I wake up to see myself buried face down in the sand, feeling waves of the ocean crash over me. I slowly blink my eyes open to see my vision blurry because of the sand. I get up to crawl over to the water to wash my face off. As I do that, the mysterious stranger approaches me, and I jump up, startled. "I have not seen any other survivors; we are the only ones who washed up on the shore of this island." I look around me to see absolutely no sign of the plane or wreckage. My mind immediately goes to Megan. My heart starts racing, and I can feel the tears swelling. I asked the man, 

"Where can we go to find the plane wreckage? I need to find my assistant now!" I said.

"Calm down miss, we can walk around the perimeter of the island to find the wreckage, but for right now, you need to chill out." He replied.

 "Chill out! You expect me to chill out when my assistant and also best friend could be dead or severely injured, so you have no right to tell me whether to "chill" out or not." 

"Okay, I'm sorry, I was a little harsh, but I can't help but think you are just a spoiled brat." He said. I huff in frustration as this arrogant stranger still finds a way to insult me. He walks away, and I follow closely behind him as he is the only person I contact. We trudge in the sand, our clothes ripped and wet as well as covered in sand. My feet soon started to ache as I lost my shoes. I ask the man, 

"Are you ever going to tell me your name?" 

"Well, since we could be the last ones alive, I will tell you, my name is Ethan Grey." 

"Nice name for an a**hole." I roll my eyes and continue walking. We trek for two more hours and suddenly see smoke emerge in front of us, and from a mile or so away, we can see the plane wreckage. We run towards the ship to find debris everywhere. Bodies laid out in front of us as I try to climb over them. I can see an opening in the plane in the corner of my eye, and I go into it. I see Megan on the floor with a gash in her abdomen. She has already lost consciousness. I rush to her and can see her try to open her eyes. I remember doing CPR a while ago, so I perform it on her. 

"Was it 30 compressions or 45?" I question as I begin with the 45 compressions. I can see her gain consciousness, but she began convulsing as soon as I reached over thirty. I stand back as I can see her slowly losing a life. She begins to calm down, but I can tell the end is near since I messed up the CPR protocol. She whispers to me,

 "Please live your life to the fullest; I love you so much." She closes her eyes and dies in my arms. I scream as loud as I can, and I can see Ethan come over towards me. He looks at me with guilt and sorrow.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but now we need to find supplies and clothes." I look at him as he turns cold again. I am still mourning my best friend, but the only thing he cares about is finding clothes. I have never met someone more senseless or closed off than him. He walks around with a paper looking for people. 

"What does the paper say?" I ask. Ethan retaliates,

"It's a list of everyone on board; I am trying to take account of everyone, then we can look for supplies and food." I am just shocked as to how calm he is since we are trapped on a f***ing island. I grab part of the list and start marking the bodies of people I see. We soon finished and found everyone and went to the main cabin where the flight attendants stored food, first aid, and beverages. I grab the first aid kit and continue to find some other items: a brush, mp3 player, blanket, and a compact makeup kit. I can only take three, so I decide with the brush, mp3 player, and blanket. Makeup can wait.

Ethan meets up with me on the outside of the plane. We look through debris, and I soon can find some luggage. I look through the pile and suddenly see Morgan's luggage. Ethan soon finds his luggage. I know Morgan would not want me to grieve over her, so I open the suitcase and see what clothes I can take with me. I grab mostly plain clothes as well as activewear. I know we can always come back for more, but I hold the essentials for now. We walk for a couple of more hours until we reach a lake with a waterfall. I stand in awe of the crisp smell of the water. The water droplets splashing my face as I reach down to touch the water. In the corner of my eye, I see Ethan looking at me as his orbs get darker, and I pretend as if I do not see it. I soon snap back into reality and start to set up a camping area with Ethan. We make a small structure out of sticks and leaves. We created a tiny kitchen with rocks, and I told him I would find more sticks and leaves to start a fire. I am walking, but I hear the trees rustle. I can feel my hair rise on my body, and I am afraid to turn around.

