On the Island

Editor's Forward: This was based on a prompt that can be found here. I've added italics to that portion.

You duck inside just in time to miss the monsoon that sweeps through the beach. The palm trees sway and the pelting begins to seem more violent as if the clouds were trying to bash you into submission. You hunker down and wrap yourself into the log.

For what feels like an hour, the rain drenches the beach and the thunder rumbles ever closer until finally it stops... and the sky begins to clear. You slowly open your eyes and see that the log has saved your life. You are so thankful. Gingerly, you peer out onto the beach to see if the coast is clear.

It seems that nature has given you a blessing. The beach is relatively deserted.

Suddenly you hear footsteps... slowly approaching the log. A person? No, they sound too soft to be a person. You freeze and hold your breath. The footsteps grow closer and closer and then stop just short of you... and silence once again. You pop your head up...nothing.  The beach is deserted.

You hear a voice in the back of your mind that reminds you of your survival training. It tells you to remain calm and assess the situation. The sand remains wet, but you still make your way along the coast. Despite your predicament, it is rather nice being naked without prying eyes. You always wanted to get away with going to a nude beach. Now you have your own.

You come to the edge of the beach and see a rather large rock that juts out from the beach. You jump on it to get a better look at your surroundings. You see that the water is rather deep here, so you need to find a way around.

The rock that you are standing on is rather large and jagged. It is also rather slippery. You edge your way around the rock and manage to get yourself to the other side of the island. As soon as you do, however, a bolt of lightning strikes nearby and you are knocked off the rock. You hit the wet sand with a thud.  Thankfully, the lightning missed you. You lie there dazed.

What now? You need a fresh water source, and fast. You stand up and survey the beach. The water seems to recede every now and then, revealing a section of beach that seems to be devoid of any life. Perhaps you could find some water in the rocks there or perhaps going inland might be a better option. You decide to head into the woods and follow the sounds of running water.

You spend quite a while walking through the dense trees. It is rather difficult for you to see anything. You try to be as quiet as possible. You notice that the temperature seems to drop every now and then... It sends chills down your body. Goosebumps appear on your skin and your nipples grow tense.  It sends chills down your body. It seems like hours have passed... perhaps a bit less...

You hear some sort of howling noise off in the distance...a wolf pack. You hope not. You finally reach the water source... a small stream. It seems rather shallow, but it is better than nothing. You fill up your bottle and take a few sips to wet your throat.

You continue your journey along the stream bed. After a long time walking you think that you have reached a safe distance from the crashing waves. Suddenly you hear a low growling noise off to the side. You turn and see a rather large brown bear! It stands at the end of the stream with its arms crossed over its chest. You take a few steps backwards... It growls at you.

You slowly edge away from the bear and begin to run. You don't know what it is, but it seems rather pissed off at you. You curse and run as fast as you can. You notice that the bear is gaining on you. The stream has led you into unfamiliar territory. Perhaps it would be better to turn back and follow the stream to its source. As the stream gets wider, you notice that it falls off a cliff. You hold your breath and jump off the waterfall. Surprisingly, you land on your feet... well, more or less. The ground is rocky here, so you're a little hurt. You run as fast as you can. The bear is stuck at the top. You can move a little slower now that the stream is out of your way, but the bear is gaining.

A thunderclap sounds. You no longer see the bear after a while, but you are hopelessly lost

You sit down against a large rock and take a break. You are parched. There is a large rock nearby with a hole in it. You go over and peer down into the darkness. It seems to descend without end. There is a large opening with a few stalactites hanging down from it. You step in. The air is much cooler and fresh here.

You spend quite a while down there. You explore many of the smaller caves branching off from this one. It's a lot like Cat and the Rats in a Maze down here, except without rats nor cats. Without any light, you bump up against the sides of these limestone caves. The way up is lost to you. Perhaps you could try to climb out, but that might prove quite difficult. You try anyway.

As you climb back out, you can see the sun high above you. The sun seems to be directly in your eyes... and blinding you. You squint and walk out into the sun. Its warmth feels good on your naked skin. You walk around a bit and manage to find a large tree with plenty of leaves. You wrap up in the tree and sleep for several hours. Night falls and you feel safe.  You see the moon up above you. The cool temperatures feel good. You decide to sleep through the night.

