Jun 16, 2005 22:09
I wrote this THREE YEARS AGO, wow! I can't believe it's been that long. I don't even remember writing this, or why I writied this. I came across this today, I was delecting things I didn't need anymore and I just came across it. I'm 17 years old today, so -3, wow, born in september 30 1987, so I don't know 14 or 15 years old. yeah, that shows about right. That's when I was so in love with you. I really liked you Matt. Not you just didn't care. I just I wasn't good enough. Oh well, that's achient history now. Love some, lose some. That's how it goes. Matt, Please tell me what you think, and a paragraph would be nice for a change. so, here's what i wrote, all me.110% of the time.
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The storm is coming
June 30th- I found my old journal, unused, in my trusty old trunk that had washed ashore after our accident. If anyone finds this they’re probably wondering what do I mean by, “our accident.” What I mean is when my friends (Amy, Zach, Matthew, Eric, Ben, Jeff, Alyx, Brittney, Jennifer, Kendra, and Courtney), the Captain, his first Mate, and last but not least, me, were shipwrecked on a desert Isle. As of our knowledge, we all know the Captain be dead. Now my friends and I are left alone on an island we believe to be uncharted and undiscovered.
The Captain called it, “Death Isle,”(because nothing and no one can live there). My friends and I saw the island for the first time as we passed the point of the bay. The name became common among sailors who passed the island. Tales were told about ships carrying goods that run aground or had also been shipwrecked. Was very unlikely that there were more than thirteen survivors. This strange and
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unfamiliar island is covered with as many as a hundred caves and caverns with dense jungle surrounding everywhere you look.
July 1st- I write when I can, for I find some comfort in writing my thought down and knowing how many days we have been stranded here for.
July 2nd- My guests and I are no longer friends, but a team that will prevail and come out on top of this whole situation. My team is running low on food, shelter, and water. I fear sickness for all, we have little First Aid training and no medication. Also I fear one of my team members could get eaten by a large animal, poisoned by a dart frog or a snake, drowned, get lost in a cave or in the jungle, fall off a cliff or simply fall into a cavern.
July 3rd- Still looking for food, water, and shelter. None found yet. My team still moves on, slowly, but surely. I fear for my team, thinking
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we’ll go on day after day after day with out our bellies full of food. For we will grow weaker and weaker and will become easy prey for animals.
July 5th- Good news, for Ben found a cave far enough away from the sea so the tide can’t reach us, also it’s only fifty feet long until you reach the end of the cave. We divided the cave into four parts. One section is the boy’s room, and because there are more girls than boys half the girls get one room and the rest of them get another room, the fourth room is the main room, which everyone is allowed in. To divide the rooms we used long, thick, and strong vines, which we tied to the ceiling from large spiked rocks hanging from the ceiling. Then we tired large leaves to them, which draped down causing a thin green wall. We are now out of water.
July 6th- The wind is blowing hard today as the men are at the cliffs trying hard to catch fish for lunch. We women are at the beach collecting coconuts, crabs, fresh leaves for the team’s beds and walls, also vines. We hope to somehow come up with a way of making fire for the nights, which are very long and dark. The only way we can move
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around at night is if there is a moon or it’s a clear night. Water is scarce here.
July 7th- Water found in our cave, behind some very large rocks with a tight passageway to get to it. We discovered it at night by hearing a very annoying dripping sound. It was coming though a rather large crack through the wall that formed a small like pond of fresh water that I believe will last us for the time being. The boat, by which we came, hasn’t sunk but we had no way of reaching it until now.
July 9th- A raft was built and was carried to the water’s edge to see if it could float. To our surprise it did, so we rowed to our now sinking vessel. On the raft we had a contest to see who could hold their breath the longest. Ben, Matthew, Zach, and me (Laura) held our breath the longest, as the others waited on the raft for us to reach the surface with our prized possessions. With no more breath left in our lungs, we collapsed with exhaustion as we made it back to shore. We had recovered 40 large cans, 38 large water jugs, 67 cans of food, 21
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suitcases, 12 pillows, 10 blankets, and two rifles. The rest will come in another trip.
