“Over here! There’s a fire!”
She was certain she was dreaming. She was asleep. She had this dream countless times. Dreaming of a rescue.
“There’s someone!”
Gahyeon opened her eyes, squinting at the bright sun, before looking to see a group of people rushing toward her. She looked out at the ocean, seeing a large boat in the distance and a helicopter taking off from it.
She had to be dreaming.
“She’s awake!” A man shouted.
“Gahyeon! Gahyeon!”
The ten-year-old opened her eyes, frowning at the bright light that was above her. A shadow came over her face, and slowly everything came into view.
“Gahyeon-ah, are you okay?” Dong frowned.
“Unnie?” Gahyeon mumbled, squinting at the older woman.
“You can’t scare me like that,” Dong sighed while helping her stand up.
Gahyeon frowned at how weak her own body felt, but she wasn’t sure what happened. She felt sand in her shorts and shirt, and Dong did her best to shake it all out of her clothes before making their way back.
She kept staring at the woman in front of her, seeing the still healing marks on her back. Was she dreaming? Was she dreaming they got rescued again? Was this a dream? She wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure at all.
Until she felt a sharp pinch on her foot, causing her to scream out in pain before falling over.
Dong came rushing over, seeing the crab that decided to snap its pincers on Gahyeon’s foot as they walked by. She quickly got it off, checking if Gahyeon was bleeding, which thankfully, she wasn’t. Before long, they were back at the canopy sight, the fire still going and Bora sitting up in the canopy.
“Unnie!” Gahyeon took a running start in the sand, running right for her. She slid to a stop and landed on her knees, seeing that she was sleeping while sitting up.
Tears immediately filled her eyes as she grabbed her arm and shook her awake.
“I’m up, I’m up…” She mumbled.
“Careful Gahyeon-ah,” Dong frowned when she was closer. “She’s tired,” She sighed.
“You can’t sleep… You can’t,” Gahyeon sobbed while hugging Bora tightly. “I had a really bad nightmare and both of you died,” She sobbed.
Bora and Dong looked at one another, it was a possibility. It could happen. But they were doing their best. Doing their absolute best to not let that happen.
Bora held her tighter, rubbing her arm gently.
“I’m not going to let that happen,” Bora whispered.
It rained hard that night. Thunderstorms and high winds. Gahyeon sat with the couple, watching as their empty bottles filled with fresh rainwater, and even the makeshift buckets. Which were just pieces of the broken cart since Dong threw a bunch of rocks at it out of rage.
“Unnie… How long has it been?” Gahyeon frowned while watching the rain pour down.
“I think for a while…” Dong sighed.
“A month,” Bora mumbled.
Both girls looked at her, confused as to how she knew it had been a month. They watched as she pointed to the little notches she had been making on the log to their canopy and it all made sense now.
A month of trying to survive.
“Maybe… Maybe they’ll come…” Gahyeon whispered.
“Gahyeon-ah… I think we have to accept something…” Dong frowned.
“Accept what?” The kid whispered.
“I don’t think anyone is coming for us…” She sighed.
The rain hadn’t let up. But they weren’t complaining. Two days of fresh rain? It felt like a godsend after so long without it.
Gahyeon ran through the rain, laughing with Dong as they let the cold water hit their somewhat sunburnt skin. It was refreshing. Relaxing. Like there was some kind of hope.
It wasn’t little sprinkles. It was raining hard. Sheets of the cold coming over the top of them. Which they took full advantage over. Using the fresh water to really clean themselves instead of the salt water they had chosen.
“This feels nice,” Bora sighed while sitting back in the sand under the shelter of the canopy.
“I haven't had a good bath in a long time,” Gahyeon giggled.
“I know, you were getting stinky,” Bora chuckled.
“Is it bad that we keep leaving the soap bubbles in the sand?” Gahyeon asked.
“Probably… But we don’t do that every day… So, it should be okay,” Bora shrugged.
They watched the rain come down, not giving them any hope that it would let up. But they didn’t care. Dong joined them a while later, letting out a sigh as she sat next to her wife.
“You smell really good,” Bora gasped.
“I found shampoo,” Dong smirked.
“I want my hair washed…” Bora whined.
All three of them were back out in the rain, enjoying the feeling of hair being washed after a month. Dong was able to find so much while going through luggage that survived and was able to even find a brush they could use for it after.
After three days of straight rain, it felt good to see the sun. They couldn’t start a large fire since a lot of things were saturated, but Bora did have things they could light on fire.
“We can’t cook over it,” Bora reminded them.
“Then what can we do with it?” Dong frowned.
“Signal fire,” Bora muttered while limping down to the coast with her wife.
They had empty suitcases, clothes that they were certainly never going to use for anything other than this, and old leaves they used for mostly bedding.
“Unnie, how do you keep starting fires?” Gahyeon asked while throwing another suitcase on top.
“With glasses,” Bora answered while pulling out thick reading glasses. “Dongie found them,” She smiled. “And it really does the trick.”
It took a long time to get those things on fire, but once it was going, it created black smoke and a horrible smell.
“Alright… now… whatever predator is nearby… will never come near this. Come on, let’s go before we inhale toxic gas,” Bora muttered while hobbling back to their canopy area.
They weren’t sure if it would work. But it would be something. Something to give them hope. Especially at night. Any sailor or anyone would see a giant ball of light and fire and come near it. Just to investigate.
By morning, Gahyeon was exhausted. Her stomach growled and she saw Bora and Dong already working on something. She walked over, seeing them working together on something long.
“You’re awake,” Dong smiled.
“I’m hungry…” Gahyeon frowned.
“We know, your stomach has been growling all morning,” Bora chuckled quietly. “We’re going to try and make a net,” She explained. “Hopefully it’ll let us catch more fish,” She sighed.
