Shipwrecked

by Erin Pazourek

It was a relaxing day on the deck of the “Fantasy” cruise ship. I had been baking in the sun for three hours. It had started to rain when I decided to leave the deck. I went back to my room for a shower. After that shower, I admired the full rainbow on the horizon. Even rain was perfect on this vacation. But the next thing I remembered was gasping for air in a bed of sand...

I woke up. lying on what seemed to be a deserted island. There were remnants of the ship and passengers everywhere. Yet no one was alive. It was a sunny day and all that I could see was ocean. The sand was hot, and encircled a forest. I decided to take an inventory of the island and remains of the ship. I had to try to survive. First, I went through the remains of the ship. I found four items of use to me. There was a sharp knife in the hand of the ship’s chef. I also found a steaming pot. Both of these could help me kill and cook small animals. The knife could also carve wood, while the pot would let me carry water. In a ship’s emergency box, I found usable matches and a thick rope. Matches would let me cook and create an S.O.S. signal. The rope would be helpful for creating shelter or trapping animals. Then I decided to tour the forest. Just a short distance into the forest, I found a freshwater stream. This was perfect for cooking, bathing, and drinking. All over the forest were fallen trees and limbs, great for firewood and shelter. In these woods were rabbits and squirrels which would provide food. My survival skills would be tested here. I gathered wood, then tied the pieces together to make three traps. Then I set the traps up at three different locations to catch small animals. I gathered more wood and made a huge pile on the beach. I lit the wood to attract any rescue attempt that would have been made. My knife was handy for sharpening stones into spear points. Last, I gathered broken limbs and set up shelter on the edge of the forest.

By the end of the third day, I had made myself at home. I had a constant supply of food from the traps and from fishing. I had water to drink and bathe in. I had fire for warmth and cooking. My shelter kept me protected. Yet I missed my home back in the city...

Four weeks had passed, until the day I was rescued. The helicopter landed on the beach next to my bonfire. I went running to it. The pilots asked me some questions, then took me aboard. The sun had a beautiful yellow to it as it started to rain. I admired the full rainbow on the horizon. The next thing I remembered was gasping for air on a bed of sand....

I woke up, lying on what seemed to be a deserted island. There were remnants of the helicopter everywhere. No one was alive. I was alone again. I was home....