July 10th - My fellow comrades who were in the water with me, had brought up supplies, are still in an unconscious sleep and are so tired they barely move. The others were preparing a feast in our honor. I, lie in bed writing as the days pass and I grow more weary for I know that as the days pass, so does the chance of being rescued.
July 12th- No fish catch yet, so the men are trying to create nets out of vines, leaves, and kelp. Last night we heard (the guys and I) and saw what looked like an outline of large wild animals that we had never seen before. Since the guy’s rooms were closer to the cave entrance, they were awakened by the startling sounds of high-pitched roars of an unfamiliar beast. Once awake the men dashed toward the back of the cave, heading to the resting place of the two locked and loaded rifles. It was very dark for there was no moon out tonight, we had no light to see through the pure darkest that which had consumed us. The men, very alert with rifles ready took aim at the darkness, which the sound had come from. To there surprise the beast had left, but only for a short
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while. Zach and Eric were to stand guard until sunset. As for me, I hid behind the large oddly shaped rocks and watched this all take place. I fear if I say what I saw last night, questions would be asked and my teammates will think less of me. It’s not that I like to keep secrets and all, but I believe this secret should just be kept to myself.
July 13th-Today the wind has died down and so has the untamed waves. So we set off on to our raft and rowed to the boat once more. Our ship has been taking on water since we last saw her. This time I stay above water, helping those who bring up our belongings. Zach is complaining that there aren’t enough air pockets in the ship for everyone to get enough air needed to make it back to the surface. So Matthew returns to the surface to help load things onto the raft. Once on dry land the sun is about to set, meaning there will only be light for only a short while.
I can sense the men are worried about our safety from wild animals and things that go bump in the night. So they leave us women behind as they venture off into the jungle. I follow of course, for I must know what their plan is; also I’ve been restricted and forbidden to enter
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the jungle without a protector. But since all of them are going, I assure myself I’ll be much safer with them instead of on the beach. I’m being careful to follow without being noticed or found. I fear if I get caught, I will never see the true beauty this island has to offer.
Too late! Matthew hears a twig about forty feet back break in half as I step on it. For Matthew can trace, track, or hunt anything with his sharp hearing. He alerts the others they’re being followed into the forbidden area. They all stop, not knowing if it’s one of the women or a predator. Matthew leads them back to where he first hears the sound. I plunge, nose-dive, tumble, and submerge behind some rocks, scrubs, small plants, trees, vines, and camouflage. They cannot seem to find what made the sound, so they leave (except Matthew). But they are very cautious for they know they’re being watched.
I wait till I think the coast is clear, so is Matthew. I stand up brushing off my journal and, myself off for I take it everywhere I go. Knowing that was too close, I start to head back, then out of nowhere Matthew is coming at me with a knife, aiming it for my chest. My only reflex was to hold up my journal, to block the knife from reaching my skin. The knife went all the way through my journal and then stopped.
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Matthew could see the fear in my eye’s as I let go of my journal and fell to the ground shaking. Matthew knelt down be my side with his arms rapped around me as he tried to comfort me as much as possible. I buried my head into his chest and cried and cried, until I could cry no more. His already half wet shirt was now soaked with my tears. He kept telling my over and over again I was going to be all right. But it sure didn’t feel like it. Matthew helped me up onto my feet and as we started back toward the beach with his arms still rapped around me.
I stopped, and asked, “Please Matthew, I want to see what the other men plan to do about wild animals.” He replied, “that did you say, the other guys thought no one hear because no one said a word about it the next day?” I answered, “I was also there, watching from the rocks, I didn’t want anyone to see me or know what I had seen that dark night. Please tell know no what I’ve told you, I’m very curious and sometimes it gets me into big trouble. I’ve told no one and will never tell anyone in fear of something worst could happen.” Matthew whispered, “You do not look extremely well and it will be dark soon, and we will have no way of getting back to the cave. Come; let me take you there, you need your rest!” My response was, “alright.” To my surprise the other men
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were back in the cave with expressions on their faces that made me cringe. Matthew carried me to bed and then tucked me in saying he would not leave my side until I awake the next morning.
