*GASP* Could it be? An update? Shocking. So this is the third chapter. I know I've seriously neglected this story, so I'm sorry for that.

From here on out the plot changes and some events will be out of order. So without furter ado, here is the chapter!


CRASH!!!

A boulder ripped through the foliage, cutting a path down the mountain. The three boys whooped and cheered, evidently proud of their accomplishment. Oh yes, thought Jeanette, look at how great we are. We pushed a rock off a cliff.

It took them nearly five minutes to get over their victory and by then Jeanette was ready to march up the mountain and look for herself. She crept behind them, careful not to make a sound, and listened hard.

"This belongs to us" Of course, it would be Ralph who claimed something the second he saw it. She peaked between the trees and gasped. The view was spectacular, breath-taking. You could see for miles, an open stretch of cool ocean water dotted with coral reefs. She shifted her weight, trying to get a better look and a twig snapped beneath her foot.

Instantly her head snapped towards her brother, but he hadn't noticed, still enraptured by the island. Relaxing, she let her gaze drift towards the other two, only to tense again. The white blonde boy, Jack, was scanning the surrounding bushes, trying to locate the sound. She waited until he had turned back around, then silently crept back down the mountain.

It was time to find a place to sleep.


Jeanette watched in silence as the second meeting started. She could only catch snatches of the conversation, but she got the gist of it. No one knew where they were.

If no one knew they were missing, no one would ever search for them. If no one searched for them, no one could find them. If no one found them they couldn't be rescued. Her train of thought was abruptly cut of by loud voices and running feet. It seemed as if almost everyone was running up the mountain.

"Come on, hurry up."

"A fire. Make a fire!"

Jeanette trailed them slowly, until they got to a sort of platform that overlooked the island. She made sure to stay far enough back that when they began to hunt for sticks, they wouldn't accidentally find her. They piled them all in the center, then used the fat boy's glasses to start the fire. A stream of smoke wove into the air, raising up until it dissipated.

This would be an ideal place to sleep. Close enough to the boys that she could watch without being seen and the light fro the fire would provide some comfort at night. She stole away in the shadows, convinced she would be safe for now.


A week passed, give or take a day, and Jeanette had fallen into a routine. She woke earlier than any of the boys and found fruit to eat. On her third day, she had discovered a small pool of fresh water, so she cleaned her hands and face in that. The rest of the day was spent watching the boys. The hunters were especially peculiar. They sharpened sticks with a knife and ran around the forest all day.

The boys on fire duty seemed to be getting more tired by the day. Sometimes they would fall asleep on duty, only to be woken by their partner. It was only a matter of time before something went wrong.

Sharp crackling cut through Jeanette's slumber, and as she awoke the thick scent of smoke overwhelmed her senses. Dazedly she struggled to sit upright and gasped when she realized the oce small fire had grown out of proportion, and was spreading quickly. She leaped to her feet and stumbled through the undergrowth. Who had been on fire duty that night? There had been two…..then one had left to go hunting…..the other seemed very tired……then came the wind.

Her feet hit a path, one of the pig runs, and she began to sprint away from the fire. It was long behind her now, but she continued to run until she reached her pool of water. Coughing and gasping for breath, she greedily scooped handfuls of icy water down her throat. Then the exhaustion took over, and she collapsed onto her side before everything faded to black.