Page 38 of Totally Shipped
“No, we are going to survive. It’s gonna be close but we’ll survive.”
“We are going to die. Why didn’t you get us out earlier, Rex? We are going to die here. I don’t want to die.”
Then the screams as the fire reached him first.
After that everything went quiet on the radios. Everyone passing out from smoke inhalation. When the rescue chopper finally got to us, only Gray and Leander were still breathing.
And me.
How could I still be breathing when the others were not, it wasn’t fair. The fire had somehow skirted the three of us. Gray wasn’t burned at all. Leanders feet were scorched, the boots melting to the souls of his feet. And me? My two fingers had been exposed.
They said it looked like I was just about to leave the fire shelter, but had passed out before unfastening it completely.
I don’t remember if that’s true.
I just remember the screams.
As we walk the path to the beach, Keyara is quiet. Her bounce is gone.
“They’ll find her,” I say. “Most likely we’ll see them come traipsing out of the jungle before the sun goes down. But if they don’t, it just means they need a little more time to find her.”
“Can we look too, Uncle Rex? Please? I don’t want to just wait on the beach.”
A parrot flaps past our heads.
“How about we cook some eggs, hard boil them, and we’ll go for a little while and look around. We’ll take the eggs with us, so if we run into any of the others they can have a snack.”
“OK.” She squeezes my hand and gives a deep sigh.
Key should be playing and laughing at home with her family, not trudging through the jungle, looking like the weight of the world is resting on her shoulders.
When Daisy gets back, we’ll start making another set of rafts to float out to sea. One day someone will spot them. We make it out of the jungle and on to the beach. Key immediately runs off to check the chickens.
I find myself peering out to sea, then searching the sky.
Nothing there.
But one day there will be, I have to believe that for Keyara’s sake, and Daisy’s sake. And, of course, for the baby.
DAISY
My mind is spinning.
I just don’t know what to do.
We pass another thick grove of banana trees, and this time Harvey lets me take one to eat. I’m starving and devour it quickly, but I mostly wanted the banana so I could leave the skin somewhere as another breadcrumb for the guys.
I also need to pee, and much as I don’t want to go in front of Harvey, he’s not giving me any option.
“Go right there or piss your pants, your choice.”
I pull my eyes from his raging face and focus on the beautiful flowers growing on a vine behind his head.
Look at the flowers, little baby. Don’t worry about the nasty man. Mama’s got you.
Harvey spits in my direction. It seems like he loathes me, so it doesn’t really make sense that he wants me as a companion, but none of the last few months make any sense if you think about it. I need Harvey to stop hating me, for sake and safety of my baby.
“Hey, Harvey. How have you been the last few months?” He makes a snarling face, but I go on before he can snap my head off, “If we are going to be spending our time together from now on, we need a truce.”
