Panic is such a powerful expression; it’s a common word that most people hear all the time. In the course of a regular day one might hear phrases like; “I’m panicking over this date.” or “I’m in such a panic over this latest work project.” Following the re-introduction of Angela and Stacy to our tale, the surviving students along the coast had a taste of true panic. With their supervision lost; crushed in a nonchalant fashion by the Stacy-giant, there was an extended moment of silence and desperation that overcame the camp. Many rushed to the foot shaped crater to search for survivors, and of those who went nearly half of them turned away sickened, and half of them vomited on the spot.
Were an outside observer to approach the beach campsite, they may have very well considered it a warzone. People scattered about in small groups, some crying on one another’s shoulders while others remained immobile and shaking. If that same someone decided to examine those who were shaking they likely would have come across Tristan Riverton, still unhinged by the previous events of the day. Remaining behind Tristan with her arm draped around his shoulder was Laine Duncan. Laine had stood by Tristan’s side since the event had happened, neither of them speaking a word to one another since the passing of Tristan’s supposed sister.
Bill Castor, the jockish teen eventually walked back to the two after meeting with numerous other students. Being the one to break their mutual silence, Bill hesitated for a second before speaking to both of them. “Look, we’re gathering everyone over by the big bonfire. I guess we’re gonna start talking about what to do from here. I’m guessing you two should come with, and say your piece.” The speech was slightly dumb, Bill not able to properly explain what was going on, but giving Tristan and Laine just enough information that they knew something was about to happen. Tristan slowly stopped his shakes, and Laine helped him get up. The two took slow strides towards the gaggle of remaining students, all of whom were huddled under the heat of the large bonfire as evening approached.
“I think it’s stupid to stay on this island! Who knows what other crazy shit is going on here. I say we take as many rafts as we have left and go!” One of the students was hollering to the assembled crowd as Laine, Tristan and Bill approached. Some shouts came up in agreement while other students shook their heads and looked around disapprovingly at the notion of going out to open waters.
“Maybe we should just stay here…” Another huddled cry came from an unnamed female student who clenched her apparent beau. As with the previous comment, some nodded and added their agreement while others seemed angered by the thought. It only took a few seconds for the gaggle of teens to break into yelling and arguing, Tristan and Laine remaining completely silent on the sidelines of this social breakdown.
At this point in our story Tristan was finally coming to terms with the sights he had seen thus far. His imagination was quite active, and it was entirely possible that he imagined his sister and her supposed friend as twin giants. Now that a group of fellow students stood about shouting about the matter only emphasized that the circumstance was in itself horrifyingly real. Tristan was comparable to some sort of micro toy, and Stacy had crushed any sort of leadership the students might have had in one swift unknowing movement. While certainly impossible to understand, Tristan had just come to terms and accepted those strange series of facts.
“Why the hell was it your sister anyways? What the fuck is up with your family dork?” The same student who suggested leaving the island now questioned Tristan; interrupting his moment of clarity. In reaction, Tristan simply shrugged his shoulders and gave a look of genuine confusion to the crowd. Most people simply look away and went back to arguing, except the boy who had asked the question in the first place. “Jesus, answer the question! Why the fuck is your sister and Stacy up there with Godzilla? I know you’re into the Dungeons and Dragons bullshit, what the fuck did you do? Cast some kind of fucking magic spell on their whore asses?!”
Emotions took sway and Tristan launched a vicious right hook at the boy who had dared to call his sister a whore. The strike came out of the back of Tristan’s mind, and impacted squarely on the cheek of the outspoken boy. Everyone hopped back a pace and formed a circle around the struck teenager as he collapsed onto the ground like a rag doll. Had the situation been in a more realistic setting, Tristan would have been impressed with how well he was able to floor the other student, but in this particular circumstance Tristan just gave a slack jawed look to everyone in the circle who now looked at him as though he were a totally different man. The teen on the ground was halfway in tears, not expecting the reaction he received from the previously geekish teen.
“I don’t know!” Tristan yelled as he met eyes with everyone in the surrounding circle, presenting each of them a steely gaze. “But I’m going to find out!” The shout shocked everyone present who once again began murmuring their own scattered opinions. While the typical debate was about staying on the beach versus heading back out to sea, everyone seemed in agreement that heading out into the forest would amount to suicide. As these scattered debates raged on, Tristan had already left the circle and headed towards one of the smaller bonfires, collecting a few essential supplies. Laine had followed closely behind, unsure what to make of Tristan’s storming off.
