SS8

"What's he talking about?"

The words come from Richie. Everyone is a little intoxicated. Stoney is the worse but everyone else seems very well alart. Sevyn's face has this look on it like someone who has just been caught in something.

"Is this guy joking?" Sevyn asks, "I didn't tamper with the plane."

It's Syx who gives me a weird look.

"Why would you say something like that Jurnee? That's not a funny," Syx explains.

It wouldn't be funny to him. He probably had something to do with it. There is a long pause around the fireplace. I know I'm starting some shit right now but right now is the best time. Everyone is here. Sevyn isn't expecting it. She isn't expecting me to say what I'm going to say right now. I have to take her for granted.

"I'm telling the truth."

"Yo---you better not be fucking with us," Billy says.

A few of the other guys stand up. I'm about to get my ass handed to me over Sevyn. I look over at her and see a smile start to appear over her face. The guys follow Billy and Billy follows her. As long as she had Billy she had everyone in her back pocket. The problem with her little plan is that Billy kissed me and Billy really fucking liked it. I guess there was trouble in paradise before I got there.

"Hit me if you want," I tell Billy, "I'm telling the truth."

I walk up to Billy. I walk up into his face.

"Hit him," Sevyn demands.

Billy grabs me by collar. He balls his fists up. Stoney gets up. He hesitates. He stares at me. Then he stares at Sevyn, then he stares back at me again. Billy looks mad. Right next to him are the other guys. Richie, Aaron and Joey are looking at Billy waiting for his lead.

Whispers are forming in the group. The Spanish girls are whispering to one another. The girl Helen looks like she is about to faint or something. Then I look over at Syx. He has this look of confusion on his face. He doesn't know where this is going. It's odd to me. Why would Syx be confused? He had to know about his sister.

Stoney comes to my defense, "He's telling the goddam truth. Seen it myself. Pilot was out in the woods. Right before he died he said that Sevyn had something to do with bringing us to the island. He said someone was involved in taking this plane down."

The others seem concerned. I can tell by the look on their faces. I had to do this. I had to expose Sevyn now. Sevyn looks over at me and she starts laughing. She laughs right in my face. The face that she has on right now says it all.

"We should get rid of Jurnee," Sevyn suggests, "He's just starting shit."

"Everyone calm down," Syx states.

There is a tension that is forming in the air. Maybe it's because Richie has picked up one of his hunting spears. There is a strange feeling in the air. Sevyn looks over at me. She's angry. She's beyond angry right now.

"Take him out!" Sevyn says, "Don't you guys see it. Syx. C`mon. I'm your sister. Richie. Are you serious? Take him out? He's trying to start some shit between us. He's trying to turn you guys against me."

"Try it and we all are fighting here," Stoney stays.

Stoney gets a stick near him. He's drunk and clearly a little bit more aggressive than usual. He looks over at me. I'm ready for a fight too but I have the feeling we are going to be outnumbered. I look over at Billy who is still holding my collar.

"I'm not saying I know for sure she did it," I explain, "I'm saying someone tampered with the plane and I think Sevyn knows where we are. So c`mon Sevyn. Why don't you tell us? Where exactly are we?"

They all look at Sevyn. It's working. I think it's working.

Billy releases me. He takes a step back. He crosses his arms. He's more confused than anything right now.

"Why would he lie?" Billy asks.

"Are you guys serious? C`mon ha ha real funny. We were headed to Bermuda. We were going on vacation. My sister wouldn't do something like that," Syx states.

"Jealous. Jurnee is jealous. He's after my father's money," she states, "He's making shit up, I tell you. He's just trying to get rid of me. For himself. He wants to you guys to turn on me and kill me out here. "

"I never fucking said that," I respond, "Why would I be jealous? Why would I want to start shit?"

"This is why..."

Sevyn walks over to her backpack. She pulls out a letter. She hands the letter to Syx. Syx reads the letter. His expression changes up almost immediately. He just stares at the letter and his face goes pale. His face just goes ghostly pale. I'm so confused by it. Syx hands the letter to Billy. Billy hands it to Richie. Each person that gets the letter just seems more and more shocked. Stoney and I give each other a look.

