Survival Of The Fittest

Life ebbed and flowed far away from Jackie Kovacs. Red blood oozed from out his side like slow molasses down a storm-drain. He felt euphoric, after loosing so much blood. The pain had subsided by now, there was little left to do but wait. For the most part, his sense were all clear, but distorted, in an odd way.

His smell was no longer blanket with the metallic scent of blood and fear. The verdant grass from around the island filled his sense and the smell of raindrops slowly pattering down. Every drop sundered the world and showed him his surroundings in a new light, or rather, a new feeling, as he felt each and every one drop to the ground with a resounding tremble.

His eyes were red and fading, but brief glimpses of the islands green slopes and stern rocky bluffs filled his vision. Distant glimpses of the islands treasures; it truly was a beautiful place, despite the surrounding chaos.

He heard footstep and watch the two boys run off; as another female figure filled there place. He never heard the shout escape John or the fleeing of either John or Felix, all he heard was the melodic patter of the rain, his own steady breath getting shallower and calmer. His sense came back to reality as someone slowly propped him up against their kneeing leg.

~

Gail Smith slowly hoisted the bleeding Jackie Kovacs up onto her lap. She wiped the strands of hair slowly from his face as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. She whimpered as she tried her best to put pressure on his wound. Her cotton white pants and turtleneck slowly stained with his blood. She had run back when she heard the screams, she didn't even know if the others were behind her.

"Hey, Jackie," Gail's voice whispered low, as she quivered in the cold of the rain, holding Jackie closely. "You are going to be ok. Ricky and the others are on the way, they'll be here soon ok?"

Tears continued to stream down her face, how could this have happened? Gail and Jackie had helped each other this far. There were suppose to get out of here, they were going to escape this together, from start to finish.

~

Jackie blinked Gail slowly into view. He heard her whispering and smiled. He reached out with his un-bloodied hand and wiped the tear from her cheek.

"Hey," his was stifled, as if he was talking to her from a long ways away. "It's ok, Gail... I think I've just realized something... something beautiful."

He began to fade away as more blood flowed onto the sidewalk, the rain carefully tapping his body. Gail stuttered as she began to weep and tried to shake Jackie back awake. He continued to mutter with his eyes now closed, seemingly unaware of her prodding.

"There's just something so peaceful... something so peaceful about the edge of life..." Jackie looked Gail in the eyes. "It's really ok to just let go sometimes... I'm sorry... but I have to let go now..."

Gail sputtered and grasped at Jackie, shaking him and pulling him up more. She called out, not wanting him to go like this, she had just met him; he couldn't die right now...

"Hey!" Gail called out, tears still rolling down her porcelain face. "Hang in there, Jackie!"

Jackie opened his eyes and looked at Gail in the eyes.

"You too..."

The last bits of life faded away as Jackie Kovacs shuffled loose his mortal coil, and went on to something else, leaving Gail, her white clothing slowly staining with blood, weeping in the rain.

B22 - Jackie Kovacs - Deceased

((Ricky and Whitney continued from: ... And they say that a hero can save us...))

It wasn't... it wasn't supposed to be this way.  This wasn't supposed to happen.  So, why?  God, all I wanted to do was find my friends and escape this stupid game.  All of us, together.  I didn't want to... to kill my best friend.  Oh God, I didn't want to kill Eric.  But it just... I didn't mean to.  What was I supposed to have done?  Would it be any different if Whitney had been the one I left in a pool of blood in the yard?  No... it wouldn't.  It'd be even worse, because Eric wouldn't have stopped.  It wouldn't be any different, because I'd be there right beside her.  The look in his eyes... he was gone, and he wasn't coming back.

He looked back at Whitney, who was following behind quietly.  From his waking moments on the island, all he'd wanted to do was find that girl... and do what?  Save her?  Protect her?  He'd done that much, sure, but at what cost?  Since leaving the house where Eric had died, it had begun raining.  It started out as a light drizzle, but by the time they neared where Ricky had left the remainder of his friends, it had picked up quite a bit.  It was awkward, walking in silence with Whitney Acosta at his heels, but Ricky found that he had absolutely nothing to say.