“Look, I know you’re probably really confused about what’s going on, but they might be right… maybe we shouldn’t go into the forest.” Laine tried to expound logic on Tristan as he gathered some small items into a salvaged backpack, but the boy refused to listen. At that moment, Tristan was in his own world, intent on solving the mysteries that had been presented to him. Though it was far from a game, Tristan had experiences with reading about such bizarre events, and he knew there had to be some reason all this was happening. As he finished acquiring his needed materials, Tristan was set on finding out what exactly happened to his sister, and how to fix it.
“Tristan please…”
“I’m sorry Laine, but I’ve got to do this. I need to know what’s happened to Angela. I mean, maybe there’s a way I can help her, or at the very least let her know we’re on the island with her. I mean god, she didn’t even see us down here! She probably thinks she’s all alone with Stacy, so the least I can do is save her from that.” Tristan explained as he hefted the now filled backup above his shoulder. In the distance, he could see some of the students breaking off and grabbing rafts, making a quick break for the open ocean. Bill had remained with another group that was made up with those intent on remaining at the beach to await help. The recent acquaintance didn’t even bother to look over at Tristan and Laine.
As Laine continued to beat logic into Tristan, she took the initiative and sidestepped her way in front of her classmate. “You’re right Tristan, they don’t know we’re here. How do you even plan on getting their attention? You’d have as much a chance of attracting their attention as you would get them to step on you!” Laine’s comment suddenly threw the image of Stacy Decker walking past and crushing him into Tristan’s mind; the image of Angela stepping on him was far too horrifying to imagine. The comment did burrow some roots in the boy’s mind and Tristan halted for a brief moment. “You know I’m right.”
“Well, then I’ll track them and wait for the best time. Maybe when one of them goes to sleep I can get close enough to yell up at them.” Tristan’s rebuttal came as he pushed Laine gently aside and continued his stride towards the forest’s edge. There was no changing Tristan’s mind now, and Laine knew it. The most she could do was to give him her best wishes and see him off; that or do something unthinkable. Laine had struggled with the thought in her own mind for the past few seconds; seconds that seemed more like hours as they passed. Sighing deeply, Laine once again stepped in front of Tristan, blocking the boy’s path.
“Well then. I’m coming with you!”
“You’re what?”
“I’m coming with you Tristan. Two people will have far more of a chance than one.” The bold statement dumbfounded poor Tristan for the briefest of moments. As the boy struggled with the offer, Laine moved next to him and started walking slowly at his side. In his whole life, Tristan had never had anyone who’d really cared about him enough to do anything, and now he had a girl who was willing to risk her own life by accompanying him on a journey that could easily prove to be fatal. Words did not express the sentiment that Tristan felt, but somehow the boy managed.
“Why?”
Laine could only shake her head slightly as though to remove some lingering doubt in her own mind before replying. “Because stupid, I have friends out there to. For all we know, your sister and Stacy Decker could be walking around stepping on more people we know. If anything we’ll have to at least warn them, or god forbid, find more giants out there.” Using the word ‘giant’ made Laine feel slightly silly, but the words were as dead serious as she could get. Tristan noted the determination in the girl and knew his own insistence on going had been instilled in her. For better or worse, the two were a team now.
“Alright, but we have to stay together at all times. No splitting up or anything stupid like that, they do it too often in horror movies and someone always ends up getting wasted.” Tristan explained, also in a completely serious tone, though it sounded more like a line out of a Scary Movie film rip-off. Laine nodded deeply, not really caring about the content of the phrase, just more content that she had been allowed to accompany Tristan. Not that Tristan had any choice at this point.
With that, the two set off into the unknown forest of the island, in search of answers, survivors, and giants. At the same time that Tristan and Laine had breached the edge of the forest, the first rafts went out to sea. Piloted by unskilled students with minimal supplies, these rafts did not enjoy a similarly fantastical voyage as their first. Unlike the trip of Gulliver or other long lost travelers, the students who made the choice to leave this island were never seen or heard from again; their now empty rafts still floating along the ocean to this very day.