Stranded Together

The first thing I registered was pain—an ache in every muscle, like I’d been wrung out and left to dry.

The second was the taste of salt, bitter on my tongue as I coughed up seawater. My throat stung like a bitch, but I was awake now.

I was sprawled out on something rough and grainy. My hand sank into damp, crunching granules. Sand. The faint sound of waves crashing on the shore reached my ears—a beach.

I tried to recall my last memory, and it all came rushing back.

The cruise ship.

The chaos. Fear.

People screaming and crying.

Cold, suffocating water swallowing me up.

And somehow, I hadn’t gone with it.

My head pounded in sync with my heart. When I finally managed to pry my eyes open, I instantly regretted it. The sun was too damn bright.

Groaning, I attempted to roll onto my back, desperate for shade.

Suddenly, a shadow fell across me. Had I ended up in hell?

I squinted up, which was easier without the sun’s glare, and saw a young man kneeling before me.

“You’re safe. It’s okay,” he said, his voice deep but gentle.

“W-where are w-we?” I croaked, then coughed violently, each spasm like a knife in my ribs.

“I’m not sure. I know we’re on a beach, but I think it’s just the two of us,” he replied, briefly touching my forehead. “Can you stand?”

“I don’t know,” I rasped. “I…I can barely talk. I feel awful.”

“All right, then I’ll try to carry you,” he said decisively. “We need to get out of this sun.”

I wanted to protest, but the truth was, I couldn’t. My limbs were like lead, and my headache had gotten worse.

I gave a weak nod, and he lifted me with surprising ease.

And then, everything went black.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been out, but when I woke again, the stranger was kneeling beside me, trickling water into my mouth. I was propped against something hard—probably a tree trunk.

“Just a little more… There you go,” he said, offering me another sip. “Take it slow, or you’ll start coughing again.”

I nodded weakly. The cool water was heaven.

I looked up and took him in for the first time. He was younger than me for sure—twenty-five, maybe? He was fit, with light-brown skin, stunning hazel eyes, and tattoos snaking up his bare arms and torso.

I was sure I looked like a hot mess. That was certainly how I felt.

“I’m Max,” he said.

“C-Cassie,” I croaked. My throat still ached, but the water was helping.

“Good that you remember who you are,” he said. “Do you remember what happened?”

I nodded, the memories crashing over me once again. “I do. The ship… It sank. Oh God, all those people,” I whispered, tears filling my eyes.

“Hey…” Max patted my shoulder, trying to comfort me, unsure if he should come closer. “It’s a terrible tragedy, but… we survived.”

“I’m glad I’m n—not alone.”

“Me too. We need to stick together. Can you help me with that?”

“I w—will,” I said, wiping my tears.

“That’s good. You can cry, though,” he said, sitting beside me.

His words made me feel safe, and before I knew it, I let it all out, crying until hiccups replaced the sobs.

When I was done, he gave me a few more sips from his water bottle.

“Where did you get the water?” I asked once I’d caught my breath.

“I found a rescue bag on the beach. It must have washed ashore too. They’re waterproof and filled with all the necessities: a few water bottles, energy bars, a flare gun, a lighter, two hunting knives, and a pocketknife, some rope, and a few other supplies.”

“Jesus. We are so fucking lucky!” I said, beyond grateful.

I wasn’t an expert, but I’d watched enough survival shows to know that a lighter and knife were crucial to staying alive when shipwrecked.

“It gets better than that… I also found some suitcases. They’re still wet but filled with clothes and toiletry items—even brand-new toothbrushes, still in their packaging.

“Not everything is useful—some things are damaged—but there are definitely some helpful things in there. You can check it out later.”

“I will. A toothbrush. What are the odds?”

“I know,” he said, leaning back against the palm tree as I was. “Then I found you, and I actually think that was the best find.”

“Charmer.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m the type of person who gets lost in her own city.”

He laughed. His smile was breathtaking.

“I woke up a few hundred meters from you, but apart from the finds, I haven’t explored further inland. I’m thinking about searching for a place to take shelter if it rains. Should I go now?”

I nodded, not feeling ready to walk yet. “That’s fine by me. But you’ll be back soon, right?” I asked, gripping his hand.

“Yeah, I will. Don’t worry—I won’t leave you alone.”

By nightfall, Max had found a cave where we could hide and sleep.

It was near a pristine lake that fed into a waterfall. I would have found it breathtaking if we hadn’t been in such a dire situation.

The lake was the bluest I’d ever seen. The rocks were covered in a layer of green moss, and tropical trees and flowers of every color surrounded the water. It looked like a scene from a movie.