"Hey..." Whitney muttered, causing Ricky to glance back at her slightly, "Are you okay?"

"Mm."

It wasn't much of a response, but what could he possibly say?  Part of him wanted to turn around and go on a rant about what a stupid question that was, and how he could possibly be okay when not only had he just watched his best friend die in front of his eyes, but he had had a hand in killing him.  Still, it wasn't Whitney's fault that Eric was dead.  She didn't ask him to attack her.  She didn't ask him to try to kill her.  She was just an unfortunate victim of circumstance.

"Listen, I..." Whitney paused momentarily, a light sigh escaping her lips, "I don't really know how to say this, and I know that it probably doesn't mean much right now, but... thank you."

"Yeah," Ricky muttered back, perhaps sounding a bit harsher than intended, "It's... it's no problem."

"No, really... I mean it, you know?" Whitney retorted, jogging through the rain to catch up to Ricky.

"Yeah... I know."

How was she even supposed to respond to that?  How do you thank someone for quite literally saving your life?  It was still such a surreal concept that she might've died moments ago had it not been for Ricky.  Maybe it was just her, but Whitney was starting to think that despite that gesture, Ricky Callahan was a real prick.  Everyone had told her he was just like the remainder of the baseball boys at Franklyn Senior, but she hadn't believed them.  Maybe it was the way he just brushed her off now, but she was starting to think that perhaps they were right after all.

So, what can you really say to someone who doesn't seem to want to speak to you?  Whitney continued to walk, and the awkward silence between the two resumed.  The situation earlier had clouded her mind, and she was just now starting to calm down to the point that she could think clearly again.  It wasn't until then that she realized that somewhere in the fray, she had lost Matthias.

Or maybe... he threw me on the chopping block to save his own skin.

Eric had been after Matthias, now that she thought about it.  That was probably the reason he attacked her in the first place.  It was very unlike him, especially after he'd gone out of his way to help her out in the wheat field two days prior, but it did seem especially convenient that he disappeared when Eric appeared with the spear.

Whitney, you know better.  Matt's not like that.

All of a sudden, Ricky came to a complete stop, causing Whitney to nearly run into the back of him she had been following so closely.

Is that... Jackie?

"Ricky?"

He barely heard Whitney call his name.  All he saw was Gail, bent over a body lying in a pool of its own blood.  Ricky froze, in that moment.  He had only been gone for maybe twenty minutes tops.  How could their entire group have disappeared in such a short amount of time?  How could Jackie Kovacs have gotten injured that badly in such a short amount of time?  In the next second, Ricky was running toward Gail and Jackie, barely aware of the fact that he was moving.

"Gail?  GAIL!  JACKIE!"

The sound of the rain pounding against the pavement seemed to drown out the sound of his voice as he ran toward the two.  Ricky finally came to a halt in front of Gail and the fallen Jackie Kovacs.  That was the first time he realized just how much blood was oozing out, dissolving and running around in pools in the falling rain.  His hand immediately moved down to Jackie's wrist, checking for a pulse, checking for anything.  He got nothing in response.

"Dammit, Gail, what happened?"

Even had Gail answered, the sound of Danya's voice ringing out in the morning announcement would've drowned out anything she could've said in the next few moments.  Whitney, meanwhile, had approached the scene tentatively.  She had, perhaps, heard the announcement even more clearily than the two that were huddled over their fallen friend.  Specifically, she heard mention of a B27.  She subconsciously looked at Ricky's pack, only to see the same number emblazoned upon it.

Ricky completely ignored it.  He didn't care who was dead.  He didn't care who had killed them.  He didn't want to hear his name announced for the world to hear.  He didn't want to hear Danya taunt and tease him about having eliminated Eric from the game.  All he wanted, at this precise moment, was for Jackie Kovacs to wake up.  Sadly, it wasn't going to happen.

"Who did this, Gail?" Ricky prodded again.

"Hey, Ricky...?" Whitney attempted, getting no answer from the hispanic boy huddled over his friend.

Gail sobbed as the older Hispanic boy approached, with another new girl in tow. Jackie Kovacs, dead in her arms and still bleeding very slowly; she had barely even just met him, and now he was dead. She didn't really know what exactly had happened, just that Jackie was trying to protect them from that other boy and that now he was dead and John was also missing.

