Chapter 2

Danny:

Danny awoke sore like someone had been punching his entire body. He finally noticed that he was no longer adrift; instead he was lying in the shallows of some unknown beach.

Danny tried to stand on his feet, but he fell back down. He tried again with the same results. It felt like someone had tied him down. He rolled over and bumped into the unconscious form of Elizabeth.

Her clothing had been mostly torn apart and she had many bruises. Danny could tell that by the fact that most of her nubile, young body was exposed to view. And it was a sight to look twice at. He looked down at himself and saw his own bruises there. Of his clothes, there was only a torn pair of Seamen's trousers. The rest had been torn away, including his compass.

Elizabeth:

Elizabeth felt a pull against her and just moaned. She didn't know what it was so she turned over, but was unable to turn all the way over. I felt like someone fell on me, but I was in so much pain that I didn't feel much. Elizabeth let out a light moan as she shifted. She lay there as the warm sun fell on her body. It felt so good. Elizabeth blinked her eyes and saw Daniel looking down at her She took in a sharp breath as she sat up and tried to cover her body from his view. What was he doing? Elizabeth hoped he wasn't getting any ideas. She looked down to find her dress pretty well torn away and saw all of the bruises on her body. This was just great! Where were we? Would anyone ever find us?

Elizabeth's gaze moved over to Daniel and she saw that his clothing too had been pretty much torn from his body. I had to tell him thank you. Even if he had made the trip a living hell.

"Daniel, I guess that I should tell you thank you for saving me. What do we do now? I mean, we have no food, no clothing, nothing! How are we..." I wasn't able to say anything when Daniel broke in on me. Elizabeth listened as she worked on the knot to get them freed from each other.

Danny:

Danny saw Elizabeth try to conceal her displayed beauty as best she could. Like that's important right now. She could distract me something fierce if she decided to walk around that way. Danny wrestled his way out of the wet life jacket, trying not to pull on Elizabeth. Meanwhile she was trying to untie the knot.

"Stay here on the beach while I look around a little." Danny saw the question in her eyes. "If you want to do something, put all the dry wood you can find in a pile, away from the water. That way we can have a fire later, maybe." Elizabeth still had more questions, but Danny was already gone.

Danny walked along the shore until it gave way to a rather steep hill. Danny climbed up to the crest of the hill. Towards the ocean it changed into rocky cliffs that abruptly dropped into the water. Away from the shore, lush jungle spread out over the thin, but long island. The island was only about 1/4 mile wide, but at least 3 miles long.

Danny saw no sign of life, except birds and nothing out at sea. It looked like they were marooned.

Elizabeth:

Elizabeth sat there on the beach utterly speechless! Daniel was going to leave me there alone? Was he crazy? Then I heard him tell me that if I wanted to do something, I could put all of the dry wood in a pile away from the water. The nerve of him! Did he remember who I was? Elizabeth had never really done any work of her own. As she tried to protest, he was already walking away.

"Daniel! Don't you walk away from me when I am trying to talk to you! Daniel!" Elizabeth screamed as she scrambled to her feet and fought with the life jacket. He never turned around just put up a hand to wave to her. How do I know if he will come back? For all I know, he will go off and never come back. With the way I have treated him he could come back, but it will be in the night and it would be so he could scare the shit out of me or kill me. Either way, I don't like the idea of him going off alone.

Elizabeth took off to try to catch up with him, but he was already out of sight. She took in a deep breath and blew it out as she pushed her hair back from her face. Elizabeth turned around to shuffle back to where they had been washed ashore. Her dress kept getting in the way, so she just reached down to rip it off. I knew that if mother were to see me, she would have a fit. It was already ruined so what did it matter? It tore above the knees and I ripped the sleeves off. I felt naked, but it was all good. At least I could move better.

Elizabeth did as Daniel had suggested. She started to gather up the wood. As soon as Elizabeth got a sliver, she was out though. She just fell in a heap on the beach as she wondered what was to become of them. Would anyone EVER find us?

Danny:

Danny looked down at the beach. Elizabeth was alright, she was apparently gathering wood as he had asked. Good, it looks like I won't be having to do everythin'. She might actually end up pullin' her weight. And it's about time, too!

Danny took one last look for signs of life, and then started the slow climb back down the hill to the beach. He was walking across the beach when Elizabeth ran towards him and started to berate him once he was close.

Danny said, "Shhhh", putting a finger to his lips. "Don't want to wake up the cannibals, do we." He then laughed at the worried look that came over her face. "But seriously, cannibals haven't been reported in this area for some years.

"I'm going to look in the jungle a little ways for shelter. We may have to spend this night on the beach, but we need something more secure. Please stay here, I won't be long or far. Danny started to turn away, then looked back at Elizabeth. Why didn't I notice this before. Given the state of her clothing, I would have thought she'd want more on, not less. This night might be very interesting.

Danny then walked into the jungle, disappearing from view.

Elizabeth:

Daniel started toward the jungle as he left Elizabeth there alone again. After he just scared the shit out of me, he expected me to stay behind? Did he think I was crazy? Elizabeth watched as he disappeared from her sight as she just sat there. He had come back from his last escapade so she did as he said. Elizabeth stayed there and just sat on the beach.

