KIARA CARRERA leaned glumly on the counter behind the bar of The Wreck restaurant. Her facial expression hadn't changed in two days, it was just a blank stare and hollow dead-looking eyes. She truly looked traumatised and the truth of it all was that she was. It was all she could manage at the moment, her mind didn't work enough to produce actual emotion and she wasn't about to start forcing a smile on her face for the sake of others.

Pope Heyward — a boy who once smiled at strangers and had the ability to brighten up anyone's day — sat opposite her on a bar stool, his head in his hands as he tried to stomach a basket of fries. He'd managed three or four out of the whole portion and as he picked up another his stomach screamed at him to put it down. He felt like he'd be sick if he took another bite and with that notion in his head he pushed the red basket away from him with a disgusted face.

"What's the matter, Pope, aren't you hungry?" Anna Carrera asked her daughter's friend with a frown, walking out from the kitchen and picking up the basket of fries. She looked at them, her lips pressing into a worrying frown. The boy had been sat at that bar stool for practically two days and he'd barely eaten a one full meal in that time.

"Not really." Pope murmured in response his eyes never leaving the polished mahogany bar, "Thank you, though."

Anna Carrera sighed softly as she saw the glum expressions on the teens faces. It was heartbreaking for her to see them this way, dark circles under their eyes from a lack of sleep, still red and blotchy cheeks from their shed tears and bloodshot eyes.

Their three friends were missing after all and until they were found, presumed dead. Anna knew herself it wouldn't be long before the search was called off, there was only so many times they could look over the water and tomorrow when they started diving it would perhaps bring the answers none of them really wanted to hear.

She wanted to believe that the three teenagers her daughter knew and loved would've survived but storm Danielle had been stronger than reported and she had been unforgiving. They went out into a tropical depression in an old cigarette boat, the chances of survival were unlikely.

"Kiara.. honey?" Anna called tentatively to her daughter, "You hungry?"

Silently Kiara shook her head, never blinking and never taking her eyes off the dark wooden flooring in the restaurant.

"Sweetheart you need to eat something." Anna pushed gently.

"I can't." Kiara whispered hoarsely, her voice cracking as her tearful eyes met her mothers, "How can I when they're out there?"

Anna didn't know what to say. She was truly at a loss for words. As a parent there was only so much you could say to your child to make them feel better but she'd used all them words already the night the coast guards had lost touch with the cigarette boat her friends were in. It was one of those situations were sometimes actions were better than words but only if the person you were trying to console would accept it.

"And still no progress on the search for missing teenagers John B Routledge, Mally Davis and Sarah Cameron who drove a boat out into tropical storm Danielle on Tuesday night..."

Anna swallowed deeply, looking up to the small television they had suspended from the ceiling above the bar. She wanted nothing more than to turn it off, to change the channel but Kiara wouldn't let her. She wanted to be the first to know if there was any change or if they'd made a discovery of some sort in the search for her friends. She'd rather hear the same rolling report over and over again than hear nothing and be in the dark about it all.

"..Police detectives say the two teens who were originally accused of the murder of Sheriff Susan Peterkin have been temporarily cleared of all suspected charges." The news broadcaster reported, his back facing the white canopy tents still set up at the Point that had been there to investigate Peterkin's murder, "If anyone has any information on where they might be they are urged to come forward immediately, their priority is finding the teenagers alive."

"They're not dead." Pope mumbled dryly as he watched the broadcast, "I know Mally and John B, they're not stupid."

"A dark green bag back was found washed up on the coast in the early hours of this morning by a resident of the Outer Banks.." Kiara and Pope's backs straightened immediately and they looked to the small television with wide eyes as the broadcaster continued, "It was confirmed that the bag back belonged to one of the missing teens Mally Davis—"

Kiara felt her heart sink slowly into her chest. They'd found Mally's bag, how long would it be before they found John B's? How long would it be before they found the boat.. or worse their bodies? She didn't want to think of the possibility but everything was going down, with each and every passing hour the probability of finding them alive was dwindling.

