Chapter 3- Landfall

Oblivious to the storm surging outside, Kate rolls around her bed, sound asleep. She can vaguely hear noise outside her room, and outside her window, but she is too exhausted to even open her eyes.

She eventually wakes up to a loud, frantic knocking at her door and the sun brightly shining through her tiny window. “Hold on a damn minute! I’m kinda naked here. Need to get some clothes on!” she yells from her side of the door. After quickly throwing on her dress from the night before, she yanks open the door, “Ok, what the hell is so damn important?!” she asks.

She quickly stops when she sees the terrified face of one of the female crew members. “Miss… Miss… we had an accident. We landed on an island after the storm. You must leave now.” says the crew member before she runs to the next door to knock on.

Kate sighs and changes into shorts, tennis shoes, and a tank top. She proceeds to pack all of her belongings into her suitcase and grabs a pillow and a sheet before opening her door again. The only light in the hall is the flashing emergency light and people are shoving past her as fast as they can so they can get off the ship. She rolls her eyes as she walks past some of her female classmates who are so shaken that they’ve huddled up in a corner together crying.

She finally makes it out on deck and finds her way to the inflatable slide, gliding down as carefully as possible while holding onto her things like a seventy-year-old Golden Girl, so nothing gets damaged or lost to the waves below.

Once on land, she takes a moment to really assess the situation. There are hundreds of confused and panicked passengers crowded around. The ship is stuck in the sand on the beach and leaning over ever so slightly. The only sounds she can make out are the harsh waves rushing onto the beach and the frantic “OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!” getting repeated over and over again by various traumatized passengers, Jenny and Kali being the loudest.

She takes out her cell phone, looks just long enough to notice there is no reception at all, and puts it away immediately. Kate decides to step away from the crazy and drags her suitcase through the sand up toward the tree line, watching the spectacle from a distance. She can see more than a dozen people holding their phones up in the air, desperately trying to get reception, only to find disappointment in their futile efforts. As they begin to realize that their efforts will not be rewarded, they take to screaming and crying, begging for God to rescue them.

After two hours of watching passengers slide down to the beach, Kate realizes that the crew are finally finished evacuating the ship and have begun pulling supplies and equipment down. The distraught passengers are arguing and decide to surround the Captain at that point. “What the fuck happened and where the Hell are we?!” asks a very aggressive man as he steps up and gets into the Captain’s face.

“I’m gonna need everyone to calm down, and you sir, need to take about three steps back.” Says Chris, in his smooth voice.

“Don’t tell me to fucking calm down! I paid good money for this trip, and you stranded us in the middle of nowhere! How the fuck does this even happen? Where are we? I need you to call your boss and tell him to send someone to rescue us RIGHT FUCKING NOW!” the man screams into Chris’ face, just before Chris leans back and knocks him to the ground with a strong punch.

“Ok, now that that’s settled, would anyone else like to get in my face?” Chris asks before continuing, “ Last night, we unexpectedly encountered a major storm. It came out of nowhere. Lightning struck our communications equipment, so we were unable to reach out to anyone. Most of the electronics on the ship were fried as well. For whatever reason, our SAT phone doesn’t seem to work either. So, we do not know exactly where we are, as the storm threw us off course, as far as we can tell. That is all I know at this time.”

Chris pushes past the confused passengers, and his eyes land on Kate, who is sitting on her suitcase along the tree line watching everything. “Oh, thank God you’re ok. I’m so sorry I couldn’t come get you myself. I had to make sure the crew got everyone off the ship and had to sort out what to grab, in case we’re stuck here for a while.” Chris says as he pulls Kate up for a hug. “I’m sorry, but I have to help the crew organize the supplies, before everyone goes nuts and decides to go looting.” He says as he lets go of her and walks away.

Kate sits quietly on her suitcase, as she watches the chaos around her. Everyone is fighting over which bags belong to them, and whether everything should be shared among the group. The crew is quickly scurrying around trying to put all food and water into an organized pile, while sorting out the tools and equipment that they will need while stranded.