 "Whoever you are, come out now!" I yell as I hope this creator would reveal itself. I see a pair of red eyes emerge from the darkness as I come face to face with a wolf. I screamed, hoping to alert Ethan. I see him running towards me as I run towards his chest and hide my face. I see him grab some stones and attack the wolf. He can soon defeat the bear—blood gushing from significant cuts and bruises starting to form on his body. I rush to him. "Are you okay? You could've been killed!"

 "Relax, darling; I have nothing more than some scratches. I can watch them off in the lake." I think to myself, did this man really call me a darling. 

"Did you call me darling? Is that my nickname now, a**hole." I snarled.

 "Yes, it's your new name since saying your name is a waste of time," He replied.

 "Excuse me, who do you think you are making snarky remarks towards me? I have done nothing towards you." I storm away to the campsite as he watches. I began to rub the sticks together to start the fire. I see the orange flames invoke me as I sit back and take in the heat. It is the most comfortable feeling I have felt since I reached this island. I soon begin to drift off into a peaceful sleep as the stars around me grow brighter and brighter, illuminating the whole sky as I sleep.

Ethans Pov

I sit at the lake, reflecting as to how I got into this situation. I was on my way to Rome for a music opportunity to work with a band. I was on a new chapter of my life, away from my father and away from my ex-girlfriend. My father is the CEO of a company called Grey Industries. He is worth millions, but the inside is what counts the most. He and my mom divorced when I was young because my father had an affair. I went to live with my mother, and I slowly watched her soul fade away. She drowned her sorrows in pills and alcohol. I watched my mother fade into a big black hole that ended up consuming her. She managed to overdose multiple times. It was me at the hospital who held her hand. It was me at the hospital who took care of her, nursing her back to health.

My dad would occasionally stop by until the visits stopped. He created a new family without us. We were a fragment in his brain that was ceasing to exist. Soon after she recovered, she fell ill. Then was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. My whole world fell to pieces as I saw her go through chemotherapy. I held her in my arms as she passed. She will always be my world to me. Everything I do is in her memory. I completely cut out everyone and everything, losing contact with the world. I refused to accept money on my own. I made it every day by performing small gigs. It wasn't enough, but it put food on the table. That's when I met my ex. But that is a story for another time. I snap out of my thoughts and begin walking towards the campsite. 

I see Serine on the ground resting, and I can't help but take her image in. Her freckles glistening in the moonlight, her soft brown skin gleaming. Her beauty enraptures me. I regret how cold I have been towards her. I rarely open myself up to anyone, so that's why I keep my guard up. She is so different from all of the women I have come across. She is bold, confident and pursues her passion without criticism. I knew who she was before the crash because of her new fashion line coming out. I was interested in going to her show in Milan while I was there for work. She is humble. I have seen her on the news and interviews talking so nonchalantly about her business. She started from the bottom and worked her way to the top. I admire her drive, courage, and ability to take risks even when the odds are not in your favor. I know what that felt like when I took this job in Italy. 

I crouch down to whisper in her ear, "You are so beautiful." I crave for more. So I lay down next to her as I count the stars. She is different. I can feel it. My eyes soon start to get heavy as I drift to sleep.

Serine's POV
I wake up to the sound of sizzling meat, it smells good, but I wonder what it is? I walk down to our kitchen to see Ethan cooking up breakfast. I'm curious about how he got the meat, but I shake it off when he hands me a plate made out of stone. 

"Eat up; you need the energy if we're going to be exploring the island to look for more plane debris as well as more supplies," He said. I nod as I take a bit into the meat. I do not mind the taste since our options are pretty limited. I decided to take a bath in the lake. I scarf down the breakfast as if it was my last meal. I chose a new pair of clothes we packed in the duffle bag. I grabbed a pair of shorts, a plain t-shirt, and underwear. I walk towards the lake, placing my clothes on a rock while taking off my sleepwear. I immediately submerged myself underwater; the cool blue water hitting my skin was just what I needed. I begin scrubbing myself with a rag I managed to find in the remains of the first-class cabin, as well as toiletries. I start rinsing myself but freeze when I hear the leaves rustling. I turn around and see Ethan staring right at me. I gasp in horror as I cover myself up. I sink myself into the water as he starts to laugh. 