Anna Carrera sighed quietly, her heart breaking for not only her daughter but for Mally's parents also. She was good friends with Natalie Thornton — Mally's mother — and she had been for some time now. Anna couldn't even begin to imagine what she was going through right now, first having her daughter accused of aiding in the murder of the Sheriff and then hearing she'd gotten lost at sea.

She didn't say anything else to the two teens in front of her, she just quietly walked back into the kitchen with the full basket of fries in defeat. As she left them to their silence and each other they tore their attention from the news report and Kiara looked briefly to Pope.

"Hey..have you— uh— have you heard from JJ at all?" She asked him as she stuttered, twisting the friendship bracelet all four of her friends shared with her.

Pope's jaw tightened as he looked down and shook his head in response, "When my dad checked in with Mally's dad this morning he said he found him passed out on the Pogue surrounded by beer bottles."

JJ Maybank had been MIA since the night the boat's signal was lost. He disappeared, losing immediate contact with both Kiara and Pope and neither of them knew how to find him again.

They couldn't even begin to imagine how JJ was holding up. He struggled with the thought of not seeing his best friend and girlfriend for a couple of months but now they were missing and people were starting to presume them dead they knew he would be falling off a cliff somewhere. They wanted to help him and they wanted to support him but they couldn't when they didn't know where he was.

It had been John B, Mally and JJ before the both of them had joined the picture and the three were inseparable. There was no doubting they had a friendship that challenged all others, they were tight — like strings wrapped around each other's fingers and when one pulled the other two followed. It had been them three versus the world for over eight years and for JJ to suddenly be without them was like losing both of his arms.

Kiara worried for her friend and so did Pope — losing one of them was hard enough, but for JJ to lose John B and Mally?

Mally was what kept JJ's head above the surface. He didn't have to say it for his friends to know it but what made it more special was that Mally herself didn't even know it. She knew she meant a lot to JJ but she didn't truly know how much she meant to him. Nine times out of ten she was the one who could sway him out of trouble, she had this ability to be able to calm him down whenever his temper became too much. Mally was a tether, per say, to JJ and their bond had created that and for it to suddenly be ripped away from him?

Well, he was crumbling.

He didn't know how to stand on his own two feet without her existence. He didn't know how to live without his friends because they were essentially his family. He didn't know how to live without the first and probably the only girl he would ever love — and while JJ still had Pope and Kiara there would forever be a very big void in his life where John B and Mally were. They were just a memory now, the both of them, until they stepped foot back on to the island or until JJ saw them face to face.

Kiara sighed heavily, dropping her head, "I'm worried about him, Pope." She muttered.

"I am too." He nodded in response, "We should be sticking together right now."

"Yeah." Kiara agreed weakly. She knew Pope was right. The only reason she was standing on her feet was because she had Pope and his support sitting opposite her. He made the pain slightly more bearable and that's what JJ needed, he needed something other than drugs and alcohol to make the pain a bit more easier. He needed the help of his friends.

"If Mally's dad found him this morning he must be at the chateau." Pope muttered.

"I'm surprised he's allowed in there." Kiara nodded, "It was a place of police investigation two days ago."

Pope sighed, "I don't think he has anywhere else to go besides his dads. My pops said he could have the sofa the night.. well— you know— but he hasn't been to take him up on the offer." He stuttered. He had a hard time referring to the night the coast guards lost contact Phantom, even if it was a raw memory.

"He's just doing a JJ." Kiara said to her friend quietly, "It's his coping mechanism, we just need to try and pull him out of it. I promised Mally I would take care of him and that's what I'm going to to."

Pope nodded in agreement, "You're right." He said, "We both promised her."

Kiara reached out and took Pope's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze and they smiled supportively at each other. They had a duty towards JJ as his friend to pull him out of the void he was drowning in and they were going to do just that.

