Jesus, it looks like all the writers are on holiday somewhere recently. I, too, am away yet again (yes I travel quite frequently), though I've finally acquired some wireless internet connection and have arrived to give you a new chapter. The story is hopefully beginning to take form, so it's becoming quite a thrill to write – especially when I'm stuck somewhere stuffy waiting to travel to my next destination.

I've noticed that I consistently and swiftly change the focus between Emily and Naomi throughout each chapter, highlighting both their thoughts and feelings in a seemingly jumbled way – so I've tried to focus on Emily for now. Again, if there's anything you like/dislike; do let me know! It helps me shape what you will hopefully enjoy to read.


She told Naomi that the fish didn't look cooked, but being as stubborn as ever, the blonde simply scowled and continued eating it, fresh from the little bonfire they shared. She emptied her stomach three times the following morning, with the number still rising throughout the day.

"Why didn't you bloody listen to me?" Emily's words simply making the girl lazily roll her eyes, though she registers the affection she's receiving when Emily tucks a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

Sitting beside Naomi in the shade of their palm tree, Emily rinses the make-shift cloth in the water compartment, keeping Naomi's forehead cool.

"This is the last thing we need." She punctuates her statement with a tut.

"It's not like I fucking went out of my way to be sick," Emily only frowns at Naomi's attempt at a usually perfect retort, but her eyelids are heavy and her cold sweat covered body is limp.

"You don't look well at all; you need to drink some more water." Emily's voice wavers in concern, the huskiness cracking with every vowel she pronounces.

Bringing up a large camping flask they luckily recovered from the stray suitcase, Emily lifts it to Naomi's lips, tipping it up a little too fast and causing the water to flow down Naomi's chin and neck.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Dabbing carefully at the blonde's neck, Emily's hands freeze. Her fingers clutching the damp cloth tightly, she holds her breath and continues drying Naomi eventually. The sudden nervousness that overcame her doesn't go unnoticed, although it isn't questioned either.

A few minutes later when the redhead thinks she's free to gaze at Naomi, her eyes finally wander back to the delicate curves of the blonde's neck, memorizing each slope as though she'll never get to see her again.


Emily welcomes the thunder and lightening, it's almost a Pavlovian reaction to feeling the familiar butterflies in her stomach as Naomi's slender arms wrap around her. Like every other time, Emily prays that her racing heartbeat is drowning in the noise around her; she curses herself for being so easily affected as though she is 16 all over again. University and her previous relationships should have made her bolder, sturdier and although they have – Naomi manages to undo her in all the right ways, in all the ways she secretly misses from her youth. Her conflicting thoughts quickly vanish when she feels hands tighten around her waist, she can't move even if she'd want to.

Inevitably, sleep blankets them both regardless of the muffled storm around them.

Their shelter creates a little cocoon, tucking them away from nature during the night and provides a little sanctuary for when they need it most.

Emily tried to make it as homely as possible, putting up a few crooked shelves with a mix of rock slates and coconut shells. Naomi threw a tantrum, wondering out loud why Emily even bothers when it will never be anything close to home – simply a painful reminder of what they lost. Knowingly, Emily gave her time to cool off, come back and attempt an apology which came in the form of a few things to put up on the shelves (one of which a piece of flat driftwood with 'Home sweet home' carved sloppily into the surface).


Among the hunter-gatherer type survival roles they both adopt, something grows with each day, something beneath the exterior. The dynamic between the girls offers comfort but from time to time (which becomes increasingly frequent) something else is present, tension in its most pleasant form swirls delicately in the air.

This persistent tension surrounding them adds fuel to the fire for Emily, her hope for mutual affection continually burning deep in her chest. She can't remember if she's ever felt a bond quite as strong as the one she's currently sharing with Naomi before, although, she's never been stranded on an island with one person before either. Somehow, she doesn't think the two are connected.


Daylight shines through the gaps of wood in the shelter, waking Emily mercilessly. She moves to sleepily stretch her limbs when suddenly noticing she's being restricted by the figure beside her. Naomi's head is perched up on her shoulder, hot breath tickling the skin on her neck and an arm keeping her hips in place – Emily can only exhale a heavy breath and attempt to calm the increasingly rampant beating of her heart.

She doesn't know how long she's simply been lying there but she swiftly snaps out of her daze when Naomi stirs and slowly opens her eyes, squinting and adjusting to the light of day. Emily turns her head and smirks at the blonde, nodding down at their intertwined bodies when Naomi expresses her confusion over the seemingly smug face she's woken up to. Widening her eyes, the taller girl moves away as though burned, sitting up slightly and leaning back on her elbows.

"Shut up." The muttering of the words is all it takes for Emily to start laughing, playfully shoving Naomi on the shoulder. It catches her off-guard then, the look of pure fondness that washes over blue eyes when they glance back at her.

By the time she manages to get her breath back, Naomi scrambles away to get a drink, leaving Emily to drop back onto the sand and attempt to relax.

"Pull yourself together, Christ." She mutters, her fingers absent-mindedly fiddling with the button on her shorts, sparking a wonder of whether her feelings or her sexual frustration will cause her to crack and jump Naomi first. She shakes her head, attempting to push away any filthy thoughts at this time of the day, though her senses conveniently become flooded with fantasies of great detail that have accumulated over the past weeks. Unfortunately, Emily quickly snaps out of her reverie when she hears the loud expletives emanating from the blonde – a tell tale sign that she either walked into something or spilled the water.


The sun is impossibly hot, blazing in the sky and creating a higher temperature for the girls with every passing day. Naomi points out they're lucky enough to have adjusted to the heat by now before its current peak so that they aren't burning to a crisp or constantly passing out. Emily automatically nods without hearing a word Naomi's saying, just watches the way her legs stretch on tip toes to help her reach a mango. It doesn't help that the blonde cut her khakis so short they could pass off as a belt; for once, Emily thanks god for Naomi's terribly inaccurate estimations.

"Hello? Are you listening…oi, midg—" Naomi's mouth freezes when she catches the look on Emily's face.

"What did I tell you about calling me a midget?" Raising her eyebrows, the redhead dares Naomi to challenge her.

"You told me not to, but what did I tell you about telling me what to do?" In an attempt to level Emily's stare, Naomi puts her hands on her hips and narrows her eyes. Her composure is lost the second Emily throws a mango her way and accurately hits her on the head, bouncing off in a spectacular fashion. By the time Naomi lifts her head back up to glare and pummel Emily, the shorter girl is twenty feet away from her and continuously getting further, as fast as her little legs will take her.

"Fucking…midget!" Naomi stands expectantly waiting for Emily to stop and return after her insult, but the shout only makes the laughing in the distance louder.

It doesn't take long for Naomi to catch up, diving with all her might at the girl in front of her and crashing straight into the sand on their beach. Both girls land side by side, out of breath yet still laughing to the point of tears and half-heartedly kicking at each other. Slowly, the giggles begin to simmer down and Emily feels her arm brush delicately against Naomi's – they had been shoving and pushing each other for a while but the spark of electricity that surges through her body lets Emily know that this time, she's feeling Naomi. It's all she needs to boost her confidence and link her fingers with the ones laying mere centimetres away. She feels her chest implode when Naomi tightens the grip around her hand, turns and smiles softly.

Minutes later, with their hands still firmly attached, when they're pointing at clouds and trying to find the dirtiest looking one – Emily completely lets go, both feet off the ground, she feels like she's flying.