Kate stands up and decides to take action. She starts clearing an area under the trees for people to make camp. Suddenly thankful that she had watched all those seasons of Alone many moons ago, she tries her hand at making shelter. She lays out the sheet that she had the forethought to grab and her pillow then throws her stuff right on top, so as to not draw attention to it all.

Very glad that no one has ever really paid attention to anything that she does, Kate goes about her business. She starts looking for sticks and fallen tree limbs that would fit well together either as bedding to keep people off the ground, or for the frame of a shelter and starts two piles. Everything else that doesn’t appear suitable for building gets tossed onto a pile for fire.

Lucy finally spots Kate in all the mess and runs up to her. “Hey, this shit’s crazy, right? How does this even happen? By the way, what are you doing?” Lucy asks of her newfound friend.

“I’m scavenging for parts to build shelter. Wanna help? I grabbed a sheet from my bed to lay on until we can get sorted. Wanna bunk with me? I’m right over here.” Kate says while pointing to her suitcase. Lucy runs over and throws her stuff right next to Kate’s things and sprints back to help Kate with her search.

After searching the entire nearby area, Kate finally gives up and accepts what she’s found so far. She walks over to Chris and says, “Ok, I see y’all have the supplies sorted. I’m assuming there will be some sort of rationing system, so I’m not even gonna ask about that. We need to work on shelter and fire. We have no way of knowing what the weather will hold, and based on my experience with a lot of these fuckwads, they are not gonna do well entirely exposed to the elements. They’re gonna need some kind of protection from bugs and rain. Do you have a machete and some rope?”

Chris walks her to the supplies and hands her a few bundles of rope, several tarps, and a machete. “You know, I would have never expected you to have taken this so well, and I sure as Hell would never have guessed that you’d be out here trying to build shit.” he says, as he spots someone trying to get into the food supplies. He shoves the items into her hands and makes a mad dash toward the offender.

By lunchtime, several shelters and bedding platforms had been built under the strict supervision and guidance of Kate plus the help of a few steady hands of her fellow passengers. During this time, the crew had come up with a plan to guard the supplies, and ration what is needed to ensure everyone had food and water for as long as possible.

The heat had become unbearable. Everyone was drenched in sweat and some delicate passengers couldn’t take it any longer and fainted. Those who were not helping with construction or planning had plopped down onto the sand to stare into the sea’s horizon in desperation, hoping to spot a passing ship.

Lucy and Kate finally finish up their task along with Mike and the others. In their exhaustion, they collapse to their sheet covered platform and take a moment to finally appreciate the strong sea breeze coming in. “Thanks for pitching in, Mike. Your skills really came in handy there.” Kate says.

“Hey, I’m just glad you thought to do it in the first place. I don’t think anyone else has their shit together enough to even consider that we may not wanna be bedding down on bare sand and rocks or huddling together for warmth against torrential rains. Besides, half these idiots don’t know the first thing about jack shit. They’d be more likely to hack a leg off with that machete than a tree limb. Those of us with knowledge and skills need to work together to make sure we all make it out of here alive.” Mike replies.

Across the beach, Kate spots Chris building a fire with the wood she had piled up for it. He’s conveniently placed it close enough to where everyone is bedding down for the night, far away from the water so the tide won’t wash it out, but in plain view for anyone who passes by to see. Just as the flames start to really go wild, the idiot squad- Luke, Austin, and Jake, start running and dancing around the fire like a bunch of cavemen who’ve never seen such a thing before.

The crew proceed to work on cooking a large batch of meat from the ship’s freezer before it can spoil and dole out one slice of meat per person along with a single bottle of water. “Everyone, this bottle of water will have to last you until tomorrow morning. We only have a limited amount and we all must ration what we have left.” Yells Chris with a stern look.

