Just off of Chile

I knew, when I was standing on the stern of Old Cline in my peach colored, too-tight-to-breathe-in corset, that this trip was going to be different. Something about the way the wind was blowing my loose bangs against my cheeks and splashing the water onto the deck made me feel a little too unbalanced. I felt a surge of pure excitement and utter fear simultaneously pulse through my veins like ice arrows. Life was mixing something together that we were sure to experience in short time.


It wasn't long before we were shipwrecked on a dry island that was said to be "just 1000 strides off of Chile". I awoke to disaster. The ship had gone from rocking us to sleep after wine and supper, to throwing us on the sand in what seemed a matter of moments. With the sun quickly sinking into the ocean, I knew we had to act quickly.

"We need to start a fire!" I blurted out.


Normally I would have been punished for talking without being spoken too, but these were rational times. Everyone seemed to nod and search for wood pieces without a fuss.


Onces the flames were roaring and and we were settled in the sand, the panic started to sink in. How would we get off the island? How would we contact anyone? The flares were surely sunk at the bottom of the ocean with the rest of the ship.


"Look over there" A young lady in her twenties shouted while pointed across the island. I didn't know her name, no one knew names. I only knew Sally.


We looked across the island and spotted another large roaring fire with dark, thick smoke. Darker than the smoke released from our own flames. 


"There are others on the island" I spoke "We shall seek them out tomorrow". 


And we all nestled in the sand to sleep till morning. I watched as the embers slowly burned down to nothing and I felt a chill lightly touching my back. 


We woke with the sun and flying arrows. We were being attacked. In a sleepy haze we stumbled our way towards protection in a ditch with a dead tree that looked as thought it were struck by lightning. Three large men with dark skin dressed in scraps of animal fur came over and tried to take a few of our people. Everyone started to yell and scream and chaos was in full force. More people from the other side of the island were running over, guns that were retrieved from the shipwreck were fired, knives were thrown. It was a complete war started in a matter of minutes without a single word exchanged. 


I ran and hid behind a large brush. Once behind the brush I saw a little girl. A young girl with the dark brown skin clutching what seemed to be journal. She was frightened at the sight of me, but I quickly reassured her I meant no harm. She replied to me in English, and explained that her and her people had been on the island for a few years. She told me they were shipwrecked, and they had just discovered a way to get off the island. She also explained that her people thought our people would try to steal their equipment and ruin their plans. 


She showed me her journal that she put together herself. It was full of the plans and adventures that had gone on at the island written in English. She was the only one of her people who knew the language, she just started to learn it in school. 


We both went back to our people, to try and explain the misunderstanding. I might work better if we could help each other out. But neither would listen to us, and the other people sent the little girl back to gather me. 


"They sent me here to bring you to them. They think you are trouble and they want to kill you." she said to me "If I don't bring you back with me, they will think I shamed them. I don't know what they would do to me."


I was in shock. The human race will continue the war against itself until the end of time.


"I will give you my journal, if you will come with me" she said


I thought about the situation for a moment and looked over at the people I had wrecked with. They were searching the island for any means to escape. They looked broken and desperate and bruised. 


"I'll do it" I said to her knowing the sacrifice was necessary. She gave me the journal and a light and shameful nod. "I'll be right back" I said. 


I took the journal to Sally and placed it in her hands. 


"Everything you need to know to get off this island is in here" I said "I have to go now"


Sally looked at me with sad but thankful eyes. As I walked towards the little girl, Sally gathered everyone up to go over the journal. 


Walking to the other side of the island with the little girl was a silent trip. The sand squished through my toes as I walked my peaceful green mile. When I reached their side, I realized just how long they had been here. Small huts of shelter were built along with a cooking area with a large man-made pot. The people tied my hands up and blindfolded me and walked me outside near the pot. A slight breeze blew on my face like the one on the stern of the ship and I could smell the Chilean bellflower. I knew this trip would be different, and I knew I made the right decision. 

3.24.11

Influences:

Cline is the name of the library where I went to college

Sally is a co-worker of mine

Chile- all the disasters going on around the world? 

Little girl-thinking about when I was teaching