Pope's eyes left Kiara's and he looked upwards to the television. It was still broadcasting the live feed from the Point but this time he noticed something had changed. His eyes widened in an array of emotion — some panic, some anticipation and anxiety — but it forced Kiara to look up with a confused frown.

Behind the news anchor, that wasn't there before, were ambulances — two of them with their lights flashing — cop cars barricading the area and coast guards. There hadn't been that much personnel there in two days and it caused both of them to panic slightly.

"Have they found them?" Kiara asked her friend, her eyes wide.

"Shh." Pope snapped, listening carefully to the live update.

"While there hasn't yet been an official statement from the police we can confirm something has been found by special SBI operators and coast guards." The news anchor reported, "Just minutes ago temporary acting Sheriff Shoupe joined coast guards and Emergency Medical Technicians in a boat as they went out to sea. We believe one of the missing teenagers might've been found but we don't have any word or confirmation from the police or State Bureau of Investigation who are helping with the search of the missing teens—"

"—Mom!" Kiara shouted quickly, "Mom!" Her eyes were wide and she slapped the counter wildly, looking to the television as Pope stood up.

Anna Carrera rushed back out of the kitchen, her husband following her and the both of them had wide eyes as they looked to their frantic daughter.

"Kiara, what's wrong? What's wrong?" Mike Carrera asked her quickly, his voice high. 

"They've found them!" She rushed out quickly, "They think they've found them, look! We have to go now!"

Anna Carrera didn't know what to make of it. She didn't know if who they had found was dead or alive and it scared her. It made her anxious. She wanted to tell her that she couldn't go down to the Point but who would she be to stop her from something like that after she'd sat and watched her daughter's heart break not knowing if her friends were dead or alive.

She didn't want Kiara to get there and to see a body bag being pulled off the boat.

"Kie, come on." Pope ushered his friend, slapping the counter quickly as he stood up, "We need to go get JJ."

Kiara tried to push through her parents but her dad reached out and put his hand on her shoulder silently. She looked up to her dad with a frown as she watched his torn expression. He didn't know what to do for the best either.

"Dad?" Kiara questioned him, "I—I need to go."

Finally Mike Carrera shook his head and looked to his daughter and her friend, "I'll drive." We're his words and Kiara nodded frantically, pulling her dad out of the restaurant and down towards his car.

Her mom followed her, getting into the passenger seat while Kiara climbed into the back with Pope, "We need to stop by John B's." Kiara told them, "We have to get JJ."

"Okay." Mike Carrera nodded, starting up his car and speeding off further into the Cut.

In the backseat Kiara had grabbed Pope's hand again, squeezing it anxiously as she looked at him. This was either going to be a much needed relief or it was going to break their hearts even more.

They were going to find one of their friends, if not all of them, dead or alive and the thought was nerve wracking.

• • •

I closed my eyes as I shivered in the cold water, the feeling of it lapping my shoulders brought me discomfort. It was a reminder I'd been stranded for too long. My fingers were wrinkly like they would be when you were in the bath or a shower for too long. I didn't know how I was still alive, after everything that had happened surely I should've died? Maybe I had nine lives or maybe I was just incredibly lucky but regardless I didn't know how much longer I was going to last.

I'd been in the water for a long time, all I knew was they when I somehow woke up the sun was high and since then I'd watched it set and rise again. I was assuming tonight would mark two nights since the boat capsized but I honestly didn't have a clue. There was no way of telling time here or telling what day it was. It could've been a week for all I'd known — actually no that'd be impossible, I probably would've died by now if that were the case.

But regardless I'd never heard of someone who had survived both a boat wreck and being stranded out at sea for a long period of time. In the movies or the books where something like this happened the main character was usually rescued by a helicopter or a big ship that they somehow miraculously managed to flag down. My only bet of survival right now was swimming but in which direction I wasn't sure, I couldn't see anything for miles.

