AN: Thank you so much to everyone who have read this story and followed it or favourite it, and also thank you to those who have reviewed it. It is greatly appreciated.
And thank you as well to RVFlorida who made the point that I need to make sure I explain how Rachel is surviving without her Dads and how the background for that is.
I sort of touch on it here in this chapter, but I will leave the rest of the explanation for a later chapter when the girls trust each other a bit more.
Anyway, enjoy Chapter 4.
Chapter 4:
With the beacon out of the question, Rachel and Quinn decided to do the next best thing, build a big HELP message out of the rocks they could find and make sure it was inland enough so that the tide wouldn't cover up the message, but out enough to be able to be seen.
"What do you think about building a signal that we can burn at the top of that hill over there?" Quinn asked.
"That's certainly an idea, and we can use the flares if the ships are close enough," Rachel said as she placed the final stone into the sand, "You know what else I was thinking?"
"What?"
"If we build or rather keep three areas that can be our spots, you know, to rest and camp, we can do more if we end up being here too long, it would certainly be beneficial,"
"That's an idea, I mean, we already have two places, that ledged cave you found, the area I found, we just need a safe beach area, and we can spread the supplies while we're at it,"
"Exactly,"
"But where are we going to build it? I want the food to be safe off the ground and make sure the tide doesn't damage the place at night, oh and we're going to have to lug stuff to two places inland,"
"We can take our time Quinn, it's not like we have a time limit to do this, sort of, there is still the night time,"
"Yeah, I don't want to walk around the dark either,"
"We could use parts of the lifeboat to build a shelter here at the beach, but we need rope, I don't really see any,"
"Well, here's some rope, I'm assuming you're going to use it to tie the food off the ground, let's hope the monkeys don't get to them,"
"They won't, I'll wrap them up good,"
"You know, I think I saw some vines further that way, we can use those if they're strong,"
"Yes, and we can also make rope out of dead plants,"
"You know how?"
"I learnt,"
Just then Quinn's stomach grumbled, "Sorry," she said with a sheepish look.
"We have two options, we can eat some of the rations now, or I teach you how to make rope and how to fish," Rachel said.
"Both, eat now then rope time, and fishing, you okay with fishing?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Because you're a Vegan,"
"My Daddy once taught me how to fish, he told me that even though I was Vegan a situation may arise where I may need to know how to catch food and eat because there will be no Vegan substitute, guess he was right,"
"So, do your parents and you go out on Outdoor trips much?"
Rachel sat down opposite Quinn as the two ate some of the rations, "Not in recent years, they've been busy,"
"Oh, really? How about during school breaks and stuff?"
A look passed Rachel's face and Quinn recognised it, it was a look of loneliness and pain, but that wasn't possible was it? Rachel was always talking about loving Dads, she wanted to press more and ask but she realised that if she confronted Rachel about it now, the brunette may never open up, it's not like they were that close yet. So all she said was, "They're away too much huh?"
"Oh, no, no, of course not, just, you know, thinking," Rachel covered and Quinn pretended to believe her.
Quinn looked out over the ocean and enjoyed the scenery.
"You shouldn't stare too much out there," Rachel stated.
"Why?" Quinn asked.
"Well, as you know, the sun can reflect off any surface and it can blind you if you stare at the water too long,"
"But it's so pretty,"
"And sometimes pretty things can be the things that hurt you the most,"
Quinn just sighed in agreement.
"No Quinn, not that one, it won't hold as it's a bit too dry, you have to find vines and dead plants that look like this one here," Rachel instructed.
After their small meal and bundling up the supplies by the new shelter Rachel had constructed at an over turned tree and using the lifeboat pieces as a bivouac, (and yes Quinn helped with a minimal amount of snark involved, except for when she hit her thumb really hard and swore like sailor and Rachel ended up laughing because it looked hilarious – it must also be said that she found it funny as Quinn wasn't snarking at her but rather at the offending piece of wood she had dropped on the ground).
Rachel was now teaching Quinn how to make strong rope out of dead plants and tree vines. It was going successfully, sort of, if you count the fact that they had been there for about an hour as they searched for the right types of plants and vines. And Quinn's first few attempts were failed and Rachel could tell the blonde was getting frustrated but kept her annoyance in check.
"There, you got it," Rachel beamed.
"Thanks Berry," Quinn smiled as she looked at her handy work.
The blonde didn't look as she reached out to make more rope out of the tree vine behind her.
"Quinn, don't grab that," Rachel started.
"Relax, it's just vine, I'll be fine," Quinn said as she reached out without looking and grabbed the vine that was supposedly above and behind her, "Why is the vine cold and smooth?"
"Uh, Quinn,"
The two heard an angry hiss and Quinn looked up and realised she had just grabbed a snake.
She yelped as she let go and jumped backwards but her arm movement made the green snake drop to the ground.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Quinn squealed as she ran off in one direction and Rachel ran yelping the other way, she may have learnt how to hunt and survive, but a snake this close to her, nah-uh.
Now if there was a third party watching this from a safe distance, this would have been a hilarious site, kinda like those old cartoons you got from the 90s.
Quinn for some reason ran in a circle squealing, and Rachel was almost in a straight line until she tripped, the snake was right behind her.
Now in a normal calm situation, Rachel would have remembered that snakes generally wouldn't chase a human being and are just looking for a means of escape and trying to get away, unfortunately for Rachel, when you have a slithering reptile that looks like it's chasing you, your brain is not going to allow you time to remember that.
She turned to look and realised that the snake was almost at her, its' body in the s-position, ready to strike, but before it could Quinn dropped a heavy rock on its' head and killed it.
The two collected their breaths, waiting for the panic to ease away.
"I'm so sorry Berry," Quinn said, "Oh my god, are you okay?"
"Yeah, fine, I, thanks Quinn," Rachel said as she slowly collected her breath and stood up.
"So uh, note to self, when making rope, always make sure not to grab a snake,"
"That would be a great idea,"
"Well, at least I now have dinner, you know how to make a fire right?"
"Yeah, why do you…you're going to eat the snake? Really?"
"Hey it's food, might as well make the most of it,"
'Good grief,' Rachel thought, but didn't say more as she and Quinn made their way back to the bivouac by the beach.