In the morning, you get up and explore the forest some more. You come across a beaver dam. It has built up a sizeable pond. You feel like it's time for a much needed swim. You jump in... Then you freeze. The water is tinged a strange shade of green... not the normal blue. You swim out of the pond carefully. “What the fuck is this?” you shout at no one. The pond water is indeed poisonous.  You curse and wade out of the pond. You can't swim, so you assume the only way out of this place is to find a way back to the beach. “Damn it!”

Later on, you come to a large river. You decide to cross. You see a large branch sticking out of the water. You grab onto it tightly. The current is rushing fast. You are struggling and drowning.

Suddenly, you feel a firm grip on your shirt. Then you feel yourself being pulled onto the shore.

“Climb up my back.” It's a woman's voice. You obey and start to climb up her back. She carries you on her back and steps out into the water. You are saved. You are so relieved. “How did you get here?”

“I don't know,” you say. “I thought I was drowning.”

“We need to get out of here. It's not safe around here.”

“Where are we going?”

“To my hide out.”

“Where is that?”

“Just follow me. I'll show you. It's not far.”

The woman continues walking through the water. You notice that she is naked too. You find yourself staring. She turns around and notices that you are staring at her. She stops walking. “Don't stare!” she yells. “It's not polite to stare.”

“I... I'm sorry.”

She laughs. “I'm just kidding. It's hard to be bare ass naked and not expect people to look.”

“Where are we going?” you ask.

“Just keep following me. It's a long walk. It'll be dark before we get there.”

You follow in silence. You have no idea what will happen once you get to her hideout. Will she try to kill you? Maybe if you run into a zombie or two, she might try to kill you... Her time here has certainly molded her body. You are still soft and curvy, but she is thin and muscular.  She has an aura of power about her. If you're going to survive in this world, you need to learn what she knows. You need to find a way to get her to trust you. “What's your name?” you ask.

“Melinda.”

“Mine's Yael.”

“Yael... I like that name. What does the 'Y' stand for?”

“Nothing. It's just my name.”

“So... Melinda is your real name. I like what you call yourself here. I'll call you Melinda from now on.”

“Whatever floats your boat.”

“So, are we friends now?” you ask.

“Sure. Why not?” Melinda smiles. You smile back.

Later that night, she brings you to her hideout. It's simple but nice. She offers you food and drink. You accept. She sits down next to you. You eat and drink. She sits silently next to you. Suddenly, she leans in and kisses you. You kiss her back.

“I guess you're lonely here,” you whisper.

“Hmmm...” She kisses you again. “I guess… I want you to be my girlfriend.”

You pause. You look at her. You grab her hand. “Sorry, aside from some drunken college days, I'm not really into women. No offense.”

“Don't need to be into women to be your girlfriend,” Melinda says. “Just need to be the one.”

You don't know what to say. You kiss her again. You don't hate it, but she enjoys it more.  Soon, you fall asleep.

In the morning, she wakes you up. “Come on. We got a lot of walking to do.”

“Where are we going?” you ask.

“Nowhere in particular. We'll figure that out as we go.”

“Figuring that out as we go” sounds like a good plan.

She leads you through the forest. You see nothing. You touch nothing. You hear nothing. It is very silent. You start to get nervous. You keep thinking that you're going to bump into a wandering zombie or a bandit gang.

“So...” You break the silence.

“So...” Melinda replies.

“This is pretty boring.”

“I told you, we're not going anywhere in particular.”

“Is this how you fill your time?” you ask.

“Well, there's a book over there.” She points. “I like to read. Do you?”

“I do,” you say. “I find it relaxing.”

“Me too. Maybe we can read together sometime. I like your face. But no, that's not a good topic of conversation. Sorry.”

“It's okay. I like compliments.”

“I like you too.”

“I'm serious.”

“I know.”

After a few hours, you spot an opening in the forest. You can see a beach in front of you. “Hey, let's go swimming,” you joke. 

“It's a little too cold and windy to swim.”

“We'll swim when we get to the other side.”

You continue walking. An hour passes. You are getting hungry once again. You are thirsty. You are getting cold. The opening of the forest is no longer visible. You don't know how far you have to go.

“So...” you say. “Let's go swimming now.”

“I said we would swim when we got to the other side.”

“I think we're almost there.”

“We're not even sure if this is the right beach.”

“Well, let's swim. It's cold.”

“Fine.”

You start walking toward the water. Soon, you can see the water in front of you. It's freezing. You look over to see that Melinda is shivering. You hold her to share your warmth.  You jump in the water. The freezing temperature shocks you. Your head starts to throb. Your body starts to shiver. Your whole body hurts. You and Melinda sit down on the beach to warm up. “Sorry, that was dumb.”

