I kept watch near the small fire, eyes scanning the dense forest that surrounded their makeshift shelter. The crackle of flames and the whisper of distant waves were the only sounds breaking the quiet night. Glancing back at Anna, who was now sleeping soundly despite her injuries, I couldn't help but think, She's definitely strong—probably used to surviving in harsh conditions. Even after everything today, she didn't look shaken or lost.
To keep myself busy and alert, I walked around the cave, gathering more sticks from the nearby underbrush to feed the fire. After a few hours, Anna stirred and opened her eyes, the fatigue still evident in her face.
"You hungry or thirsty?" I asked. "We've got coconuts—about the only thing on the menu for now."
She nodded and accepted one of the coconuts he handed her, drinking the water in slow sips. She reached for a painkiller from the first aid kit, swallowing it without a word. When she noticed the strain in his face, she suggested, "You should get some rest now. I'll keep an eye out."
I hesitated but eventually lay down, exhaustion pulling me into sleep almost instantly. As soon as I drifted off, flashes of light burst behind my closed eyes, erratic and blinding. Voices, one after another, started calling out. Dane. The single name echoed in the darkness, multiplied, and grew louder, chaotic and pressing until it felt suffocating.
I jolted awake, gasping for air, cold sweat soaking his skin. The firelight cast trembling shadows on the cave walls as his breath came in quick, shallow bursts. Anna shifted, propping herself up on an elbow.
"A bad dream?" she asked, concern softening her voice.
"Yeah... something like that," he muttered, rubbing his face. "How long was I out?"
"Maybe thirty minutes, an hour at most. Not long enough," she said, eyeing him. "Try to sleep again if you can. I'll stay up."
"No, I'm fine," I said. The fear from the dream still crawled under my skin. "I'm a light sleeper anyway. You should get more rest. I'll keep watch."
Anna studied his expression for a moment. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here," she said, before turning back over and closing her eyes.
I sat near the fire, wide-eyed, his hands clenched tightly. His pulse was still erratic, each thump a reminder of the name that had echoed in his mind. Dane. It was familiar and foreign all at once. He stared at the flames, trying to piece together the fragments of his memories, but nothing came. Sleep was out of the question now, replaced by an unsettling awareness.
Soon, a gentle, cold wind blew, signaling that the sun would rise in a few minutes. I had calmed down quite a bit, but that dream still lingered in my mind. What was that about? I couldn't dwell on it now. The sun was about to break, and we had a long day ahead. We needed to make our situation more livable. The morning light began to pierce through the darkness as I gently woke up Anna and told her about my plans to improve our situation.
"I'm going to salvage anything usable from the wreckage. Most likely, the fire has gone out by now. If not, I'll try to put it out with seawater, but I'll need to find something to carry the water, like a bucket or something similar," I explained.
She interrupted, "You don't really need water to put out the fire. Just use your clothes to pick up sand from the beach and smother it. Besides, there's electrical fire involved in the wreckage, so seawater would be a bad idea."
I nodded, realizing that had slipped my mind. "Good point. I'll head out and see what I can do. You stay here by the fire and keep it going. There's no sense in someone with an injured leg moving around."
She agreed, and I made my way to the wreckage. My hunch was right—the fire was still burning. I made several trips back and forth between the beach and the wreckage, using sand to put out the flames. Once the smoke cleared, I thoroughly searched the remains. All I could find were some half-burned clothes—still useful, better than nothing. I pried off a few pieces of metal from the wreckage, finding some particularly sharp ones. I wrapped two of them with cloth to create makeshift shanks for self-defense or hunting. I also tied another piece of metal to a sturdy stick, fashioning a spear.
I gathered more clothes from various luggage and carry bags, thinking they'd come in handy. I placed all the tools and clothes outside the wreckage, then focused on finding a more reliable food and water source. Among the debris, I found a plastic container that was in decent shape and not completely melted, as well as a glass pane from a plane window—it was sturdy enough to be useful. The plastic container had two compartments, which was perfect for creating a makeshift solar still to purify seawater.
I sat down with the glass pane and began scraping off the sunlight protection film with one of the shanks. Time slipped away as I worked, and it took longer than I expected. Once I was done, I filled the plastic container with seawater, gathered my supplies, and returned to camp with two shanks, a spear, some clothes, the container of seawater, and the glass pane. While heading back I realized I hadn't even asked her about her past yet. That's a conversation for another day, I thought. Right now, survival was all that mattered.
When I got back, Anna didn't look pleased. "You took your time. What did you find?" she asked.
I showed her what I had collected and handed her one of the makeshift knives. I set up the seawater purifier in an area that would get direct sunlight, although it was too late in the day for it to be effective now. I suggested she redress her wounds using the clothes I brought.
"I'll try my hand at fishing tomorrow," I said.
Anna's expression grew serious. "Things here are strange. There are no insects. The ecosystem here is impossible."
"As good as that is, it's definitely odd," I agreed. No doubt about it.
Suddenly, we heard a loud screech in the distance. The evening was dark, and I hesitated, feeling a surge of fear. But the sound was too close to ignore. Anna noticed my hesitation but was just as curious and concerned.
"It sounded really close," she said. "Let's check it out together."
I helped her up, and we headed in the direction of the sound.