Stranded

Chapter 12

We finally reached the Village with the dead deer and carried it to the shack specifically for taking care of the meat-rightfully named the Meat Shack.

The Meat Shack had a table in the middle of it, with sharp, wooden hooks hanging from the ceiling to store meat in. We can't store the meat for long periods of time, considering we don't have a freezer, so when we get a whole stack of meat-or in this case a very large deer-the whole Village comes together for a bonfire to eat the meat all at once so it is fresh and won't be waisted. I have never had the chance to be at one of these before, but what Max had told me was that they were amazing. I took his word for it.

"Josh and I can take care of the deer, if you ladies wanna go do something else," Max offered.

"Sure! Thanks Max!" Syria said, grabbing our wrists and jerking us outside.

"Thank goodness we didn't have to stay in there with that nasty deer," Maddison grouched. She started walking away from us.

"Where are you going?" Syria asked.

"Well, I'm not staying around here. I'm going to my house so I can think of some idea to get off this stupid island."

Syria replied before I had the chance to. "Seriously? You are a real blonde, Madds. You know there is no way out of here. The ocean will just make you come back on the Island."

Maddison gasped. "That was rude! And there has to be someway off of here! I am not staying here until I rot. Unlike you, I have a family and a boyfriend waiting for me when I get back. So if you don't mind-"

"I do mind!" Syria seemed furious. "Maybe I don't have a family anymore, but I do want out of here. I miss my friends and my dog."

"Woop-dee-doo. You miss your dog," Maddison replied sarcastically, waving her hands around to create a more dramatic effect.

Syria had enough so she stormed back towards the Meat Shack, while Maddison walked to her house. This left me standing alone, so I decided to join Syria to try and cheer her up.

"Syria, wait!"

She stopped and I ran to catch up to her. She turned to face me, her face red and her eyes flooded with tears.

"She knows that gets to me," she sniffled. "Just because she has her life back in the city waiting for her she thinks it's okay to make fun of me because I don't."

I put an arm around her to comfort her. "Hey it's okay, Syria. Maddison is a jerk, I wonder sometimes if her family is glad she is gone."

Syria laughed a little but her face returned to the sad look again. "It's just not fair!" She sat down on the ground, her head in her hands. "How does she get to keep her family and I don't!"

"There is reasoning behind everything that happens to us," I explained. "And bad things happen to everyone. Just at different times and in different ways. In your case, it has made you stronger. Maddison on the other hand isn't strong about anything. She's weak. So take losing your family as a blessing in disguise." I sat down next to her, giving her a friendly smile.

Syria looked up and smiled back.

"Hey! Sam! Get in here!" Max called for me.

Syria and I ran back to the Meat Shack to see what was wrong.

"What is it? What's wrong Max?" I asked.

"Oh nothing. I just wanted to know if you wanted to see a skinned deer," Max explained.

I looked from Max to the dead carcass of the deer hanging from the ceiling. The only thing different was it had no fur on it, and it's skin was ripped off, showing the meat all over the body.