Danny:
Danny awoke sore like someone had been punching his entire body. He finally noticed that he was no longer adrift; instead he was lying in the shallows of some unknown beach.
Danny tried to stand on his feet, but he fell back down. He tried again with the same results. It felt like someone had tied him down. He rolled over and bumped into the unconscious form of Elizabeth.
Her clothing had been mostly torn apart and she had many bruises. Danny could tell that by the fact that most of her nubile, young body was exposed to view. And it was a sight to look twice at. He looked down at himself and saw his own bruises there. Of his clothes, there was only a torn pair of Seamen's trousers. The rest had been torn away, including his compass.
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Elizabeth:
Elizabeth felt a pull against her and just moaned. She didn't know what it was so she turned over, but was unable to turn all the way over. I felt like someone fell on me, but I was in so much pain that I didn't feel much. Elizabeth let out a light moan as she shifted. She lay there as the warm sun fell on her body. It felt so good. Elizabeth blinked her eyes and saw Daniel looking down at her She took in a sharp breath as she sat up and tried to cover her body from his view. What was he doing? Elizabeth hoped he wasn't getting any ideas. She looked down to find her dress pretty well torn away and saw all of the bruises on her body. This was just great! Where were we? Would anyone ever find us?
Elizabeth's gaze moved over to Daniel and she saw that his clothing too had been pretty much torn from his body. I had to tell him thank you. Even if he had made the trip a living hell.
"Daniel, I guess that I should tell you thank you for saving me. What do we do now? I mean, we have no food, no clothing, nothing! How are we..." I wasn't able to say anything when Daniel broke in on me. Elizabeth listened as she worked on the knot to get them freed from each other.
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Danny:
Danny saw Elizabeth try to conceal her displayed beauty as best she could. Like that's important right now. She could distract me something fierce if she decided to walk around that way. Danny wrestled his way out of the wet life jacket, trying not to pull on Elizabeth. Meanwhile she was trying to untie the knot.
"Stay here on the beach while I look around a little." Danny saw the question in her eyes. "If you want to do something, put all the dry wood you can find in a pile, away from the water. That way we can have a fire later, maybe." Elizabeth still had more questions, but Danny was already gone.
Danny walked along the shore until it gave way to a rather steep hill. Danny climbed up to the crest of the hill. Towards the ocean it changed into rocky cliffs that abruptly dropped into the water. Away from the shore, lush jungle spread out over the thin, but long island. The island was only about 1/4 mile wide, but at least 3 miles long.
Danny saw no sign of life, except birds and nothing out at sea. It looked like they were marooned.
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Elizabeth:
Elizabeth sat there on the beach utterly speechless! Daniel was going to leave me there alone? Was he crazy? Then I heard him tell me that if I wanted to do something, I could put all of the dry wood in a pile away from the water. The nerve of him! Did he remember who I was? Elizabeth had never really done any work on her own. As she tried to protest, he was already walking away.
"Daniel! Don't you walk away from me when I am trying to talk to you! Daniel!" Elizabeth screamed as she scrambled to her feet and fought with the life jacket. He never turned around just put up a hand to wave to her. How do I know if he will come back? For all I know, he will go off and never come back. With the way I have treated him he could come back, but it will be in the night and it would be so he could scare the shit out of me or kill me. Either way, I don't like the idea of him going off alone.
Elizabeth took off to try to catch up with him, but he was already out of sight. She took in a deep breath and blew it out as she pushed her hair back from her face. Elizabeth turned around to shuffle back to where they had been washed ashore. Her dress kept getting in the way, so she just reached down to rip it off. I knew that if mother were to see me, she would have a fit. It was already ruined so what did it matter? It tore above the knees and I ripped the sleeves off. I felt naked, but it was all good. At least I could move better.
Elizabeth did as Daniel had suggested. She started to gather up the wood. As soon as Elizabeth got a sliver, she was out though. She just fell in a heap on the beach as she wondered what was to become of them. Would anyone EVER find us?
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Danny:
Danny looked down at the beach. Elizabeth was alright, she was apparently gathering wood as he had asked. Good, it looks like I won't be having to do everythin'. She might actually end up pullin' her weight. And it's about time, too!
Danny took one last look for signs of life, and then started the slow climb back down the hill to the beach. He was walking across the beach when Elizabeth ran towards him and started to berate him once he was close.
Danny said, "Shhhh", putting a finger to his lips. "Don't want to wake up the cannibals, do we." He then laughed at the worried look that came over her face. "But seriously, cannibals haven't been reported in this area for some years.
"I'm going to look in the jungle a little ways for shelter. We may have to spend this night on the beach, but we need something more secure. Please stay here, I won't be long or far. Danny started to turn away, then looked back at Elizabeth. Why didn't I notice this before. Given the state of her clothing, I would have thought she'd want more on, not less. This night might be very interesting.