This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

Stoney is the last person to get the letter before me. Joey hands it to him. Stoney reads the piece of paper.

Stoney turns to me at that moment, "Jurnee...what is this?"

"I don't know."

"Io Valentine wrote a letter to his lawyer requesting to change his will. Your mother drafted this letter. He is planning on taking his own children off the will and replacing them with you and Jolie."

I stare at the letter at that moment. Fuck.

"Why would he do that?"

"Don't act like you didn't know?" Sevyn says, "I found it in his stuff."

"Bullshit," I state, "You're fucking lying."

"Jessica helped me find it."

"Is that true?" Billy asks.

Jessica looks at me then looks at Sevyn. She seems a little scared but all of a sudden she just blurts out, "I don't want anything to do with it."

In a weird way I am grateful that she isn't lying for Sevyn. Jessica storms off back towards the treehouse. She didn't say that Sevyn was lying but I knew the truth. Jessica didn't want to lie for her. It was clear. I cross my arms.

"She's telling the truth," a voice says out of nowhere.

My mouth drops open.

Jolie.

"Jolie?" I ask.

"Jurnee, my mother and I convinced Io Valentine to give us all the money," Jolie says, "Jurnee approached me a few nights ago. He said that we should kill the Valentines."

Syx's mouth drops open. A few of the others gasp. No one is as surprised as me though. No one could possibly be as surprised as me that Jolie is talking and LYING. "

The fact that my sister is talking at all is blowing my mind. Stoney and I exchange looks. Right now Stoney even seems a little confused. It's almost like even Stoney is questioning me right now. I'm so shocked this is all happening. I feel like I'm in the twilight zone. The one time that my sister opens her mouth to speak is the one time she is lying her ass off? What kind of shit is that?

I look over at Jolie. I want to ask why? I want to ask why she's lying? I'm so confused at that moment.

I want to say so much but instead I'm just speechless. I look so shady right now. I look like the worst person in the world and I didn't do anything.

Billy shakes his head at me, "That's foul Jurnee."

"I didn't even know Io Valentine," I explain shaking my head, "Whatever relationship him and my mother had was between them. I was just married into the family."

"And he just chooses to leave you everything?" Syx asks me.

Syx stares at me at that moment. He seems confused. It was as though he didn't know about that letter. Had his sister not shared the letter with him before then? Why was she keeping it to herself? Maybe she knew that I was going to expose her. Maybe she was waiting for a moment like this to cast doubt on me.

The problem was that it was working.

"I had no idea Syx," I tell him.

Syx walks forward and pushes me hard on my chest, "Bullshit! I trusted you man. What the fuck? My sister kept saying that you and your family were some scam artists. I didn't believe her. Then you got the nerve to say that my sister tampered with this plane? It could have been you!"

There is silence for a moment. They all stare at me. Just that quick all their attention goes from Sevyn back on me again. Just like that she is able to manipulate these people. Just like that I'm Enemy Number 1.

"He's a snake yo...fuck," Richie says.

More stares.

More slow steps towards me.

I look behind me. There is a stone to my right. There is firewood to my left.

"I actually trusted you," Syx says

Sevyn shakes her head, "Everyone. Listen to me. This Jurnee guy is dangerous. Even his own sister said it. He's dangerous."

She has the letter now somehow. She is holding it up to Syx so he can confirm it. Syx is so mad that he is shaking. He looks violently angry. I have to admit it. Sevyn is good. She is lying right to their face. I never spoke to Io Valentine, let alone convinced him to give me any money. I can see the glitter in Sevyn's eye. When no one is looking I notice that smirk again. That smirk that lets me know that she's lying.

Richie is cracking his knuckles. Aaron and Joey are approaching me. They have spears in their arms. Billy is shaking his head. He looks disgusted. The others are just staring at me completely unaware of what is going on.

"You bitch," I state.

"I thought you were cool," Syx says shaking his head, "I honestly was starting to think I found someone I could trust. Damn was I wrong. All I can say right now is sorry, Sevyn. I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when I had the chance."

