One Way Ticket
Fire
Rachel opened her eyes. She stared up through the branches seeing spots of the blue sky overhead. Hearing voices, she sat up groggily and looked around, wincing slightly. She was sore from the long hike and wasn't looking forward to what was coming.
"Good, you're up," Paige said cheerfully when she saw Rachel was awake. "I was about to wake you; we need to get going. We can't delay starting the fire."
"Mkay," Rachel muttered, pulling her shoes back on with a cringe and wishing she'd been wearing hiking boots instead. It wasn't like she'd boarded the plane with plans of hiking right after-she didn't even pack that sort of thing.
She looked around as she stood up, seeing Cian making sure the fire was out and Turner going through the backpacks. Paige was sorting through some of the things Turner was taking out, and Taylor was sitting on a large root simply watching everyone get ready to leave without offering any help.
"Are we climbing up now?" Rachel asked no one in particular. She wasn't looking forward to climbing up the cliffs.
"Yep. We're going to go through the jungle a bit and see if we can find some fresh water before we head up though," Turner explained as he buckled up one of the backpacks. "We're ready to go."
Once everyone had their backpacks and made sure they weren't forgetting anything, they began following Turner along through the trees. Turner had a good idea on where he was going, as he'd been looking around the night before and had a compass. It wasn't difficult to navigate their way through the jungle around here-there was more underbrush than sweeping trees and branches to deal with.
"It's nice out," Paige said as they passed through a small clearing with the sun streaming in through the branches. Rachel nodded without a word, wondering if anything could ever dampen Paige's spirit.
They walked for nearly half an hour with only a few words exchanged. Everyone except Paige seemed to be getting moody from the lack of food and sleep. Just as Rachel was about to collapse and take a rest, Turner stopped.
"Wait here," he called back before disappearing through the trees. No one complained-everyone had been hoping to get a rest. Taylor was mumbling something about why she'd decided to come as she drank the last of her water. They were all sitting down for a bit of a rest when Turner returned.
"I found some water," he called. Paige nearly leaped to her feet to follow as Rachel stood up and followed slowly. Turner led them along through the trees again before reaching a small clearing.
Turner led them to the edge of the clearing where there was a small stream trickling down some rocks. It wasn't very wide but it was deep enough to put a water bottle in to fill. Rachel probably wouldn't have even noticed it if she'd been walking by.
They spent a few minutes refiling water bottles and washing the sweat and grime off their faces. They would have all been glad to sit around and relax for a few minutes but Turner urged them on again. Although they were quite far away from the beach where the rest of the survivors were, they would've heard if any planes flew over. If rescue turned up at the beach, the other survivors knew they had headed for the cliffs.
It didn't take long to reach the base of the cliffs again. Turner led them along the cliffs until they came to an area sloped that would be possible to climb. It was a bit steep in some places and had many large fallen rocks.
Turner began climbing first with Paige and Taylor following. It was a slow process as everyone had to keep their footing. Rachel bit her lip as she looked up; she was never good with heights. She began climbing up after Taylor, concentrating on where she was putting her feet as Cian followed.
They continued the climb up without speaking; everyone was concentrating on where they were putting their feet. Rachel gritted her teeth as she happened to glance down to see how far Cian was but glimpsed how far up they were. She froze, staring down and suddenly felt as if she was swaying.
"Don't look down," Cian snapped from below her. With a blink Rachel looked up, wiping the sweat from her brow before she continued. She had barely moved up when she heard Taylor suddenly cry out as her foot slipped and she fell against the rock, but lucky had been hanging on and managed to get her balance back.
"You okay?" Turner called back to the younger girl, who nodded.
"Just scraped," she sounded shaken. Rachel followed her up carefully to make sure she didn't do the same and they soon found themselves on a flatter landing. The rest of the climb didn't look quite as steep.
"Almost there," Turner called back cheerfully once he reached the landing, forcing a smile. Rachel didn't speak as she took out her water bottle to take a drink.