July 14th-I awoke to a new day and, of course, like Matthew promised he was at my bedside with a cup of cold green tea. Matthew whispered, “How are you, did you sleep well, are you ready for a new day?” I could only nod and shake my head to his questions for I was still in shock from the other day. Matthew helped me out of bed, and then we left the cave. The shore was only about hundred feet away from the cave and about forty feet out into the sea was the coral reef. Matthew took me to the edge of the jungle, but I couldn’t move. Then we pushed our way though to some kind of a clearing. There before me were the rest of the men with long spear like poles. There were about twelve dozen poles ready to be put into the ground. “How are going to get in the cave if these sharp spikes are in the way, I wondered?” Ben answered, “Simple, on one of the sides of the cave we’re going to put a huge boulder in the way, then we’ll dig under it. The passage under the rock will have to be at least three-half feet tall and four feet wide. The rock
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will have to be at least ten feet high, thirteen feet wide, and four feet deep. The taller the better and the maximum it can weigh is two hundred and seventy-five pounds. Now the hard part is to be able to find a rock that big and close by.” I requested, “how far away exactly?” Matthew stated, “about four-thousand feet away?”
We all searched the island for a large enough rock, but no women can wander the island without a male.
July 15th-I forgot to say what we had dived for on July the 13th. We now have added to our supplies; twelve more rifles brought to dry land, more suitcase and blankets, fourteen new and unused lanterns, some twenty fishing rods (for this was a fishing trip), three flare guns with a dozen flares, ten adult life jackets, two floatable life boats, two dozen (each)-forks, knives, spoons, dishes, mugs, bowls, pots, pans, a wet cell phone and radio.
July 16th- A rock was fairly close to the cave, it was measured, the men believed it will work. I fear the rock will fall on one of them, crushing him/her to death. How will they move it and what will they move it
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with? These are my questions, that I believe can’t be answered at this time. We, as a group tried pushing it, didn’t work. Making a platform to slide it down near the cave, the platform was crushed. Swearing and yelling at it, well it didn’t move, but it made us feel better. We tried kicking at it, which would only make your foot swollen and hurt. The two best ways we found of moving the rock was #1-using large thick logs and sticking them under it and to keep on rolling it until we reached the entrance of the cave. This was a major team effort. #2- use a single long think vine to pull the rock into place. Then we dug under it, placed the spear-like poles that were complete, stepped back to admire all of our hard work.
July 17th- It has rained for the last two days so there is barely enough light to write and since we have no fire I cannot see, we stay inside in hope of avoiding sickness.
July 18th- Still raining out, it’s very cold and damp in here.
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July 19th-“Rain, rain; go away, come again another day.” Eric, Courtney, and Kendra are showing signs of a cold in their chest and head. I pray to God with all my will that he keeps them alive and on this earth with me.
July 20th-Eric and Kendra are getting better, but Courtney is getting critically ill and may be this cold could be life threatening? I sit by her bedside while I write this. I hold her hand, trying to warm it for its’ as cold as ice. I pray she will fall asleep, rid herself of this cold, and awake. She asks me, “Laura, I’m going to live right, tell me I’m going to be alright, I don’t want to die on this island, promise me you won’t leave me here to die!” “ I promise,” I answer, as I single tear rolls down my cheek. Her eyes were emotionless, but her face was the face you make when you know you are going to die says it all. That face will always be burned into the back of my mind forever and ever until I die and rest in peace.
July 21st-The rain has stopped at last, Jennifer and Zach stay behind with Courtney. The rest of us row the raft out into the sea where the
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boat lies. The boat is taking on water fast now these days, so we need all the supplies we can get today and the next. Matthew, Brittney, and I dive into the clear, smooth glass-like water, after we fill our lungs with air. As I dive to my destination, images flash though my mind of past experiences, dreams and home. The water has a small tint of green in it, making the water look turquoise behind the reef where there is open ocean floor to look and gaze at. The ship is called; “A Little Kiss of Paradise!” Next to her name is a large gash on the starboard side (right side), the way we enter the ship. The gash was made when we were caught in “the eye of the storm.” I found the auto-matic gun with twenty spare clips, three axes, twelve carving knives, eight pieces of beautiful art work, five folding chairs, six blankets, three towels, a bat, a baseball, a football, seven large baskets, three long chains, about four-hundred feet of rope, two small boxes of jewelry, three hair brushes, and nine picture frames.
