Island Rush (67 page)

He was more conscious now, and he blinked a few times.  I knelt next to him as he spoke the second he was down.  “I broke my promise.  I said I would never leave you.  I’m sorry,” he said with panic, trying to find strength to move but unable to.  He was getting too weak for this.

“Look at me!” I screamed at him.  I couldn’t take it.  We were so close, and we were going to make it.  We just needed to hurry.  “Look at me!”

Those sweet brown eyes met mine with his.  I looked at him so deeply, so hard.  I remembered we could both take power from each other’s gaze.  His gave me a push to try, and I needed him to react the same.   “Don’t stop looking at me.  Don’t close your eyes,” I cried, moving around to his legs.  Standing, I grabbed both of his legs and began pulling him back.  “Keep your eyes on mine.  Stay with me.”

Of course, it was only a few more yards.  I had no other choice but to drag him the little ways left.  His gaze stayed locked on mine, shined with so much love and hope.  I knew they were tempted like mine to flash to his side to see how close the fire was.  It didn’t matter, though.  We were ahead of the game. 

It was unbelievable.  Unreal.  No, not real.  This had to be a dream.  It was too close, way too close.  But when my foot took another step back, and I felt the rough texture of the sand, I knew it was too good to be true.  I gasped at that realization, dragging him out of the forest and into the sand. 

We were safe.  Well, in a way.  He was still weak and dying.  Plus, I didn’t hear the helicopter.  I moved forward, kneeling next to his tired figure in the sand where we rested.  All we could do was wait.  Wait to die or for help to come.  One of those were going to happen, and it still involved waiting. 

I brushed his hair back, leaning in.  His eyes were still in mine, our breath hard.  My tears began falling harder before I softly kissed him.  Then I looked into his eyes, happy with mine.  “We are so close,” I whispered.

He was very weak, but he wasn’t dead yet.  He struggled because of the lack of energy he had to get where we were.  Now, though, I would say he could stay strong enough to hold on for a couple more hours. 

Looking hard into my eyes, he brushed his soft finger over my cheek, catching a piece of my hair and curling it around my ear.  As his eyes dug into mine, I heard the most wonderful sound in the world.  Glancing up slightly, I saw it nearing.  It saw us!  Saw us thanks to the island going up in flames. 

We made it….  Jesus Christ, we actually made it.

Chapter 70

It was a blur. Or it seemed that way for most of what happened afterward anyway.  I remember kneeling in the sand, the fire glowing and thriving in the trees, spreading until that was all I could see in the forest.  Then, I leaned down and moved him slightly towards me, moving him up to let his head rest on my lap as the rest of his weak body laid in the sand. 

The buzzing sound in the air became so loud that I could hardly hear myself think.  That’s when I knew the helicopter was landing and would help us, but I didn’t take my eyes off of Casey’s.  Brushing his cheek softly, I begged his eyes to remain on mine.

“Look at me,” I whispered calmly with a smile.  “We are going to make it.  Help is here.”  My only worry now was if he would be able to make it by the time we get back.  I was able to give him some meds before, but his condition has worsened since then. Unless he is given immediate medical attention, the clock is still ticking.  “The helicopter is landing,” I said.  Full of glee, I chuckled with delight through my tears. 

His shaky hand slid up and grabbed my hand that was resting on his cheek.  He wedged his fingers between mine. Holding my hand there, he bent his fingers inward and led me to close my hand into a fist. Gently, he kissed my hand.  I saw and felt a smile form on his face.

“You should have left me.  You shouldn’t have risked your life like that for me,” he said, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them.  Before I could respond to him, I heard something behind me.  The shuffle of sand and shouting over the roar of the helicopter.   

Help was here.  That’s when things became a blur.  Everything seemed to fly past me.  I think it had to do with how hard it was for me to take everything in. 

I remember the man came to us and asked if we were okay.  When he saw that wasn’t the case, he looked down closely at Casey.  Watching his face, waiting as if he were the man to judge how much longer he had, I saw the pilot grab his arm.  Turning his arm over, he looked at the bite that caused all this.  He said nothing.  Instead, he wedged his arms under him and lifted him up carefully.

“Will he be okay?” I asked as I got up and walked with the man holding Casey back to the helicopter.  He didn’t answer - probably because he didn’t know.  It put me so on edge.  I stayed that way for the next few hours that passed by after that last moment we spent on the beach.  The last moment my feet touched the sand of this island that changed my life.  

