Chapter 73: Uncharted

The rain is still coming down, but finally starting to clear up, when Jillyan spots land.

"I've got you. C'mon, hang in there," she groans, dragging Julian onto the shore of the tiny deserted isle, somewhere out in the middle of nowhere.

"We're okay, Julian, baby, we've made it."

Julian makes a small groan, indicating that he'sat least conscious. When theyhit  the water, saving him was Jillyan's first and only concern. Getting him onto dry land where she could see to his injuries. "You're going to be okay, Julian," she insists, all grim determination. Because she'll be damned if she's going to lose him.

She lays him down the wet sand. At first glance, there nothing but the sand and a few palm trees. And miles and miles of ocean. "Wait here, baby, okay?" she whispers, stroking is hair, "I'm going to see if I can find...anything." Something to cover him from the rain, something to eat, fresh water...other survivors, if that's even possible.

As much as she hated getting back into the water, the shore of the nearby peninsula seemed like the best place to start looking for washed up flotsam from the plane, so Jilly swims across to see what she can find.

Someone had spelled out an SOS with rocks on a small rise by the shore. Other survivors? But that doesn't seem likely. If anyone else made it, they wouldn't have found this island so long ahead of here that they'd have time to be gathering rocks. And the camp, with it's burnt out fire, looks like it's been here for awhile.

And the skeletons...whoever these people were, they were here for longer than awhile.

Whoever they were, they are beyond help, and Jillyan doesn't have time to wonder about them. If she wants to have a better chance of survival than they had, she'll have to find some shelter, some food, fresh water.

She's lucky enough to find some luggage washed up from plane, and she's able to cobble together a lean to from some blankets. There was a bottle of water and some field rations in her backpack, which was enough to get Julian sitting up and talking again, at least. It won't last long, Jilly realizes, but at least it will get them through the first night.

 "Are you okay? Is anything broken?" Jilly asks.

"I don't think so," Julian answers, and Jilly sighs audibly with relief. Even if she knew how to set bones, she didn't find any first aid kits.

"But your face," she says, caressing his cheek, "You're all scratched up..."

"Am I still pretty?" Julian asks, forcing a smile.

"Of course you are," Jilly smiles back at him, genuinely happy. "We're going to be okay," she says. She'd been saying it since they hit the water, but it's only now that she knows it to be true in her heart, with no doubt.

Finally able to relax, at least a little, Jilly leans back into his arms.

"I found another camp. Over there," she says, gesturing at the peninsula behind them.

"Other survivors?" Julian asks.

Jillyan shakes her head. "It was old. And...there's bones. They made an SOS sign with rocks. But no one ever found them. And they didn't make it, I guess. I won't let that happen to us, Julian. I will find a way home. I will," she says, trying to make it true just by speaking it aloud.

"I know you will," Julian whispers.

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I'm tired of the same old same old of WA tombs. But I've found this awesome adventure world called Treasure Island which I've never played before. It has several tombs that I'm looking forward to exploring with Jilly.