Castaways Ch. 04

The next day was brilliant sunshine again and no visible threat of another storm. Em and John had a quick breakfast of coconuts and peanuts. Em had taken to marking lines with a sharp shell on one of the closest palms to designate the days they had been on the island. They had already been there for several days; shortly it would be a week. Could the rescuers still be searching for them? As yet, they hadn't seen any signs of a plane or ship. Another day or two and their original week's vacation would have been coming to an end. They tried not to focus on the people and things left behind in their lives. Living day to day was enough of a challenge for now.

John had another idea for food and Em followed him as he carried the crate they had found down the beach towards where the water basin rock was. He explained to Em his plan as they walked.

"If we take this crate, with its one open end, and position it with a stick holding it up, we might just be able to trap a bird inside," John said.

"How are you going to get a bird to go under the crate?" Em asked.

"Using some of our discarded crab shells as bait," John claimed.

"Yeah, but they'll just fly away when you try to knock the box down on them," Em stated.

"We're going to use a long vine to pull the support stick out of the way, making the box drop down on them," John explained.

"Sounds possible," Em agreed.

"Run back to camp and get me a sharpened length of bamboo and some of the old crab shells please," John asked. "Get some with crab meat still on it."

"Okay," Em said and took off.

While she was gone John used one of the knives to whittle and cut a quarter sized hole in the bottom of the wooden crate. He then found a good foot long thin piece of driftwood to use for the support. With one end of the support in the sand and the other wedged under the lid of the wooden box, he had the makings of a trap. He scavenged for the vine for quite a while until he found a suitable one, not too thick and long enough to let them hide in the nearby bushes. By then Em was back. John positioned the crab shells under the box and they hid in the bushes to wait.

"What's this for?" Em asked, still holding the pointed bamboo stick.

"Well, did you see that hole I cut in the bottom of the box?"

"Yeah. Do you want to be able to see what type of bird it is?" Em questioned.

"Not exactly. I think if I had to reach in and grab the bird while trying to lift the box, they would not only bite me but have a chance to escape. I plan to finish them off through that hole with the stick you just brought," John concluded.

"Oh, gross! You're going to stab them to death?"

"You have a better idea, miss smarty pants," John mused smiling.

"No, but don't expect me to do the killing," Em emphatically claimed.

"I won't, just the plucking," John stated with a chuckle.

"What? You expect me to pluck out the feathers," Em extolled, making a funny face.

"Someone's got to do it for us to eat them," John pronounced.

"You can do that part too," Em said jokingly.

"Okay, you can cut the head and feet off and clean the guts out," John chided but with a smile.

"Ewww ... gross ... no, okay, I'll do the plucking," Em agreed with a funny face again but then laughed with him.

They waited for nearly an hour before they spotted any birds. John had picked the spot near the water basin rock thinking that some birds would smartly return here to drink. He was right about that and they squawked and complained when they found the top of the rock covered by the cage. For spite, as Em and John watched, some of the birds would sit on top of the cage and shit between the supports, fouling the water anyway.

"We need to cover the cage with plastic," John told Em.

"Yeah, but how with the rain water get in then."

"We'll need to remove it again just before each storm," John professed.

"We better remember," Em said.

"You're right. It could be the one thing that saves our lives," John agreed seriously.

Somewhat bored, Em was just starting to run her hand menacingly up John's leg when suddenly two gulls swooped down ten feet from the trap. They looked around questioningly and then approached the wooden box on foot. They started to cackle at each other as they neared the potential meal. One rushed in quickly and grabbed a shell before John could react. The other screamed at the first as if the traitor had taken off with his meal. The second walked right under the box to grab one of the two remaining crab shells. John yanked the vine hard and the stick ripped free from supporting the box. It dropped down on the poor unsuspecting bird before he had a chance to flee.

"Yeah," John shouted and jumped in the air, pumping his fist.

Em also cheered, "Way to go, John."

They ran to the box and looked into the hole. The bewildered bird was gnawing on the small hole, trying to figure a way out. John raised the sharpened stick.

"John, wait," Em yelled.

"What?" John asked.