“I’m on a diet! I can’t eat meat right now! I want a salad damn it! You can’t expect me to live like this!” exclaims a very irate Jenny. Kali tries to calm her down, but just as she is about to speak, a crew member tosses a head of lettuce at Jenny.

“If you won’t eat meat, make your own damn salad. That’s your ration for the night.” Chris says with a laugh.

Everyone eventually settles down and prepares to rest for the night. Kate, Mike, and Lucy huddle close together, talking on their bed, as Jenny and Kali approach. “Hey Long Face! You’re in my spot. Move!” Jenny says with Kali laughing behind her.

“Eat shit and die Scuzbag! This is our spot. You can fuck right off. All you’ve done since we got here is bitch and moan. So, you can bitch and moan all the way to the end of the row.” Kate responds.

As dawn breaks through the sky, Kate wakes to the shrill screams of two old classmates, Jenny and Kali. They hadn’t helped to build the day before and there weren’t quite enough beds for everyone, so they were left to sleep on the sand. They were completely covered in bug bites and there were tiny crabs all around them, trying to grab tiny chunks of flesh from their legs and feet. The pair jump up and attempt to swat and kick the little crabs away, all while screaming.

Austin rolls over on his spot right beside her and grabs at Kali’s ankle just long enough to terrify her even further and knock her back to the ground. Everyone starts crowding around and mumbling to one another and Kate finally decides to step in. She storms over to the two sea hags and slaps Jenny hard enough to catch her attention. “Shut the fuck up.” She says and then walks back to her bed to lie back down. This leaves the two women to just stare at one another in pure shock at both her audacity to slap her and the horror of everyone seeing what just happened.

A few hours later, Chris gathers his crew and anyone else who will listen. “Ok, we need to go search for help and/or resources. We have no way of knowing what to expect, so this will be a dangerous job. I’m taking volunteers only.” He says. Most of his crew look at the jungle behind him, shake their heads, and walk away. “I need people who can handle themselves if things get sticky.” He continues.

After much back and forth, Kate steps forward, holding the machete and ready to go in boots, cargo pants, and a black tank top. “Ohhh no you don’t!” Chris says. “There is no way in Hell I am gonna let you risk your life trekking through the jungle, just so you can get eaten by some kinda big ass wild animal!” He continues.

“Well, I’m not taking no for an answer. I’m going with or without you, and it looks like you’ve got nobody else with the balls big enough to brave that jungle with you.” Kate says with a firm look as she glances around the crowd.

“God damn it. I can’t very well let you go out there all by yourself. Someone needs to protect you. I mean, you’re just a tiny little thing. I guess I’m coming too. But I want a gun!” spouts off Luke.

“We don’t have guns, you nitwit! You can have a machete, just like the two of us, and don’t make me regret that!” Chris says.

After much back and forth, they’re able to convince Jake to come along as well, but Austin insisted that he was needed back on the beach to watch for a rescue.

The expedition group prepare themselves and journey into the hot, steamy jungle with nothing but small bags with a few snacks, water, and a machete for each of them. They hack their way through the trees with Chris leading the pack.

“We should keep an eye out for fresh water sources, take note of the local wildlife for hunting, and look for any signs of human activity. Maybe if we see something, we can use it to track them down for help.” Kate says. Chris just looks back at her with one eyebrow raised.

“So, not only are you a wildcat in bed, but you’re a master builder, survivalist, hunter AND a tracker? Damn! Did not expect that…” Chris says with a bit of amusement while Luke looks between the two of them in horror.

“I don’t hunt, but I’m damn good at butchering and I’m good with a knife. I had assumed with a ship full of rednecks from Georgia, we’d have at least a handful of homegrown hunters. As for the other stuff, I just watch a lot of survival reality shows for shits and giggles. I like to watch annoying people suffer.” Kate replies while looking toward Luke and Jake.

