Howie woke up feeling hot and extremely sore. He rolled over onto his side
and felt his face hit something that felt like sand. As he popped up,his
head began to throb. His clothes were damp and covered in sand,and his
hair had come lose of the ponytail. His lips were dry and chapped,and for
a few minutes he didn't remember where he was or how he got there.
He then remembered being on the boat with the other guys,and being thrown
overboard. Then he remembered Kevin grabbing his arm as they fought to
keep their heads above the surface of the water. He focused his eyes on
the shoreline,and tried to stand.Every muscle in his body felt exhausted.
That's when he spotted Kevin,lying on his back a few feet away. Like his
own clothes,Kevin's were wet and covered in sand.They must've been washed
onto the island by the waves from the storm.
He walked over and knelt by his friend,and shook him gently. Kevin opened
his eyes,and blinked a few times. Then Howie helped him sit up,as he told
him what had happened.
"I remember," Kevin whispered. As Howie helped him stand up,they walked
down towards the water. It was warm in certain spots, so Howie took off
his shirt and tried to wash the sand out of his clothes and hair.A few
inches from him,Kevin was doing the same thing.
He splashed some of the water on his face and was tempted to drink it,
but the salt didn't taste good on his lips. "How long do you think we've
been here?," Kevin asked him. "I don't know. It's daylight again....we
must've been here all night," Howie answered. Kevin nodded as the water
dripped from his hair. He glanced out across the ocean.
"Do you think the guys are looking for us right now?," he said,softly.
"I'm pretty sure they are.I just hope they get here soon.This sun is
making me feel sick," Howie replied. It didn't help that they hadn't
eaten since the morning before.He and Kevin began to walk around the
island, to stay out of the sun.
"Hey! Check it out!," they found a small brook and both of them knelt
down to taste the water.It tasted fine and didn't have any salt. The water
felt good to their throats.Howie looked up and caught site of Kevin picking
something from a vine hanging down from one of the taller trees.
"Food!," Kevin called,grinning. Howie walked over and looked closely
at the small black berries in Kevin's hand.They had speckles of white
powder on them."I think I'll pass,Kevin.They just don't look right to me,"
he said. Kevin shrugged,"Go ahead.But they look fine to me."
He took two handfuls of the berries to the brook,and washed them off.Kevin
had eaten most of the berries when Howie noticed how far he was lagging
behind.
"Kev,c'mon...there's a nice patch of shade under this tree,where we can
keep an eye on the water," Howie called. Kevin ran his arm across his
forehead, taking a deep breath.
"Hang on,I'm a little tired," Kevin gasped. When he reached Howie, his
eyes were red and he was extremely pale. His lips were a pale purple in
color,but he was sweating.
"Are you okay?," Howie asked,as Kevin staggered."I need...to...sit down,"
Kevin mumbled. Howie led him to the tree,and Kevin collapsed in the sand
next to it. Howie figured he was just tired,so he let him lay in the
sand as he walked the shoreline.
When Howie came back,Kevin hadn't moved. The berries he'd had left were
sprawled in the sand next to him,and his breathing was ragged and labored.
Howie dropped to his knees to wake Kevin up.Kevin clutched his stomach
and groaned.
"Sit up," Howie begged, but Kevin didn't budge. He squeezed his eyes
closed and fought to breath as he continued to hold his hands around
his waistline.
"You'll be okay.We're gonna get some help for you," Howie whispered. Kevin
continued to struggle to breath. Howie was still talking to him when
Kevin stopped breathing completely.
What happens next? In order to find out,stay tuned for Chapter 4!
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