"I don't know," her voice came in a whisper between sobs. "I just saw him laying her; I didn't know what to do. He was bleeding so much. There was another boy here and another girl too."

She took a moment to collect herself, lost in desperation but trying to recall recent memories. She was trying to swat the ideas of death and blood out of her head as she sat on the abandoned sidewalk cradling this dead boy.

"Wait," Gail suddenly looked up and around, eyeing there surroundings. "Where is Kayla, she was the one that the other boy knew. They all knew each other. How could anyone do this to someone they know? Ricky, what's going on?"

Her arms were growing weak and tried, her entire body felt racked with a huge weight, as if someone had unsuspended all her innards and sent her organs dropping to the bottom of her body. She looked back at the other girl; she was very beautiful, but that all seemed dimmed by the rain and the death before her. The scent of blood in the air was washed away by the rain as the day past by. Mr. Danya's voice blared over the speakers, but the words did not reach through to Gail, all she could make of it was that more were dead.

"What are we going to do now, Ricky?" Gail looked up at the older boy after the crackle of the speakers turning off and the terrible resounding silence. "I don't know what to do..."

Gail stayed right by Jackie's side, holding his lifeless form up, looking at Ricky with tears in her eyes. What were they going to do now? John was missing, Jackie was dead and Gail was in a terrible state. It was really up to Ricky now.

((Continued from B51 Start))

Who would have thought that it would take me an entire day to keep pace with them and remain hidden?

While the second day had been pleasant and mild, this third day appeared to be turning into a very cold and dismal one.  As the announcements played and confirmed that the weather was only going to get worse, Shae took out a pad of paper and pencil from his bag and began to take notes on what had happened yesterday that he missed.  He had done this on the second day as well, so to keep his information current, it only made sense.  So as not to have the paper get wet and warp, Shae crouched over the pad and took notes as quickly as he was able, then stowed it away soon after finishing.

Finally able to find a good vantage point to spy on Mr. Kovacs' group while being retaining his unseen status, Shae noticed that, while normally "The Quartet" always travelled together, only Gail and Jackie remained.  He had seen that new girl that joined the group (Kayla he thought she was called) run off with Gail soon after joining, but she hadn't returned, nor had Ricky.  John seemed to have taken off after Jackie's killer (Felix, right?), though that could be a mistake, as he wasn't paying much attention to him, rather the focus of the scene before Shae was Jackie's denouement and subsequent death.  It was difficult to make out what was being said, as both Mr. Kovacs and Gail were a fair distance away from the treeline, and Shae was a fair distance farther back than that, but he thought he could make out "I think I've just realized...It's really ok to just let go...".

So it seems that Jackie found some solace in death after all...how fortunate for him.

A slight bout of envy and nihilism racked Shae's mind before he could regain focus on his thoughts, reminding himself of how dearly he did not wish to open Pandora's Box at a time like this.

When reason is all I have left, can I do anything but hope to retain it?  Perhaps another time, when safety is less an issue, the answers to why I am here may be discovered...

A sudden movement from the left caught Shae by surprise, nearly causing him to jump from his hidden position.  However, he quickly realized this to be the return of Ricky along with Kayla, who must have found him.

Wait, that isn't Kayla....but then who...?  How could I have missed such obvious differences, this female is much shorter and has replaced the prior girls red hair with light blonde.  Where one had form but lacked attention to self, the other takes great pride in appearance...

Mentally berating himself, Shae watched the events unfold in front of him, The Quartet becoming a temporary group of 3 until they could regain John, Kayla, or another member as they seem to easily find delusional schlemiel.  The upbraiding he would save for another time, the point was brought across, pay more attention or the next time the mistake could be fatal.  For now, what mattered was how would the group deal with the loss of a figurehead, without Mr. Kovacs' brazen honesty how else will they convince others with the same tenacity or remain together for that matter.  It was primarily his trust that kept everyone on the direction of escape and fight the system, without this can they rely on one another?

