Page 16 - CORNICE GRADE 9

So I swam as fast as I could and reached the bay. Stepping onto the ground made me relieved.
The evening Sun had already cast long shadows on the ground, and the dark grey clouds were
painted across the sky. There were no humans, no sound disturbing the lapping waves on the

beach, and no one to help me out. My whole body ached and I couldn’t walk any further.
Exhausted. I fell asleep on the beach.

Today, I woke up feeling hazy. My body was still sore from the previous day. “Calvin? Akela?
What happened to them? Where are they? Are they alright? Are they looking for me?” I couldn’t

stop the train of thoughts that were spiraling inside my head.My tongue was dry and my lips were
cracked, I felt parched. I needed to find a source of water to quench my thirst. Whilst searching

for water, I decided to explore the island. As I looked around, I saw a meadow connected to the
beach. A tall, mountain apple tree was near me. So I climbed it to get an overview of the island.
And, boy it was HUGE! I couldn’t see any houses or buildings. Seemed like there were no traces of

humans. Just an open meadow that trailed up to the woods. Was I on an uninhabited island?
Gosh, it was so silent. In the absolute uncertainty of the island, it was the silence that almost

killed me, made me terrified! But, I told myself not to overthink.
Fortunately, I could see the sparkling water of the lagoon beneath me. I lowered myself down

from the tree and picked my way toward the lagoon. Cupping my hands, I took a huge dip in the
lagoon and quenched my thirst. It felt invigorating! I plunged into the lagoon to wash off the

saltwater and sweat from my body. And, just as I was about to get up, I heard a growl coming from
the woods. My heart skipped a beat- what type of creature was that?! Holding my breath, I stood
still in the lagoon. The creature came forward and glared at me with its deep brown eyes. It was a

wild boar that didn’t seem bothered by my presence and just walked away. THANK THE LORD!
"Are there wild animals besides the wild boar? Are they dangerous? It'll be better if I don't go to

the other side of the island. Who knows what's in there? I'll have to cut my enterprise here," I
mumbled, trying to avoid any possibilities of danger.I could feel my stomach rumbling up, begging

for food. Anxiety and hunger crept through my body, I felt too weak to even move. But, I had to
pull myself together and prepare a meal. For some time, I let the warmth of the sun soak in my

body and dry me up. As the waves crawled gently toward the shore, its palpitating pulse made a
comforting sound. I had an unwavering stare fixed onto the gushing waves. I saw several oval,
purplish-black shells floating in the waves that looked pretty familiar. What are those? I gathered

the courage to go forward and get a clear look. “Oh my gosh! Those are mussels. They taste
scrumptious when roasted!” I exclaimed. Hurriedly, I made a big leap and collected those mussels.

There were about 6 of them. Now, how am I going to light a fire?!
After a few minutes of pondering, I reached back into my memory to the camping days of my
early childhood. I reminisced about the time when my dad and I went camping near a forest. He

made a fire so quickly by rubbing two large rocks. I was mesmerized by it. He told me that rubbing
two rocks causes friction and therefore it helps to light a fire.

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