I think a part of me had accepted my fate. I knew in the back of my mind that there was no way anyone could ever survive this so what made me so special? The hardest part of it all was knowing that my mom and dad and JJ and my friends — John B and Sarah if they survived and Kie and Pope — would have to live with the notion of suspecting I was dead. It was like when Big John went missing, it wasn't long before they presumed him to be dead.

I was Big John right now. I was missing at sea and in however many days time they'd eventually have to give up the search and just presume me dead. In my eyes that was worse than being found dead because presumed? You didn't actually know if they were still out there somewhere or not, you just had to live knowing they were most likely gone.

I screamed as loud as my still hoarse throat and voice would let me in anguish. I was frustrated, annoyed with myself and with the world. I was sick of just floating aimlessly in the sea by myself.

I wanted to know what had happened to John B and Sarah, were they suffering the same fate as me somewhere? Had they been rescued? Were they dead? I didn't know. I didn't know where the Phantom was, if she was still floating. I didn't know how I'd strayed so far away from her, clearly I hadn't had a tight enough grip to my friends when we went under. The storm must've pushed me away but to where was my question.

When I screamed I slapped the water besides me and it splashed up into the air, landing over my face and my damp hair. It was the only way for me to really get any sort of anger or emotion out right now. I'd used up all my tears and I was too dehydrated to produce anymore and there was only so much salt water a person could drink.

When I calmed down — stopping my assault on the water and my lungs — I let my body relax into the life vest I had on. That was the only thing keeping me alive right now and the only thing that saved my life the night the boat capsized. I was thankful for it because without it I would've drowned when the storm took us down. I just stared up at the clear sky, the blue a vivid reminder of the colour of JJ's eyes — eyes that so easily captivated me, eyes that I feel in love with.

Eyes that I would probably never see again..

My bottom lip trembled but it wasn't from tears, my teeth were chattering together as I shook. Even with the heat of the sun beating down on me I was freezing cold, the cool water had been soaking me for for a long time now. I missed the humid air on the island, I missed the back of my neck sweating from the heat. I just wanted to get the hell out of this water.

Time felt nonexistent, it was like there was no meaning to it out here because I had no way to track it. I could be staring up at the sky for hours but in reality it could be seconds and it made me feel fed up. I didn't know how much longer I'd have to suffer out here before something happened. I don't know what, either my death or a lucky rescue, I wasn't sure but if I was somehow miraculously rescued I just hope it wasn't by coast guards on the Outer Banks because then I'd just get thrown straight into a jail cell the second I stepped foot on land.

And I didn't want that.

When I heard the sound of water lapping loudly a short distance away from me I peeled my eyes open and looked around. The sun was bouncing off the sea, creating a harsh glare that practically blinded me but I saw it.

My breath hitched in my throat as I saw the boat, a coast guard patrol boat not one hundred yards away from me. There were a few crew members on the back of it, all wearing life vests. I blinked several times and rubbed the eyes with the back of my hands just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. It wouldn't of surprised me if I was, I'd gone a while without clean water and sleep but when I opened my eyes again the boat remained.

"Are you sure you heard someone scream?" I heard one of the coast guards yell to his colleague.

"Yeah." A different man replied, "Yeah, I'm sure of it."

"Well I can't see anything." Someone else butted in.

I choked on a surprised breath, watching and hearing the three men talking with each other and when I worked passed my initial shock I slapped the water. I hit it once with my hand, trying to create an array of splashes and draw their attention and then I hit it again.

"Hey!" I yelled out to them but my voice barely made it an octave higher. I winced in pain, my voice strained due to my dry throat and bruised windpipe but I wasn't about to let it get the better of me.

I splashed about in the water like a mad woman drowning, trying so desperately to get their attention as I tried again, "Hey! I'm over here!" I shouted, my voice coming out much louder this time and I pushed through the pain and called to them a third time as I waved towards them, "Help!"

"There!" One of the coast guards yelled to his colleagues. He was looking right at me, pointing to me and I physically met his eyes.

It was a feeling I would never be able to describe, being rescued that is.