Danny then walked into the jungle, disappearing from view.
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Elizabeth:
Daniel started toward the jungle as he left Elizabeth there alone again. After he just scared the shit out of me, he expected me to stay behind? Did he think I was crazy? Elizabeth watched as he disappeared from her sight as she just sat there. He had come back from his last escapade so she did as he said. Elizabeth stayed there and just sat on the beach.
Elizabeth looked down to the ocean and saw something floating there. What was it? She prayed it wasn't a dead body that had been washed ashore. Elizabeth started toward it slowly. She found it was a bag so she pulled it ashore with her. When I opened it and found a dress, I was so happy! It was a little larger than I was used to, but it was something that would cover me.
Elizabeth looked around and didn't see Daniel around. She pulled off her dress and slipped on the new one. It fit pretty nicely and was long. As Liz walked, it trailed behind her. Elizabeth just flopped back down on the beach as she waited for Daniel to come back.
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Danny:
Yeah, I was looking for shelter, but what we really needed was water. We would die pretty quick without it, but I didn't want her to start worrying. Danny was looking through the jungle near the base of the hill. He knew that if there was a spring it would be near there.
Danny was looking down and almost walked into a big spider web. He backed up looking for the spider. There it was a huge Banana spider. Red, yellow and black, it was 8 inches across. If it had bitten him, he might have died. Danny gave that web a wide berth and kept his eyes up.
He was so intently looking for dangers that he stepped in a puddle of cold water. Danny was at first angry, but then very happy. Dang water, good thing I don't have any shoes. Wait a minute, I found water, Yea! I've got to bring some to Elizabeth.
Danny drank his fill of the fresh, cool water. He then broke off a leafy frond and made a make shift cup. He marked the spot of the spring in his head; sure he could find it again. He filled the cup with water and headed straight for the beach.
He came out further up than where he went in and drew a big arrow in the sand with his foot. He happily walked over towards Elizabeth. Something was different, he couldn't place it at first, then she stood up.
From somewhere she had found a new dress! It made his finding of water somehow seem less important. She always has to do one better than me! No wonder she is such a snob, the world bends to her will.
Danny walked up to Elizabeth and handed her the cup. "Nice dress, but isn't it a little big? Oh, by the way, I found a spring but stay out of the jungle; there are poisonous things in there."
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Elizabeth:
Elizabeth didn't know how long she had sat on the beach, but she was burning up! Liz looked around for shade, but there wasn't any to be found. She laid on the ground and covered her face with some cloth she found in the bag.
Soon Elizabeth had a feeling of someone next to her. She pulled the cloth from her face and looked up to find Daniel was holding something, but what was it? Elizabeth made it to her feet slowly as he held it out to her. It was a cup of sorts with something in it. Liz was afraid to take it from him and then he spoke,
"Nice dress, but isn't it a little big? Oh, by the way, I found a spring but stay out of the jungle, there are poisonous things in there."
"Oh…so this is water Daniel?" Elizabeth questioned as she reached out to take the cup from him.
"Yes Elizabeth. It is water, but did you hear the rest of what I said?"
"Yes Daniel, I did. I just wanted to be sure this was water before I took it from you. I am so thirsty right now! Thank you for the compliment on the dress. I found a bag over there. There are some men's clothing in there if you wish to look thru it. I just wanted to get something that would cover me from your view. As for me going into the jungle, I have to get out of this sun! It is too hot out here. The jungle is going to be the only safe place we have Daniel." Elizabeth finished as she took a sip of the water. It tasted so good! So crisp and so clear. How much I wanted to have more or to go swim in it. Anything! Were Daniel and I going to survive this??
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Danny:
"You got that dress out of a bag floating in the water? Give me that bag!" Danny dumps the bag out on the beach. It's mostly men's clothes, but Danny hears something go 'Clank'. Danny picks up the clothes, one by one, and gives them a shake. He is rewarded by a couple of objects falling out of an old shirt.
Danny holds them up triumphantly for Elizabeth to see. One is a Sailor's knife with a marlin spike, the other a small tin of... fishing weights and hooks! "This is Great!" he shouts. He is so ecstatic that he picks up Elizabeth and spins her around before setting her down again.
He takes another look at the items poured out of the sack. "This would only be perfect if... Yes!" Danny holds up an old pair of deck shoes and dances a jig. After the dance, Danny put them on, too big. So he stuffs a rag into the toe of each shoe, so they fit.
"What were you saying again?" he asks Elizabeth. "Oh yes, some shelter from the sun." he answers himself. Danny holds up the knife, "With this I can build a fine shelter." He drapes the old shirt over Elizabeth's head, "Here keep this over your head, you know you gotta stay out of the sun."