"You shouldn't sneak up on people! That is so weird." I exclaim.

"Well, we are the only two people on this island, so it would not matter regardless." He chuckles at me as he walks away. My eyes still wide from shock, trying to process what just happened. Part of me was disgusted by that encounter, but the other part was curious. Curious as to what was going through Ethan's mind when he saw me. I quickly snap back as I wash off the remainder of the soap. I dry myself and put on clean clothes. I head back to the camp to see Ethan ready to explore the island. He does nothing but smirks at me, and I can't help but feel flustered. He has this mysterious aura that just sucks you in. I want to know his secrets, his dreams, and his doubts. I want to hear all about this man I met 72 hours ago. We walk for hours until we reach a jungle. We scoped out the area and found nothing but these strange plants. I have never seen them before. They look so odd yet so beautiful. I take a few of the flowers with me as Ethan sets up a fire. The wind caused some of the flowers to blow into the fire. I pay no mind to it and let the fire spark into its orange and bright flames. I soon start to smell something pungent and begin to cough. 

"What is happening? I feel the walls closing in." I say, gasping for air.

"I don't know. I feel the same. Everything's moving." He replied with panic in his voice. I soon start to catch my breath as everything starts to change colors. I feel euphoric. My eyes are glossed over while I touch the ground. My fingertips are sensitive as I think the earth moves in sync with me. I look over and see Ethan looking at his hand. Fascinated by it while lying on the ground. I don't pay too much mind to it because I am on my own high. I realize that these flowers were something different. they are a drug. The feeling I have from them is Indescribable. I feel like I am floating in the euphoric cloud of happiness. This is the first time I have truly felt at peace since the crash. I feel joy and love surrounding me as I am in nature. I crawl over to Ethan, putting my hands on him. 

"I know we just met, but I feel an immense amount of love towards you, and I don't know why; I think it's the drugs talking," I say. 

"I know I have been cold, but I promise you I am nothing like this once you get to know me." He responded.

 "Well then, let me get to know you," I whisper. Ethan looks up at me, 

"Well, for starters, I am 27 years old. I am the only child besides my dad having another son. I am pursuing a career in music in Milan with a band." He starts.

"Wow, that sounds really cool chasing your dreams and doing something that's out of your comfort zone," I say, honestly.

 "It really is. I love the thrill of performing, even if it's a small gig." He said.

 As I feel the drug start to wear off, I ask, "We should play a game of 21 questions to get to know each other." He looks at me strangely.

 "What are we 12? This seems so childish." He said.

"Well, you seem high enough to play it, so why don't we pass the time." I asked him, "Who was the last girl you were with?"

 "Oh wow, starting off strong, I see. Well, Her name is Alexandra. I met her two years ago At one of my gigs in the city. She caught my attention because there was something so alluring about her I had to know more. She went up to me after my gig, and the rest was history. We started spending more time together, and eventually, she moved in with me. She knew I struggled with money as well as she did, but once I told her about my family, her perspective about me changed. She thought that all of our problems would be solved by my father, but I told her that was not the case. She immediately wanted me to ask my dad for money to support us. She finally showed her true colors. We were horrible for each other, but it was toxic love. The final straw was when I found out she went through my stuff and found my dad's number and contacted him for money which he indeed gave her. I was furious with her because she broke my trust and I would never forget that. I yelled at her that day and told her to get out. She didn't listen, so I went out by myself, and that is when I got the call to go to Milan with a new band and a new opportunity. I left without a second glance and didn't even say goodbye." He said, stumbling over his words.

 "Wow, I'm so sorry Ethan, I couldn't imagine how you felt when she broke your trust," I replied.

"What about you, Serine?" I have never heard him call my name. My name rolls off his tongue with ease, and I can't help but crave for more. The way he says my name just invokes something inside of me. My name sounds crisp as his deep raspy voice says it. 

"What about me?" I say, snapping out of my train of thought.

 "Any ex you have in the past." He pressed.

