Stranded (ON HOLD AND INCOMPLETE)

Chapter 6

When Corey leaves, I hobble inside his shack. There's a small cot in the corner, covered in giant palm leaves. I sit down on it and lift up the leaf. Underneath is a mattress, made out of a ton of leaves seen together with jungle twine. There's a pillow at the head if the bed made the same way, and a teddy bear. It looks old and tattered and smells like sea water. I smile to myself. He must've rescued it after he was stranded. I

think.

Across from the bed is a large desk, which is made out of some tropical tree. I hold onto it for balance and run my fingers from my other hand along the wood, which is smooth with a few grooves, and find a neat stack of papers on the edge. I pick them up, and realize that it is not actually paper, but dried out leaves.

All over them are sketches and blueprints for strange machines I've never seen in my life.

Except for one, which is labeled

"Raft I".

I trace my fingers over the lines and read all the random numbers and points.

"He's a genius..." I say, breathless.

"Thank you," says Corey as he walks in. "I got us some dinner. Would you like to come out and help me eat it?"

I nod, and feel my face turning red. Corey chuckles and we walk (he walks, I limp) out of the hut together.

I sit down on the bench while Corey starts a fire. "So, what exactly is for dinner?" I ask. Corey stands up and walks over to a wicker bowl sitting on a small table on the other side of the hut. "Coconuts, limes, bananas, eggplant and... mangoes." He says, digging through the bowl. "Mmm... mangoes..." I close my eyes and sigh. "Best. Food. Ever." I say. Corey laughs and hands me one. "I take it that's your favourite food?" He asks. "Yes," I reply, nodding my head.

When it gets dark, Corey puts out the fire and turns to me. Even though it's pitch black, I can still see his face in the light from the fireflies. His eyes look soft, comforting.

"I don't have a spare cot," He says, "So you can sleep on mine, and I can sleep on the ground." "What? No, no it's okay I can sleep out here, on this bench." I reply defiantly. "Actually no, it's not okay. You need to rest your foot, and sleeping on this bench will not help." Corey says sternly. I roll my eyes. "Fine," I mock-huff. "Only because you want me to." I laugh and stand up slowly. Corey helps me walk into the hut. I lie down in the bed, but when I go to put my head on the pillow, he snatches it.

"Not for your head," He says, shaking his head. "This needs to go under your foot." He slides the pillow under my injured foot and pats it. "See? It'll be so much more comfortable with this new, improved ultra-soft pillow!" I laugh at his commercial joke. Corey laughs too and says "Goodnight, Leila." I smile at him.

"Good night." I reply.

I watch him lie on the ground, and then put my head on the mattress and fall asleep.

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Hey guys, I just wanted to thank you for continuing to read my book!!! :) this chapter is super long, but that's just to make up for chapter 5 which was super short.

In other news, thank you SO much for 26 reads!!!! It would really be amazing if I got 40 by the end of next week 😊

Thanks!!!

Abby:)