Talk With Nina

The morning air carried an eerie stillness despite the waves crashing onto the shore. 

Students murmured among themselves, their voices laced with unease as they took in the wreckage. 

Without the rafts, they weren't just stranded — they had lost a vital means of survival. 

No rafts meant no deep-sea fishing. No way to explore further. 

And most importantly, no escape if things got worse.

Lucas knelt near one of the destroyed logs, running his fingers over the deep gashes. The damage looked rough, almost like claw marks, but something felt… off. 

He squinted, tilting his head as his fingers traced the grooves.

Were these really made by an animal?

Something about the way the wood splintered didn't sit right with him. 

Some of the cuts were jagged and uneven — like something had torn at it wildly — but others were too precise, too straight-edged. 

Almost like they were carved… by a blade.

His gut twisted.

Was someone sabotaging them?

The thought lodged itself in his mind, but he didn't voice it. 

If he was wrong, he'd look paranoid. If he was right… well, they had bigger problems than just being stranded.

Stepping back, he watched as the teachers huddled together, their expressions grim. 

Eventually, the gym coach raised his voice.

"Alright, nothing we can do about this now! Everyone, go to the mat and get your breakfast. We'll figure this out later!"

Despite the order, no one truly relaxed. The students drifted toward the eating area, but the tension lingered like a bad taste in the air. 

Conversations were hushed, glances were exchanged, and Lucas wasn't the only one who kept looking back at the wreckage.

He had just sat down, his tray of food in front of him, when suddenly —

"Lucas!"

A hand grabbed his wrist, yanking him up before he could even lift his spoon.

"Hey, what the — ?" He barely had time to register what was happening before he was being dragged away.

Nina.

Her grip was firm as she pulled him toward the trees, away from the others.

"What now?" he groaned, stumbling slightly as she moved faster than his half-awake brain could process. "I just sat down! Can't this wait until after breakfast?"

"No," she shot back, barely looking at him as she kept pulling.

Lucas sighed, glancing back at his food longingly before accepting his fate. "Fine, but this better be important."

Nina didn't answer immediately. 

Instead, she led him deeper into the trees, away from the ears of their classmates. 

When they finally stopped, she turned to face him, arms crossed, a serious look on her face.

Lucas leaned against a tree, rubbing his wrist where she had gripped it. "Alright, what's so important that you had to kidnap me before I could eat?"

She hesitated for a second, then spoke in a low voice. "Do you think the rafts were destroyed by an animal?"

Lucas blinked.

That was… an oddly direct question.

He studied her for a moment. She wasn't just curious — she was concerned.

He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Honestly? I don't know." 

He looked off to the side, recalling what he saw. "The damage looks like it was done by an animal, but… something about it doesn't sit right with me."

Nina's eyes narrowed. "Like what?"

Lucas hesitated. Should he tell her? Would she even believe him?

He decided to test the waters. "Some of the cuts looked too clean. Like they were made with a tool, not claws."

She was quiet for a moment, processing his words. 

Then she frowned. "You think someone did this?"

He shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just a theory."

But Nina wasn't buying the casual act. She knew him well enough to see past it.

"And if you're right?" she pressed.

Lucas let out a slow breath. "Then someone doesn't want us leaving this island."

The weight of those words hung between them.

Nina looked away, chewing on her lip. "I thought I was just being paranoid," she muttered, more to herself than to him. "But I felt the same way. This doesn't feel like an accident."

Lucas tilted his head. "You noticed something too?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "I went to check on the supplies this morning, just before the commotion started. Some of our food is missing."

That caught his full attention. "Wait, what?"

She nodded again. "It's not a huge amount — nothing big enough to cause immediate panic — but it's definitely less than what we had last night."

Lucas's mind raced. Destroyed rafts. Missing supplies.

One could be an accident. But both?

That was sabotage.

And that meant someone among them wasn't playing by the rules.

He let out a low whistle. "Well, shit."

Nina crossed her arms tighter, shifting her weight. "If someone is messing with us, we need to figure out who. Before things get worse."

Lucas exhaled. "Yeah, no kidding."

The camp had already been tough, but now there was a whole new level of danger — one that came from within.

Lucas finally broke the silence, pushing himself off the tree. "Well, guess that means I'll be keeping my eye out. Can't let someone ruin my already miserable island vacation, huh?"

Nina shot him a dry look. "This is not a vacation, Lucas."

He smirked. "Keep telling yourself that."

She rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile there.