"Oh my god." I murmured to myself as I saw the boat make a detour, turning itself around and heading directly towards me.

"We're coming!" One of the coast guards yelled to me as they sailed over and I watched as they slowed gradually until they came to a stop by me.

I thought I'd used all my tears up but that proved apparent when my eyes started watering. I couldn't tell if I was crying in relief or happiness but I didn't care, I was actually being rescued. I wasn't going to die out here at sea after all.

When the boat stopped the three coast guards were hanging over the side of it, reaching down to me to pull me aboard.

"Here, grab our hands." One of them said to me and I wasted no time in doing what he said. I latched on to them as tightly as I could, which wasn't very strong because I found myself with nonexistent strength. On the count of three they pulled me out of the water and I could feel the cool air hitting my wet body from where I'd been stuck in the water.

They pulled me on to the deck and I collapsed down on to the floor immediately, leaning against the side of the boat as I breathed heavily. Two thick blankets were wrapped around my shoulders immediately and one of the coast guards bent down to my level, his blue eyes meeting mine. He was the one who had spotted me in the water. I looked to his vest and the Kildare County Coast Guard badge was embroidered in place. My eyes widened immediately in panic, I'd survived all this just to be taken back to the island and arrested?

"Don't panic." He said to me calmingly, "It's okay. I know who you are."

"You-you're going to t-take me back to the island-d and I-I'm just going to get a-arrested." I chattered, my teeth hitting each other viciously as I shivered under the cold air.

"You won't be arrested." The man shook his head and I furrowed my brows, begging for him to continue, "You and your friend have been cleared of all suspected charges."

My face fell slack, my lips parting as my eyes widened. Did he actually just say that to me? That John B and I weren't being held accountable for Sheriff Peterkin's murder anymore?

"We— what?" I asked him.

"Shoupe cleared you both." He replied to me, "Until he and SBI can conduct a full and thorough investigation."

"Hey, Carl, is she one of the kids we've been looking for?" A blond haired man asked, walking over to his colleague and I.

"Yeah, she's the Davis kid." The man — or Carl — replied, "Hey call in a Sheriff will you? If we've got her the other two kids should be close by."

"You haven't found them yet?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"Unfortunately not." The man replied, looking to me with a disappointed frown.

"Come in control, over." The blond haired man spoke into a radio attached to his life vest.

"This is control, over." The feminine voice carried through the radio.

"This is group 7.1C, we need police assistance sent to our location immediately, over."

"Rodger that, what is your problem, over?" Control replied.

The man looked down to me and spoke into his radio, never taking his eyes from me, "We've found one of the missing teenagers, over."

"Copy that." The woman's voice rang out, "Dispatch is sending two police boats and a second coast guard officer to your location, over."

"Hey, send a medic too, over."

"All received 7.1C, ETA is just under a half hour, over."

"Thank you control. 7.1C, over and out."

I sat back and exhaled, pulling the two weighted blankets closer to me and snuggling into them for warmth. I couldn't even believe it, here I was ten minutes ago thinking I was going to die out here for me to be rescued because a passing boat heard me screaming in frustration.

Someone really was looking down on me, I just hoped it wasn't John B or Sarah.

• • •

"7.1C?!" I heard the voice of a man shout and I looked up from the chair I had been helped into by the coast guards. The man who had found me, Carl, hadn't left my side since I had been rescued and I was grateful. I just needed someone near me to constantly remind me that this wasn't a dream.. that it was real life.

"Yeah, hey!" The blond coast guard replied, tossing a mooring line over the the approaching boat. It was a second coast guard boat but it looked a hell of a lot busier than the one I was on. I spotted two EMT's and a few people in uniform on the boat.

"Dead or alive?" Was the first question that was asked and I swallowed somewhat harshly. It sounded like they'd already started to lose hope in finding us alive.

"Alive and conscious for now." Carl replied.

"Oh, thank god."

That voice I recognised.

"It's Mally Davis."

