Abbey

I stare straight ahead. Something is terribly wrong.

If Jory and Ian were being bothered and followed by the captain, why did he just suddenly leave? Something had to give him a reason to do that, but what? Only one thought really sticks to my mind.

But I hope I'm wrong.

"When are we leaving?" I turn and gaze at Jory, who's hugging herself, staring straight at me.

"Back to camp?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not sure. We might wait a few days for Eric-"

"NO!" The cry is so loud, so sudden, Jackson bounds into the clearing, misinterpreting it for danger.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I reply, glaring at Jory. An image of Jackson sticks in my mind. He really is cute. . .

Ah, bad Abbey stop that! I shake my head.

"What do you mean no?" My voice rises with annoyance and anger as I stare down Jory. "I promised when I set out I wouldn't leave anyone in the forest to die. Mel and Eric are people too. They count."

"What if we don't ever find them," Jory asks quietly. "Does that mean you want us to stay out here forever?"

"No," I say at the same time as Jackson says

"Yes."

We stare at each other, my mind racing. Staying out here, waiting for people who might already be dead forever is suicide. I agree, we need to wait for a little while, but not forever. I can't stay out here forever. None of us can. We'll either die or go crazy.

Jory sits between us, our wall that keeps us from killing each other.

"I'll just," Jory says, standing and backing away, "leave you two to this yourselves." She bolts.

I stare icily at Jackson, and he gives me the same, annoyed, angry, disagreeing expression back. I bite my lip to keep form cussing.

"Jackson, its irrational. I want to stay out here forever too and look for Mel and Eric, wait for them, anything. But they might already be gone. We don't know, we just don't. They could've drowned, or caught sickness by now and have died or something. Waiting here forever will only kill more people than this island needs too."

"You just don't wanna wait cause you got what you came out here to get," he sneers. "You got Jory and Ian, so why do you need to wait anymore? You got what you've been looking for for days. You just wanna bolt with the people you've already collected and head back to the mainland. Why wait for those who mean nothing to you?"

"They don't mean nothing! Mel and I were close. . .ish. . .back home. I loved her. She was an awesome friend. Eric, Eric was an annoying rat but I've known them both since fourth grade. I don't want to see them die either, or let them."

"Then why wont you wait for them?"

"I will," I say, "but only for so long. We'll need to go back to the mainland soon and get more medicine for Ian's leg, and Jory could have all kinds of island sicknesses from being you here for so long. There's point here in leaving too. It'll save them as well. Mel and Eric may be to far gone to be helped."

I see the intense pain in his eyes in my statement, and the look in his eyes hurts me lightly too. I know he probably doesn't care about Eric (but I do cause he was always a good laugh and at times he can actually be really nice and caring) but about Mel, the girl he likes. I feel a pang of jealously. She says she'll be by his side through thick and thin, even when we get home-if we do-but will she really? I know Mel pretty well, and when things get aggressive or mean she backs away like a scared little girl. How can she deal with Jackson and his problems if she's afraid? I wouldn't be scared to stand by his side.

I shake the thought away as Jackson speaks again through gritted teeth. "How long do you propose we stay?"

"Three days. After that we must head back to the beach." He nods like a robot, turning away in fuming anger.

Oh joy. Three days and three days alone. That's all I can give him. We must get back soon before Ian gets worse.

R&R