"I don't want to watch this," Em said.

"Okay, you run back to camp and get a fire started and some water boiling for roots."

"Yeah," Em said and took off at a dead run without complaint.

She briefly glanced back over her shoulder when she was fifty yards down the beach but he was still just watching her run. She kept going and disappeared up into the rocks and palms toward camp.

John didn't relish the idea of killing anything either but this was survival and they had little choice. They couldn't live on fish and shellfish alone. An occasional bird would help them survive.

He glanced down at the hole and waited for a good shot at the back of the bird. When he had one, he thrust the sharpened end down hard into the hole. He felt it hit and penetrate. The bird squawked and thrashed for a few moments but then was still. John pushed a little hard down but the bird didn't move. He figured it was dead and slowly lifted the box from the side. He moved tentatively in case the bird was still alive but soon discovered his method had worked quite well. The spiked stake had pierced the back of the bird and killed it.

John didn't think Em wanted to watch the cleaning part either, so he walked down to the water's edge. Using his knife, he severed the head and legs. He then cleaned the bird inside and washed everything off in the sea. He decided to save her the worst of the plucking too and cleaned most of the feathers from the bird. When he was done it looked more like an odd white chicken from the supermarket than the recent live gull. John grabbed the box after putting everything in it from the trap and headed back to camp. When he got there Em was busy cutting the roots and dropping them into the hot water.

"See here," John said approaching and holding up the bird.

"Wow, that looks better," Em said. "I thought you said I had to pluck it?"

"I did but I decided to do most of it for you. It still needs a little more trimming."

"Okay, put it down here," Em said referring to a large flat rock she got from somewhere.

John did and watched her work as he stowed the crate and its contents. He busied himself with repairs to the hut and finally finished the door he had been meaning to get to. By mid-afternoon the meal was ready. They had cooked the gull over the fire on a spit made of bamboo. Em had turned it slowly to evenly roast it. The aroma actually appealed to them and made their stomachs growl.

As they sat eating, they were thankful for something different to taste. Surprisingly to Em, the gull didn't taste all that bad. It wasn't exactly chicken but if you closed your eyes you would have thought it was something relatively close. Along with strips of coconut and plenty of roots, they had one of the best meals they'd eaten so far. That was good too because it would have to last them the balance of the day. Without refrigeration they were obligated to stuff themselves on occasions like this where there was plenty.

Despite eating okay their diet of fish and shellfish, roots, and now bird was still on the low calorie side. The coconut helped add fat and the peanuts too but they were small in volume and both John and Em were showing signs already of weight loss. It worried John that they needed to find more things to supplement their diet and especially some starches and fats. Otherwise they might continue to lose weight and become weak and susceptible to disease.

After they had cleaned up, they went for a swim. Their hands were all greasy from using them to eat the bird. With a little soap they managed to clean up nicely and Em took the opportunity to wash her hair. They bathed nude as usual and when John finished, he sat on a beach towel near the water's edge and watched Em. Her breasts jiggled invitingly as she shampooed her long blonde hair. John could feel his cock stirring as he watched her rinse off.

John handed her one of the four towels they had from different people's suitcases as she emerged. She stood before him dripping water in the sand and using the towel to dry her beautiful hair. He had an even better view of her quivering breasts now as he leaned back and watched. Em noticed the smile on his face and the fullness of his cock and commented.

"Like what you see, big boy?"

"You have no idea," John retorted.

"I don't, huh. I'd say the view isn't that bad from here either," Em claimed and made a point of looking right at his half hard cock.

"You keep shaking those magnificent tits like that and you're going to get ravaged, little girl," John claimed.

"Promises, promises," Em stated but laughed heartily.

John leaned forward quickly to grab her leg but she was just far enough away that she had time to react and jumped back with a squeal. He laughed and so did she. She then moved forward and dropped between his partially spread legs on the beach towel he was on. Em tossed aside the towel she was using and began to crawl up his body. Several times different parts of her body grazed John's dick on purpose and by the time she reached his lips with hers, he was fully hard and poking her in the abdomen.