What happens next makes me sick. Syx walks over to Sevyn and he hugs her. He is comforting this lying ass bitch. The fact that he is acting so dumb annoys me.

I can't do anything but laugh.

"I'm glad you find this funny," Billy says, "You hear that boys? He thinks this is a goddam joke to entertain us. I'm starting to think he may have had something to do with that plane crash."

"He won't find this funny for long," Richie states.

"He's a liar. He's dangerous," Sevyn says.

They are approaching me at that moment. I start backing up. It's clear that they are about to attack me. God knows what they are going to do to me. They have this heated look in their eyes. I'm the one who is causing trouble all of a sudden.

Why would I take a plane down? I could have died on that plane. Why would I take it down? You think I'm suicidal.

I dive for the firewood. I feel Richie over me. He punches me in my sides. I grab the firewood and I hit him with it as hard as I can. The firewood slaps across the side of his face. He lets out a moan. The others jump on me.

Billy attempts to punch me.

"You little bitch!" he screams out.

"Guys. Stop it!" Syx says.

I'm shocked when Syx of all people tries to come to my defense. He pulls Billy off of me but then I see the sticks coming my way. Aaron and Joey with their hunting sticks. Joey throws one. It misses me only by a couple of inches.

That's when I realize shit is real.

These people will kill me. They will fucking kill me.

I turn. I'm running as fast as I can. My heart is beating. I feel the stones being thrown at my head. It's not just the boys either. The Spanish girls are throwing stones at my head. They are landing them too. I feel one being thrown right at my head. I fall.

I fall so hard that I cut myself on a jagged rock below. My leg gushes open with blood. I turn and realize who has thrown it.

Jolie.

My sister turned on me. She's standing there right now. She has this smile on his face. It's so similar to the smile that Sevyn had.

"Nowhere left to run," Sevyn says, picking up a rock.

"Sevyn don't fucking do this...DON'T FUCKING DO THIS!" Syx is screaming.

I turn and notice that Billy has wrestled Syx to the ground. He can't help me. Sevyn is standing over me. She has a rock in her hand. The rock is raised. My heart is beating. This is how I die. This is how I die...

"Put down that rock or I'll shoot..."

When I turn I realize that Stoney is standing next to me. He has a gun in his hand. I don't know where he found the gun but I'm so thankful he's found it. I'm so thankful that he's come to my aid right now. He has the gun pointed at Sevyn. Sevyn drops the giant rock she was about to use to crush my skull.

"Let's not get crazy now..." Richie says.

"Back away from him. I'm going to take him upstairs. No one better not bother us. You hear me. I have this gun and I'm going to use it. You hear me. We are going to be on the very top. If anyone of you comes up and bothers us," Stoney says, "I'll kill you."

They let us walk away. Before we came to this island Stoney's threat would have been an empty threat. Things have changed though. I look at the violence in everyone's eyes. No one knows who to trust. No one knows how we got here. No one knows where we were. These people would have been willing to kill me for Sevyn. They would have been willing to destroy me.

It's daytime before we know it. I wake up to Stoney. He's standing over me. He still has the gun close by. He looks like shit.

"You haven't slept all night?" I ask him.

Stoney shakes his head, "I was keeping an eye out for you. I wasn't going to let those assholes near you. No way in hell. It's OK. I'm still a little drunk. I'll stay up. I'm more worried about you. This leg of yours. I think it could get infected if we don't treat it."

I look down at the leg that he's referring to. It's bleeding still. I don't remember Stoney trying to wrap it up but it has some sort of bandage of it. The bandage is red. My leg feels so painful. I can barely move it.

"I can't believe they tried to kill me," I state shaking my head.

"It's what happens when you have a bunch of followers. You're safe now. They wouldn't dare come up here. They were like a fucking cult last night, Jurnee. If I hadn't found this gun in the cockpit of the plane god knows what would have happened. I guess I do know what would have happened. Don't want to think about it. Goddam followers. Bet those fuckers won't try me now though. I'll shoot 'em. You hear me. I'll shoot 'em dead. Even your sister. I'm shocked Jolie turned on you like that...she aimed that rock at your head, Jurnee. I saw it."