Sometime after leaving the follow Gail Kayla lost track of her and continued her search to find her or Ricky, but to little avail. She couldn't stop thinking about how she shouldn't have left Jackie on his own, that he was being stupid. Even if it was just her and Jackie, Felix surely wasn't so tough as to take on two people and be alright. No one was that good. But she'd thought she'd find help.

And it wasn't going well, and realizing this, Kayla turned back. She had to stand up to Felix sometime. It would be now, when she was needed.

Kayla, possessed of a decent sense of direction knew where she was going by familiar houses and general direction. She had only barely noticed her fast stride turn into a sprint, conditioned by a year's training for the track team. Pushing herself faster than she had ever before, she found the site of Felix and Jackie's confrontation.

Ricky, Gail and some new girl had beaten her there. No sign of Felix. Maybe it was better that way, that they'd come to help Jackie without her.

Except that she didn't see Jackie standing with them. It took some examination from her distance, but she caught sight of another body. One that wasn't moving, and surrounded by something red on the concrete. She needed a closer look, not wanting her thoughts to be confirmed but still needing to know. Some ten feet away, she felt her breath escape her.

She was too late. Kayla dropped to her knees, dumbfounded. Jackie was dead and Felix had killed her and she had run away because he was being stupid and told her to, and she ahd panckied too much to think it through. And now it was too late, but she was still doing all the thinking she knew she should have done before she left.

"He told me to run!" Kayla said, not quite yelling, punctured by sobs that she was fighting. "It was so stupid but I jsut did what he said and..." Kayla trailed off, not knowing where to go. Her throat seemed to swell up, though her eyes did not tear up, still wide with disbelief.

After the announcement ended, Gail seemed to break down completely.  He couldn't make out much between her sobs, except that someone Kayla knew had approached the group and, apparently, killed Jackie Kovacs in whatever had followed.  He felt slightly unnerved by the girl crying next to him.  After all, he hadn't really had too much experience dealing with girls, let alone crying ones.  Ricky was the type of person to bottle his emotions up inside and never let them out, and although he felt tears brimming in his eyes as he looked at the lifeless corpse of Jackie Kovacs, he simply bit his bottom lip and wrapped an arm loosely around Gail's shoulders.

"I don't know how someone could do this to someone they know," she had said.  An overwhelming sense of nausea hit Ricky as the words came spilling from Gail's lips.  Gail's voice had a sort of innocence to it, but the words sounded accusing and harsh.  It all happened so fast.  What was I supposed to have done?  I couldn't do anything... I couldn't save Eric.  I couldn't save Jackie.  Now they're both gone.

"What are we going to do now, Ricky?

I don't know, Gail... I don't know.  I know... I know I said this was gonna be a difficult journey for all of us, but I never expected this.  Jackie wasn't supposed to die.  Nobody was supposed to die.  It's not right.

Ricky wanted to believe that Jackie's death had been an accident, but the wound looked intentional, painful.  He shook his head lightly, not knowing how to respond to everything that had just befallen him.  He wanted to shut the world out, to retreat to his own little corner for a while and try to sort out the mess of emotions that threatened to overflow and spill out.  It was all too much to deal with at once, and it was all happening at such a rapid rate that he barely had time to absorb everything.

God dammit, Jackie... why'd you have to go and die on me?  You were the first one to trust me on this island... the first person to befriend me.  And it seemed like you were always smiling... always cheerful.  It's not gonna be the same without you, man... it just isn't.  But now, we have to escape.  For you.  For Eric.  I've got to get out of here... for you guys.  I can't let you die in vain.  Don't worry about Gail, man.  I'll protect her in your place.  I won't let anything happen to them.

Ricky shuttered slightly.  To anyone else, it might've looked like the continual downpour had simply chilled him, but in reality it was the great weight that had been placed on his shoulders.  He saw Kayla running in their direction and rose to his feet, his head still hanging slightly as she approached.  Her voice sounded panicked and almost anguished as she told what little part of the story had involved her.

