Castaways - Stranded With The Enemy

JESSICAI’m seated alone at a table in the corner of a lush garden in which my former fiance, Sebastian, is having a ceremony to celebrate the renewal of his wedding vows with his beautiful wife, Carol. I wish I can just leave, but if I do that, it would look like I’m jealous or that I bear ill will toward the happy couple. It isn’t either of those things that make me want to leave though. It’s just that being here, in this garden, with so many people around, reminds me of that fateful night, three years ago, when I was kidnapped and then held captive and tortured for so many months. It was from this very garden that it had all started, and the atmosphere in it right now is the same as it had been that night … festive and unsuspicious, except that it is daytime this time around.Still, I hate the feeling that the whole thing is giving me. Thoughts of Charlotte, the sadistic bitch who had wreaked havoc on my life, come into my mind unbidden. I still have nightmares … nightmares in which

I wake up early later that morning and go jogging in a bid to clear my head. Unsurprisingly, the remainder of my night had been horrible, and now, there were dark circles beneath my eyes, but the crisp morning air helped to revive me a bit. Soon, I was in a better mood than I had been in the previous night.However, my good mood soon disappeared when I heard the sound of running footsteps behind me. I whirl around, already in a defensive mood, not that I would have been able to do anything if a predator was coming up to me. My ordeal in the hands of Charlotte had left me skinny to the point of emaciation, and I hadn’t gained much in terms of weight since then. In summary, I am as light as a feather, so to speak. My mood plunges more when I realize that it is Charles who is running behind me.“What the hell is your problem? Has your family not tortured me enough? First, it was your father, then your sister, and now, you? What did I ever do to all of you?” I snap at him without so much

At first, I don’t see anything suspicious in the dark water, not even ripples, which is not surprising because it is raining, and because there are waves. I chalk up what I thought I had heard to the fact that I’m tired as hell and obviously imagining things. Or maybe I’m going crazy too. Crazy seems to be in my family’s DNA.I’m about to turn away and go back to my cabin to finally get some shuteye when I hear it! The gurgle of water as a pale face emerges from it and a loud gasp as whoever was in the water sucked in huge gulps of air, before being submerged again. Pale, skinny arms flail above the water as the person struggled to remain afloat, but it is very clear that whoever it is cannot swim.The wind has picked up now, and even though I know it is most likely a futile effort, and that no one was likely to hear me over the screaming of the wind, I yell at the top of my voice for help. The face appears again, and to my horror, I realize that it is Jessica who is in the water. I c

JESSICAI’ve been awake for a very long time, but I pretend not to be awake. For one thing, I’m beyond pissed at this impossible situation in which I find myself. For another, I don’t want to have to talk to Charles. He had saved my life, but then, it was because of him I found myself in this situation in the first place. Hopefully, help will come soon, and immediately it does, I’ll go home as soon as the opportunity presents itself and forget all about this unfortunate adventure.Finally, I’m tired of pretending to be unconscious, so I decide to give up the act. Still, it takes a while for Charles to notice that my eyes are open. When he notices, I see the surprise on his face and can tell that I startled him, something that amuses me to no end, but I carefully keep the amusement from my face.He opens his mouth to say something, shifting a little as he does so. I spy a tree branch or something of the sort bobbing close to him in the waves and yell out a warning for him to watch out,

SAMANTHAFor the third time in a row, the call goes unanswered on the other end. I’m not surprised in the least bit, but I’m more than a little irritated. Jessica is a changed person, who is no different from a hermit now, but even then, it irks me when she refuses to take my calls. We had once been best friends, and I like to think that we still are, so I don’t appreciate her shutting me out of her life the way she’s been doing these past few years.I understand that she’s scarred, but I miss her being in my life, and I won’t stop trying to get her out of her shell. I try her number again, but still, she doesn’t answer the phone.“You look disturbed.” My boyfriend, Tom, whom I’m fast getting tired of, says from where he is lying down on my bed, as naked as the day that he was born. I glance at him impatiently before replying.“It’s nothing, really, and put on some clothes, for chrissakes.”“You weren’t complaining some minutes ago.” He points out, leering at me in a way that annoys me