"Mally?" Shoupe asked, stepping aboard the boat I was on, the EMT's following him, "Christ, I can't believe you're actually alive." He looked and sounded so relieved to see me and I couldn't help but wonder if there was a part of him that felt guilty. He was the one who had driven every officer and resident on the island to find John B and I — dead or alive — and the thought that maybe he felt somewhat responsible for our boat capsizing crossed my mind. Maybe that was why he'd made the decision to clear of us the charges wrongfully placed against us.

Shoupe walked over to me and crouched down directly in front of me, "What the hell happened Mally?" He asked me.

"When?" I croaked hoarsely, meeting his eyes, "The day Peterkin died or the night of the storm?"

Shoupe pressed his lips together and then I saw guilt cloud in his eyes. He hesitated before he replied to me, "The night of the storm." He replied.

"The boat capsized." I told him, "We went overboard."

"Where's John B and Sarah?" He asked me.

This time it was me who hesitated and I chewed the inside of my lip as my eyes started to sting, "I—I don't know." I replied shakily, "I thought maybe you had found them."

Shoupe shook his head in disappointment as one of the EMT's stepped in to take a look at me.

"We think the two others and the boat might be somewhere close by." The blond coast guard said, "They couldn't of gotten separated that far."

Shoupe shook his head as he looked around, "There was a tropical depression." He said to them, "They could be anywhere. We're almost three thousand miles out at sea here."

"We'd still like to continue our search, Sir."

"Of course." Shoupe nodded, "We'll take Mally back to land."

The two EMT's helped me to my feet then but my knees were shaking so much I could barley put any weight into my legs. I thought I was going to collapse back down to the floor, not having used them in two days, but the medics held me up and helped me across to the boat they had come out on. I was lowered back down again into another seat with the blankets as I continued to shiver.

"We're going to take a look at you, Mally." One of the medics said to me as Shoupe, his two officers and two coast guards watched my assessment. The two boats parted and we began our drive back to the island. The female medic had her brown hair pulled into a low bun behind her and she gave me a warm smile as she took my wrist, her fingers pressing into my skin on the inside of my wrist as she felt for my pulse.

Her colleague, a younger man stood in front of me, "I'm going to shine a light in your eyes, okay?" He asked me.

I simply nodded in response and the bright flashlight was shone into my eyes. It was pointed to my right eye first before he moved to my left. He held the torch to my left eye for a bit longer than he did my right before he switched again, "Left pupil is reactive but not as reactive as the right." He said to his colleague.

"Okay." The woman nodded and she turned to me, "What's this, Mally?" She asked me, her fingers grazing over the wound on my forehead.

"I—I fell off a boat about a week ago." I replied, looking between them.

"No damage?" She asked me.

"I-I don't know." I shook my head, "I don't think I had a head CT."

"Okay, that's fine." She smiled at me but I couldn't quite buy into her reassuring words. Why would my left pupil be less reactive than my right?

"Pulse is somewhat on the low side." She observed, "Dehydrated but that seems to be it but you'll have to go to the hospital when we get back to the island."

I shook my head, "I don't want to."

"Mally, you've been lost at sea for two days." Shoupe said to me, "They just need to observe you for a few hours, you'll probably be home by tonight."

The woman nodded in agreement with Shoupe and smiled at me again.

I swallowed and nodded in response before looking to Shoupe again, "Did you call my parents?" I asked him, "Do they know you found me?"

"They were called when we got the report that one of you had been found." He said to me and I nodded, "But they'll be there."

I looked around and I could faintly see the Outer Banks come back into view, the small island I called home visible once again and I could feel my heart beating faster in my chest. Was I anxious? Nervous? Or was I happy to be reunited with my family again, my friends, JJ?

I swallowed and looked to Shoupe, "They think I'm dead, don't they?" I asked him.

He hesitated and it was the answer I dreaded. They did. My parents actually thought I had died. I couldn't even begin to imagine what that felt like, losing your only child.

"Oh, god." I croaked, my bottom lip trembling.