"Who was here, Kayla?  Who did this to Jackie?"

~~~

Whitney, meanwhile, simply watched the scene from a distance.  She had approached a bit more, so as not to be standing out in the open all alone, but more than anything, she was confused.  She didn't recognize any of these people, sans Ricky.  She didn't know who they were mourning, or what had happened, or anything.  She just felt very lost, confused, and at this precise moment, alone.  The crying girl holding the body of some boy barely acknowledged that she was even existent, and Ricky seemed to tune out the sound of her voice as she called out to him, not even dignifying it with a response.

If anything, Ricky Callahan seemed more concerned about the pale girl and the redhead that had just run up to them.  Whitney looked the two girls up and down, analyzing them.  She definitely didn't know them, that much was certain.  She couldn't imagine how Ricky did, either.  He didn't seem like the most social individual in the world, and although part of her had wanted to find him, she definitely hadn't wanted to find him surrounded by a bunch of girls she didn't even know.  Maybe... she was just jealous.

But why did you bother?

It was hard to understand.  Why would he jump in and save her?  Why would he kill his best friend to protect her, and then blow her off?  Nothing made sense in this place.  The things people did, the way they acted.  Whitney just didn't understand it.  Maybe she should've just parted ways with him at the house and left it at that.  Maybe she should stop chasing some stupid high school crush that didn't seem like it was going anywhere.  Her life was in danger.  Her friends were in danger.  She shouldn't be concerned with something so ignorant and trivial right now.  But still...

"Ricky..."

She sidled closer still, not wanting to interrupt anything.

"They're calling you... they want you to go to the marina and... and pick up a weapon."

It was so very cruel of the terrorists.  They wanted to give him an award for the murder of his best friend.  It made Whitney sick inside, and still she couldn't help but push him to go pick it up.  She didn't know what they'd give him, but the useless shield that she had been issued wasn't going to do them any good, and none of the girls in the area looked very well armed.  How could he protect anybody when he had virtually nothing to protect them with?

But... but I shouldn't even be asking him to protect me, should I?  That's not right.  I just don't know what else to do.  I don't know where to go or... or anything.

Ricky asked her who did this. Easy answer.

"Felix."

Except Ricky had never met Felix to Kayla's knowledge and it didn't really explain what happened, not that she could explain that if she if tried. Maybe she didn't need to. As long as Felix was taken care of, everything would be okay, Jackie would be avenged eventually, she'd be safe.

"His name is Felix Travertil. He was my boyfriend a few months ago."

Where do I go from there?

"I met Jackie about a week after breaking up with him... I don't know, I guess Felix didn't like that." Exactly how the fight had started was a blur of unrecountable events. The boomerang that was now in Kayla's left hand again, Jackie flaling into a knife attack against Felix, then jackie told her to run and she knew he was dead. "They fought. Jackie told me run, Gail left too and I tried to follow her." Kayla looked up at Gail. "I don't know why, I knew she was going to find you, but it was really stupid and..." Kayla choked on a sob after her voice picke dup and she started rambling, suddenly looking back at Jackie's body.

"I fucked up. I knew Felix was dangerous."

Kayla's heavy brething continued, she felt herself nearly hyperventilate before she slowed down again. She stood up, suddenly filled with resentment that she had broken down like this. Resentment that Felix had killed her friend. Kayla didn't know what to do with either emotion, but she felt the emotions fill her and she let them take over so the pain in her chest from the sobs and heavy breathing would let up.

There was a moment of doubt with surge of emotion. Without thinking about it, Kayla ignored and watched as the other girl attempted to subtly get Ricky's attention, offhand noticing how insecure she was in talking to him while Kayla gained her composure. The toher girl reminded Ricky that he needed to get the weapon the bad guys planned to give him.

Kayla nodded. "Yeah, you should go get it." Looking around to Gail and Ricky's friend, she asked. "What should we do?"

Kayla's response filled in another piece of the puzzle surrounding Jackie's death.  Ricky now had the name of Jackie's accused murderer.  Then again, would that really do much good?

What're you gonna do, Callahan?  Hunt him down and kill him to avenge your friend?  Stalk around this entire island and interrogate everybody you see until you find Felix Travertil, whoever the hell he is?  Weren't you just preaching about peace a day ago?  Jackie wouldn't want you to hunt this guy down.  He wouldn't want you to kill out of vengeance.  He wasn't that type of guy.  He'd want you to let it go.  He'd want you to find a way out and escape with the girls.  Jackie wasn't afraid to die protecting them.  He wasn't afraid to die so that we might have a chance to live.  But it just... just doesn't seem right to leave him and his family with no closure.  Felix needs to pay.