I can't explain it either. I just shake my head. I'm sweating. My right leg is in so much pain from when I fell after Jolie threw that rock at me.

"Sevyn must have gotten to Jolie somehow. I dunno how. Maybe Jolie is still mad about the airplane thing. I don't know. Sevyn is a master manipulator. Speaking of Sevyn. About what she said..."

Stoney shrugs, "I don't care what she says. You could have been plotting to kill the Valentines forever. You could be a thief planning to take their money for all I care. I don't believe it, but I don't care if you were. I'm on your team. Period. I left you out to dry before. I'm never going to make that mistake again. You hear me? I love you man."

Stoney gives me a smile. It's a flashy beautiful smile.

"I know. You're like a brother to me," I tell Stoney.

Stoney smiles faintly, "Yeah. A brother. Here. Lay back. Let me take a look at your leg."

Stoney takes the bandage off my wound. It's red and swollen. He has a piece of fabric. It's not the cleanest fabric but at least it's dry. He starts to dress it.

"It's gonna get infected," I state.

"I'll figure something out. Here. Let's see how much it hurts. I'll start from the bottom of your leg Ok? You feel that. I'm going to go up. Let me know when it stops hurting OK? You feel that?"

"Yeah?"

"You feel that?"

"Yeah?"

"You feel this?"

Stoney is touching my upper thigh at that moment. He looks up at me wondering why I'm taking long to respond. It's hard to respond because right at this moment I'm turned on. I look over at him. Our eyes connect. Stoney stares at me. I stare at him. He keeps touching on my upper thigh. I'm breathing so heavy.

Stoney gets higher. His hand is touching my dick at that moment. I'm fully hard. He holds it for a few minutes. He keeps a tight grip on it. My heart races when he does it. I feel this heaviness when he is slowly feeling me up and down.

"I feel that," I state.

"Good. I told you I'll take care of you. Didn't I?" Stoney asks me.

"You sure did bestie."

"OK. Good. Well here let me see if you can feel one more thing.

Stoney unbuttons my pants. I'm shocked when it happens. I'm shocked when my dick plops out of my pants. I haven't bathed and I wonder if my dick would taste funny but Stoney doesn't seem to mind. He sucks the head of my dick slow. Regardless of how salty my dick might taste right now he seems to be enjoying it. He bobs slowly down the shaft of my penis with his head. I swear I'm dreaming if it wasn't for the intense feelings that I'm feeling right now. He slowly takes my dick deep down his throat and holds it there. He's so slow and so deliberate.

He sucks the shaft slowly. His hands reach up at that moment. For that moment I forget the pain. Maybe that's what Stoney wanted. He wanted me to forget the pain in my leg. I'm thinking more now about his hands slowly squeezing my nipples while his mouth pleases my dick.

Stoney swirls his tongue around and around. He makes slow soft circular motions with his mouth. He moans the whole while. His mouth makes a soft buzzing noise.

"Damn Stoney," I'm telling him, "Goddam it. I can't believe this is happening. Shit. You know I always wanted this to happen? Goddam. I used to think you had some gay in you back in the day, but I figured you were just horny. Are you gay Stoney?"

Stoney looks up at me. He shrugs his head, "I don't think so. Just horny and I know you want this. So what are friends for?"

He makes it sound like it's nothing. That's just how Stoney is though. It's always how Stoney has been. Life is simple to him. It's not complicated. He tells me to lean my head back and he engulfs my dick. He keeps sucking it hard and slow until I am about to nut. I'm transported away from this island. I'm on a resort instead of some weird ass tree house.

I slowly brace myself as I'm about to nut. It's coming out fast and strong. I lean back. I feel this tension at that moment.

Just as I am about to let loose I hear the footsteps of someone coming up the steps. The person makes it up the stairs while I'm nutting.

"Fuck!"

My nut sprays Stoney in his eye. I struggle to get Stoney's gun realizing that he is too blind to get it. I don't make it very far when I hear the voice of the person who it is.