Em giggled and leaned down for a kiss. John met her half way and they held the kiss for a good long time. His tongue played across her lips and sought her tongue. They kissed passionately and her hand stole down to encircle his cock. She gently stroked him as they continued to kiss.

After a while John pulled her higher and put his mouth to her nipples. He sucked, licked, and chewed lightly on the wonderful buds and kneaded her ample breasts with his fingers. Em cooed as he did and still gently stroked him.

When both of them were aroused to the near breaking point, Em settled her cunt over his cock and pressed down until John sank in her to the core of her being. She moaned as the big dick spread her wide and probed deep into her vaginal cavity. She rested momentarily at the bottom before starting to ride the deliciously big cock. Em groaned each time she settled back down on him.

"Oh, fuck, you feel so damn good inside me. I think I could easily live with you buried in there permanently," Em chided.

"It'd be hard to work around the island joined by my dick and your pussy," John explained and laughed.

"That would be true," Em agreed. "But think of the fun and great sex we could have trying."

"You're incorrigible for one so young," John said jokingly.

"And you love it," Em proclaimed.

"I do at that," John agreed and they both laughed.

John grabbed her hips and thrust up into her making Em groan and she rode him faster. His big cock felt incredible to Em and she quickly reached orgasm. She stopped riding him and ground her cunt down hard on his groin giving her clit extra contact as she moaned through her climax. Her pussy clamped down hard on his cock, squeezing his dick deliciously, but John was able to hold off cumming.

He waited for Em to recover before starting again. He pushed up off the towel into her sex and soon Em started to slide up and down on him again. This time she went slower which allowed John to hang with her despite the wonderful sensations to his cock. They fucked for a long time, stopping occasionally to kiss and for John to play with her beautiful tits. Eventually Em got close and sped up. John pulled down on her hips again with each stroke and she rode him like a wild woman until she felt him explode inside her. As his hot cum flooded her insides Em came too and they groaned together as the waves of blissful pleasure washed over them. When it was over, she slumped down on his chest and they panted for air together.

"Wow, that was wonderful," Em said, rolling to the side off his shrinking cock.

"You're incredible," John claimed.

"Thanks, but you bring out the best in me," Em replied.

"Glad to hear it," John agreed.

They walked into the surf to wash the sweat from their bodies, Em playfully splashed him and John returned the favor.

After they dried off, John tried his hand at fishing and crabbing again. They needed to catch dinner and Em gathered roots and coconuts as John fished. He was at it for over two hours, with not much success, when he glanced up to the beach to see Em standing there looking out past him to the sea. She had on one of his dress shirt, with no bra, and her white bikini bottoms. The shirt ruffled in the strong trade winds that day. She had a strange look on her face so he yelled to her.

"What's wrong?"

"John, it's a big ship," Em yelled back.

"What?" he screamed and came running up to her to get a look from higher up the beach.

In the distance and steaming away was a large freighter or tanker. The smoke from the stacks could be seen rising and then dissipating in the blue sky.

"Where's the lighter?" John screamed. "Did you bring the fighter?"

Em opened her hand and the lighter was in her palm. John grabbed it roughly and took off sprinting down the beach towards the signal pyre. He got there and dropped quickly to his knees. He lit the lighter and held it to the dry palm fronds. They instantly caught fire and he had to back off as the fire quickly consumed the entire one side of the signal pyre. He stood back glancing between the ship and the fire. The driftwood and palm fronds were so dry they were going up incredibly fast but not smoking much.

John ran to the sea, cupped some water in his hands and ran back to the fire to throw it on. He spilled most of it as he ran and the little he got on the fire did little to make it smoke more. He tried once more and yelled to Em to help. She ran to him but even with two people it was like pissing in the wind. The flames roared high in the air but burned hot with little smoke. They gave up and watched the ship to look for any sign they were turning. Instead they just watched it steam further away and eventually out of sight.

"What the hell are you doing?" John yelled at Em. "Why did you just stand there?"

"I don't know ... I aah ... I wasn't sure ... "

"Wasn't sure? Wasn't sure of what?" he yelled. "How to light the ... "

"I don't know," Em screamed, crying and dropping to her knees in the sand.