Gahyeon held her tongue about her extreme distaste for fish lately. She wished they could have normal food again. But it was all they could get. Besides the weird coconuts, they found but it tasted like soap and they never went back to it again.
“Unnie… why fish?” Gahyeon frowned.
“Because it’s the only thing we can get without dying,” Dong answered. “And let’s say we found a pig, would you like to cut a pig open?” She asked, watching Gahyeon immediately frown and shake her head. “Exactly. Less gross for all of us,” She chuckled.
The makeshift net had worked, catching more than just two fish. It had gotten four and they were excited. It was working. Something was working in their favor after so long.
“How was the swim?” Bora asked while turning the fish over their smaller fire.
“It was so cool!” Gahyeon smiled. “I didn’t know the water was so clear…” She whispered.
“Once you get past the shore, it clears up and gets colder,” Dong sighed. “Scary, but we need to do that to survive now,” She frowned.
It was the same thing every day. Wake up, redo the fire, get ready, and then swim for food. Sometimes they would hike through the lush jungle behind them, finding things that looked like they could be useful.
Dong’s back started to heal and Bora still looked terrible, fighting off every single thing in her body just to make sure she lived long enough to survive.
By the end of the sixth week, their signal fire was dying and it was a crystal clear night. All of them were seated under the stars, enjoying the view.
“And that one?” Gahyeon asked, pointing at another cluster of stars.
“Um… Definitely crazy man,” Dong smirked before looking over at Bora. Her wife gave her a tiny, tired smile, nodding her head along to whatever made-up constellation there was.
“What about that one? Is it a shooting star?” Gahyeon pointed out at the horizon, seeing a larger light that kept moving and somehow getting larger.
“Shooting stars… are usually fast…” Dong frowned before standing up and walking toward the shoreline. She squinted in the dark, trying to figure it all out when she heard the sound of a boat horn. “Oh my god… It’s a boat,” She whispered. “It’s a boat!” She screamed.
Dong ran back to Gahyeon, both of them grabbing larger palm leaves and sticks to try and wave them down after they caught them on fire. The horn was louder now, they heard the sounds of people with every passing minute. They screamed, shouted, everything to get them to come faster.
All three of them were with civilization, Gahyeon had just finished getting checked, being fed real food after almost two months of nothing but fish. She had stayed with Dong and Bora, holding the younger of the couple’s hands tightly, not wanting to be separated from them.
They were airlifted from the boat, taken right back to civilization, and were able to finally get proper help. Dong fought with the police, saying how Gahyeon couldn’t be taken from them, and after verbal confirmation from the kid, she really didn’t have anyone left in her life.
“You have no aunts, uncles, grandparents… Nothing?” The officer frowned.
“No… My mom was taking my baby brother and me to a new country to start our new lives… She had a friend in the States… But we didn’t get to make it…” Gahyeon sniffed. “Do I have to leave unnies?” She whimpered.
“You have to let us take her… Please…” Dong frowned.
After a few days, everything was settled and they were back home, able to visit Bora in the hospital. She needed a lot more treatment than the others, and when they visited her, they were surprised to see her up and well already. Tired, but still sitting up.
“Hospital gown is a good look on you,” Dong winked the second she saw her wife.
“Mmm… It does suit me… Doesn’t it?” Bora chuckled sleepily.
“Look who I brought,” Dong waited for her to open her eyes more, revealing Gahyeon right behind her.
“Gahyeon-ah.” Bora had a big smile on her face, happy to see the kid.
“Unnie says that I get to stay with you guys from now on,” Gahyeon smiled while going to hug the older woman. “Are you going to be okay?” She asked.
“Yeah… They said the surgery went well… Maybe a week or two in the hospital,” Bora explained. “Then… lots of physical therapy…” She muttered.
“Is it really gone?” Dong whispered, watching her wife nod her head. “I… I’m so sorry…” She frowned.
“I knew it was going to come off,” Bora shrugged. “It… It was too infected to save,” She muttered. “Just happy to be alive right now,” She smiled while hugging Gahyeon tighter.
The following month had been touch and go, Bora learning how to maneuver the world with one leg rather than two. Dong helped her and Gahyeon helped as well. Both of them being her biggest support system.
“Unnie, you should get a robot leg!” Gahyeon gasped.
“Robot leg?!” Dong frowned.
“Yeah! My teacher at school says that for people who lose limbs, they get these cool robot arms and legs!” The kid explained.
“Not going to lie… That sounds pretty cool…” Bora whispered before letting go of Dong and settling herself back on the couch. “God… Feeling cushions… I’ll never take anything for granted ever again,” She muttered.
“Me either,” Dong sighed while settling down next to her wife. “Going to have to get used to this though,” She chuckled while holding her wife’s left leg over her lap. “It’s actually kind of cute… the little stub,” She laughed.
“Don’t look at it!!” Bora whined, earning a laugh from Gahyeon. “So what are we eating for dinner?” She asked with a huff. “Fish?” She smirked while looking at Gahyeon.
“No!” The kid shouted. “I never want to eat or look at fish ever again!” she complained.
“Me either… I’ve had my fill for a very long time,” Dong sighed with a smile. “That and traveling… I’m very content never going anywhere ever again,” She muttered.
“Me too,” Bora agreed. “We’ll be boring people for the rest of our lives.”
“Agreed,” Dong smiled. “Now… I’ll make dinner, Gahyeon you finished your homework?” Dong asked, watching her nod her head. “Good. Then help me in the kitchen, I’ll teach you how to make something tasty,” She chuckled.
“Oh, seasonings! I missed those too!” Bora whined, dramatic as always.
“Is unnie always like that?” Gahyeon giggled when they reached the safety of the kitchen.
“Oh, you have no idea,” Dong laughed.