EDIT: I would like to apologize to anyone who has been waiting for an update. Writer's block hit me really hard, as well as finals! Thank you so much for your patience.

The wind howled and screeched in the night sky. Alex shivered as the wind caressed him with an unwelcoming and bitter cold. He felt his teeth chatter. He floated peacefully in the calm waters as they also hugged him but they seemed to have a frigidness to their embrace.

Alex pulled himself over the keel of the boat until his stomach rested on it. Twice, his hands slipped and he nearly fell back into the ocean, but he managed to keep his grip strong and steady. As he was floating, his mind began to float as well.

His thoughts were clouded with thoughts of Lara. He couldn't bring himself to focus on anything else. He looked to the shore of Yamatai, but couldn't see the wreckage and debris that were scattered along the sand, the entrails of various boats ripped apart by the hands of the storms. Alex treasured this moment of peace as images of Lara danced in his mind.

He remembered her scent, surpassing the stench of blood, rust, and gunfire. It was a scent that was sweet and welcoming. He wondered what she did that made her smell so lovely despite nature's wrath striking her at every chance it had. Did she wear perfume? No, too girly. Maybe shampoo.

As Alex pondered the cause of Lara's captivating aroma, he felt his feet skid across sand. The boat met the shore, and his floating was brought to a halt. Alex put weight on his now dominant leg, pushed the boat away from him, and limped to shore.

There was not much to be said about the beach. This part of the island seemed abandoned. Alex wondered if the Solarii hadn't found any use for this area's resources. He prayed he would find something that would help him survive this isolated prison.

Alex hobbled to an open area where he stumbled-both literally and metaphorically- into a pile of dead branches. He regained his balance and tried to sit down slowly, but ended up falling on his ass. He landed into the sand with a harsh "Oof!".

"Well, this is kind of nice," Alex breathed. "I'm not a fan of the chafing that's gonna happen soon but still, nice." Alex looked at the pile of branches and slid his backpack off onto the ground. After unzipping it, he fished out a notebook, a zippo lighter, and a spare T-Shirt. He wrestled to strip his favorite-now soaking wet-shirt from his back, which was also drenched in saltwater. Although the new one wasn't as dry as he wanted it to be, it felt warmer and was a better alternative to the "Esc." one. He slipped it on.

He held is lighter to the pile and struck the flint. A spark flew and the gas emitting from it ignited.

"Hallelujah!" He exclaimed hysterically as he ripped pages from the notebook and threw them into the pile. He held the lighter to the paper and wood and watched them glow to an orange color. As the fire attached to the paper, he blew onto it and watched it ignite. Alex sat back and sighed, feeling the warmth, the only welcoming thing he'd felt in a while. Besides that kiss.

Alex realized now was as good a time as any to tend to his wounds. He grabbed a stick about the length of his shin, and held it to his calf. Realizing he had no bandages, he reluctantly grabbed the wet shirt and wrung it out. The sand darkened as it thirstily absorbed the water.

"Sorry buddy. We've been through a lot, but I need you for something else now." Alex ripped off a large piece of the shirt and wrapped it around the tender skin and twig behind his calf. He tied it tightly, and exhaled in pain.

"Isn't much, but I guess it'll do for now." He said, disappointed. Lara flashed in his mind again.

"Holy shit," he said. "Does Lara even know that I'm alive..?" He laughed. "If not, this'll be one hell of a surprise."

He lay on his back and heard a strange bubbling sound, immediately realizing it was his stomach.

"Well shit, this can't wait," he said, and sat up. He buried his face in his palms and realized something was missing.

"My glasses are gone. I never really believed I needed those anyway," he decided. He stood up, realizing that things could, and definitely would get worse before they got better.

The beach led to a wooded area that seemed to have little activity. Alex thought maybe he could find food. Maybe. He threw on his backpack and held his lighter in his right hand. With it, he was able to see more clearly. He walked into the woods. It was a slow trip, not because of his injuries, but because he felt like he was heading toward certain death.

The forest was extremely dense and a fog had settled onto it. Leaves and tiny rocks crunched beneath his feet. Tree stumps and pieces of scrap metal within indicated it had been previously used, but not much. Cliffs bordered the dense forest, but climbing them would be impossible. He continued walking, letting the dim light of the lighter guide him. He stepped on something soft and nearly fell.

When he turned, he saw his obstacle. A human carcass, looked to be beaten senseless until the person had died. In his hand was a makeshift bow, and a quiver slung over his back. The smell was horrid.

Alex gagged as he pried the bow from the body's decaying, crackling hands, and took the quiver as well. After realizing he couldn't carry the backpack and the quiver, he decided to grab what he needed most: His wallet, the pictures inside it, his lighter, and his pocket knife. He stuffed the items in his pockets.

"Guess I have to travel light," he said to himself, and dropped his backpack to the ground and slid the quiver over his back, along with the bow. He held the lighter out in front of him as he struggled to see better. The trees filtered less light, as it seemed there was no moon in the sky to guide him.

The sudden sound of a twig snapping caused Alex to jump. He extinguished the flame. The rustle of leaves made Alex's spine stiffen and he slowly drew his bow. He prayed it wouldn't be a predator, or worse, Solarii. He gripped the bow as he loaded an arrow onto it.

I really hope gaming experience with this thing will be enough. I don't do this shit on a daily basis, Alex thought. He carefully turned as he watched for any sudden movements, careful not to startle it if it was food, also careful not to bring attention to himself if it wanted him as prey. The wait for any movement seemed like an eternity. Alex could hear his heartbeat in his ears and goosebumps rose on his arms.

A blurry silhouette came into his field of vision; it was too small to be human. Alex raised his bow with an arrow pinched between his index and middle finger and pulled back. He could see shades of brown in its fur.

Deer.

Alex aimed right behind its shoulder blade and released the arrow.

And missed. The deer yelped and ran as fast as its thin legs could carry.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he cursed nervously and attempted to run after it. His leg began to sing, and he ignored it. Damn, was he hungry.

Alex equipped another arrow and drew it back as he saw the deer slow down. He released again and missed yet again.

"God dammit!" He shouted as he watched the deer ran off. He began to turn around when he saw a wild boar clumsily wandering the forest, as if nothing had just happened.

"One more time," he whispered. "Please." He drew the arrow back and fired. It pierced the animal's flesh with no resistance. It stumbled and tried to escape, but it was injured Alex was too quick in defiance of his condition. It fell onto its side and watched its predator approach him, ready for his fate. It stared at him with wide eyes. Alex felt a twinge of guilt, but his stomach persisted.

He brought out his pocket knife and jammed it into the boar's gut, slicing it's belly. Blood splattered onto his hands but he ignored it, too hungry to notice the gore. He retrieved the flesh and headed back to his campfire, feeling victorious.

Alex roasted the meat and could smell it's pleasing aroma, relieved that it didn't stink. He quickly headed to the ocean and rinsed his hands thoroughly. Then he headed back to camp. As it cooked in the warm fire, he thought about Lara again. It seemed he could not remove her from his mind.

He wondered how he would get to her and what would happen if he did. Should he kiss her? Maybe he should ask first. Then again, Alex wouldn't really choose this place for a date. At that very moment, he decided that the moment he left the island, he would finally confess and ask her out. Maybe she would say no, but it was worth a shot.

A few minutes later, the pork was done cooking and Alex ate it thoughtfully, disappointed that he didn't have any barbecue sauce to go with it. With his belly full, Alex was now more alert, ready to do what he had to in order to prove himself. Both to himself, and to Lara.