Danny then walks over to where he entered the Jungle in search of water. He finds a square of four trees near the beach. He strips the braches from the tree and cleans all the vegetation out close to the trees. Using long twigs and torn rags, he soon has the frame of a hut built. Broad palm leaves complete the roof and the walls.
"Elizabeth, your mansion awaits." He then walks over to the arrow he dug in the sand and carefully, hacks out a path to the spring. He makes another cup and brings Elizabeth some more water. He returns to the spring with the first cup, slakes his thirst and fills the cup and also brings it to Elizabeth.
By now it's starting to get dark, so fishing will have to wait until the next day.
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Elizabeth:
When I told Daniel that I had found the bag, he seemed to change his tone with me. When I handed it to him, he sort of ripped it from my hands. I just let out a gasp unable to speak. What was he looking for? There wasn't anything in there that would save us except for some more clothing or such. I watched as Danny went thru it frantically.
Soon he stood before Elizabeth as he held up his findings. To her it looked like nothing, but Daniel was so excited. Elizabeth smiled at him and then he totally surprised her. He came over to Elizabeth and picked her up and started to spin her around before he set her back down. He went back to the sack and found some shoes and he did a dance alone at that point. Elizabeth crossed her arms and tried to hide her face. Daniel was so excited it was funny yet cute at the same time.
Elizabeth was wondering if he had forgotten what it was she was asking about, but he hadn't. He got back to the shelter and then took off to the jungle again. Before he left, he put an old shirt over her head to protect her from the sun. Elizabeth looked up at him sort of surprised, but he was being really nice. Maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought. I watched as he entered the jungle again and I lie on the beach napping.
"Elizabeth, your mansion awaits." she heard Daniel say. Elizabeth blinked her eyes in the bright sun as she looked up at him. He stood there holding his hand out to her. Once he had helped Elizabeth to her feet, he went to the edge of the jungle where he had dug an arrow. He hacked a clearing to the hut and then was off again. I didn't know where to, but I was just happy we had some shelter. It was a pretty good little hut he had made out of a square of four trees near the beach, striped braches from the tree, cleaned all the vegetation out close to the trees, long twigs and torn rags made the frame of the hut, while broad palm leaves completed the roof and the walls. Elizabeth felt cooler already. She just smiled as she took my seat in the corner of the hut. So this was where he and I were going to sleep? Elizabeth just looked around as she waited for Daniel to come back.
He wasn't gone long before he returned with the cup again with some fresh water. It tasted so good. Elizabeth was so hungry and mentioned it to Daniel, but he said that it was getting dark and fishing would have to wait. I was okay with that since I wasn't THAT hungry. I was just tired from all of the stress we had tossed at us.
Elizabeth was out like a light within moments. The sounds of the jungle were so peaceful. It was amazing! I lived in a country setting at home so I was used to the quiet, but not like this. Even in her sleepless state though Elizabeth could still tell what was going on around her. She felt something on her feet and just tried to kick it away. It wouldn't move and seemed to get closer. Elizabeth opened her sleepy eyes and looked down to her feet. In the moonlight she could see a form of a snake. Elizabeth gulped back a scream and was just frozen. She didn't know if it was poisonous or not, but she wasn't going to take a chance.
"Daniel? Are you awake? Daniel?" Elizabeth whispered as she hoped he could hear her.
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Danny:
He was almost asleep, when her whispering voice came abruptly into his mind and he rolled over towards the door to the hut. He was about to chastise Elisabeth when his eyes caught a slithering movement from near her.
Danny whipped out the knife extending the marlin spike in one motion and stabbed down, piercing the body of the snake near the head. The snake tried to bite the intruding metal to no avail, it finally expired with a shudder. Danny tossed the snake off the knife with a flick of his wrist and wiped the marlin spike on the side of the hut.
"Don't worry princess; it was just a snake and its dead now. I think I'll sleep in here tonight, just in case. You can go back to sleep now, princess." Danny laid one of the old shirts over her to help keep her warm. The other he pulled over himself. It gets cold at night around here.
Danny was a little surprised to wake up with Elizabeth's arms around him. He carefully tried to get up without waking her. After all, there's work to be done.
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Elizabeth:
Daniel turned over as Elizabeth heard a disgusted sound come from his throat. She was sure he was going to yell at her, but when he saw what had awoken her…he calmed down. He was quick on his feet as he pulled out the knife and killed the snake. Elizabeth sat there stunned as her heart was racing.
"Don't worry princess; it was just a snake and its dead now. I think I'll sleep in here tonight, just in case. You can go back to sleep now, princess." Elizabeth heard him say as she lay back down. She was quickly getting back to sleep when Daniel put a shirt over her. Elizabeth felt warmer already. She watched him as he lay down on the other side of the hut.
