Why We Sank

Nine ➸ Dive

Warren, Mirage, Jake, and Aurora trudged through the trees that lined the beach. Finding food was going to be hard enough, but they had promised not to go so far that they lost sight of the sea. For a while it was almost silent except for the rolling waves and occasional bird calling from the treetops.

"You want to know what my problem with this little scavenger hunt is?" Warren asked the group, glaring at a branch that has swung back after jake passed it and hit him in the abdomen.

"No." Aurora said instantly.

"Which problem? You've given us at least twelve already," Mirage muttered.

Ignoring them, Warren went on to say, "Any of these little fruits could be poisonous. I mean look at that pink thing. Unnatural."

"It's a Myrica rubra," Jake cut in. "It's edible, I promise."

"Weirdly enough I don't a thousand percent trust your judgement."

Raising an eyebrow, Jake turned around, grabbed a piece, and popped it in his mouth. "Okay?"

"Aight... fine."

"Thank you."

Warren stared down at the little fruit-berry thing. It was so much easier to get food at home... He thought.

~~~~~Warren~~~~~

The university cafeteria is buzzing with activity. Everyone is sitting where they usually sit. There are groups of friends, individual studiers, and couples sitting in corners giggling at each other over their food. Warren stands in the middle of the biggest group of all.

"Listen, listen, listen," he smirks, his arm draped around his at-the-time 'girlfriend', really a three week hookup. "It's not cheating if you don't get caught."

"Yes it is," the girl giggles. "You idiot."

"Who's up to split a pizza?" A girl in Warren's group of friends speaks up. "They're cheaper today."

"Yeah because I really need that extra two dollars I'd save." Warren smirks.

"Hey, some of us aren't as rich as you seem to think you are, moneybags!"

"Well..." He shrugs. "Not my problem."

~~~~~~~~~~

Warren zoned back into reality when his boot caught on a twisting tree root sticking up from the ground. He get out a quick yell as he pitched forwards, catching himself quickly and straightening up.

"You good?" Jake asked, holding an arm out just incase. Aurora and Mirage held back laughs.

"Stupid," Aurora muttered.

"Mm, I'm good." The stumble had been more of a hit to his inflated ego than anything else. "Don't worry about it."

It kept getting hotter and hotter as the day went on, and even the shade from the trees wasn't doing much to stop the four of them from sweating. The humidity in the air caused a strange smell that they could barely describe, like walking into a greenhouse for a moment. Their arms were tense filled with the food they had managed to find and trying not to drop any of it.

"Maybe we should head back to the beach and then we can see where everyone else is with... everything?" Mirage suggested, stepping over a large, copper coloured puddle.