BReakaway

Wiggy. I figured Three would be my last F29D fanfic, largely because I had zero inspiration or ideas for it. Lo and behold, I'm working on my "big" fanfiction, the Dark Conquest series, when I get to thinking about the big conflict at the end of F29D, which kicked off for the movie.

Well, I'm twisting it in a different way. What would happen if they discovered the chicken, but Melissa hadn't been diverted back to the camp?

Some of them were more carnivorous than others, after all...

F29D - means a Scene Break

Thought/Camera Bit

F29D

Jackson and Nathan sat around the camp fire, stoking it a bit. It was early morning. As in, the sun hadn't risen, early. They had an egg cooking before them. In accordance with the schedule, it was Nathan's turn to eat an egg.

"So, why'd you get up so early?" Nathan asked.

"I always wake up early, to make sure someone doesn't try anything," Jackson replied, "you?"

Nathan scraped the egg off the make-shift skillet onto a make-shift plate. Fortunately, he had an actual fork.

"To get my egg, dude. Been waiting for this for a week," Nathan said, with a feral smile.

He dug into his egg with glee. Jackson snickered a few seconds. Nathan savored every bite of his egg, until he was finished.

"It was good of you to volunteer to wait until everyone else had an egg before you got one," Jackson said.

"Eh. It was a spur of the moment, "why not?" deal."

"All the same, I appreciate it. I'll have to make it up to you, at some point."

"Someone's getting up."

After some minor rustling, Eric clumsily stepped out of his tent. He sort of staggered to one side, then, focused and determined, walked over to the fire.

"Hey, boy scouts. What 'choo guys up so early for?" he asked.

Jackson and Nathan looked at each other, bemused. Nathan knew who Jackson really meant when he said "someone".

"I was going ahead and getting my egg, so I could enjoy it before chores start. Jackson was up to his usual mysterious non-rich kid activites," Nathan joked.

Jackson and Nathan chuckled lowly, then bumped fists. Eric shook his head, looked up at the sprouts of sunlight, then back at the guys.

"Anyone else getting tired of our usual diet?" he asked.

"Meh. It's healthy," Jackson shrugged.

"The only meat is the occasional fish. Personally, I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy," Eric said.

Nathan sniggered.

"What?" Eric asked.

"A meat and potatoes guy? You? You are no football player, dude," Nathan laughed.

"And you've got the build of a pop star, so hush. What I'm sayin' is, we should get some actual meat," Eric snapped.

"Pop star?" Nathan demanded.

"Actual meat? Like what? The chicken? The answer is no, Eric," Jackson said.

"Oh, come on, Jackson. When's the last time you had a thing of fried chicken? Now, admittedly, we can't exactly fry it, but even I'd take a simple, pot-cooked chicken. It sounds good, don't it?" Eric replied.

"We voted, Eric. The chicken stays, until we hit hard times. That means three days of no food. Just wanting something different doesn't cut it," Jackson replied.

Eric's pupils dilated. His muscles tensed. Jackson and he held a fierce glaring contest. After ten seconds, Eric returned back to normal. The dangerousness in his being had surfaced for a few seconds, but it had dived again. Jackson and Nathan looked at him with some suspicion as he walked back to his tent.

This is bullshit. They don't want to man up and actually do something. They just want to keep doing the normal. Guess what? I'm sick and tired of it. The chores. Dealing with those jerks. I'm sick of it. I'm not going to put up with it. And I know just what to do.

-Diary of Eric

F29D

Later that morning, Jackson watched Eric carefully as he came out of his tent again, yawning. Eric sat down at the campfire area, where everyone besides Nathan and Jackson were eating, since they had already eaten. Eric scooped up a piece of seaweed and a coconut, sat down, and dug in, calmly. That feral look he had displayed seemed like a dream to those who saw it. It couldn't have happened.

"So, Lex, got any ideas rattling around in that head of yours?" Daley asked.