"Relax. I'm not here to cause trouble," Syx states.

Syx has something that looks like thread in his hand. He has some alcohol with him as well. It's some of the same alcohol we were drinking last night.

"I told you assholes that no one is supposed to come up here," Stoney says.

It's embarrassing as fuck to have Syx of all people catch us in the act of what we were just doing. There is no way to explain this besides sex. Stoney is wiping nut out off of his face. I exploded a little bit more than I intended to. It's all over him. My dick is out. Syx looks at it. He looks away. This is beyond embarrassing. I get red in the face.

"I just came to help," Syx says, "I can clean him up. Stoney you may want to go out to the water to clean yourself up. I can look after Jurnee."

"No fucking way."

"Stoney. I'm good," I tell my friend, "If he wanted the gun he would have went for it. You know? If he tries anything I'll scream. And I know you'll come running. I know it. I'm good Stoney. Go clean yourself up. You deserve it."

Stoney takes a reluctant breath. He's a mess especially after my accident. I think that's the only reason he grunts and leaves Syx and I up on that top floor of the tree house.

Syx walks over to my leg. He is quiet for the most part. I look at him. He's so damn perfect. I can't believe that the guy that I had a crush on forever just caught me having sex with someone else. The awkward tension between us is definitely clear.

"So you and Stoney?" Syx asks me.

I wonder if I should tell him that we are really just friends. Stoney is a little horny and I have no doubt that he'd be asking me to repay the favor at some point, knowing Stoney. We were stranded on an island for god sakes. Stoney would have been fucking a tree stump after a while if he got horny enough. Stoney felt comfortable with me and he wanted to me feel comfortable. That was what it was mostly about. Still. I enjoyed the idea of not being completely dependent on Syx's view of me.

"I don't know," I lie, "Maybe."

He gives me a firm look, "Interesting. Doesn't seem like your type. Then again. What do I know? I don't know much anything about you. You don't know much anything about me, either, I guess."

"And yet, here we are," I respond.

"Here we are," he repeats, beginning to treat my wound, "This might sting. There you go. Just bite onto something. I just want to make sure this thing doesn't get infected. Things got pretty nasty last night. I want to apologize. Not that it was probably on your mind seeing what you were getting yourself into this morning. Still. I played a part at first in starting to fan those flames. Alcohol had us all acting like a bunch of fucking savages."

"It wasn't the alcohol and you know it," I respond.

It was Sevyn.

She was doing what Sevyn does best. She was manipulating people.

"She wasn't always like this," he starts.

"She got like that after she got sick huh?" I ask.

He sighs a little bit. I can tell he's uncomfortable. I don't think he trusts me after last night. He's making it seem like everything was because of the alcohol but there were clearly some wounds left.

"Don't want to talk about my sister. If that's OK with you. She'd kill me if she knew I was up here helping you. Hell, I don't know why I'm doing this to be honest. If half of what she said was true and even if any of what your own sister said was true, then I should hate you. I should have been the one throwing stones."

"You should have been trying to kill me?" I ask.

I remember him in the woods telling his sister that he was going to kill me. Would he do that? Would he actually try at some point? Looking at Syx I don't see that. For some reason I doubt that he would be like that. Then I think about how wrong I've been about people actions in the past. I didn't expect Stoney to betray me. I didn't expect my sister to turn on me either.

"I don't know who I am," he explains, "When I came to this island I was just whoever my dad wanted me to be. The more I thought about it yesterday the more I realize that I don't give a fuck about the money. That was never who I was. For the first time coming to this island is me realizing who I want to be. I don't want to be my father's perfect son anymore. I don't want to be the heir to the Valentine fortune. I want to be who I am. And I know I'm not a killer."

Syx seems like he's been spending a lot of time thinking about this. I appreciate him talking to me like this. I appreciate him cleaning up my wound as well. He stitches up the wound. He closes it silently not saying anything. He just leans over at me.

"Hey," I tell him.

"Yeah?"

"I know you probably have no reason to trust what I'm saying. Like you said. You don't know me. You don't know shit about me. I have every reason to believe that you want to kill me...but I don't. You have every reason to believe that I am trying to steal your fortune...but I'm not."