I was shaking.  It was early in the morning, and I was sitting in a private room somewhere.  The walls were painted a creamy color with light dotted wallpaper along the edges.  A couple chairs occupied the area too. 

I was still trying to grasp what had happened after the helicopter flew us off the burning island, we’ll always consider as our home in many ways.  Replaying what I could in my head, the few hours in between then and now, I started to calm down a little.  But only a little.

The second we had landed somewhere, Casey was taken from me.  I was shaking hard because of it. We were out on a platform of some sort from what I was able to see with the lights illuminating the area.  I refused to get a good look though for the fact that I refused to look away from the man I loved.  Then, through the dark, a few people rushed to us, taking Casey.  I wanted to go with him, but the people that took him and put him on a stretcher wouldn’t let me.  I screamed that he needed me, but they didn’t listen, too concerned with getting him help.  That’s when I felt the pilot there, grabbing my arm and keeping me in place.  I watched in horror when they swiftly took him away.

Then… then I remember more people.  Yes, that was right.  Soon, people — so many people — were surrounding me.  They weren’t like the people that took Casey to get medical attention.  Everything became overwhelming.  They all crowded in, hands outstretched before me with a microphone or recorder in their hands.  Reporters started throwing questions at me when I didn’t know how to process it.  You couldn’t blame me when this all happened after I stepped out of the helicopter.  It became pure chaos.

“Are you apart of the group of students from Flight 279?”

“Who was the man with you?”

“Tell us about the crash!”

“Why did you try killing yourself?”

“State your name!”

“Were you really stranded in the middle of the ocean for days before swimming to an island?”

“How do you feel about being home?”

“Is it true that you tried burning yourselves alive?”

So much… so much!  And all so ridiculous and unbelievable.  It all entered my head too fast, my lips parted in shock.  I said nothing, not knowing how to answer all those questions, let alone the exaggerated ones. How did they even know some of that? We just landed! I recall hearing the pilot talking over the radio, saying he found two survivors from the crash.  That was all he said that was really relevant.  It just proves how people are animals only looking for a good story.

I felt a woman grab my arm, and I jumped, scared.  All I wanted was to see Casey, be with him and know he was okay.  However, the lady that took my arm came up to me and whispered quickly over the shouting questions.

“Come with me.  Don’t give them a word.”  She took my hand, dragging me through the crowd of obnoxious people.  My head hurt, my heart ached, and my chest was heaving with deep breaths, surprise, and fear.  She pushed through the crowd, yelling at them to back off as I followed behind.  I knew if we broke contact, I would be lost among all those reporters.  I caught the sight of a few cameras off to the side as well as portable lights brightening this crazy scene taking place. 

“How did you get out of the plane?”

“Tell us what happened!”

“How old are you?”

“Was the crash accidental?”

“Who was that man?  Your teacher?  Are you his student?  Is it true that you two are lovers?”

I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see all those people.  It made me question where we were even!  I was guided by the woman out of the crowd, and she pulled me along.  I opened my eyes as we jogged to a door I hadn’t noticed.  Following her through it, she shut the door, and all those greedy voices disappeared.  Taking deep breaths, my gaze became lost.  I was looking at nothing in particular with my pounding chest.  That was when the woman led me down a hall.

“I’m so sorry about that.  That was not expected, and they were not allowed up here,” she sighed.  “Are you alright?  Do you need anything?”

It took me a bit to answer.  I wanted to tell her that I wanted to see Casey.  I wanted to know he was okay.  More than anything, I wanted to be with him.  Then, some of those questions screamed at me a moment ago, came back to my mind.  I realized it could be dangerous to see him.  With us being the only two that survived, people would start to talk about how we must have been together on the island.  This was making news across the country, and we would be watched carefully.  If they found out the truth… Casey would be ruined.  Regardless, his life was more important. 

“Yeah, some water and food please,” I said in a daze.  Oh god.  Food.  More than berries and fish. 

“Are you in need of serious medical attention at the moment?”

I shook my head.  That would be even worse and would probably delay me from getting to see Casey despite everything. “I’m okay.  Just hungry and thirsty.”