"We've got pretty much everything we need. I mean, maybe we could use a light to try and attract ships, but I dunno..." Lex trailed off.

"What about hunting?" Eric said, suddenly.

"Why would we hunt?" Jackson asked.

"For something beyond the same old, same old. Our food sources might run out, et cetera, et cetera. The list could go on, and I'll bet Brainy McGenius could explain them all a lot better than I could," Eric replied, pointing at Lex.

"Brainy McGenius?" Lex asked, indignantly.

"We're not hunting. It's too dangerous," Daley replied.

"Really? I recall hearing that you two had done it, successfully... Until the end, when you wussed out. Can't be too hard, then, eh?" Eric asked.

"Hey, we had our reasons," Nathan said.

"Oh, please. Save your excuses for someone who will put up with 'em," Eric replied.

"We couldn't just kill a living animal," Daley muttered.

"What was that? Kill a living animal? You mean, the same way Jackson and Taylor kill fish so easily? Screw it. I'm going hunting. Anyone gonna' help?" he asked, standing up.

No one else stood up.

"Jackson?"

"No."

"Figures. Nathan? Daley? Lex?"

"Screw you, Eric. Lex is just 10. And we've already promised not to kill anything unless we have to," Nathan snapped.

"I don't even need to ask you, Melissa. No, am I right?"

Melissa nodded.

Eric's annoyance was visible.

"Taylor?"

Taylor shook her head. Eric's eyes widened.

"Excuse me? Taylor, I thought we had each other's backs. I thought we actually... Guess I was wrong."

"Eric..."

Eric turned around and headed for his tent.

"I'm sorry..."

Eric said nothing as he pulled out his sack, already packed. He snatched up one of the pre-carved spears, then headed into the woods.

Everyone looked around for a few moments, trying to avoid each other's eyes.

"That idiot. He'll be back," Jackson finally said.

"Maybe we should've stood by him?" Melissa wondered.

"I know Eric pretty well. He'll probably give up in a day, maybe two. Then, we can shove a whole bunch of guilt on him, and make him do a whole lot more chores," Nathan said.

"What if something happens to him? He's going to be all alone out there," Daley said.

"If he's smart, he'll try to stay close to camp. But, of course, since this is Eric, he probably won't. Dumbass," Jackson spat.

"Why are you so hard on him?" Taylor asked.

Jackson stared at her for a few seconds.

"Well?" Taylor demanded.

Jackson rolled his eyes.

"Do you want me to read off the list?" Lex said.

"You have a list?" Daley asked.

"No, but I can make one really quick, based on what everything he's done," Lex replied.

Okay. I know Eric has been a bit of a jerk at times. But, seriously, it's just... we're both spoiled, rich brats. I know that. He knows that. I got over it... He... didn't. He couldn't, I guess. Eric has a lot going on, that he's only told me about. I know it doesn't completely excuse everything he's done, but... they were being way too harsh on him.

-Diary of Taylor

"He's screwed up a few times, but he's still our friend," Taylor said.

She looked around at solemn faces.

"Or is he?" she asked, fiercely.

No one answered.

"Am I the only one concerned for Eric? I... I can't believe you. Any of you. He's still human, just like all of us. He's made mistakes, but no one here hasn't. Nathan, you thought Jackson was just an unpredictable outsider. Jackson, you were stupid enough to drink unpurified water. Lex, you've stolen from us. Daley, you were so busy being an arrogant bitch that you would've lead us into the ground if Jackson hadn't taken over! Melissa, yeah, even you've screwed up! The way you look at me sometimes, you seem to think I'm trying to get in Jackson's pants just to spite you! Guess what? I'm not. And you hate him? Because he's a jerk sometimes?" Taylor shouted.

Taylor screamed in frustration and stomped off, not towards the woods, but to the other side of the beach.

"Happy fun time," Jackson groaned, as he walked off to do his share of the chores.

The day was not promising.

End of Chapter One