Ripple Effect

Freedom (part ii)

Dust emits all over in the air and l groan. The initial euphoria starts leaving my body and l become more and more conscious of Ethan's weight. But l don't move. I bury my head deeper into his shoulder so that l don't inhale more of the dust.

Ethan's hand are wrapped around me and one of his hands is cradling my head. Pressing me deeper into him. He smells terrific. Even in the midst of the smoke. I can smell his woodsy oceanside smell and l begin to find some comfort in him when everything becomes pronouncedly queit.

Ethan slowly peels himself away from me and l almost groan out in disagreement. Ethan stands up and offers me his hand. "C'mon Flicker. Lets go to freedom"and he smirks.

I shake off my thoughts and l grin. l take his hand and haul myself up. I straighten up and cough out .

"Let's get out of here" l say and Ethan starts walking towards the door. We're somehow still holding hands and we walk together over the damn door.

"Be careful" as he goes over the debris. I look around and everything is wet and dirty and destroyed. Most of the stuff is thrown about and distraught. I look around me and my guts contracts as l think about the woman before. Ethan must have somehow known about what l was thinking because he squeezed my hand.

He throws me a sympathetic look and l give him a small smile.

"There was nothing we could do Flicker." he says.

"I know. It still sucks though" l huff out."C'mon lets go around and just inspect around"

I nod and follow him through the rugged and messed up island.
......................................................................

We searched most of the island covering the parts that we could and we still found nothing.

No sign of anyone and most importantly no sign of a working phone.

We were trapped.

Neither Ethan or me had said anything and currently we are in one of the beachside stores looking around.

Ethan is in the back and l'm currently waiting for him so that he can drag me to another building. I sigh. Its scorching hot out here and this turtleneck sweater is killing me.

We're trapped and stuck on this island for who knows how long and its just the two of us. And the sooner he accepts that the better. So he can stop dragging me around. I'm hungry.

What's a girl gotta do to find some food around here. Just then groan at the possibility of having to catch fish in the ocean like they do in the movies when people get stuck on an island.

Honestly l don't even know how I've managed to hold up without breaking down for so long. Everything just happened in a whirlwind.

Did anyone even know that we were stuck here. That we were alive? Two destitute desparate people who didn't know what to do. And my family? T and Dad did they even know if l was alive.

Instinctively my hand goes out to reach for my locket. I squeeze it harder in my palm as if it will transport me back to them.

"Here....change into this" Ethan's voice booms out behind me. I quickly turn around to face him. I look up at him and l see him holding a couple of things wrapped in plastic with water droplets on them. I scrunch my eyebrows.

"What is that?..." I try to peer over the plastic. Ethan hands me the packages and l reach out for them with my good hand. Upon further inspection l discover that its a pair of blue shorts and a white tank top.

"I found them in the old storage room out at the back. The wave hit here but these got spared due to the plastics. Its better than what we have on. I look down to my clothes. Khloe' s white blazer is tattered and full of dried blood. My jeans are torn apart and dirty. Ethan is no better.

"Ohh thanks" Ethan nods his head in acknowledgment.

"Lets head over to the showers back at the hotel. Maybe they are still working."

"You're right."

We walk back to the hotel in silence still absorbing everything around us. We head to the first flow and we get into the hallway. " l'll take the first room and you take the second "

We go our separate ways and fortunately the water is running but its cold. I quickly clean up and wear the new clothes l had which took longer than l expected due to my injured arm. I slowly unwrap Ethan's shirt and l keep cringing all the time.

I inspect my arm and its better. The blood has stooped and its turning back to its normal colour. I search for an emergency kit and l bring out the bandage. I quickly wrap it up and decide its time to join Ethan.

I close the door behind me and look down the hallway. I knock on Ethan's room. "Ethan! Are you done?"

When theres no response l knock again. "Ethan!" I try again.

"Hy Flicker!Over here" Ethan's voice booms out.

I look over where his voice is and l see him standing down the hall. His in blue surf shorts and and a black sleeveless shirt which read 'surfs out. Guns out ' in white.A little bit over the top but hy l'm not complaining. After all it showed his rock abs and toned muscles. I gawked at him. If l thought Ethan was intimidating before. Boy was l wrong.

I watch as he gets closer to me and snaps his fingers infront of me. I drop my thoughts and scowl at him.

"What" l mutter out irritatedly

"Don't get angry at me. I tried calling you about 3 times but you kept staring at me like l was some delicious dessert or something and wouldn't answer me"

I feel a blush creep up my cheeks and l look down embarrassed.

"Ohh Flicker " he coos. "What's wrong? You embarrassed. Don't be"

I send him a death glare. Then suddenly he steps even closer to me until we're barely an inch apart. He leans over and our noses are almost touching. I look at him dead in the eye whilst trying to regulate my breathing. He holds our gaze until l see something crackle in his electric blue eyes. He leans in even closer but this time to my ear.

"I can't seem to take my eyes off you either. " Suddenly the warmth that had spread through me due to his closeness suddenly disappears and Ethan steps back as if nothing just happened.

He throws me a reckless grin. Clearly unaffected by our little exchange. And me? Well l'm a big bucket of mush.

"C'mon lets go down and eat. You took all day in there and l managed to whip out something " he starts walking down the hallway

I clear my thought inorder to get my bearings.

"You cook?"l call out to him

He doesn't respond to that but instead just laughs.

"What"l ask.

"Clearly you know nothing about me. But that's okay." He looks over his shoulder and gives me one of his dashing grins. "This island will help us do just that"

I groan at the remainder and follow him . Just great. Leave it up to fate to get me stuck on an island with a walking Adonis.