"Are you going to be okay?" she asked, eying the scrapes on Taylor's hands and knees. They had left the first aid supplies back with the other survivors, but now that Rachel thought about it, it seemed stupid to take nothing with them.
They rested longer than they should have, but none of them wanted to continue the climb if they were feeling too exhausted. Rachel slumped down against a rock, forcing herself to look away from the edge.
"We'd better get going," Turner finally warned them after about fifteen minutes had passed. With a groan Rachel climbed to her feet before holding out her hand to help Taylor up. Luckily the rest of the climb wasn't steep at all-it was more of a hike than climb, but a matter of making sure she didn't lose her balance.
About twenty minutes later they reached the top. There were many trees and vegetation where they were, which would provide lots of fuel for a fire. Rachel downed half of her water bottle, ready to have another rest but Turner had other ideas.
"We need to start gathering wood. Any logs, branches, anything that will burn," he called. Paige bounded off into the trees after him to help gather up wood for the fire, with the rest following at a less enthusiastic pace.
"I don't know about you guys, but I don't have any food left," Cian called as he followed them, picking up a few branches that were around. "I'm guessing we're going to have to stay here and watch the fire?"
"There's some fruit," Rachel suggested. "I don't know if you'd want to eat it, I don't know what it is."
"Where?" Cian looked around, eyebrow raised expectantly.
"Er, well there will probably be some further in," Rachel replied sheepishly. "I was just saying-I think I saw some wild fruit on our hike in but I don't know what any of it is or if it's safe to eat."
"We'll find something," Paige called as she walked over with an armful of branches.
It took nearly half an hour to gather up any branches or logs they found in the trees. They made a pile by the cliffs that was a safe distance from the edge. Rachel's stomach was growling as she leaned up against a thin tree trunk, watching them start the fire.
It didn't take long for the branches to catch on fire. Paige and Taylor continued to throw on any little sticks to feed the flames as they eventually began burning the logs and thicker branches. With success, they all stood back and watch the flames flicking up to the sky as the pile burned.
"Good, you're up," Paige said cheerfully when she saw Rachel was awake. "I was about to wake you; we need to get going. We can't delay starting the fire."
"Mkay," Rachel muttered, pulling her shoes back on with a cringe and wishing she'd been wearing hiking boots instead. It wasn't like she'd boarded the plane with plans of hiking right after-she didn't even pack that sort of thing.
She looked around as she stood up, seeing Cian making sure the fire was out and Turner going through the backpacks. Paige was sorting through some of the things Turner was taking out, and Taylor was sitting on a large root simply watching everyone get ready to leave without offering any help.
"Are we climbing up now?" Rachel asked no one in particular. She wasn't looking forward to climbing up the cliffs.
"Yep. We're going to go through the jungle a bit and see if we can find some fresh water before we head up though," Turner explained as he buckled up one of the backpacks. "We're ready to go."
Once everyone had their backpacks and made sure they weren't forgetting anything, they began following Turner along through the trees. Turner had a good idea on where he was going, as he'd been looking around the night before and had a compass. It wasn't difficult to navigate their way through the jungle around here-there was more underbrush than sweeping trees and branches to deal with.
"It's nice out," Paige said as they passed through a small clearing with the sun streaming in through the branches. Rachel nodded without a word, wondering if anything could ever dampen Paige's spirit.
They walked for nearly half an hour with only a few words exchanged. Everyone except Paige seemed to be getting moody from the lack of food and sleep. Just as Rachel was about to collapse and take a rest, Turner stopped.
"Wait here," he called back before disappearing through the trees. No one complained-everyone had been hoping to get a rest. Taylor was mumbling something about why she'd decided to come as she drank the last of her water. They were all sitting down for a bit of a rest when Turner returned.
"I found some water," he called. Paige nearly leaped to her feet to follow as Rachel stood up and followed slowly. Turner led them along through the trees again before reaching a small clearing.