It was a harsh internal conflict, to be sure.  Ricky couldn't help but think to himself that Jackie would've never hunted anyone down for revenge.  He'd never kill anyone in cold blood.  Still, it just didn't seem right to let Felix get away with the cold-blooded murder of one of his friends.  Even if he found Felix, even if he inacted some sort of justice or retribution... if he killed Felix, would that make him more of a man?  Would it make him any better than Felix himself?  Ricky already had blood on his hands.  Blood he didn't want.  Blood he wished desperately that he could get rid of.

"Ricky..."

His thoughts were cut short by the sound of Whitney's voice.

"They're calling you... they want you to go to the marina and... and pick up a weapon."

He sighed lightly and rose to his feet.  Kayla was soon to follow in encouraging Ricky to head toward the marina and pick up his "prize".  Shaking his head slightly, he looked back toward the two girls, a grim look plastered across his features.

"I don't want it," he stated solemnly.

It was true.  He didn't want it.  It was wrong on so many levels.  The terrorists were rewarding him for the murder of Eric Silvstedt... for the murder of his best friend.  He didn't want a weapon that the terrorists gave him to mock him.  He didn't want a weapon that would be a constant reminder of the inexcusable deed he had committed.  Quite honestly, he didn't want any weapon at all.  He just wanted to be home.  He just wanted to be away from all this, to wake up in his own bed and realize that this was just some terrible nightmare.  Somehow, though, Ricky knew he wasn't going to wake up.

"But what if you don't?" Whitney pleaded quietly, "They're offering you a new weapon... if you don't show up, what makes you think they won't detonate your collar for not following their rules?  These people are heartless, Ricky.  You saw... you saw the things on the bus, just as plainly as I did.  They don't care what you want, they want you to do what they're telling you to do.  They shot that girl because she wouldn't walk, Ricky.  I know it sounds cold, but what makes you think they wouldn't do the same to you?"

He didn't have an answer for that.  The bus ride, their school camping trip, it all seemed nothing more than a distant memory now.  Still, Whitney had a very valid point.  The announcement had sounded off a long time ago now.  It was probably better that he did go, and that he get a move on.  If the bus ride had been any indication at all, Danya and his minions weren't the most patient of people.  Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment and nodded affirmatively.

"Then we'll go," he muttered, "I don't want their charity... or their mimicry, but you're right.  Maybe nothing'll happen if I don't go.  Maybe they'll just throw that weapon right back into their vault... but maybe they won't.  Come to think of it, I don't really want to find out, either."

He nodded to the three girls that surrounded him and tried his best to maintain a quite forced smile.  At the very least, they wouldn't be alone while they waited on him to return from the marina.

"Follow me out there.  You guys can hide nearby, I'll go do what I have to do and come back for you all.  Sound alright?"

It had to sound alright, because from what he could tell, he had no other choice.  Sure, he could leave the girls in the residential area and come back here, but it was nearly halfway across the island, and it was getting late.  Plus, the rain was coming down in torrents, and Ricky wasn't looking forward to the prospect of crossing a big, dark island and hoping he could find their meeting spot.  It wasn't a good idea to split up in this game.  Not on an island of this size, not with the stakes being what they were.  Ricky nodded toward the girls, assuming they were following in tow, and set off for the marina.

((Ricky and Whitney continued at the marina.))

Wiping crystal tears from her pale cheeks, Gail Smith rose from her guarded position over the dead Jackie Kovacs. She leaned up against Ricky as he moved next to her, vying for support, trying to get up onto her own two feet.

"I don't know, Ricky," Gail muttered between sobs. "What if they try to kill you? What if... if we're stuck here... alone?"

Of course by the "we're" Gail was referring to herself. She didn't want to be alone here and now in the rain and the misery of death. Sulphuric rain hung stagnantly in the air, complementing the harsh lingering tone of blood. Her white turtleneck and pants were soaked with blood; as the rain continued to drizzle down on her head. The land was grey but she was starting to stand up.

She gracefully allowed Jackie to slide to the ground, lowering him onto the pavement and crossing his arms across his chest. If Ricky and this other girl were content on moving, then she would follow them, just too simply not be alone. She didn't want to just leave Jackie, but she didn't want to be left alone.