Elizabeth looked down to the ocean and saw something floating there. What was it? She prayed it wasn't a dead body that had been washed ashore. Elizabeth started toward it slowly. She found it was a bag so she pulled it ashore with her. When I opened it and found a dress, I was so happy! It was a little larger than I was used to, but it was something that would cover me.

Elizabeth looked around and didn't see Daniel around. She pulled off her dress and slipped on the new one. It fit pretty nicely and was long. As Liz walked, it trailed behind her. Elizabeth just flopped back down on the beach as she waited for Daniel to come back.

Danny:

Yeah, I was looking for shelter, but what we really needed was water. We would die pretty quick without it, but I didn't want her to start worrying. Danny was looking through the jungle near the base of the hill. He knew that if there was a spring it would be near there.

Danny was looking down and almost walked into a big spider web. He backed up looking for the spider. There it was a huge Banana spider. Red, yellow and black, it was 8 inches across. If it had bitten him, he might have died. Danny gave that web a wide berth and kept his eyes up.

He was so intently looking for dangers that he stepped in a puddle of cold water. Danny was at first angry, but then very happy. Dang water, good thing I don't have any shoes. Wait a minute, I found water, Yea! I've got to bring some to Elizabeth.

Danny drank his fill of the fresh, cool water. He then broke off a leafy frond and made a make shift cup. He marked the spot of the spring in his head; sure he could find it again. He filled the cup with water and headed straight for the beach.

He came out further up than where he went in and drew a big arrow in the sand with his foot. He happily walked over towards Elizabeth. Something was different, he couldn't place it at first, then she stood up.

From somewhere she had found a new dress! It made his finding of water somehow seem less important. She always has to do one better than me! No wonder she is such a snob, the world bends to her will.

Danny walked up to Elizabeth and handed her the cup. "Nice dress, but isn't it a little big? Oh, by the way, I found a spring but stay out of the jungle; there are poisonous things in there."

Elizabeth:

Elizabeth didn't know how long she had sat on the beach, but she was burning up! Lizzie looked around for shade, but there wasn't any to be found. She lay on the ground and covered her face with some cloth she found in the bag.

Soon Elizabeth had a feeling of someone next to her. She pulled the cloth from her face and looked up to find Daniel was holding something, but what was it? Elizabeth made it to her feet slowly as he held it out to her. It was a cup of sorts with something in it. Liz was afraid to take it from him and then he spoke,

"Nice dress, but isn't it a little big? Oh, by the way, I found a spring but stay out of the jungle, there are poisonous things in there."

"Oh... so this is water Daniel?" Elizabeth questioned as she reached out to take the cup from him.

"Yes Elizabeth. It is water, but did you hear the rest of what I said?"

"Yes Daniel, I did. I just wanted to be sure this was water before I took it from you. I am so thirsty right now! Thank you for the compliment on the dress. I found a bag over there. There are some men's clothing in there if you wish to look thru it. I just wanted to get something that would cover me from your view. As for me going into the jungle, I have to get out of this sun! It is too hot out here. The jungle is going to be the only safe place we have Daniel." Elizabeth finished as she took a sip of the water. It tasted so good! So crisp and so clear. How much I wanted to have more or to go swim in it. Anything! Were Daniel and I going to survive this??

Danny:

"You got that dress out of a bag floating in the water? Give me that bag!" Danny dumps the bag out on the beach. It's mostly men's clothes, but Danny hears something go 'Clank'. Danny picks up the clothes, one by one, and gives them a shake. He is rewarded by a couple of objects falling out of an old shirt.

Danny holds them up triumphantly for Elizabeth to see. One is a Sailor's knife with a marlin spike, the other a small tin of... fishing weights and hooks! "This is Great!" he shouts. He is so ecstatic that he picks up Elizabeth and spins her around before setting her down again.

He takes another look at the items poured out of the sack. "This would only be perfect if... Yes!" Danny holds up an old pair of deck shoes and dances a jig. After the dance, Danny put them on, too big. So he stuffs a rag into the toe of each shoe, so they fit.

"What were you saying again?" he asks Elizabeth. "Oh yes, some shelter from the sun." he answers himself. Danny holds up the knife, "With this I can build a fine shelter." He drapes the old shirt over Elizabeth's head, "Here keep this over your head, you know you gotta stay out of the sun."

Danny then walks over to where he entered the Jungle in search of water. He finds a square of four trees near the beach. He strips the braches from the tree and cleans all the vegetation out close to the trees. Using long twigs and torn rags, he soon has the frame of a hut built. Broad palm leaves complete the roof and the walls.

"Elizabeth, your mansion awaits." He then walks over to the arrow he dug in the sand and carefully, hacks out a path to the spring. He makes another cup and brings Elizabeth some more water. He returns to the spring with the first cup, slakes his thirst and fills the cup and also brings it to Elizabeth.

By now it's starting to get dark, so fishing will have to wait until the next day.