Lost and Found: A Stranded in Paradise Romance

Making Waves

Later that night, Jenny and I fell asleep around the fire, and when I woke up in the morning, I found her head resting on my shoulder. I peered down at her pretty face, and just as I was about to brush a loose strand of hair off her nose, she suddenly flung open her eyes and screamed.

"Sorry, I was just–" I started to say while she glanced down and started kicking her legs.

"A snake!" she said, pointing toward a brown serpent slithering around the smoldering fire.

I picked up my knife and chopped off its head with my cutting tool then raised it up by its tail. Jenny took one look at its dripping body and she leaned over, dry-heaving.

"That's disgusting," she said, looking away. "Is it poisonous?"

"Not anymore," I smiled. "It might actually be a good source of protein for breakfast."

"No thanks," Jenny said, grimacing in disgust. "But I'm willing to try some fish if you want to put your knife to better use. Why don't we head back down to the beach where there are fewer snakes?"

I glanced down at the stone pit, noticing a few remaining embers glowing under the charred logs.

"What about the fire?"

"We can build one down there," she said. "Won't the ships and planes still see the smoke?"

"Possibly, but we won't see them as easily with our restricted view. We'll need to send up a flare or signal with a mirror to show that we need help."

"Maybe we can do turns on the lookout while the other one gathers food? If we're going to make this our temporary home, I suppose we should think about dividing the labor."

"Works for me," I nodded, beginning to like the idea of settling in on this little patch of paradise. Far from missing my life back home, I felt a renewed sense of excitement and purpose being stranded on this island with Jenny.

I placed my tool in the bucket along with the flares, then I pulled a burning log from the fire and we headed back down toward the beach. When we reached the shore, I built a makeshift axe by tying my knife to a thick piece of wood with the remnants of Jenny's bra, then I hacked down a tall seedling, trimming off the branches on three sides until it looked like a giant comb.

"What are you going to do with that?" Jenny said, pinching her eyebrows together in surprise. "It looks more like you're getting ready to catch a bear rather than snaring some fish."

"It's not easy catching fish without a rod and reel," I said. "But it's a lot simpler when they're trapped in a contained area. That's where you come in. You're going to push them toward me."

"How exactly will I do that?" she said, shaking her head.

"You're going to use this thing like a rake."

Jenny paused for a moment while she peered at me with a wrinkled forehead.

"I'm not even sure I'll be able to lift it, let alone use it like a rake."

"It will be easier once it's floating on the water," I nodded. "Then all you have to do is pump it up and down to herd the fish forward into a concentrated mass. I'll look after the rest."

"Lead on, Tarzan," Jenny chuckled. "Show me the ways of the jungle."

I carried the big seedling to the edge of the water, then we floated it toward the far corner of the lagoon where we noticed some schools of iridescent fish darting underneath the turquoise water.

"Those things sure are scampering around down there," she said, peering at me holding my axe like a javelin. "Are you sure you'll be able to snare one of those with just a spear?"

"Watch and learn, city girl," I smiled. "I'm going to start wading closer toward the shore. When I signal that I'm ready, I want you to pump the stick up and down on the surface of the water as you slowly walk toward me. The sound and motion of the spikes slicing underwater will scare the fish in my direction. As they begin accumulating in the shallow water, it will be easier for me to catch one."

When I got into position, I nodded toward Jenny, and she began to churn the water as I'd told her. Within a few seconds, a group of fish began flapping in my direction while they twisted and turned, confused by the agitating water. Some of them escaped around the ends of the rake, but enough moved forward that they began to congregate in the shallower water. When Jenny got to within a few feet of my position, I raised my spear over my shoulder and paused for a moment, thrusting it rapidly down into the water. Moments later, I pulled the pole out of the depths with a flapping fish impaled on the end of the spike.

"Holy crap!" Jenny said, bulging her eyes open in surprise. "Is it that simple?"

"It takes a bit of practice," I nodded. "But it's a lot easier when you've got them bunched up into a narrow space."

"Here," I said, switching places with her. "Do you want to give it a try?"

"Okay..." she said, pausing at the idea of killing the fish in such a violent manner.

"Wait until you see a bunch of them swimming near your feet," I said, handing her the pole. "You don't have to aim at a single fish necessarily. It's a bit hit and miss. It might take a few attempts to hit one. Just be careful you don't spear your own foot."

"No," she said, peering down at her calloused feet, shoeless from the moment she arrived on the island. "I've had enough banged up feet for a little while. Just don't laugh at me."

"I wouldn't dream of it," I smiled.

When we changed positions and I began herding the fish in her direction, I noticed them darting underwater closer and closer toward her. When they got close enough, she peered up and I nodded.

"Now, Jenny!" I shouted, churning the surface of the water into a foamy brine. "Get them before they escape around the sides of the rake."

Three or four fish darted in front of her and she lurched back, flinging the pole into the water. It knifed into the surf and struck the sandy bottom, not far from her feet. She pulled it out and shook her head, realizing it wasn't going to be as easy as I'd made it look.

"Give it another try," I nodded. "But this time, thrust the spear forward instead of down, so you don't hurt your feet. The last thing we need is a medical emergency out here in the middle of the jungle."

She reared back and thrust the spear into the water a few more times, and on her third attempt, it stopped halfway under the water, vibrating rapidly.

"Grab the stick!" I yelled. "Don't let it get away!"

The fish was twisting in a frenzy with the stick impaled through its body, and she grabbed the pole as it slapped on top of the water, lifting it above the surface to show off her proud catch.

"It's not quite as big as yours," she smiled. "But not bad for my first time, what do you think?"

"You did great, Jenny," I said, beaming toward her. "Tomorrow, we can build a small retaining wall to funnel them toward us more easily. Then we'll have no trouble catching all the fish we can eat. Why don't we take a break now to enjoy our catch?"

As we waded toward the shore, I glanced at Jenny's ass with her wet pants clinging to her shapely legs, appearing almost transparent. Suddenly, I wasn't interested in eating fish so much as something equally moist and succulent.