Page 113 of Adrift

Zane

“Do you want to hold it?” Haley looks up at me. The gray, brown, and white bundle of fur and claws squirms in her arms.

“I’ll hold your pussy.” I wink at her.

Dante groans from next to the fire. We already had this conversation when I found the tiny thing. I know Americans call a fanny a pussy. And to them a fanny means butt. I’m not daft. We already went a round when I brought the wee thing onto the beach.

“Hey, Easton!” I wave him over. “Where the hell have you been?”

He jogs over. “I was in the... Where’s Calvin?” He cranes his neck around the beach.

“I’ve got no clue. I thought he was with you.” I’m staring at the little kitten Haley’s holding. I’m pretty sure she’s never going to let it walk again.

“Um, yeah. He was, but when I woke up, he was gone. I thought he’d have come back here.” Easton runs his handthrough his hair. That’s when I notice the shirt wrapped around his hand.

“You good?” I point at the makeshift bandage.

“I cut my hand on some rocks. But it’s nothing like what happened to you. Man, I’m sorry for any part I played in that.”

“I’m doing good. It stings, but only when I move it. I’m not even limping. Taking it easy today is the plan. At least as easy as I can while looking for firewood, keeping the fire going, and foraging for food. That’s how I found...” I wave at Haley holding the kitten. “Found it in the weeds up in the clearing.”

“Fluffy? No, Muffin? Do you look like a Muffin?” Haley holds the Siamese-like kitten close to her chest. When she turns it around to show it to Easton, it’s crazy how blue the little thing’s eyes are, almost as blue as Haley’s.

Easton puts his hand on her shoulder. “Oh, it’s super cute.” He reaches down.

“Don’t,” Haley calls out, but the tiny little thing hisses and spits at him.

“It’s feral. Seems to only like Haley,” I tell him.

“That goes for a lot of us around here.” Dante looks up from where he is tending the fire.

“Where do you think Calvin could be?” Haley asks.

“I’m guessing he went out exploring again. Maybe at the top of the mountain.” Easton looks off to the jungle. You can’t see much of the mountain from our beach, but you can make it out really well from the top of the big tree. Not that I’m climbing up to the top of it anytime soon. Not with the stinging in my foot.

“What did you do to your hand?” Haley reaches for me.

“It’s no big deal. A little scratch.”

I glare at him. “Clean it up. The supplies are over there.” I point at the kit near the firepit.

“What happened here?” Easton asks, surveying the raft and the roof hanging over the side of the large log.

Haley looks up from the demonic fuzzball. “Well, I got a little carried away. I pulled on the ropes.”

I glance between her and Dante. It made for one complicated night, but we got through it. And it was worth it. Seeing her shatter the way she did was worth it. I woke and Dante had his hand around Little Bird’s throat. She liked it. Fuck, I’ll remember the look on her face for a really, really long time. Then the water soaking all of us was shocking.

“Is it fixable?” Easton stares at the raft.

“Sure, maybe,” I say. “We’re keeping the top off to let it dry out. But the thing is, do we want it to be? I don’t know about you, but I’m sure as shit tired of living with sand in my butt crack. We need to build something. We have the fishing boat now. But this is almost a sign that it’s time to get some proper shelter.” I know Calvin will agree with me. He’s been down on the chances of being rescued ever since we landed on the island. I’m sure we can get him on board.

“What do you have in mind?” Dante looks up at me.

“Something out of the way of the boars—away from the sand,” I add.

“With good airflow.” Easton nods. There’s something going on with him.

“You didn’t get into another fight with Calvin, did you?” I glance at my foot.

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