STRANDED (THE WILDS KIRIN O'CONNOR)

DAY 16. SECRETS OUT

*WARNING*     DEPICTIONS OF ABUSE AHEAD.

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"Oh, Lord. So what? Instead, he's gonna die heroically of dehydration and make himself the center of the narrative when we get back home? Please!" Ivan whines "Nah, it's true. I mean, that boy's all messed up with this shit. The other day, guess what he called me?" Scotty asks

He puts his finger up "wait for it.....articulate." I crack a smile as the boys laugh Henry stands up "Josh! Come hang out." Seth shakes his head and glares up at his brother "I feel like I just told you to let him chill, but okay."

"Packs don't leave the weak on their own. It's against nature." Henry insists.

I watch as Josh hesitantly makes his way over I pat the sand next to me and Josh takes a seat by my side. "Hey. How are you feeling, man? - You holding up okay?" Seth asks "Joshua, would you like some water?" Ivan asks smiling at us.

"I really shouldn't." Josh says quietly I look at him with worry, "I want you to know that me and my people would very much love for you to take some water and not die." Ivan informs Josh.

"Yeah, dude. We want you to rebound. We got a "good vibes only" thing here and... ... uh, we want you in on it." Seth tells Josh as I whip my head to look at him with a look of confusion. Was he not just talking shit about Josh?

Seth notices and glares at me before handing Josh a bottle of water "Here. Seriously. Are you sure you're okay, Josh?"

"Oh, shit." Seth exclaims as he grabs the plastic that contained the water bottles "We blew through the fucking water supply."

"Aw man!" Bo looks down and shakes his head "No, no, it's cool. It's cool. Between the alcohol and... and the salt on the meat, we weren't not gonna get thirsty. We just... we just got to... We got to hit the woods, find some fresh water."

Kirin jumps up and reaches his hand out for me helping me up as I dust myself off, "Spillz is right. - We can't really put this off." Everyone nods in agreement.

"Should we split up, cover more ground?" Scotty asks as I nod "Yeah, most sensible choice." "I'll... I'll hang back here with... with J." Seth says a little too quickly "No! I uh...no I should keep it moving." Josh nods at his words as he hugs himself.

"You can go with me, Snowflake. I'll push your sad ass up the hill if it comes to that." Kirin tells Josh who immediately nods his head, "Great. Thanks... thanks, Kirin." Seth says.

"Emmy, you coming with?" Kirin asks I don't turn to look at him as I keep my eyes trained on Seth "Nah, actually. I think I'm going to stay back." 

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I steered clear of Seth as I was getting bad vibes off him since early this morning but I kept a close eye on him while the others searched for water, I decided to sort through all of our food and sort it out according to what they were and moving the things we tended to grab for first and the least liked food items towards the back of the basket like thing we kept them in.

I looked up as I watched Seth look around suspiciously from the log he sat on before bending down to his feet, he quickly jumped up and rushed to the other end of the beach. I waited 5 minutes before deciding to see what he was doing.

I walk over to the log and bend down and push the sand away from the log. I quickly am jerked upward and spun roughly around coming face to face with Seth "What the fuck are you doing?" Seth seethes as he squeezes my left wrist harder.

I wince and try to shake him off but fail "Let go you're hurting me." I demand holding an intense eye contact Seth sucks his teeth "I like you Emma, ok? I do. But you should mind your own fucking business."

"Or what?" I snap Seth twists my arm and squeezes it hard pinning me in a painful position I hiss at the pain "You don't wanna know." Seth whispers in my ear before throwing me to the sand as he stalks off.

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KIRIN'S POV

Josh was trailing behind me as we climb up a steep hill hoping to find water, "I'm so fucking hot. I'm fucking thirsty too. But I keep at it, I keep going. Cause pain is weakness leaving the body." I turn to face Josh behind me "You ever heard that before? Pain is weakness leaving the body."

Josh doesn't respond. "Come on, dude. Keep going. Sweat it out. It'll be good for you." I encourage "I'm trying." Josh grumbles "Try harder. Redeem yourself for getting so shit-faced."

I shush Josh from responding as I hear something up ahead, I smile as I climb faster reaching the top seeing a water fall. "Oh, shit. H O, baby! Yeow-y!" I shout excited as I make my way down the rocks surrounding the waterfall.

"Oh, yeah." I say happily as I pull my tank over my head, "Whoo! We fucking did it bro." I turn to Josh who seems slightly excited.

I jump into the water and starting to back stroke "Oh! Come on down. Sweet baby Jesus, it feels so good." I shout happily in a funny voice.

I stand up and flick my wet hair out of my face "Dude, let's go, let's go, let's go. Get in the water! Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. What are you doing, man? Get the hell in here." I tell Josh he bends down and puts his finger in the water.

"It's nice." "What the hell was that? All the way in man, feels fucking amazing." I tell Josh as I make my way to him "Oh, you're getting in."

"No." Josh shakes his head "Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah! Come on, don't be such a little bitch, Joshy. I'm telling you, you'll be reborn." I chant in a deeper voice grabbing ahold of his arms.

"Get..." I ignore Josh "Come on." I lift his shirt up when Josh pushes me away "Kirin, get off!" He snaps "Whoa! - What is that on your stomach?"

He shakes his head wrapping his arms around himself "It's nothing. It just happens sometimes when I drink, especially beer. It's just... it's gluten. It'll go away." I back up from Josh. "Jesus, why are you like this? We literally can't get a single win without you bringing up some of your sad shit. Whatever. Seth's right. We're all out here vibing, trying to keep each other up-"

Josh cuts me off "What did Seth say?" "That this is your thing. Kill the high, being the problem." Josh moves forward "I'm not the fucking problem! Seth is the problem! He's the fucking problem! It wasn't me I'm not the the fucking problem." Josh yells pointing at me in anger.

I move to Josh and try to get him to quiet down "Hey, hey, hey, hey, shh, shh." "No!" Josh shouts at me "No, it's okay." I soothe Josh looks down and shakes his head "I just... I couldn't..." "okay." I rest my hands on his shoulders "I'm not the fucking problem man, I'm not the fucking problem." Josh mutters the last bit.

I pull away from him in concern "Josh...what happened, man?"