Turner led them to the edge of the clearing where there was a small stream trickling down some rocks. It wasn't very wide but it was deep enough to put a water bottle in to fill. Rachel probably wouldn't have even noticed it if she'd been walking by.
They spent a few minutes refiling water bottles and washing the sweat and grime off their faces. They would have all been glad to sit around and relax for a few minutes but Turner urged them on again. Although they were quite far away from the beach where the rest of the survivors were, they would've heard if any planes flew over. If rescue turned up at the beach, the other survivors knew they had headed for the cliffs.
It didn't take long to reach the base of the cliffs again. Turner led them along the cliffs until they came to an area sloped that would be possible to climb. It was a bit steep in some places and had many large fallen rocks.
Turner began climbing first with Paige and Taylor following. It was a slow process as everyone had to keep their footing. Rachel bit her lip as she looked up; she was never good with heights. She began climbing up after Taylor, concentrating on where she was putting her feet as Cian followed.
They continued the climb up without speaking; everyone was concentrating on where they were putting their feet. Rachel gritted her teeth as she happened to glance down to see how far Cian was but glimpsed how far up they were. She froze, staring down and suddenly felt as if she was swaying.
"Don't look down," Cian snapped from below her. With a blink Rachel looked up, wiping the sweat from her brow before she continued. She had barely moved up when she heard Taylor suddenly cry out as her foot slipped and she fell against the rock, but lucky had been hanging on and managed to get her balance back.
"You okay?" Turner called back to the younger girl, who nodded.
"Just scraped," she sounded shaken. Rachel followed her up carefully to make sure she didn't do the same and they soon found themselves on a flatter landing. The rest of the climb didn't look quite as steep.
"Almost there," Turner called back cheerfully once he reached the landing, forcing a smile. Rachel didn't speak as she took out her water bottle to take a drink.
"Are you going to be okay?" she asked, eying the scrapes on Taylor's hands and knees. They had left the first aid supplies back with the other survivors, but now that Rachel thought about it, it seemed stupid to take nothing with them.
They rested longer than they should have, but none of them wanted to continue the climb if they were feeling too exhausted. Rachel slumped down against a rock, forcing herself to look away from the edge.
"We'd better get going," Turner finally warned them after about fifteen minutes had passed. With a groan Rachel climbed to her feet before holding out her hand to help Taylor up. Luckily the rest of the climb wasn't steep at all-it was more of a hike than climb, but a matter of making sure she didn't lose her balance.
About twenty minutes later they reached the top. There were many trees and vegetation where they were, which would provide lots of fuel for a fire. Rachel downed half of her water bottle, ready to have another rest but Turner had other ideas.
"We need to start gathering wood. Any logs, branches, anything that will burn," he called. Paige bounded off into the trees after him to help gather up wood for the fire, with the rest following at a less enthusiastic pace.
"I don't know about you guys, but I don't have any food left," Cian called as he followed them, picking up a few branches that were around. "I'm guessing we're going to have to stay here and watch the fire?"
"There's some fruit," Rachel suggested. "I don't know if you'd want to eat it, I don't know what it is."
"Where?" Cian looked around, eyebrow raised expectantly.
"Er, well there will probably be some further in," Rachel replied sheepishly. "I was just saying-I think I saw some wild fruit on our hike in but I don't know what any of it is or if it's safe to eat."
"We'll find something," Paige called as she walked over with an armful of branches.
It took nearly half an hour to gather up any branches or logs they found in the trees. They made a pile by the cliffs that was a safe distance from the edge. Rachel's stomach was growling as she leaned up against a thin tree trunk, watching them start the fire.
It didn't take long for the branches to catch on fire. Paige and Taylor continued to throw on any little sticks to feed the flames as they eventually began burning the logs and thicker branches. With success, they all stood back and watch the flames flicking up to the sky as the pile burned.