“It's okay. I'm glad we're finally on the beach.”

Melinda is quiet for a moment. “I'm hungry.”

“Let's get something to eat.”

“Okay.”

You go through the pack. You pull out a small bag of figs, which you both eat. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For not making fun of me when we first met.”

“I'm always sincere around new people.”

“I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry.”

She smiles. “Don't apologize. I'm just thankful we're on the beach together.”

“That's just as well. I'm hungry again.”

Melinda stands up. “Let's go.”

“Where to now?”

“We're going to find a village. We'll need to get supplies. And maybe find a boat to take us back home.”

“Cool.”

Soon, you come across a small hut. Night is falling and it's getting cold. The sky is dark. You walk up to the hut. Melinda stands back, watching you. You knock on the hut's door. There is no movement inside. You knock again. Still no movement.

“Guess we can break in.”

You reach down, grab the doorknob, and twist. The door comes open. Inside, there is a woman sitting on a bed. She looks old and frail. “Yes?”

“May we stay the night?”

“You may. You wish to eat with me?”

“Yes.”

The woman stands up. She walks over to a small shelf near the bed. She picks up a bowl and a spoon.

“Would you like some dinner?”

“Yes, please.”

She sits down on the bed and picks up a cloth. She starts cleaning the floor in front of the bed. You eat and soon it's time to sleep.  You and Melinda lie down next to each other. She wraps an arm around you.  You pull the covers tight and feel her body pressing against yours. You know your naked situation is out of your control, but sleeping nude in bed with another woman still feels strange.  You try to relax and soon you fall asleep.

You wake up shivering. The covers are drenched with sweat. You pull them off and lie there, naked, shivering. Melinda is already up. She is staring at your body.

“What?” you say.

“I couldn't help but notice you're... well, you're...”

“...naked?”

“No. Gorgeous,” she says.

“I'm... thanks.”

“I know. I'm always like this around new people. I can't help it. I'm just thankful we're on the beach together.”

“Same, but is there going to be some weird sexual tension between us?”

“I think so,” she says. “I hope so.”

You know that you don't feel the same way. You pair up and search for food. You find some coconuts, crack them open, and find the meat inside. You eat it. It's delicious. You continue walking. You come across a small hut with a thatched roof. There is a man sitting on the ground near the entrance. He has one bare foot. He is rubbing the other one. It is swollen and red. He stares at the two of you and your nude bodies.

“Um, hello,” you say, waving. He doesn't respond. “Excuse us,” you say. Melinda walks into the hut. The man continues staring at you. “I'm...” you say. “We're naked! And we're hungry! Please help us!” He still doesn't say anything.

You sit down next to the man on the ground. “Are you okay?”

“No,” he says. “My foot.” You help him up. He gently puts his foot on your lap. It is swollen and bruised. You feel a sharp pain in your stomach. You want to cry.

“Get away from her!” Melinda yells.  The man continues to rub his foot. He slowly walks away from us. We sit there, alone in the dark. We don't know what to do.

“We should go back,” Melinda says.

“Thank you for protecting me,” you say.

“You're welcome.”

You lie next to Melinda and hold her close to you. You don't want to be alone anymore. “I'm cold,” you say.

“I know. Let's stay here tonight.”

“Okay. I need some sleep, though.”

“I know.”

“You can...touch me if you want. I know you're lonely.”

“I'm not.”

“You are.” You know she's lonely. You know she's like you. You know she feels things you feel. You don't know why she's so distant from everyone else. You don't know why she wants to be your friend. “I'm fine, Melinda. Thank you.”

“Okay.”

She hugs you tight and falls asleep.

You wake up the next morning. You lie there in bed, naked, for a minute. You look at Melinda. She's sleeping peacefully. You can't help but just watch her. You don't know why, but you feel a strong desire to touch her. You want to wake her up. Carefully, you gently place a hand on her shoulder. You slide it down to her waist. She doesn't wake up. You brush your fingers through her hair. You want to make her feel special. You want her to see that you care about her.

Oh god. What are you doing? She's asleep. She doesn't need you to take care of her. She's probably been alone on the island for months! You slide your hand down to her thigh. You brush your fingers across her soft, smooth skin. You stroke your finger along her leg. This feels so good. You slide your hand into her sleeping bag. “I like you, Melinda,” you whisper. Your heart is racing. You take her hand. “Come on, let's get up.”