But I couldn’t care less about blue lakes and palm trees.

We hadn’t run into any dangerous creatures, thankfully. But we both agreed that a fire was necessary. I’d seen it on TV—fire keeps animals at bay, right?

So there I was, sitting beside the comforting warmth of the flames. The night had brought a chill, and the fire was a welcome respite.

We ate in silence, the firelight casting shadows on the cave walls. The emergency bars were disgusting, but at least they were something.

“I still can’t wrap my head around all this,” I said eventually.

“It’s like we’re stuck in some kind of nightmare,” Max agreed. “It’s so unreal.”

He was a few feet away from me, staring into the flames and idly tracing circles in the sandy brown earth.

“Our families must be worried sick,” I said.

I could almost see my mom wringing her hands, clinging to hope. Our parents were undoubtedly praying for a miracle while bracing themselves for the worst possible outcome.

I shouldn’t try to imagine the agony of the other families now—it would only make things harder.

“Yeah…my poor mom.” Max’s jaw tightened, his voice thick with emotion. “And my stepdad too, of course.”

“Are your parents divorced?”

“No, my father died when I was only four.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s been a long time.” He looked away from me, and I felt he didn’t want to discuss it further.

“New subject?”

“Please.” He smiled.

“How old are you?” I asked, attempting to untangle my hair with my fingers. Long hair was proving to be a nuisance. Tomorrow, I’d have to see if there was a comb in one of the suitcases.

“I’m nineteen. And you?” he asked.

“I’m thirty-one. I figured you were younger, but not that much younger. You’re pretty mature for your age,” I said.

“Yeah… I get that a lot.”

“Your girlfriend must be worried too…” I didn’t know why, but I found myself hoping he would say he was single.

He looked up. “Oh, I don’t have a girlfriend. And… your boyfriend, he must be worried?”

“Oh, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“A husband, then?”

“No husband. No girlfriend either,” I replied, smiling.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile,” he said, returning it. The dancing orange light from the fire made him look even more handsome.

“Well, sadly, there hasn’t been much to smile about,” I sighed and shrugged.

“True.”

We fell silent. The only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the distant rush of the waterfall.

Max yawned and rubbed his eyes. He must have been exhausted—he’d done most of the work today, even carrying me part of the way to the cave.

“You’re tired. You should sleep,” I said.

“You should too.”

Before we ate, he’d cut some large leaves and laid them on the ground for our bed. It was no luxury hotel mattress, but it would do for the night.

“Yeah. Let’s sleep and see what tomorrow brings. Maybe someone will come to rescue us,” I said, though I didn’t really believe it.

“Okay. Do you think the fire is okay like this?” he asked. “Can we leave it?”

“I think so. It might go out, but I think that’s the worst that can happen.”

“Yeah… I have no idea. I’ve never been stranded on an island before.”

I laughed as I settled onto the ground. “Me neither. I just hope I don’t become a mosquito buffet tonight.”

“I haven’t seen any yet,” he said, lying a short distance away. “But feel free to wake me up when you need me to kill one—or anything else, okay?”

I hesitated a moment before speaking. “I’m glad I have you with me.”

It was the second time I’d said it that day. I didn’t want to overdo it, but I was genuinely grateful.

“Me too, Cassie.”

The night was cold—so very cold. The fire barely provided any warmth, and I found myself shivering.

Max woke from my restless movements. “Are you cold?” he asked.

“R-really c-cold,” I managed to say.

“Can I… Can I maybe lie beside you?” he asked. “To keep you warm. We could share body heat. It’s supposed to help.”

“I d-don’t care, p-please. You can do a-anything you w-want to me at this point,” I practically begged. My back and neck started to ache from the shivering.

He got up and lay beside me, his body heat like a warm blanket. “Better?” he asked.

“Th-thank you s-so much,” I replied, already feeling better.

“You should sleep,” Max said softly.

“You should too.”

“I will. Just… let me keep watch for a bit.”

I didn’t argue. The last thing I remembered was the steady crackle of the fire and Max’s unmoving presence.

A sharp snap echoed through the cave, jolting me awake.

Max stiffened beside me. “Did you hear that?” he whispered.

I held my breath, straining my ears. The fire had dimmed, but there was enough glow to cast flickering shadows against the rough stone walls.

Then—another sound. A low rustling, like something moving near the entrance.

My pulse pounded in my throat. “Something’s out there,” I whispered.

Max reached for the nearest stick, gripping it like a weapon. We both stared toward the cave’s opening, watching. Waiting.

Just beyond the firelight, a shadow shifted. It wasn’t the wind. It was moving—slow, deliberate.