitedly.
“No,” Kris said. “Land doesn't have four feet.”
“I know,” Lance said. “But there's land over there!” Lance pointed to the east of them. And sure enough there was a small island.
Kevin and Brent tore down the oars and started paddling furiously toward the island. The island was about a mile away.
“Paddle with your hands,” Cathy said.
“I can't believe this,” Darrel said.
“I know,” Stephanie said. “It's just so wonderful!”
Finally they were near the shore. Lance jumped out of the boat and swam the remaining fifty feet to the island.
When the boat got to close to paddle anymore, everyone jumped out and dragged it to the sand.
“It feels so good to be on dry land again,” Cari said, throwing a handful of sand in the air.
“This is just like Gilligan's Island,” Kris said.
Brent walked up the shore where the trees were growing. “Hey look, you guys,” he yelled to the others.
“Coconuts!”
Kevin climbed the tree and grabbed two coconuts and threw them on the ground. Lance grabbed on and cut the fiber-like outer part with his pocket knife. He tried to break it with his hands, but he could not, so he just hit it off with a rock. Inside was the sweet, thirst-quenching juice. He took a drink, then ate a piece of the coconut. Soon everyone was resting in the the shade and drinking coconut juice.
To be continued ...
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