The group eventually stumble upon a stream, so they take the time to cool themselves in the water. All around them, there are monkeys jumping around and playing in the trees. Kate spots a snake basking on a rock near where Jake is resting. “Jake, why don’t you come back over here. I suspect the lil fella next to you might not want company.” she says.

Jake looks behind him and jumps away with a quick yelp. “Relax, it’s just a constrictor. He’s not venomous. While he could wrap up around you and squeeze the ever-loving fuck out of your arm, he’s not big enough to eat you yet.” Kate says as she goes to pick the snake up gently and hold it toward Jake and Luke before putting it right back where she found it.

“Now I get why you weren’t very popular in school. You’re clearly a freak and a psycho.” Jake says as he starts walking away.

After a brief respite, the group continues with their search. Luke catches up to Kate. “I have to ask. Am I the only person you haven’t slept with now? I mean what the fuck, Kate? I thought you knew I was into you. When am I gonna get my chance?” he asks out of frustration.

“First of all, you make it sound like I opened my cabin door to every man onboard. Don’t you know slut shaming is frowned upon these days? Second, the fact that you have a penis and are interested in me does not mean you have the right to have sex with me. I’m not some sex **** here for your pleasure. I have all the same rights that you do, so you can fuck right off with all that bullshit.” She retorts with anger in her eyes.

After several hours of trudging through the steamy jungle, the group stumbles upon a large field with fruit trees and some sort of totems made from animal heads all around. They each cautiously walk toward the trees to gather the fruit. Just as Jake plucks a piece of fruit from one of the trees, they all hear a great roar coming from the jungle.

They all freeze just as a large storm cloud like monster bursts through the trees and heads straight for them. Chris and Luke run into the jungle to get away just as the monster grabs Jake and throws him across the field. Kate slowly backs away from the fruit trees and moves her back against one of the jungle trees as the monster corners her. She stares into the cloud and sees blue sparks of what appears to be electricity periodically running through it. It stands its ground in front of her as she just stares in sheer amazement. “So, beautiful. What are you?” She says quietly. She then moves her hand up slowly to gently touch it and just as it barely slips in, the monster flies away. “Astonishing. Absolutely astonishing….” She mutters.

The rustling of grass shakes her to attention, when she realizes that Jake is just across the way. She runs to check on him, and finds him on his stomach, groaning in pain. “What hurts? Can you sit up?” Kate asks with urgency.

“Everything hurts. Let me try.” Jake says as he slowly pushes himself up. He has a gash on his forehead and he struggles to stand. “I think my ankle’s fucked.” He says. Kate helps him stand and they hobble back toward the beach encampment.

As they work through the trees, Jake jerks at the sight of the cloud monster silently following them to their left. “Relax. If it wanted us dead, we’d be in bits and pieces already. I think it just didn’t want us touching those trees, and I’d say everyone, especially you, learned a valuable lesson there.” Kate says in a quiet voice.

They safely make it back to camp after a few hours, only to find Chris and Luke standing there on the beach, telling everyone about the gruesome deaths of Jake and Kate by a giant bear.

“Ohh Hell Naw! I know you are not seriously spouting lies like that!” Kate yells, as she gently lets Jake down onto the ground. “You two cowardly motherfuckers ran at the first sign of trouble, leaving Jake and me to fend for ourselves!” She adds.

“We thought you were behind us. By the time we got through the woods, we didn’t see you behind us, so we assumed you were both dead.” Luke says, full of remorse.

Lucy and Mike run up and hug Kate, thankful that their friend was alive and well, despite the tall tales of the good Captain and Luke. Kate tells her story about the beautiful magical being that threw Jake into the air like he weighed nothing and how she stared right into it and found nothing but beauty and power inside.

Of course, everyone looked at her like she was bat shit crazy. She clearly had been traumatized and came up with the monster in her head to gloss over the truth. Meanwhile, Jake was dead silent. He refused to talk about anything in the jungle, just staring at Kate when he was asked what happened.