Chapter 3

15 days later

Open sea

I have lost all will to live. Every time I close my eyes I hear my brothers screams for help. I just can't bear it anymore. Each time I fall asleep I hope it will be my last and I will be reunited with Donnie and Dad.

The scorching pain emanating across my entire body is just too much. Every inch I move I feel I am on fire. So I try to stay as still as possible as the sun burns me to a crisp. I have no idea how long I have been out here but I know I am to the point of death. Clouds begin to rush in and winds pick up nearly knocking me off my little box raft. Surprisingly it even lasted this long.

Stronger and stronger it blows as I struggle, clinging to life, knuckles turning white, an enormous wave slams into this raft spinning it so fast I nearly fall off. I grab a hold of the edges and hang on as hard as I can, with blood oozing from my cracked hands. Another wave from behind me smashes into my back, forcing me down into the water. I swim hard to the surface struggling to breathe when a ten foot tall wave smashes into my back. The raft rises to the top and gets sucked up into another giant wave that throws me, spinning me back into the sea, smashing the box into pieces.

I am in such pain my vision blurs, and all I can see is water rising and falling in the middle of fuzz. I scream at the top of my lungs as I am tossed like a rag doll through the violent sea. I try desperately to stay afloat, but am sucked under and slammed into wave after wave. My body hurts so bad I scream again just wanting to die. Fire. Skin peels, revealing sensitive areas that have been scorched by the sun, burning from all the saltwater rushing into the wounds.

The pain is just too much. I let out another cry as I get sucked back under and pulled to the top of another crashing wave. Please just let me die. I am dropped so hard that it feels as if my head is spinning. Pressure is just too great. Everything goes black.

Grandma Sophie is sitting in her rocking chair on the porch with me about 6 years old perched on her lap stroking my hair as I play with my favorite childhood doll. "Cassie, have I ever told you just how beautiful you are?

"Yes Grandma, yes you have, go on…"

"You get your looks from your mother you know. She was about your age and we were on a camping trip, all around the fire, roasting marshmallows. She was a persistent one I tell you. She wanted three to roast at a time. I allowed her to do it herself for the first time. She ever so gently impaled them to the roasting stick and got her smore pack ready. With caution she stood up and walked to the fire pit placing them above the glowing flames. They were roasting nicely and she decided to light the marshmallows. She got them nice and lit and tried to walk around the campsite, like she was an explorer. I told her to be careful and stay near the fire pit.

Well she tripped and fell nearby, with the stick flinging out from her grasp stumbling to the nearest tree igniting it and anything in its path. You would never have guessed a tree could go up in flames so fast. Before we knew it the whole forest was on fire."

"That wasn't a very nice story Grandma,"

"But your mother saved a baby rabbit she called Rufus"

"Did anyone die?"

"No, thank heavens, everyone made it out of the forest safe,"

"And all because of marshmallows?"

"Yep. Let's just say we didn't have marshmallows again for many many months. We got fined big,"

"What does that mean?"

"It means we had to pay money because of her mistake,"

"Oh"

"Grandma?"

"Yes, darling?

"I love you,"

"I love you too, precious."

She just cuddles with me as we watch the sun set behind the trees.

Gasping awake I struggle and realize that I am no longer in the water but on the shore of some unknown location. It is deep in the night now. I am shivering unable to maintain body temperature. I don't know where I am and realize for the millionth time that I am not home and that this is real, and mom probably thinks I am dead by now. I start to whimper with the rustling and growling going on in the distance. With nowhere to hide I stretch out uncomfortably in the sand and sob the night away.

It just can't be. I am more lost than ever now and I am not going to survive. Sometime later when I am half asleep I think I hear Aaron in the distance chanting something. But that can't be he is somewhere in the open ocean millions of miles from where I am, if he is even still alive.

In the morning I am woken up yet again by another scream that sounds just like Aaron. Could it be? Could he really be alive? I discover a new found strength and will to live. I don't even care about the major sunburns, or dried blood that cover my body. My brother might actually be out there and we will be rescued and reunited with Mom who must be so beside herself with worry at this point.

I hop to my feet and start in a general direction. Still cautiously I have no idea what is out here and there are all kinds of intimidating noises.

I push myself through thick brush and trees and bugs… just to try and find my brother. "Aaron! Aaron! Are you out here?"

I stop for a moment to catch my breath but hear nothing. I still have no idea where I am going and deep in my mind hope this isn't some trick my mind is playing on me. Great now I am hearing voices from loved ones. Why am I even trying? He can't be here he just can't. When the ship tore apart I lost his grip and we were flung in opposite directions. He can't… he just can't be here. There is no way. I give up.

My heart sinks to the deepest darkest part of my stomach and I slowly fall to the ground. Pulling my knees up to my chest I rest my head on my arms and just listen to the sounds of nature giving up all hope of ever being reunited. What was I thinking. First Dad, then Donnie, and now Aaron, surly I don't have much time either. I haven't had a bite to eat in weeks and water. Well that is a whole different story.

I wish Eliza were here she would know how to get me out of this mess. She was always getting into some kind of mess until she went off to college that is. Why I remember this one time when she took me out on one of her hikes. We were gone for a long time way past curfew. She had ditched me to hang out with an animal, so I went looking for her. Not long after I hear her moaning.

"Eliza! What on earth happened?" She couldn't speak just moan

I was able to get out of her that she had been attacked. But that was all I could get from her. I had no idea where we were so I couldn't go for help. I was able to pull her to the trail and hope someone would find us. It seemed forever before mom and dad found us. Let's just say I never ever did wander far from camp after that day.

I wonder if she and Debbie even know that Donnie died or that we are missing. I really hope Mom was able to get ahold of them and they are together.

There is some rustling of leaves as the wind picks up and I have a sudden eerie sense that I am being watched. I jump to my feet "Who…who is out there?" Turning in every direction I squint my eye's, but I don't see anything…at all. I try to escape this eerie presence but it seems to follow me where I run. Suddenly a figure appears right behind me and chases me at full force.