"I don't believe my sister," he says.

"You don't?"

Syx shakes his head.

"I knew she was lying about finding that letter. Jessica admitted it to me this morning. My sister confided in her," Syx states, "My sister confides in her a lot. I know Jessica has been acting a little crazy. This island has her shook up. But I trust her. I trust my sister is lying about you."

"Jessica is lucky to have you."

"Can I admit something?" he asks.

"Go ahead."

"We broke up," he responds and smiles, "We're just friends."

I smile, "Can I admit something?"

"Sure?"

"Me and Stoney are just friends."

Syx smiles. I'm surprised when he smiles actually. He has the sexiest fucking smile.

"Good. Cause you can do better."

"Can I?" I ask licking my lips.

"Yeah. You deserve to be romanced, not given head to avoid the idea of your leg getting infected," Syx laughs shaking his head, "That guy is such a fucking loser. Goddam."

I'm amused. No matter how much Stoney wanted to fit in with the cool kids they still thought he was a loser. Syx was damn near rolling his eyes at the thought of Stoney right now.

"So am I," I respond shrugging, "Besides. We are in the goddam jungle. Romance isn't going to happen out here. We're barely surviving. Head is probably the most romantic it's going to get."

"You think so?" Syx asks me, "Here. Lean up. Close your eyes. Yeah. Keep 'em shut. I want you to imagine we aren't stepbrothers. I want you to imagine that my sister doesn't hate you. I want you to imagine we didn't crash on an island. I want you to imagine I'm just a stranger...who is attracted to you. I walk up to you somewhere."

I open my eyes, "And I'm a girl too huh?"

Because why would Syx be attracted to a boy?

Syx sighs, "You don't have to be a girl. This is just pretend remember. You can be a boy. I don't mind. Stop ruining my imagination with small details. Gender doesn't matter. Close em. Goddam it. You said romance is impossible in a place like this. So close em and I'll show you."

I close my eyes, "Ok. Ok."

"So I walk up to you. I walk up to you somewhere."

"Where?"

"Doesn't matter. You like books?"

"Yeah."

"Aight. Then I walk up to you in a library. We are in the romance aisle. I ask you what you're reading. You're too shy. You smile instead. You try to walk away but I grab you. I press you up against the shelves. I'm trying to be sexy. I lean in. You take a sniff of my breath. You slowly exhale me. As I press up against your body."

I can smell his breath.

"Why does your breath smell so good while we're stranded on an island?" I laugh.

"I've been hogging the Colgate," he laughs, "Either way you smell the mint when I lean up against you. I lean in closer and closer. You can feel the soft hairs of my mustache. You can feel the heat from lips only centimeters away from your lips. Can you feel it?"

"Yeah. Hell yeah."

Damn I want to kiss him. I stop though.

"But then all of a sudden the fucking books fall. We stagger into each other. We knock each other the fuck out almost!"

I open my eyes. Syx has moved away from me. He is laughing on the other side of the room. He finds this hilarious. My dick is damn near hard again. I'm struggling to keep it away from him. He's laughing too hard to notice anyway. I really thought it was finally going to happen.

"Really?" I ask.

"Romance isn't always perfect," Syx says, "Sometimes it's awkward. Sometimes it takes longer to get there. Sometimes there are obstacles. Like the books. Like a marriage between parents. Like a sister. Like a plane crash. But soon enough romance removes those obstacles. And there isn't anything left...but flesh against flesh. Naked. Lost. But not afraid."

He's made his way back to me. This time he isn't teasing. This time he's closing into me. This time I'm the one that pulls back. I don't pull back because of Syx.

I pull back because I hear gunshots.

"What the fuck?" I say.

I hear a scream, "They have it. THEY HAVE THE GUN! JURNEE THEY STOLE THE GUN!"

My heart races. I hear the footsteps coming up the treehouse. It was Stoney trying to warn me. Syx was sent up here. He was sent up here to distract me. He was fucking sent up here to FUCKING distract me.

"You...you did this..." I say.

