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Authors: David Antocci
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distance, and there it was – the flickering of lights. Not fires either. These were electric lights. There was a small cluster of them toward one side of the island, and on the other side a larger cluster. Certainly it wasn’t a thriving metropolis, but there were definitely people over there. At least more people than there were here. Plus they had electricity. She assumed with that came communication with the outside world, and more specifically, a way to get them home.
“That’s where we’re going,” he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder s and pulling her close. She liked the feeling of closeness she had with him as he held her like that. Her mind tried to remember the last time she felt so close to someone. Never mind that she had known him for such a short time.
Abby watched him looking at the island. She admired his optimism; his willingness to try for something that seemed impossible. Maybe it was the very strong homemade wine that she had been drinking, but she also admired the way the fire flickered in his eyes. She stared at him for several minutes, his gaze fixed on the island in the distance. He was no doubt plotting how to get them over there.
She decided to go for it. Standing on the tips of her toes, she leaned up to kiss him. As soon as she did this, her left foot slipped out from under her on the loose rocks, sending her tumbling toward the ground, spilling her drink. Moving quickly and catching her with one arm behind her back, Eric helped her back up to her feet. They locked eyes, and after a beat, she burst out laughing.
“You alright?”
She was laughing so hard, she had tears in her eyes. “Sorry, I think it’s the wine.”
“It’s strong stuff. Good , though. Here, sit down.”
They sat together on the loose earth and leaned back against a large rock. Abby finally relaxed and laid her head on his warm shoulder. She wondered if she should try to kiss him again. Did he know that was what she was trying to do when she fell? If he did, he did not let on.
She decided not to, and told herself just to enjoy this moment. They sat like that for hours, leaning against each other, enjoying the clear sky and the perfectly fresh air, as the fire slowly died out and she fell asleep against him. He lifted her and carried her back into the cave.
Abby woke up, but pretended she had not. He laid her down on the bed that Robert had left vacant for them. Carefully, he lay down next to her. She shifted and snuggled in close, laying her arm over his che st and drifting off to sleep.
7
THEY PARTED WAYS with Robert early in the morning after a filling breakfast consisting of biscuits and stew. The stew was the same as it was yesterday. It was delicious considering the circumstance. Robert had made the biscuits from grain he grew on the side of the hill, wild honey, and water. They were dense, grainy, and a bit smoky having been cooked by the fire, but that did not matter. They were sweet and delicious to their starved palates.
He insisted that they take a heaping bag of fresh vegetables from his garden , and all of the leftover biscuits. On his advice, they hiked down the side of the mountain that faced the island in the distance, which was their ultimate destination. He assured them that their former captors had a very permanent camp set up on the other side of the mountain, and should not be a problem for them.
Abby stood on the white sand beach and looked out over the blue water to the island in the distance. Neither one of them had any experience building something that could float. They debated for quite some time what to do about their situation.
“I think it looks closer than it is,” Eric said.
Abby countered, “How far could it possibly be? I went to St. Thomas over Spring break a couple years ago. The island next door was four miles away and only took about 20 minutes to get to on a boat.
“That’s where we’re going,” he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder s and pulling her close. She liked the feeling of closeness she had with him as he held her like that. Her mind tried to remember the last time she felt so close to someone. Never mind that she had known him for such a short time.
Abby watched him looking at the island. She admired his optimism; his willingness to try for something that seemed impossible. Maybe it was the very strong homemade wine that she had been drinking, but she also admired the way the fire flickered in his eyes. She stared at him for several minutes, his gaze fixed on the island in the distance. He was no doubt plotting how to get them over there.
She decided to go for it. Standing on the tips of her toes, she leaned up to kiss him. As soon as she did this, her left foot slipped out from under her on the loose rocks, sending her tumbling toward the ground, spilling her drink. Moving quickly and catching her with one arm behind her back, Eric helped her back up to her feet. They locked eyes, and after a beat, she burst out laughing.
“You alright?”
She was laughing so hard, she had tears in her eyes. “Sorry, I think it’s the wine.”
“It’s strong stuff. Good , though. Here, sit down.”
They sat together on the loose earth and leaned back against a large rock. Abby finally relaxed and laid her head on his warm shoulder. She wondered if she should try to kiss him again. Did he know that was what she was trying to do when she fell? If he did, he did not let on.
She decided not to, and told herself just to enjoy this moment. They sat like that for hours, leaning against each other, enjoying the clear sky and the perfectly fresh air, as the fire slowly died out and she fell asleep against him. He lifted her and carried her back into the cave.
Abby woke up, but pretended she had not. He laid her down on the bed that Robert had left vacant for them. Carefully, he lay down next to her. She shifted and snuggled in close, laying her arm over his che st and drifting off to sleep.
7
THEY PARTED WAYS with Robert early in the morning after a filling breakfast consisting of biscuits and stew. The stew was the same as it was yesterday. It was delicious considering the circumstance. Robert had made the biscuits from grain he grew on the side of the hill, wild honey, and water. They were dense, grainy, and a bit smoky having been cooked by the fire, but that did not matter. They were sweet and delicious to their starved palates.
He insisted that they take a heaping bag of fresh vegetables from his garden , and all of the leftover biscuits. On his advice, they hiked down the side of the mountain that faced the island in the distance, which was their ultimate destination. He assured them that their former captors had a very permanent camp set up on the other side of the mountain, and should not be a problem for them.
Abby stood on the white sand beach and looked out over the blue water to the island in the distance. Neither one of them had any experience building something that could float. They debated for quite some time what to do about their situation.
“I think it looks closer than it is,” Eric said.
Abby countered, “How far could it possibly be? I went to St. Thomas over Spring break a couple years ago. The island next door was four miles away and only took about 20 minutes to get to on a boat.
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