Aquaertus

Chapter Thirteen - Grand Tour

I sit on the shore and watch as Derik hunts for breakfast. It's difficult not to laugh at his awkward stance, but I manage to stay quiet. I'd rather not starve today.

It takes him a while, but eventually he stabs a fish with his stick-spear. He grins to himself and comes to shore to build a fire and cook his catch. I simply watch, allowing him to perform his routine. It amuses me to compare our survival strategies. Plus, I'll have to adjust to his way of living if I'm going to be stuck on this island with him.

Derik ignores my staring as he slowly rotates the cooking fish. The creature is not one that I've seen before; it's colored similarly to the island's trees, and has a wavy and elongated shape. The eyes are comically large. It looks like something a kindergartner would draw.

"How are you feeling," he breaks the silence.

"A lot better. And thank you again for being so nice about it. I overreacted."

"You didn't overreact. I'd expect you to grieve at such a loss."

"In any case, thank you. You're a good friend."

"We're friends now?" He smiles.

"I'd hate to be enemies while we're stuck like this!"

"That's true. I'm glad to be your friend, even if it's only because we're stranded together."

"The feeling is mutual," we smile at each other. I would've never expected to become friends with Derik, of all people. Life is funny sometimes. "You've changed a bit since we've been on the ship, Derik. You used to be so much more uptight," I notice.

"Maybe since the only life I have to worry about is my own, I've relaxed a bit."

"Well, I like it."

"Me too." Our breakfast finally cooks and we eat in silence, lost in our own thoughts. The silence isn't as awkward.

Once we both finish our meal, Derik pushes himself off the ground. "I'm going to give you a tour of the island. You've barely seen it, and it's pretty familiar to me." I get excited at the thought of exploring the beautiful island and spring up beside Derik. He chuckles at my enthusiasm.

Derik puts out the fire and cleans up the area. I stand next to him, waiting while bouncing on my feet. When he looks at me, he laughs again. "Calm down," he rolls his eyes.

"I'm excited to see this place. It's just so beautiful!"

Derik nods with a smile and leads me around the shore. The island isn't too large, so we walk around the whole coast before midday. The beaches all look the same; bright, nearly-white sand with a band of multicolored rocks separating it from the forest. I pick up and study some of the rocks, noting the borderline weightlessness of the stones and the bright unnatural coloring.

We reach the pod after circling the entire island. "Now can we go into the trees?" I ask.

"Yes, but not too far in. I haven't gone very deep into the forest. There's some aggressive creatures in there, and I'm sure it gets worse farther in."

I whine at his lack of adventurousness, but say nothing. I follow him into the dark woods, eager to complete my grand tour of the island.