"I---I'm sorry," Syx says, "I do trust you. It's just Stoney can't have a gun. It's just dangerous for everyone. We need to take it away from him."

"And give it to the people trying to FUCKING KILL ME? I guess you get what you want."

"What?"

Syx looks confused.

"I heard you that day talking to your sister. You told her you were going to kill me."

"I never said anything like that to my sister. Where the fuck did you get that from?"

He had the nerve to fucking lie. I punch Syx hard in his face. I punch him dead in his nose. He jerks backwards. I want to strangle him. He came up here to distract me...not to help me. He came up here to get Stoney into a fucking ambush down there. I can't believe I trusted him.

Syx was a FUCKING liar. Just like his fucking sister.

"Fuck you," I tell Syx, "You hear me? FUCK YOU!"

They are upstairs in a matter of seconds. Billy is the one with the gun. They have all come upstairs though. Aaron and Joey have Stoney tied up. He's bleeding from his nose. He looks like he already has a swollen eye. They must have jumped him when he was down there. The gunshot must have been a misfire from the gun.

"Stoney..."

"He's going to be fine," Billy tells me, "We need to know if you were the one who tampered with the plane."

"I didn't crash shit."

"Where are we?" Joey demands.

"He did it. He did it. He crashed the plane," Maria points her finger.

They are chanting at that moment. Billy has the gun in his hand. He isn't aiming it at me. His hand is shaking. He seems nervous. He seems too nervous to pull the trigger.

"Fuck you. I ain't telling you people shit," I state.

These people tried to kill me. They tried to fucking kill me yesterday.

"Shoot him," Sevyn says.

It's Syx who gets up and stands there, "Sevyn that wasn't part of the fucking plan. I'm not going to let you hurt him."

"I can't believe you're fucking protecting this liar," Sevyn says, "If we don't kill him, he's going to kill us. We can't be around someone we can't trust on this island. Why don't you get that?"

I was tired of trying to convince people of my innocence.

"Shoot me if you want Billy," I respond.

Fuck this island. Fuck these people.

They wouldn't have me beg them for my life.

I close my eyes. I'm ready to die.

"Shoot him," Sevyn says, "Shoot him. Shoot him."

Others join in on her chant. First it's Josephine and Maria. Then the boys join in. Even Helen has this bloodlust in her eyes. Maybe it's the fact that we are all undernourished. We aren't thinking right. Maybe it's the anger from being in that crash.

These people weren't people anymore. These people were worse than people.

"Give me the gun Billy or I'll take it," Syx says.

"Shoot him! SHOOT HIM! SHOOT HIM!" the chants get louder.

Billy is hesitating. I open my eyes slightly to see him pointing the gun at me. He's so nervous. He's shaking. Syx stands in front of me.

"No wait!"

We all turn. We see Jessica. Strange. Jessica is just standing there at that moment.

"He didn't do it. Jurnee didn't tamper with the plane," Jessica says, "I can't take lying for her anymore. This island is my punishment. Can't you tell? We're in HELL! All of those people died because of me! This is hell!"

"What?" Billy asks Jessica.

"This is hell. Don't you guys see? Sevyn asked me to help her get a bomb. My dad works for the military. I used his connections. We looked for one. She wasn't supposed to detonate it until we got to our destination. She blew it up on the plane. SHE detonated the bomb on the plane."

Mouths dropped. It feels good at that moment. It feels good to know that they all had egg on their fucking faces. Billy is so shook he drops the gun.

"Fuck. I---I---I was about to kill him," Billy says.

He drops to his knees. He's shaking. He's crying. Panic is setting in when he realized what he was about to do.

What he doesn't realize though is that Sevyn picks up the gun.

"You people have no idea what is going on," Sevyn laughs grabbing the gun before anyone else can, "But you'll learn."

Syx attempts to run forward and wrestle the gun out of her hands. Without warning Sevyn shoots.

She shoots someone by accident. The person falls to the ground and dies.

My mouth dries. No time to scream.

No time to understand what just happened. I can't believe the person that Sevyn just killed.

To read the next chapter in advance to go www.crushedcrown.com