STRANDED (THE WILDS KIRIN O'CONNOR)

NIGHT 34. HEADING FOR THE 6

KIRIN'S POV:

The minute they rescued us on their boat the wrapped blankets around us, "What's your names?" A man asked "Raf, Kirin, and Seth." Raf pointed to us as he said our names. Seth was sat on the floor of the boat getting medical attention for his wounds from Raf.

"Let's get you boys inside, can get you food and water." One of the men onboard motioned Raf and I but we stayed put. "No, we have others. On an island we need to get them." I insist Raf nods his head and the guy looks weary.

"Look, you boys are dehydrated, cold, exhausted. Just eat and drink some water rest some, then we'll talk." I shake my head at the man and about to yell but Raf stops me, "Nine of us were on a private jet heading to Hawaii, we never made it. We have been on this island for a long time, a month or so. Seth found a raft said it's washed up, so the three of us decided to head out hoping to find rescue."

Raf pauses and starts again "There is still six of us stranded on that island, waiting for us to bring rescue." The man's face softens at Raf who spoke calm but confidently, "My brother, he is still back there." We turn around and see Seth stand up holding the edge of the boat for support.

His face was cleaned up now and bandaged but his face was still bad looking. If we weren't so deep in shit I would be proud of Raf, but now isn't the time. Emma and Josh were still stranded.

"My girlfriend, she is out there." I informed the man and his team who circled in the conversation "Our family is back there, we can save them." Raf states making deep eye contact with the sailors. The men look at each other and they all nod.

"Alright kids, where's this island your friends are on?" Raf and Seth look at each other and I look out into the night. It's pitch black except the lights from the boat, it's then that I realize I can't tell which way we came from.

I look to the sky in defeat but seeing the stars I remember something, Emma and I were stargazing one night. She told me about the North Star how it's the biggest and brightest, I remember looking at it and asking her why it was right above us.

"It's just were we are positioned." She whispered her eyes still on the star "The earth like circles right? So doesn't the stars?" I asked and I probably looked so stupid but it was a genuine question, "The earth rotates slowly and when it's finished it's whole rotation that's when we start a new year, the sun orbits earth making it day or night. The stars though, they never move."

"When I was little as looked out the window while in the car the moon followed us." I tell her and she smiles "The moon will only get higher the later on the night it gets, but it's always in the same spot. You were moving not the moon." I nod my head understanding what she meant.

"So if I went out into the ocean, because I'm moving the North Star won't be right above me anymore?" She nods her head "Exactly, it would be to your right." I nod and turn my head back to the stars "It's crazy, to think that the boats that are out there just have to follow the North Star and they'll find us."

She looks over at me "It's like a compass, but in the sky. The stars are what makes all the chaos in the world make sense and feel so small."

I turn away from the sky and from my memory and point to the North Star that is on the far right of us "Follow the North Star, that's the direction the island is in." I thought the sailors would question me but they didn't they nodded and gave orders out the the crew.
I watched as we slowly shifted direction following the North Star.

"How did you know that?" Seth asks but I see Raf walk up next to me with a smile "Emma, she is a Star fanatic." I nod my head "Even when she is so far away stranded she is still here."

...........................................................................

I'm not sure how much time has passed but Seth went down the stairs of the boat to get some rest after a crew member advised it, they tried to get me and Raf to rest too but we refused.

Raf and I sat looking out into the ocean that we couldn't see it was so dark, we still had blankets wrapped around us and a crew member gave us food and hot tea. Raf and I both accepted it.

Every now and then I looked up to the sky immediately spotting the North Star, I smiled when every time it was getting closer and closer. It looked like that anyways and I knew Emma was getting close too, that soon we would be with one another again and that she would be safe.

I felt Raf hit my arm "What?" I ask irritated "You see that?" He asks and I look out and don't see anything "No, there isn't shit out there." I grumble but he shakes his head and points, I follow his finger and strain my eyes and that's when I see it.

A tall glow is off in the distance, I smile and look at Raf as he smiles at me too. I know it's them there isn't anything else it could be, "Yo!" I yell out and a few crew members appear.

"See that?" I ask and point and they nod and run off to tell the person steering this thing that they found the rest of us. One comes back to Raf and I "Your friends are smart, that's a signal fire."

"Henry or Emma for sure." Raf states and I smile "Both." I state and Raf nods as we watch as the fire signal grows closer and in a way brighter.