The island grew nearer and nearer and we headed for the Point, in the distance I could still see the white canopy tents pitched, I could see flashing lights and vehicles everywhere.

"Mally, there's a lot of press around the area." Shoupe warned me, placing his hand on my shoulder, "And I can imagine there'll be a crowd of residents too, people are aware one of you is suspected to have been found but they're behind police lines."

"I don't care." I replied to him honestly, my voice sounded dull in my ears as I looked over again, "As long as I get to see my parents and my friends."

Shoupe nodded as the boat started to slow down the closer we got to the island. My stomach twisted into knots and I felt the urge to be sick as the picture became clearer. I couldn't actually believe this was happening and suddenly it was just too overwhelming.

I shifted sideways on my chair and leaned over the side of the boat, retching before I vomited into the water. I felt my damp hair being pulled back from my face as the woman who assessed me rubbed my back comfortingly while I was sick.

When I was done we were even closer than before, probably about two minutes out, if that, and I rubbed my mouth with the back of my hand as I exhaled. I collapsed tiredly into my seat, my head tilting up towards the sky as I closed my eyes.

"How are you feeling, Mally?" The EMT asked me.

"Not good." I replied honestly.

"Were you sick before we got here?" She asked me.

I shook my head, "But I've been sick for a couple of days before all this happened." I replied.

"How long?" She asked.

"I don't know, two, maybe three days." I said, opening my eyes and looking at her. I didn't miss the look of concern her colleague expressed through his facial expression but I pushed it aside, that was the least of my worries right now. I was seconds away from being reunited with everyone I cared about and that's all that was on my mind at the minute.

"Any spells of dizziness at all?" She asked me.

"Yeah." I replied hoarsely, "Since I fell off the boat."

"Okay." She nodded but she still seemed worried, "That's okay."

The boat stopped by the short deck attached to the Point and I could see officers everywhere, coast guards mulling around talking to fire fighters. There were SBI officers still here, assisting the police in barricading the news reporters and nosey residents. I was dumbstruck looking around, they had all this going on looking for us and they still took two days to find me and even then they found me completely on the off chance.

It made me realise it truly was a miracle that I had been found.

"We'll get her a wheelchair ready." The paramedic said to Shoupe as everyone prepared to get off the boat but I shook my head.

"No." I declined, "I'm okay, I can walk."

"You sure?" Shoupe asked me, raising a concerned brow.

"Yeah." I nodded, taking the life vest I'd been wearing for two days off before gripping tighter to the blankets, "I'll be fine."

"Okay." The woman said with a reassuring smile as she looped her arm under mine to support me on my feet.

I stood up slowly, pausing when I went dizzy and everyone waited for me. They didn't rush me, they went at my pace and when I could see clearly again I put one shaking foot in front of the other.

My thighs were shaking and standing on my legs hurt but knowing my parents were somewhere here gave me the determination to continue walking.

I took slow steps, accepting the help that was offered to me as I climbed off the boat and once my feet were actually on solid ground I paused again. In the two days I had been stranded I'd almost forgotten what it was like to feel the pavement under your shoes.

"Steady as she goes." Shoupe muttered, helping me along with the EMT.

I didn't think I'd ever step foot on land again, never mind this island.

I began my frantic search, looking around desperately for someone I recognised. For my mom, my dad. For JJ, or Kie or Pope. I looked for those I held closest to me, desperate to have them in my arms.

My knees started to shake, easily tired from the slow strides I was taking but it was the most I'd walked in days.

For a minute I didn't think my parents or friends were here until I heard a loud sob echo over the chaotic noise around me.

"Oh.. god— Mally!"

"Mom?" I muttered quietly, looking around, searching every face as my heart started to race in my chest, "Mom!" I shouted in a panic, tears welling to my eyes.

"Mally!" She shouted again and this time I saw her. She broke through the police formed barricade and she ran through the crowds of officers and coast guards to get to me. My dad was quick on her heels, the both of them rushing over to me with tear stained faces.