 "Well, the thing is that I actually have a boyfriend right now, but our relationship has been very rocky, considering he cheated on me before I left. I found out because I needed his phone. After all, mine was dead to call for a hair appointment. Before I call, I see a text pop up, and it's an unknown number, and it says that she can't wait to see him this week. I immediately storm out while he chases after me, but I forgave him after talking on the street. I know you can judge me however much you like. It's stupid for me to take him back, but I can't help but long for him since I have no one else in this city." I sigh. "I am so sorry, Serine, I truly am. A piece of s*** like him does not deserve you." He says.

"Thank You, Ethan, that really means a lot." He starts staring at me and looking up and down at my lips. I am curious to see what his subsequent actions are. He leans in, and so do I, and he kisses me. Our lips formed together like a lock and a key, it feels perfect, and I feel like I have been longing for this my whole life. Nothing was able to prepare me for that moment because I felt sparks. I felt electricity through that kiss. Things begin to heat up as the sun sets below us.

2 weeks later…….
These past few weeks have felt like a dream. I have gotten to know Ethan a lot better and learn about his flaws, goals, and hopes. As I spent more time with him, we grew closer physically and emotionally. It was my support system for getting through this catastrophe. He kept me with hope. I hope that someone will see our signal and call for help. I hope that I'll be able to touch and hug my family again. I hope that Ethan and I will be together in the real world. I don't think I have ever bonded with someone the way I have with Ethan. He was my missing puzzle piece. He teaches me what it's like to be human and teaches me how to live life.

A week ago, I remember he led me to a waterfall he found while hunting for food. We went on that waterfall and onto the top. He told me to jump off, but I was scared. He told me that I only lived once and that I needed to experience this. I watch him jump off as his voice bellows. I was hesitant at first, but then I closed my eyes and took the leap of faith. I have never felt more alive than I did at that moment, from the water hitting my face to Ethan screaming, congratulating me for facing my fears. That moment was perfect, and I never will forget it. As we continue on our adventure together, I can't help think about my family and think I am still alive. I am holding onto the slightest bit of hope. I have Ethan for now, and that is all that matters. As we are making dinner, we hear the sound of a helicopter coming towards us. We run to the beach as I feel my heartbeat speed up. I look towards Ethan, "Is this our chance to leave the island finally?" "I think it might be. But stay behind me. I need to keep you safe." 

We go back to the campsite and see the helicopter land. Two men come out with guns and technology. We realize these people are not here to save us. They are here for something more cynical. We finish up dinner and decide to follow the men. I can hear one of them yell, "They are people here! We need to get the flowers before anyone notices we were here." They were talking about the flowers we smoked that one night and tripped out. They are drug lords. I try to hide my fear, but Ethan notices. The two men venture on. 

"Serine, this is our chance to radio for help." I know, but I am trying to remember the dispatch number we radio too." "I will distract them while you go to the helicopter." "Are you sure, Ethan?" "Just go!"

He yells as I run towards the helicopter. I look inside for any information to reach a dispatcher. I see the radio as I recall the number of the dispatcher. As I am radioing, I feel a gun press to my forehead. "Make a move, and I'll shoot." Realizing it's one of the men on the helicopter. The man walks me out to the forest. I see the other man with a gun to Ethan's head.

"Who are you guys, who do you work for?" One of the men screams at us. "We are survivors of a crash; we are innocent people trying to find a way home." "Well, you already know too much since you've seen what we are here for." "No, please, we are innocent people," I scream. Ethan, out of nowhere, says, "If anything, shoot me; she deserves to live."

I look at him with tears in my eyes. All the time we have spent together flashed before my eyes. I had never felt true love before until I met him. He truly saved me. He taught me how to be brave, love, and be there for someone. He was my night in shining armor who kept me alive since this crash. Without him, I wouldn't know what to do. Suddenly I see what I have to do.

"Take me too. I cannot bear to live without Ethan." He looks at me with a regretful face, but I can't help but smile as a thankful gesture for all the love he brought into my life. The two men make us kneel on the ground. I hold his hand and give him one last kiss. He looks at me and mouths an "I love you" I start to weep but then close my eyes. I am not afraid of death, knowing the love of my life will be on the other side with me. I take a deep breath and hear the gunshot, and everything goes black.