Page 97 of Stranded

I step up behind him, my boots squelching in the mud as I look at her over his shoulder and a mimic giving him a hug then point to her. Her eyes flick back to his, then her expression softens instantly. She bats her long eyelashes at him then steps forward, slowly wrapping her arms around his waist, as far as she’s able to reach.

The tension leaves his body as he hugs her back. “I just want you to be safe, baby.”

“I know, big guy. I’m trying.”

“Thank you.”

“Should we go check out the beach now?” King asks, making them pull back from their embrace. She takes his hand and West’s and I lead us down the path.

The jungle floor is particularly muddy today, making the trek more difficult than usual, and by the time we get to the beach, Zee is covered in mud up to her calves.

“I’m gonna wash off in the ocean,” she says as she walks through the sand.

I tilt my head up to the sky, letting the sun warm my face for the first time in days.

“Didn’t think I’d miss the sun,” I murmur as I untie my hair and comb my fingers through it, before retying it again.

“Tell me about it. I’m sure we’ll be boiling again within a couple hours, though,” King says as the three of us head to our large SOS sign in the sand.

It’s still in pretty good shape. It must not have been very windy because nothing has moved too much. We shake the sand off a few pieces and make sure our large burn pile is still in good shape.

Zee joins us, a smile on her face and hands on her hips. “Well, boys. What are we doing now?”

“Ever since you told us you thought you saw a pineapple here, it’s all I’ve been able to think about,” King says, surprising me. While we were stuck in the hut the past few days, Zee told us how she came across what she thought was a young pineapple plant, her first year here, but hasn’t seen it since.

“But I don’t know where it is,” she says with a frown.

“But you have an idea?”

“Sort of, I guess. I think it’s closer to the northern edge, which is where Fang lives, so I stay away.”

“He’s that big snake?” I ask, and she nods in reply. “It’s four against one now, and hopefully we don’t have to go that far.”

“I don’t know if this is a smart idea,” West says with a frown. “We shouldn’t go looking for trouble.”

“Where is your sense of adventure, huh? Zee has handed everything to us so far. This time,wecan help explore and find something new. We’ll all stick together, what’s the worst that could happen? We see the snake, we’ll turn around straight away.”

He gives me that intense stare of his, eyes sharp and searching, as if he’s trying to unravel every layer of the situation.

“We should vote on it,” King suggests.

And after a three to one vote in favor of our pineapple adventure, we set off. First, we stop to fill all our water canteens and grab a little jerky for the road. Then Zee leads us down a path I’ve never seen before, overgrown and nearly hidden beneath tangled vines and leaves.

After two hours of walking we take a break to eat and drink. Zee sits in front of me and I notice how muddy she is again.

“We really need to get you some shoes, Tink.”

She shrugs, as if it isn’t a bother to be traipsing through the jungle barefoot. “I’m used to it. I can’t even remember what it feels like to wear shoes anymore.”

I give her a tight smile, but inside my stomach knots. I hate that she’s been out here so long she doesn’t remember something as simple as wearing shoes. Something you’d do everyday back at home.

Home.

What the hell is taking Reece so long, anyway? I suppose the storm would have kept him away, but he must be closing in on us now, right?

I can’t wait to take a real shower, sleep in a real bed and eat a nice big juicy cheeseburger. But more than that, I want to get Zee off of this damn island. Every day here is a day too long. Every day here is a day she could be back at our home enjoying life the way she should have been all this time.

West suggests we get going, so I try to shake my thoughts free as I get to my feet, helping Zee up even though she doesn’t need it. She smiles up at me though, and that helps to cut a little bit of the sadness that’s starting to penetrate my usual bubble of happiness.

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