"What do you mean you don't know? You don't know how to light a fire or even call me?" John exclaimed.

Em had covered her eyes as she cried, "No ... I wasn't sure I wanted to be rescued!"

"What?" John screamed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I don't know," Em sobbed, she got up and ran back towards the camp.

"Em, wait," John yelled but she didn't stop.

He thought about chasing after her but decided against it. He was as confused now as she was. 'What did she mean she wasn't sure she wanted to be rescued?' John wondered. 'How could she want to stay on this tiny island?'

He turned and watched the once huge signal pyre burn itself down to a mere large camp fire in no time. It was smoking more now but it was way too late. John realized not only would they have to rebuild it, but they'd need to wet parts of it every day so it would smoke more the next time it was lit. He dropped on his butt into the sand and stared at the fire trying to make sense of what had happened.

He heard gulls screeching behind him and immediately remembered the small fish he had left on the beach while he tried to catch another. He got up and ran back to where he had been fishing but it was too late. One of the gulls grabbed what was left of the fish and took off down the beach.

"You fucking bastard," he yelled at the fleeing gull in frustration.

John dropped to his knees in the wet sand, sat down, soaking the butt of his boxers again. 'What the hell is going on?' he thought. In the last few minutes, everything that was perfect before had now gone incredibly awry and been replaced by confusion and despair. They had missed the one opportunity in nearly a week to be possibly rescued and now they had nothing to eat for dinner. How could things have changed so abruptly? He had even yelled at Em. Why did he do that? It was the first confrontation they had since being stranded on this island.

He sat there for a long while thinking but eventually got back up and tried fishing again. His frustration led to aggressiveness and he failed miserably at trying to spear anything. He soon gave up and threw the spear hard into the sand on the beach in frustration.

John walked back to camp but didn't see Em anywhere. The door to the hut was shut and he opened it and bent down. Em was curled up in a ball in one corner of the hut like she had been the day the drug runners were threatening to take her from him. Upon seeing her, his heart sank and he felt terrible for yelling at her.

"Em, please, I'm so sorry I yelled. I'll never do it again. I promise," John professed.

Her head was down on her arms as she sat in the corner with her legs pulled into her butt. She didn't move and didn't respond.

"Em, I'm sorry. I really am, please forgive me. It's just I don't understand," John claimed.

She didn't say anything but he heard her sob a little more. He waited but she still kept her head down so he couldn't see her face.

"Please say something. Yell at me if you want to but say something."

She didn't move or say anything. He waited a long time but eventually left. He grabbed the wooden crate, a couple of old clamshells he had buried, and walked off down the beach. 'I'll get one of those gulls back for stealing my fish,' he thought angrily as he walked to the same spot as the previous day. He couldn't be as mad at the gulls though as he was at himself for losing his temper and yelling at Em.

His mind kept replaying what she said. 'She wasn't sure she wanted to be rescued. But why?' he asked himself. 'Why?'

He set up the trap with the clamshells as bait. They still had some bits of clam and muscle on them and should be enough to attract the gulls he thought. He waited for over an hour. A couple of gulls landed nearby but none moved on the crate. Finally one took interest in the shells and wandered over cautiously. The gull looked about as if sizing up the unusual object before it. It eventually decided the meal was worth the risk and moved in. John waited patiently until the bird began pecking at the open shell. He yanked the vine again and the box dropped over the gull like before.

A half hour later he was walking back up the beach towards camp. He carried the crate with the other components of the trap in one hand and his dressed bird in the other. When he approached the camp there was still no sign of Em. He set everything down and looked inside the hut. She lay curled up on the bed facing towards the back boulder. She seemed to be asleep. He whispered, 'I got another gull,' but she didn't move.

John prepared the full meal himself similar to what they had the night before. This gull was a tiny bit bigger than the one yesterday. It smelled wonderful to his hungry stomach and taste buds as he slowly roasted it over the fire next to the cooking roots. When it was nearly done, he stuck his head inside the hut and softly said, 'Dinner is ready.'