The others could deliberate all they wanted; Gail stood by idly, staring into the closed eyes of Jackie Kovacs and clasping her hands together in prayer. She had only known him for a few days, but out here it seemed like she had known him for a lifetime. Recalling conversations and times were Jackie had tried to get everyone's spirits up she could tell that he had never had it really easy, but he had always taken everything in stride. He was someone who really appreciated the preciousness of life, and in the end, he had died protecting something he believed in.

Gail would carry on his memory. She was going to help out the best she could and help get everyone out of here. She going to find her way back home to her mother and father, and she was going to find Jackie's family too. She just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. At first, she simply didn't have the strength, but Jackie had shown her the strength and now she was going to carry about on her own.

She reached her full height, no longer leaning into Ricky for support. Tears still welled in her eyes, but she looked to the others and nodded to the rest of the group. Still content to follow, she took a few steps toward the other new girl.

"Ok, let's get moving."

((Uh... ah... yeah, whatever Kayla does is redundant and boring to write. Continued in A Brewing Storm))

The rain, as predicted by Danya, proceeded over the rest of the day and increased with every oncoming raincloud and miserable sheet of frigid rain.  Shae had watched the remainder of the Quartet regroup and decide to venture to the West end of the island and receive some new weaponry.

While the torn apart group before him deliberated on their course of action, Shae resigned himself to the fact that continuing with them would surely end up with more trouble than they were worth as distractions.  Shelter is now a primary objective, as the weather will most likely follow the unrelenting trend that was meteorologically forseen.

Heading East is out of the question, two hotspots (school building and hospital) are in that direction and I don't want to be caught in the crossfire...the North would yield nothing new, there isn't anything beneficial to find there, and little cover from this oncoming torrent.  Continuing with the current troupe is no longer an option because of their newfound weaponry and the chance that I could be seen during the process of getting this weapon.  Also, that would bring me too near the hotel, another hive of activity...I don't have many places left available to me, somewhere relatively unpopulated and large to decrease the chances i'll run into others.  The mall is the only thing near, but it will be getting to be a popular place due to the hospital and hotel somewhat nearby...if things are too hectic there, then south to the industrial district, from there we shall see.

Putting all tribulations about the mall aside, it would be the best place to find shelter without running into others and stock up on rain gear and possibly food.  Thoughts of food made Shae realize that so far he hadn't eaten anything since arriving on the island.  Being busy concentrating on more important matters must have caused him to forget about consuming things, but once on the topic his stomach would not allow him to do so again.  The silence-splitting growl of his midsection, which Shae hoped wouldn't carry far due to the rain resolved any thoughts of ignoring hunger for a while longer.  Pulling out the tin of crackers and a bottle of water, he shoveled them into his mouth as quickly as possible while occasionally slowing his pace to take a swig of water, for once forgetting about the worries of sound and others finding him.  Not wanting to have lost much water, Shae pulled out a coffee can from his personal survival kit, held it out to an area that was sparce of trees to collect some water, and once it was partially filled he replaced the lid and placed it back in his bag along with his now half empty water bottle.

Once boiled, any rain water collected will be able to replace what bottled water I lose to thirst.  Now to find a readily available source of food...

This line of thinking only brought him to the same conclusion he had come to many times in his life, one which led to possible chaos and destruction: cannibalism.  It was a logical line of thinking, not much is going to be littering this island but corpses, and if luck had it that he would find a fresh one it would be edible if cooked properly.  Cooking wouldn't be something Shae had to worry about, as he had brought enough objects to survive safely for quite some time.  This was a possibility he did not want to explore unless no other source of food is available, however. Most likely this act would also allow the tightly reined in part of his mind some say in how decisions were made, a thought almost as worrisome as death itself, and not to mention the cause of why/how he was on the island itself.

Another mystery for another time he thought as he collected himself and his belonings and strode cautiously towards the mall.

((Continued in We Survive by Friendship))