Why We Sank

Eight ➸ Day One

The sun rose over the beach and the sleeping prisoners, casting a golden glow. Warren, who was one of the two on watch, spread his fingers out in front of him and let the light pass through, moving them slowly to create different shadows across his face. The sky was cotton candy, orange and pink and purple spread out to meet the turquoise waves. That was the second thing that Oliver noticed —right after Warren's fascination with the light. The waves were beautiful then. Not like the night before when they were cold, black, and merciless.

"Should we wake them up?" Oliver asked.

Warren snapped out of his trance and looked over the people sleeping around him, sand dried to their skin, clothes, and hair. "Yeah I guess so. Earlier they're up means the earlier we get to go find food. It's been one night and I already miss prison food."

"And shelter."

Warren shrugged. "Less important."

"Less important? We almost froze to death last night..." Oliver said quietly while Warren started to wake people up.

Within the minute everyone was pushing themselves up off the ground and brushing sand from their faces.

Audrey let out a disgusted whimper. "I feel gross! I hate this!"

"I don't feel like any of us are really enjoying the experience, princess." Warren said as he walked by. He jumped away when she tried to smack him. "Oohhh, so close."

"Alright kids!" Paradox threw her arm into the air to get attention. The sleeve of her prison jumpsuit fell down slightly, showing off the bright red cuts from the rope that only hours earlier had held her underneath the waves.

Warren felt slightly nauseous looking at it, so he turned his head to the side and looked out at the now perfectly calm sea. The rolling waves we're so repetitive that they were almost hypnotizing.

"I can hear your stomach's growling from here, so I think it's time we discuss how we're going to find food," Jake spoke once Paradox had gotten everyone's attention.

"I'm sorry, but don't you think that Nicole and I should be in charge of you kids?" Foster folded his arms across his chest.

"I don't mean to show any disrespect sir, but I feel like I have more experience," Jake sighed.

"Army veterans." Foster grumbled. "Think they can do everything."

"That was really disrespectful," Kithara whispered.

"Do any of us here really deserve respect?"

"Okay!" Aurora yelled. "Shut up or be shut up." She jumped on top of a trunk and stood with her legs shoulder length apart. Her arms hung at her side.

Everyone did as she said.

"Thank you," Jake said, looking up at her. She nodded curtly in return. "Now, I suggest we break up into teams so we can get thing done faster. We can have some people look for parts of the ship that may have floated to the shore, a group can look for more dry wood we can use tonight for another fire, we'll need people to look for food—"

Audrey interrupted him mid sentence with a panicked voice. "Who's going to stay here and watch our stuff?"

Everyone else on the beach just gave a blank stare.

"Why... why would we need anyone to do that?" Kithara asked cautiously after way too long of a silence.

"So nothing happens to it?" Audrey replied, rolling her eyes.

Another silence followed before Foster burst out into laughter. Everyone else —except Aurora— followed suit.

"What?" Audrey screeched.