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July 22nd- Courtney’s health is returning slowly, she is walking, but still has a bad cough. Even though Courtney has been returned to us. this has weakened her heart forever. Amy, Ben, and Jennifer dive for more supplies today, they use the axes to strip the boat for wood, metal, parts of the ships wall, and rug.
July 24th- Matthew and I are very close today; we went on a most wonderful adventure. We visited the canopy of the rainforest, with life exploding all around us. So many colors, different creatures never seen or heard of before, new sounds, new things, new smells, and new dreams. The world was mine and mine alone for the taking. I felt safe and in high spirits around Matthew that no one else could bring me. Somehow he always made me smile, laugh, and giggle. I thought this day would never end, for it kept me alive as it played in my mind over and over again. When I dream and think, he is somehow always there and always with me.
July 25th- Matthew and I discover a natural hot spring with a waterfall and everything. The hot spring is more of a pool or a hot tub. In the
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Middle, it’s about fifteen feet deep and at the waters edge it’s about a foot deep. The water here is crystal clear, clearer than glass and also most transparent. To our astonishment, a small cave was behind the waterfall. We entered only to find a brilliant spectacle sight of bright lights and rainbows on the wall made by thousandths upon thousands of crystals. To me, this place has come to be a part of me and if I ever leave a small part of me will never ever leave this enchanted place.
July 29th-The last couple of days have been a blur. Trying to capture and remember them all would take a lifetime.
July 30th- Brittney was found dead today; her body had washed up on the shore. We don’t know why or how it happened, it’s still an unsolved mystery that still haunts me today. She was a good friend, actually a best friend of mine. The men had set out to build her coffin except Matthew, who tried to soothe me. We buried her under a tree she had liked to read under. I sometimes still hear here voice calling me back to her resting place. I sometimes wish I could visit her grave and bring fresh flowers to lie by her cross. After the funeral, I burst into tears no
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longer being able to hold them back. I ran into the forest with no care in the world of ever being found or heard of again. Matthew raced after me, because he was afraid I might do something to hurt myself. I ran until I could run no longer for I had no more breathe left in my lungs. I thought they would burst and I would die and join Brittney in heaven. As I gasped my chest, I collapsed to the ground, for my legs would not go on. My legs they buckled out from under me.
July 30th- The last thing I know is awakening from a restless sleep. Matthew was looking at me with worried eyes. He told me what had happened. Matthew was yelling my name as loud as he possibly could, then rushed to my side for I didn’t move or stir. I gave him quiet a scare, for I don’t think he could stand losing a friend and the girl he loved. He hugged my limp body for I was unconscious. He bent down to kiss me one last time on my lips, for they were still warm he thought. Then to his surprise, I was breathing. He picked me up in his arms, then rushed though the trees to the cave. He ordered that no one touch me. He put me in bed and put a cool washcloth on my forehead.
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Now I lay in bed, with sorrow and my depression overwhelming me. I stared out on to the ocean. I see faint images of Matthew going to my rescue. I know he cares for me and loves me. Matthew knows I feel the same, for our feelings are strong.
August 1st-I’ve recovered, we have built a new raft, one that is strong, large, and blocks the wind and rain. We plan to leave the island soon. Supplies are ready; we are just waiting for the right time.
August 2nd- We set sail.
August 3rd- Our island is still in sight today. Matthew worries about me for I look sick. I’ve heard him pray before I fall asleep that if we get rescued I live though this whole ordeal.
August 4th- Supplies are running low.
August 5th- We have enough water for two more days.
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August 6th- we get barely any water each. Matthew says I can have his, but I refuse it.
August 7th- No more water, a storm is coming.
August 8th- The storm is barely a day away.
August 9th- The storm is long and rough; we lost Jennifer to the monstrous wave, but it spit her back out.
August 10th- The storm threw us off course, maybe a day?
August 12th- A helicopter has spotted us, were saved. In the helicopter, Matthew said (sometime I’ll never in my life forget). “At the thought of losing you, my life was meaning less and time had slowly come to a stop and the world would slowly deteriorate into nothing.”
The End