Read Online Escape, a New Life by David Antocci - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Antocci
Ads: Link
This one doesn’t look much further than that one did.”
“ I’ll tell you, it’s a lot further than four miles. Two or three times that at least. Plus we don’t have a boat or anything to build a sail with, for that matter. We’ll be paddling the whole way, so I’d forget about that twenty minutes.”
“ Obviously. But you agree though, right? Let’s go for it?”
“What’s our option? Hang out here? I’d rather not spend the rest of my life waiting for some crazy guy with a beard to snatch us up again.”
“Agreed.”
They decided they would build the smallest raft they could . Something they could sit on comfortably, but be big enough to lie on if they had to rest. Abby would construct a couple of paddles, and they would go for it. They were already tired from the hike that morning, and still had to gather wood and vines before trying to lash together something that would float. They were not getting anywhere today. In all likelihood, they were stuck here at least for a couple more days.
Eric went hunting for wood to build their raft with, while Abby worked on constructing a simple shelter for them. Abby was hesitant about splitting up, but Eric reminded her that Robert said they would be OK on this side of the island, and he promised not to wander too far. Reluctantly she watched him walk out into the trees. She got right to work on making their shelter using branches and materials from the trees right at the forest edge, hoping the distraction would ease her uncertainty.
After a handful of failed attempts, s he finally got a support log to hold in the crook of a tall tree that had split into a Y shape. She used vines to lash the large support log into place, and then began laying smaller branches against it for the walls of a lean-to shelter. The blue skies did not look like rain, but she piled so many branches and leaves on top of their little shelter that it looked as though it could withstand a monsoon and keep them dry inside.
Abby did not have the benefit of a watch, but the entire process must have taken a couple of hours. She had become so wrapped up in it that she had forgotten where Eric was. She wondered what was taking him so long and thought about going to look for him, but figured she would give it just a little while longer. No doubt she would find him and he would poke fun at her for being worried.
She gathered some rocks and made a little fire pit near the entrance. Afterward, she collected some wood and kindling to build a fire later and keep them warm overnight. While she did not have a way to tell the time, the sun was getting low, and she was approaching full-blown panic over the fact that Eric had yet to return. It had been at least four hours since she had started on the shelter, and she had not seen any sign of him.
Going into the trees a few dozen yards, she took a big drink of water and refilled the solar bag purifier Robert had given them. She looked around, standing perfectly still, listening to the sounds around her. She did not hear any indication that Eric was nearby.
She went back to their makeshift camp, set the solar bag in the sun, and checked that her knife was securely strapped to her right thigh. Thoughts of Eric being snatched again played through her mind. They never discussed how long he would be gone, but it had been most of the afternoon by now. After pacing the beach for a while, she could not stand to wait any longer. The sun would be going down in the next couple of hours. She had to go look for him.
Going into the trees, Abby was tempted to call out for him, but she abandoned that idea when she remembered that there could be other people out there – people she did not want to run into. She worked her way back in the direction that they had come from when they had hiked down the mountain that morning. She figured that would make the most sense. If he followed that route, it would
“ I’ll tell you, it’s a lot further than four miles. Two or three times that at least. Plus we don’t have a boat or anything to build a sail with, for that matter. We’ll be paddling the whole way, so I’d forget about that twenty minutes.”
“ Obviously. But you agree though, right? Let’s go for it?”
“What’s our option? Hang out here? I’d rather not spend the rest of my life waiting for some crazy guy with a beard to snatch us up again.”
“Agreed.”
They decided they would build the smallest raft they could . Something they could sit on comfortably, but be big enough to lie on if they had to rest. Abby would construct a couple of paddles, and they would go for it. They were already tired from the hike that morning, and still had to gather wood and vines before trying to lash together something that would float. They were not getting anywhere today. In all likelihood, they were stuck here at least for a couple more days.
Eric went hunting for wood to build their raft with, while Abby worked on constructing a simple shelter for them. Abby was hesitant about splitting up, but Eric reminded her that Robert said they would be OK on this side of the island, and he promised not to wander too far. Reluctantly she watched him walk out into the trees. She got right to work on making their shelter using branches and materials from the trees right at the forest edge, hoping the distraction would ease her uncertainty.
After a handful of failed attempts, s he finally got a support log to hold in the crook of a tall tree that had split into a Y shape. She used vines to lash the large support log into place, and then began laying smaller branches against it for the walls of a lean-to shelter. The blue skies did not look like rain, but she piled so many branches and leaves on top of their little shelter that it looked as though it could withstand a monsoon and keep them dry inside.
Abby did not have the benefit of a watch, but the entire process must have taken a couple of hours. She had become so wrapped up in it that she had forgotten where Eric was. She wondered what was taking him so long and thought about going to look for him, but figured she would give it just a little while longer. No doubt she would find him and he would poke fun at her for being worried.
She gathered some rocks and made a little fire pit near the entrance. Afterward, she collected some wood and kindling to build a fire later and keep them warm overnight. While she did not have a way to tell the time, the sun was getting low, and she was approaching full-blown panic over the fact that Eric had yet to return. It had been at least four hours since she had started on the shelter, and she had not seen any sign of him.
Going into the trees a few dozen yards, she took a big drink of water and refilled the solar bag purifier Robert had given them. She looked around, standing perfectly still, listening to the sounds around her. She did not hear any indication that Eric was nearby.
She went back to their makeshift camp, set the solar bag in the sun, and checked that her knife was securely strapped to her right thigh. Thoughts of Eric being snatched again played through her mind. They never discussed how long he would be gone, but it had been most of the afternoon by now. After pacing the beach for a while, she could not stand to wait any longer. The sun would be going down in the next couple of hours. She had to go look for him.
Going into the trees, Abby was tempted to call out for him, but she abandoned that idea when she remembered that there could be other people out there – people she did not want to run into. She worked her way back in the direction that they had come from when they had hiked down the mountain that morning. She figured that would make the most sense. If he followed that route, it would
Similar Books