I dropped the blankets from around my shoulders and shrugged off the helping grasp of Shoupe and the EMT, taking the last few steps towards my mother on my own.

Her arms wrapped around my weak body impossibly tight but I didn't mind. I'd spent two days thinking about this, dreaming of my mom hugging me, and it was everything I needed right now.

"Oh." She sobbed, her voice loud as she cried into my shoulder, "Oh my god I-I thought you were dead. I thought we'd lost you." She cried.

My heart was breaking, splitting loudly into a million pieces as I squeezed my mom tightly, burying my head into her shoulder.

"Mally, sweetheart!" My dad exhaled in relief as he reached us, wrapping his arms around my mom and I, "God you had us worried sick." He said to me, kissing the top of my head.

"I'm so sorry!" I cried loudly, my breaths uneven, "I-I'm sorry. We should've turned back."

"It's okay sweetheart." My dad said to me, leaning his head on top of mine as he held my mom and I in an embrace. The three of us cried together, just holding each other as we reunited, "We understand why you didn't turn back. We don't blame you for anything."

"I'm sorry." I whispered in response.

"We love you Mally, okay?" My mom said to me through a laboured breath, "So, so much."

"I love you both too." I cried, nodding into her shoulder.

"Mally!"

I lifted my head from my mom's shoulder at the sound of Kiara's voice and my dad stepped away so I could search for my friends.

"Hey, let them through!" I heard Shoupe yell over and the police broke away from their barricade, making a small enough gap for my friends to slip through. I saw the three of them standing there, shock clear over their faces as their eyes watered and just the sight of them created a sob to wrack through my body.

I felt my mom loosen her grip on me as she stood besides me and I stepped out of my parents arms and towards my friends.

JJ was the one to move first after he'd overcome the shock of seeing me standing here and he stepped out from in between Kie and Pope. He staggered forwards before his strides quickened. I cried and tears ran down my face quicker than ever as he ran over to me and I managed to force my legs to jog towards him.

And then it was the moment I had been waiting for. When he reached me he knocked me back with so much force but his arms were wrapped so tightly around my body that I didn't fall backwards. We just moved a few steps back and I wound my arms around his neck, burying
my head into his shoulder.

He gripped the back of my shirt tightly and he was silent until I heard him sob and once he let one tear slip they all cascaded down his face.

Neither of us said anything to each other, we just held each other tightly and we let the whole thing sink in. As I cried my legs gave in and this time I didn't have the strength to keep myself up. I collapsed against JJ and slowly he brought the both of us down to the floor without leaving our tight embrace.

"I thought I was never going to see you again." He whispered to me, his voice strained as he cried.

I pulled my head out of his shoulder and looked at him, cupping his cheeks with my hands. His eyes were rimmed red and his face was blotchy from crying. He had dark black bags under his eyes from lack of sleep but his blue irises had never looked clearer.

"I can't believe this is actually happening." I choked out, more tears streaming down my face.

I didn't even think twice before I pressed my lips against JJ's kissing him desperately. It was everything I needed and more and he wrapped his arms around my waist, squeezing me tightly. It was almost like he thought if he loosened his grip I would disappear, but I didn't mind.

"Mal!" Kie yelled over.

JJ and I pulled away as my two friends dropped to their knees on the grass, joining our hug.

The four of us held each other tightly, crying as we reunited after we never thought we would and I shifted my head to look out to the sea.

Maybe John B was out there with Sarah. Perhaps he'd been rescued by a fishing boat and he had crossed the mainland. Maybe he was on his was to Brownsville as we spoke and the both of them were safe, wondering where the hell I was like I were them.

But the truth was that I didn't know and while I could think like that they also could be dead somewhere.

But for now I sat here in the embrace of my friends, holding to them all tightly and savouring the bittersweet moment...

Because our lives were about to flip on their heads and none of us were remotely prepared for it.

• • •

END OF SEASON 1...