Status: Completed!

No One Ever Realized That They're Already Dead

Sorrow Swallows My Screams... 24

[[October 31, 2008]] \Friday\

♠ [ Day 6 ] ♠

♠ Ben’s POV ♠

Voices. Voices I recognized came and went through out the day… or night?

My head felt so cloudy. My eyelids felt so heavy. When my lips and throat felt dry I heard the soft voice come with some water and quench my thirst. My body no longer felt on fire, but it felt stiff. I no longer thought I had died and was in hell burning for whatever great sins I had committed.

No… I wasn’t dead but I wasn’t quite all here; where ever here was.

One of the voices I could tell was my brother. His voice came and went:

“Wake up Ben.”

“Just a small sip… there you go, everything’s ok.”

“No Ben, don’t thrash. Please, I don’t want to have to tie you again.”

“Please Ben… we need you, I need you. Don’t leave me.”


I wanted to reassure him! Wanted to tell him to please don’t cry. I didn’t know what was going on or where I was or anything but I would take care of him. I’m the older brother, it’s my job.

Then there was the other voice I didn’t recognize till about the third time I slightly woke up for a few seconds… it was Ivory:

“Hey Ben. Fevers gone down, that’s good.”

“Looks like your burn is healing nicely.”

“AJ needs you.”

“Mushy banana… yummy, open up.”

“You die and I’ll kill you, Ben.”


Die? Why the hell would she think that? She may have a reason to think that but I have no clue why. I knew something was wrong with me. Everything was just… not right, everything was off, just not working.

Then there were the two other voices, but I couldn’t put my finger on who they were:

“Hey Ben! You’re not screaming about monsters anymore! That’s good.”

“Here’s some water… come on, just a little… there you go.”

“Don’t worry Ben, Ivory will get us out of this, she’s the leader and always knows what to do.”

“You can’t die because we’d have to change the tribe name.”


I wasn’t sure if all these things were said in the period of minutes, hours, days, hell… maybe weeks. I had no clue to what was going on. Everything was has heavy and hazy.

Everything was so… dark.

\ ♠ ♠ [[Fast Forward]] ♠ ♠ \

♠ Ivory’s POV ♠

It was once again night. No sight of any planes or boats. I and the rest of Jade Wings sat around the fire, eating the fish Damien managed to catch.

Our quiet dinner was broken by Ellamae, “Do you think they’ve given up?”

We all look at her a moment, not answering.

D clears his throat, “There’s no way to tell Ella but our families love us and they’re all stubborn.”

AJ laughed a little, “Yeah, they won’t give up on us. We may be a pain in the ass a lot but we’re their pain in ass!”

\\ ♠ ♠ Elsewhere ♠ ♠ \\

As the doorbell rang again for the hundredth time that night, Matt sighed and tired to keep his focus on the TV as Val went to the door with a large bowel of candy.

Matt had looked so forward to this night, along with the other guys. He remembered three weeks ago when he went with Jimmy, Ivory, and Ellamae to buy Halloween costumes. This was going to be the first Halloween they’d share together.

But no, Matt wouldn’t ever get the chance to take her trick or treating.

As of 3:30pm earlier this evening the search for his daughter and the others was officially called off.

[[November 1, 2008]] \Saturday\

♠ [ Day 7 ] ♠

♠ No One’s POV ♠

Everything… wasn’t so heavy this time. After using all of his will a groan came from him and his eyes fluttered open a bit. It took a while for his eyes to lose the fog and everything around him started to form shapes.

The first thing he noticed as the large green plants around him; up, right, and left. When he looked down it was sand, and when he mustered all his strength to lift his head, he say rocks and water. His strength suddenly left him, making his head fall back into the soft sand. He licked his dry lips as he willed everything he had to lift his arm. He was only able to lift his right wrist before it fell.

What happened? Where was he? Why was he so weak?

His lips formed the answer but he didn’t have the breath to waste and say them out loud.

‘The storm,’ he thought as his eyes slowly closed and he fell into a tired but peaceful sleep.

♠ AJ’s POV ♠

“Hey bro,” I greeted as I made my way back to the campsite with an arm full of new fire wood.

