Losing Myself in Paradise

Events: Homeless + Adventure
Word Count: 1,212
CC Used other than that allowed: sliders, make-up and a pattern (edit to add: forgot about the clothes and accessories)
Bonus round complete: No


“Sadie, wake up!...Sadie Please don’t die!”
“ngh...five more minutes”
“You’re alive! Sadie...aren’t you?”
“Huh? What are you ...” As I opened my eyes and squinted up at Amy’s dirty, tear-stained face a wave a fear washed over me. Amy wasn’t crying because she’d just had a scary dream. I wasn’t tucked up cosy in my bed and that wet sensation wasn’t our dog Fido licking my legs. Gasping for air I jumped to my feet and spun round hoping to see something familiar, a life guard hut, an ice-cream van...even a toilet cubicle would give me some semblance of hope that we were not alone.


Chunks of twisted metal und burning aircraft furnishings pockmarked the shore like an acne ravaged teen. We seemed to be on the outer rim of a cluster of tiny islands where the only signs of life was the greenery coating the centres of the bigger islands.
“What are we gonna do, Sadie?” Amy looked up at me with big round eyes full of both hope and fear. I was her big sister, her safety blanket in this foreign land. I’m supposed to make her feel better right? How do I do that when I’m one more lip quiver away from freaking out myself?! I take a couple of deep breaths and steady my voice, “Well, sweetie, we’re going on a big adventure. Like pirates,... we have to scour the beach for any washed up treasure and see if we can hunt out any other pirates walking around.”
“Ooh, can I be Jack Sparrow?”
“Well only if I can be Elizabeth Swann!” I laughed.


Amy seems indifferent to our situation; I don’t think she understands fully what’s happened. Hell, I don’t think I fully understand either. The last thing I remember is the turbulence getting worse and then panicking when the emergency lights came on and an oxygen mask flew in my face. I guess we somehow made it through. As Amy stabbed a palm tree with a stick I called to her to help look for ‘treasure’; we’ll need to scavenge what we can from the wreckage in case we have to wait a day to be rescued. She ignored me of course, running off down the beach fighting baddies. In other circumstances the crystal blue water and perfect white beaches would seem like paradise but I didn’t book this on Expedia, there’s nowhere to check in, I just want to go home. Right then my pity party is interrupted by a shrill cry, “Please help him ...do something!”


Rounding the curve of the shore I felt my whole body exhale; we’re not alone! Running over to small group I saw that one of them was injured. “Hey, do you know first aid?” another called to me.
“uh...a little” I knelt down next to the man laying on the floor and took his pulse. I thought for a moment that I felt a flicker of life but then there was nothing. I looked down at where his thigh has been ripped open. His femoral artery had been severed and the man’s life-force had all but left his body . It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived. He would know exactly what to do. Heck, he might even have been able to save this man; he’s a talented trauma surgeon after all. I placed my hands over the man’s eyes closing them and turned to the woman knowing that I was about to distinguish that last ray of hope in her eyes, “I’m sorry, he’s lost too much blood”.


“No!...Oscar, don’t leave me!” the woman crumpled on to the man’s chest sobbing. I look back at Amy who’s stopped fighting imaginary baddies and is staring at the body; in that moment she looks much older than her 6 years. I take her walking 20 or 30ft down the beach; she’s seen enough for one day. The two men of the group come after us leaving the woman curled up next to her lifeless husband.


As I watch them approach I see the one who spoke earlier is a kinda creepy looking nerdy guy and the other was tanned with sun-kissed hair like a hot surfer. For a moment it’s like the last few hours never happened and I feel myself getting lost in surfer guy’s sparkling brown eyes.
“Hi, I’m Adrian.” Creepy guy chimes in; breaking the beautiful spell I was under. I realise I must’ve been stood with my mouth gaping open like a drooling monkey and rush to animate myself, “um, were you guys on the plane?”...ugh, as surreal as the situation is I somehow manage to retain my usual air of idiocy I see, great! “I mean...uh, how long have you guys been conscious, do you know if there were any more survivors?”
“Well, I came to near Ophelia about 10 minutes ago and we came round here and found Kelly helping Oscar out the water. He’s Kelly by the way”, Adrian said pointing at surfer guy, “and the lady is Ofelia. The dead guy is...was her husband, Oscar. I think we’re the only survivors”, it was a small plane, and there were only a couple more including the pilot.


“Oh, ok. I’m Sadie and this is my little sister Amy”.
“Hi little one, would you like to play a game?” Gregory bends down to Amy’s height with his hand outstretched. She burrows into my side, obviously not in the mood for creepy stranger danger.
Kelly interrupts the ‘bonding’ moment, “There’s no time for games, we need a shelter and fire. Night is only a few hours away”. His voice is as deep and brooding as his eyes, it’s mesmerising, even when he’s being all bad news bear. “Who knows how long we’ll be here”.


We spent the next several hours gathering materials for making a fire and shelter. We managed to salvage a few items and bottles of water from the debris that had washed ashore. Not much but it should last us maybe two days if we’re careful. Not that we’ll be here that long. It was clear Kelly was a lot more handy then either me or Gregory so we more or less let him construct the shelter himself. It wasn’t much but at last we had somewhere to call home for the next couple of days.


At dusk I went to fetch Ofelia. The poor woman hadn’t left Oscar’s side for hours. I eventually convinced her to come to our campsite and warm by the fire Kelly had built. Though she came on the condition that Kelly carries Oscar’s body back to the campsite where we can protect his remains from the elements. She wanted him to receive a proper burial once we were rescued. Kelly didn’t mind, he seemed to be a man of few words but he sure was a handy guy to have around in a survival situation...and man, did I like to watch him work. Adrian on the other hand still struck me as a little odd. Sure, he was most out-going of the three but there was just something about him I didn’t like ...or trust.