I was not sure of what time it was or anything, but I thought that I felt the snake move again. She looked down and looked and there was nothing. Liz looked over to Daniel and he was sound asleep. She didn't want to wake him for nothing. Elizabeth crawled over to him and lay beside him. She didn't know what had possessed her to do it, but it felt natural. Elizabeth snuggled up beside him as she started to feel warmer. Her arm automatically moved to wrap around him.
The morning came and Elizabeth awoke to warmth on her shoulder and sunshine in her eyes. She sat up in the hut and rubbed her eyes as she struggled to wake up. Elizabeth was still a little sore, but was sure that was normal. She looked down by my feet to see the knife and snake gone. The snake was huge…had it taken off with the knife? Elizabeth jumped up and ran out of the hut to the beach. I just wanted to get away from it! As she ran screaming, she ran into Daniel. He caught her as she screamed even louder.
"Princess, it is just me. Are you okay?" He asked as held her tight to him to calm Elizabeth down. She stopped screaming and tried to catch her breath as she lifted her head to look up at him.
"Yes Daniel, I am alright. Just that when I woke up the snake and the knife were gone so I just got scared that it was still out there someplace."
"No princess," Elizabeth heard him say as he let her go, "I took it this morning. I thought that since it was dead and all and we needed food, I would cook it if I can get a fire up and going. I am just getting together the necessities for the fire now. Why don't you go and get some more of the twigs and such you were looking for yesterday." He finished as Liz felt a little more at ease now. Daniel was acting better than he had on the boat. This was all so new to me! He and I had been at each others throats and now we were being civil to each other. It was just a major turn of events. Elizabeth took off to gather some other things as he had asked.
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Danny:
Danny watched Elizabeth walk away as she went looking for sticks for the fire. She was an attractive girl and she was not a stuck-up bitch, like I had first thought. Better to be marooned with someone like her rather than one of the crew, like 'the swede'. haha
When Elizabeth brought back some sticks, Danny managed to get a fire started by using a piece of glass to concentrate the sun's rays. He had already cut the snakes body into pieces and cooked them on sticks. He had saved the entrails of the snake for fishing bait.
He and Elizabeth sat down and ate for the first time since they had been marooned. It was wonderful! They finished all of the snake and the water Danny had refilled the leaf glasses with. "Let's go catch some fish, Princess."
The sun is still in our faces from the East. "That way the fish don't see our shadows." He shows Elizabeth how to bait the hook with bits of snake. The string is tied to a sturdy pole and the hook is cast into the water.
A long time went by and the fish had not bitten yet. "I was afraid of that.", Danny says. Keep trying Elizabeth and check to see if your bait is still there." Danny walks a little way into the jungle, and then returns peeling the branches off a 4' long stick. He sharpens its end with the knife and takes off all his clothes except for a loin-cloth looking thing and wades into the water. "Don't worry, I'm just off to get us some fish."
Danny gets chest deep in the water, then holds his breath and dives under. He repeats this after he catches his breath. After about a 1/2 an hour he wades out with some fish wiggling on the stick.
He hands Elizabeth the stick, then gets dressed again. He cleans some of the fish with the knife, saving the guts for another try at fishing tomorrow. "That is how to clean fish, Princess. Think you can do it?"
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Elizabeth:
"That is how to clean fish, Princess. Think you can do it?" Daniel asked as he looked at me.
"I don't know Daniel. I have never touched a knife or anything."
"Well Princess, here you go. Touch the knife and touch the fish. I can't do all of the work here you know. You need to help out. I am not saying that you haven't been, but you have to do more than get wood and I am sure you will be doing more than you ever had to back home." Daniel said to me as he held the knife out to Elizabeth. She took it from him and held it by the end of the handle. "You won't get anything done that way Princess. Hold it firmly in your hand and do as I showed you." He said as he stood behind her. He wrapped his left arm around my waist as his right hand held hers. He took the knife in his left hand and put it into Liz's right hand. "Like that Princess. You got it?" He asked as he let her go. I didn't know what I was doing.
Elizabeth watched as Daniel took off yet again. I didn't know where he was off to this time. He didn't tell me. Maybe off to the bathroom or something. I didn't know, but knew he would come back. He has been thus far.
Elizabeth started to cut the fish and she did a pretty good job. She just hoped that it was the way Daniel had wanted it. She didn't do it the way he had shown her. Elizabeth did whatever worked. She got the stupid thing cut up. That was the main thing. Elizabeth saw Daniel coming back down the beach. She lifted her right hand to shade her eyes from the sun to watch him coming toward her. What did he have now?
© 2006 msboy8