You slide out of your sleeping bag. Naked, you walk to the edge of the small beach. You turn around, and look back at Melinda. She's still sleeping soundly. You can't help but smile. You turn back around and pick up your sticks. You can do this. You can survive this. You walk back to Melinda, and place your hand on her shoulder again. You whisper in her ear, “Come on, let's go.”

She wakes up, and looks at you. Her eyes are still sleepy. “What?” she says.

“We have to go. It's time.”

“Go where?”

“The boat. It's waiting for us.”

“How?”

“You'll see. We have to hurry.”

You leave Melinda and begin walking. You continue walking along the path. You keep your eyes fixed on the jungle. You are on high alert. You scan your surroundings, but there is no sign of movement. There are no sounds save your own footsteps.

After a few minutes of walking, you come across a yellow boat waiting for you. There is no one in it. You climb in. You decide to sit in the back. Melinda sits next to you. “Are we going somewhere?” she asks, still groggy.

“Yes.”

“Is someone coming with us?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to tell me where we're going?”

“Shhh.”

You quietly slip the tiller over. You begin to turn the boat around. You slowly begin to back away from the shore.

“Where are we going?” Melinda whispers.

“Shhh.”

You continue to turn the boat around. You watch as the coastline slips away from you.

“Where...where are we going?”

“Just be quiet,” you say.

After a few minutes, the boat stops moving. You slowly turn around. You look at Melinda. She's still looking out at the ocean, completely dazed. “Are we escaping the island?” she asks.

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I don't know. You'll see when we arrive.”

“Are you sure we're going to make it?”

Melinda sits quietly.

“Only if you trust me,” you say. 

“I trust you,” she says.

“Good.”

You begin to sail the boat back towards the shore. The boat hits a rock, and begins to sink. You turn around again. “I think we need to swim back. I'm so sorry.”

“Okay,” she says.

You turn back around and begin to swim as fast as you can. You try to keep your head above the water. The waves are quite strong. Melinda starts to sink under the water. You swim faster. You look back at her, watch her sink, and keep swimming. You look at her, and keep swimming. You keep swimming, and keep looking back. But you realize that you can't leave her behind.  You have to save her. You turn around and keep swimming. You reach for Melinda, but she's gone.

You swim, flailing your arms, until you see the beach. She's on the shore. Motionless. You walk up to her. You place your hand on her chest. She's still. You shake her. Still nothing. You grab her, and pull hard. Still nothing. You shake her again. You press your lips to hers and blow.  Nothing. You repeat it. Again, nothing. You slap her. Again, nothing. You push on her chest to get the water out. She coughs up some water, but nothing else. “You're alive,” you cry.  “What happened? What's wrong?”

Melinda slowly opens her eyes. They are red, and swollen. She opens her mouth, and she spits out a large amount of water. “You saved me,” she says. “You must really care.”

“I did,” you say. You look around. The jungle is silent. “I don't think anyone heard us. Let's get out of here.”

You walk back to the yellow boat. It's hopelessly wrecked. You get inside. You sit down, exhausted. It is night time now, but the sky is still light. All you have to do is sit back and relax. You lean back, and close your eyes. Melinda snuggles next to you. 

“Is everything okay?” she asks.

You quickly open your eyes. You look at the tiller in front of you. It's broken. And there are no oars. “It's no use.”

“I know. It was a good attempt. I guess we're here for some time longer.”

You sit silently. You both sit silently. You watch as the sun sets, and night falls. You spend the next few days in the yellow boat. You are both in desperate need of water, and food, and rest. The boat is beyond repair. Neither of you have anything else, so you stay in the boat.

“We should head back to the river.”

“Agreed.”

You and Melinda start the long, hard journey back to the river. It takes you a few days. You walk for hours, and you walk for hours more. Once you finally reach it, you collapse and drink your fill. 

“I'm so thirsty,” Melinda says.

“We need to find some food too.”

“Agreed. Let's look for some roots or mushrooms.”

You walk along the riverbank. You see a variety of fruits and vegetables growing there. You pick some zucchini and a yellow squash. You eat them. They are sweet and delicious. You continue to pick. After filling your stomach you begin to feel playful. 

“Are you feeling playful?” Melinda asks.

“Yeah,” you say and splash some water at her.  Droplets of water land on her breasts.  Melinda stares at you, shocked. You smile. “I like it when you're playful.”

“I like it too,” she says.

“What are you doing?”

“I'm going to climb the tree and pick some plums. Want to join me?”