She led me down the hall quietly and turned down a darker hall, guiding me until she stopped at a wooden door.  Opening it, she led me into the room I was now sitting in, gesturing me to sit down if I wanted.  She told me some people would be coming in to talk to me, but they were not reporters.  Well, she used the words, ‘not exactly reporters.’  That wasn’t the best of signs.

She said she would be back with food and water, but it wasn’t here yet.  Figures.  I’ve been waiting patiently for a while now, replaying everything in head.  It was so quiet, and the cold atmosphere of the room wasn’t exactly welcoming.  There was a long table in front of me, a few chairs on the other side facing me.  After a minute, I laid my head down on the table.

Casey told me we would be okay if we come back.  It was going to be harder than we thought.  We didn’t think about the public’s reaction to the crash.  Didn’t think we would be under a spotlight like this.  This was going to be very hard to deal with.

It seemed like forever but finally, the door opened.  A slim man in a suit came in, looking to be in his early forties with brown hair.  His eyes were green and observing.  His gaze even warned me that he would be watching everything.  He had a smooth mustache that rested above his lips.  The rest of his face was clean and tan.  He took a seat across from me.

I glanced up to the other man that walked in.  It was the pilot, I noticed.  Under the bright lights, I could take him in more.  He was bigger with muscles along his arms.  He had kind blue eyes, his thin lips smiling slightly up at me as he sat down next to the other man.  He had short brown hair too and looked to be in his mid-thirties.  He didn’t look as serious and professional as the other man, which calmed me.

The second I saw him, though, my chest jumped.  I didn’t realize that everything would be crazy as it is.  Didn’t think people would suspect that Casey and I are lovers.  Some people were assuming that.  I didn’t think that would happen, but I should have realized that it could have.  Because now, the guy across me didn’t need to be doing any assuming.

The pilot saw.  He must have.  He landed and approached us.  Saw me with Casey on the beach with his head on my lap.  He probably saw him kiss my hand.  And then when we got on the helicopter, space was small.  He probably heard me telling him to look at me and that I loved him.

He knew… he must have.  He didn’t say anything to the reporters; all he said was that he found the two of us.  Hopefully, he would keep his mouth shut if he knew that he was my teacher, and I was his student.  Chances were he already knew that.

“Hello,” the man with the mustache said to me.  He gestured to the pilot and smiled.  “This is Jeff.  I think you two have met.”

I stared at them as they waited for me to say something.  I knew I had to be cautious with my words.  They were probably recording this.  I spoke politely to the pilot, Jeff.  “Not officially,” I said softly and shook his hand when he extended it out to me.  “I’m Janice.”

He smiled but continued to stay quiet as the other man went on.  “We would like to ask you a few things.  Would that be okay?”

I thought about it before nodding.  They did need a story.  I might as well give them one and make it… satisfying enough.  For how worried and nervous I was for Casey, this would be a welcoming distraction too. 

“Good,” ‘Mustache’ said.  He smiled tightly, and his grin was obviously fake unlike Jeff’s.  “Could you tell us your name?”

“Janice Reeves,” I answered.

“You are one of the students from Flight 279 that were going to the Bahamas, correct?” he asked, opening a folder.

“Yes, that’s right.”  God, I just wanted to know if Casey was okay!  I knew not to bring that up yet.  Not because I cared what people thought at this point.  I was giving a statement, and they wouldn’t want to leave until they are satisfied with what I tell them.  It was bullshit. That was what it was.  I wasn’t dying, but it wasn’t like I was in the best shape either to be doing this.  The reason I was calm was because food and water were on its way.

“Could you tell us what happened?  What went wrong on the plane?”

I shook my head.  “I really don’t know.  The plane started to shake, but a flight attendant came over the speakers and said it was only turbulence.  The plane didn’t stop shaking, and it got worse.  Then we were falling and hit the water.”

He nodded.  “How did you survive?”

Now it was time to be creative.  They couldn’t know Casey saved me or why.  I had to think.  I knew though that if Casey gets better, I’ll have to tell him what I said so our stories match. 

My mind raced for an answer.  “The plane shot down into the water.  Then it started sliding along the bottom until it stopped. Most people were dead instantly from the impact.  Others died from screaming when the water rushed in.” Now, it was time to stretch the truth.  “For the very few that were hanging on, I think they were strapped in and couldn’t get out.  They were stunned.  I forgot though to put my buckle on, and that’s how I made it out.  I swam out either from an opening on the side of the plane or the windows up front. I can’t recall.”