Chapter 2

I must have just floated there for half the day, hoping someone would rescue me. I watched as the sun started to touch the ocean. I remembered how we would pretend we could hear it sizzle as it touched the water's surface. I realized then the sound that had been hurting my ears earlier, was a sizzling sound. I wondered.

I happened to look to the south. And there I could see an island. I was actually rather big looking. It even looked like it was a volcanic island, from here. It had a high cone like peak towards the far end. The sun was setting, and here I was, now seeing land. I started to swim towards it. I was pretty sure I wouldn't make it before dark. But I was going to try anyway.

As the sun set, and the stars were starting to come out, I saw a light near the shore of the island. As I bobbed up and down in the swell of the waves it would flicker. I was glad I could rest myself on the lifesaver. Between it and the life vest, my head was well up out of the water. I kicked my feet as I steered toward the light. It was there, so close and yet so far away. It was hope. Hope that unto now I didn't even know I was lacking.

Anyway, I kicked for all I was worth. The light grew closer and closer even as my energy slowly drained from my body. It must have taken me half the night. The moon was fully up in the sky, now. It was a half moon, tonight. I remembered that, after I crawled up onto the shore. I was lying on my back, on the sand, looking at it when I dropped off to sleep in exhaustion.

I awoke to see a girl standing over me, looking down into my face. I don't think she was more than maybe eleven. Here was this red headed girl with green eyes, looking down at me. She smiled when my eyes opened all the way, and I looked up at her.

"Hi," my voice crackled out hoarsely.

Her smile became wider and her eyes grew bigger. I looked where she was staring, and realized that it was my morning hardon, that had her attention. Well, I was embarrassed, having myself displayed in all my morning glory. I was about to apologize, when I realized that she, too, was naked. Before I could say anything else, she spoke.

"You are a boy?"

I thought it was a strange question.

"Yes." I replied. At least my voice didn't crack.

"Good. I have never seen a boy before."

She had never seen a boy before? What did that mean anyways?

"You have never seen a boy before?"

She shook her head no. I managed to sit up. My mouth was dry and swollen, so I am not sure how my voice sounded to her. My body itched from the dry salt on it, and quite frankly my legs were very sore.

"Got any water to drink?" I ask.

She nodded her head and started to walk off. Then she stopped and looked back at me, as though she wanted me to follow her. I managed to stand up. With wobbling steps, I went after her. It seemed to take a long time as we walked up into the palm trees. I'm not sure if it was the soreness or if it really was that far.

We reached a clearing at the base of the mountain. There before me, was a small waterfall. It was running off of a cliff, a dozen feet above us, into a wide pool at our feet. I just stared at it in amazement.

Oh, hell, she had to be older than eleven. I could see that her nipples were puffed out, like my sisters had been a few years ago) So she must have hit puberty already. That would make her my age, I think. I remembered that my friends at the resort called them 'puffy's'. I looked at the red haired girl. She looked back, and smiled at me again.

She said, "It's best if you drink from the fall, itself. I bathe in the water." Then she made a funny face. "You know," she said, "the red stuff."

She pointed at her crotch.

I think it hit me that she might be a lot older than I was thinking, because if I understood her, she meant her period. She took my hand, and led me into the water. I only got up to my chest, then I undid the life vest, remembering that the lifesaver was still on the beach. Well, I would worry about that later. The cool water melted the dry salt from my body, as the life vest dropped away. I fell into the cool water, and washed the itchy salt from my body. I rinsed my mouth out with the water. As I was spitting it out, she laughed.

"You should drink from over here," she said.

She grabbed my hand again, and pulled me over to the fall. It was only about a foot wide. The water that trickled over it, only dropped about twelve feet. She pulled me to the fall, where the water was shallower, and we stood ankle high under the flow. I opened my mouth and started to drink. I stopped and looked over at her after a few moments.

I asked, "What's your name?"

This time, my voice sounded more normal.

"I am Eva. What is your name?"

"My name is Tom Adams."

"What is 'Adams'?" she asked with a puzzled expression.

"My last name," I answered in confusion.

"What is 'last name'?" she said.

Ok this was getting really weird.

"Everyone has a last name. What's yours?"

"Eva."

"Your name is just Eva?"

She shrugged her shoulders, the way I do when I am not sure of the answer.