“Sure.”

Melinda laughs. “No. Go pick some of those other types of fruit.”

“Oh, you're boring.”

“I'll go pick some plums then.”

You both sneak off and climb the tree. There are a huge variety of fruit trees in this forest. You walk quietly among the trees, picking plums off the branches. You pick a bright red plum. You eat it. It's sour, but sweet. You pick some other plums. “I think we have enough.”

Melinda laughs. “Why don't you pick some other kinds of fruit?”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“But I like this kind of fruit. I'm not just saying that.” “I know, but I'm tired. I want to get some rest,” she says. 

You leave the tree and continue your journey, Melinda following you.

That night you find some shelter, but with no cover, you must hold each other for warmth.  The rain starts to come down. “It'll probably be a while before we find a dry spot,” Melinda says.

“Let's just get some rest,” you say.

“Okay,” Melinda says.

“Or not,” you suggest with a devilish grin.

“No! I meant it. I'm too excited to sleep.”

“I'm too excited to sleep either.”

You lay down, and wrap an arm around Melinda. She slowly moves her arm up to one of your breasts.  You move your other hand up and fondle her breast. She turns her face into your shoulder, and you kiss her. Your sex is desperate for release, but neither of you want to break the kiss. “Are you sure?” she asks.  “I want to, but I'm not sure if I should.”

“I want to, but, well, I'm not sure if I should either.”

You continue to kiss and fondle each other. You hold her tight, not knowing what to do next. You've never been with a woman like this.  You're unsure about how to proceed. You decide to trust your feelings. You slowly slide your hand down your legs. Melinda moans softly. You slowly open your lower lips to her. “It's okay,” you assure her. Melinda slides her tongue into your mouth. You both continue to fondle each other. You remove your hand from her breasts. Your hand slides down her stomach to her mound. You slide your finger into her vagina. “I want you,” you say. “I want you so bad.” Melinda says the same. You slowly become one.

It is a long, slow, tender love. Her skin is so soft. Her fingers enter you. You move in and out of her as you fall slowly into a deep sleep.

You wake up. Melinda is staring at you, eyes wide. She is in a daze. She is covered in sweat. She is shivering.

“The fire's out, what do we do?” she asks.

“It's still raining, we can't make a fire.”

“I'm so hot. I'm so thirsty.”

“I know, I know.”

“We can't just sleep here. It's not right.”

“Don't worry, we'll find something, someplace dry to sleep.”

“What if someone comes?”

“They won't.”

“What if they do?”

“If they do, we'll hear them first.”

“What if we can't hear them first?”

“Then we'll be fine.”

“What if we get caught?”

“We won't. Just be quiet, and take your time.”

“Okay.”

“Now, close your eyes. Pretend the rain is someone calling your name.”

“You can do it.”

You close your eyes. You imagine the rain falling on you. You imagine the feeling of the water running down your skin. You imagine the wetness you would feel.

You open your eyes. “We're going to be fine,” you say. “We're going to be just fine.”

Melinda smiles. “We will be.”

You spend the rest of the day and night lying there, soaking wet, in each other's arms.

At dawn the rain stops, and the sun comes out. The sun feels good. It warms your skin. You feel hopeful.

“We can't just stay here,” you remark.

“Why not? We're safe. I feel like this is a dream!”

“But what if it is a dream? What if we get rescued?”

“I don't know if I want to get rescued. What would we do? Start over from the very beginning?”

“I don't know. Would you still like me?”

“Yeah, I still like you.”

Melinda hugs you. “I still like you too.”

You embrace her back with a shaky smile.

“Maybe it is a dream.”

“Maybe it is.”

You lie there for a while longer, soaking up the sun. Time seems to stand still.

You decide it's time to get moving. You both stand, and begin walking down the road. The sun is starting to set. It is getting dark. You don't know where you're going.

You walk for hours. You can't see far into the horizon, but you walk and walk. You walk so long, you don't know how you get to where you're going. You don't even know where you are, let alone where you're going.

“Where are we going?” Melinda asks.

“I don't know where I am. How can I expect you to know where we're going?”

“I don't want to talk about it.”

“Fine.”

You walk in silence. Your feet hurt, so you walk slower. Your stomach rumbles, so you walk slower.

The stars seem so close to you, it feels like you could reach out and touch them. Everything is still and quiet, just you and the moon. You stop and look up, drinking it all in.

“It's so pretty.”

“Yeah,” Melinda replies.

You walk in silence.