He didn’t answer, like always. After stacking the branches I then headed to get a leaf full of water for my older brother. I knelt down beside him and did as Ivory taught me. I gently wedged the makeshift drinking cup between his lips and while pouring just a little I caressed his throat, willing his throat muscles to swallow. After a few minutes when he managed to take all the water, I turned away and swear I heard a sigh.

I whipped around. “Ben?” I asked.

I gently brushed his hair from his cool forehead. He made no noise. I sighed, my hope dying down. His fever broke yesterday but he still hasn’t awaken.

‘Please Ben, wake up.’

\ ♠ ♠ [[Fast Forward]] ♠ ♠ \

♠ Ivory’s POV ♠

My family and I were sitting around the fire eating an early dinner of fish and berries. We were talking, joking around, normal stuff like that before we heard a groan. Dropping our food we turn and rush to the groaning Ben’s side.

“Ben can you hear me?” AJ asked.

His lips were moving but he just didn’t seem to talk.

“Ellamae water,” I commanded her.

She quickly scrambled up to do that. While she was doing that, Ben’s eyes slowly fluttered open.

“Thank God,” Damien breathed.

Ella was quickly at our side with the water and once I got Ben to drink it all he seemed more able to talk as he rasped out, “the storm?”

“Remember?” I asked gently. “The boat flipped but we had the raft. We’re on an abandon island right now. It’s been at least a week.”

“Why…” he rasped. “Am I so weak?”

“You’ve been sick,” AJ said blinking away his tears. “You stepped on a poisonous fish when we were making our way on the island. You’ve… been very sick.”

Weak as he was, Ben knew his little brother and shakily reached for his hand; AJ took it.

“It’s ok AJ, I’ll be fine. But how are you guys?”

“We’re great,” D grinned.

“Yeah,” Ellamae piped up in agreement.

“That’s good,” Ben said softly.

“Damien,” I said. “Get your fish. Ben should have at least two bites before he falls asleep.”

So we gently hand fed him the slivers of fish and smiled, all relived, when he calmly fell asleep.

[[November 2, 2008]] \Sunday\

♠ [ Day 8 ] ♠

♠ Ben’s POV ♠

They’ve done so much. It’s amazing really. They’ve got a schedule down for fishing, collecting wood, when to get fruit, checking and fixing the small shelter, and other things. It really is remarkable. Ivory I could tell right away was the leader. From the very beginning if I had any guess.

I was still very weak. It was hard enough to get them to help me up so I could lean back against this tree. I glance down at the inside of my right wrist. The A stood out so much. If I was awake and able to have my own vote, I wouldn’t have got it. But Ivory explained why they too burned me. I still had the fever then, they truly thought I was going to die. To them, if I was going to die then I was going to die with the mark of my family. Jade Wings… not too shabby Ellamae. I guess, it’s not too bad; it will fade in time.

Thank God I was out of mind with the fever so I don’t remember the pain… of course because of the fever I was already in pain and thinking I was in hell. Whatever.

\\ ♠ ♠ Elsewhere ♠ ♠ \\

“Hey TJ,” Jimmy greeted with a hug as he opened his front door.

The kid’s uncle flew in for the funeral tomorrow. After he hugged TJ so did all the others.

It wasn’t about an hour later did he broke some news to us.

“What?” Matt asked. “Are you serious?”

He nodded. “Cindy (his sister) had 9 children. Damien, Ivory, Ellamae, Samual, Theo, Randy, Oscar, Nikica, and Gail.”

“Where are they?” Leana asked.

“Only… only Nikica and Gail are alive. They live with their dad, Tim McIlrath.”

“Why does that sound familiar?” Johnny asked thoughtfully.

“He’s the singer of Rise Against. Cindy…” he sighed deeply. “She had all her children with famous people. I’ve already talked to them about…” he took a deep breath. “About the kids, they all knew them and all wanted to take them from Cindy but never could. They want to fly in for the funeral.”

“Of course,” Matt answered lowly. “Who are they?”

So he told us. Who would have known one woman could have birthed children to: Bob Bryar, Tre Cool, two members of A7x, Tim McIlrath, and then… Damien’s dad?

“What about Damien’s father?” Lacey asked, her head resting on her man’s shoulder.

TJ’s face got rigid, “As much as I hate the bastard, I don’t think I can stop him from coming.”

“Who is he?” Johnny asked.

“Brett Michaels.”