They stood around, nobody wanted to volunteer, not necessarily because they were so vehemently opposed to the idea but just because their feelings were so mixed on it. Eventually Sonja would volunteer to go with her twin sister. They sat around a little longer waiting for 5 more to volunteer.

“Ah fuck it.” Demir says, walking towards the craft. “Said I wouldn’t get on this thing but who gives a rat’s ass anymore.”

“I’ll come too.” Says Song. This would be very easy to mistake as the duo being close, they weren’t, relatively close maybe but in no way were they close by most human metrics. “Might as well at this point, right?” 

We were at 5 waiting for 3 more faces to appear and choose. Some had accepted the idea of dying here. Celly had her Net Man shrine and was pretty happy about that. Juan had Bauer who he was very close to. Fredrik had Bay Ken. Finally the last three would show themselves. Lukas was out of alcohol and thought his best bet was to get back to humanity. It was then Anna and Roc who decided to go. The rookies were young and spry unlike the rest of us old asses and would serve a greater purpose on the raft. As the goers sat on the raft, being gently moved up and down by the waves, they sat there gazing upon the rest of the team as it was possible this was the last they’d ever see of them.

It was a few hours later, goodbyes were shared, memories were regaled and the final words had been spoken before Supah and a few other stayers helped push the raft out to sea to a fate no one could possibly know. The stayers returned to the fuselage and sat around not doing much. They spoke lightly on some things but it was true that a lot of notable faces had left. Through the next few days Patey took on a leadership role as both the Solbergs had left. Though there wasn’t much to lead.

Supah walked over to Celly who was modifying some stuff on their Net Man shrine.

“Need any help Celly?” Supah asked.

“Not really. What’s up, Supah?”

“Not much.”

“You think someone found them yet?”

“Who knows.”

“Sometimes I wonder if it was the right move.”

“Wasn’t your idea.”


“No but I didn’t stand up, nobody did.”

“What other option did we have?”

Celly shakes their head. “Don’t know. Maybe there was no other option, maybe that was it…seems pretty scary to think that though.”

“That we’ve lost control?”

Celly nods. “Something like that.”

“I think I miss when this was a little more whimsical…a little more fun.”

“Yeah…I think the writer is just desperately sleep deprived and trying to get his word total up at this point.”

“You think?”

“I do.”

Supah nods. “I’ll go talk with some other people now.”

Supah continues to walk and look out over the sea. The same way your eyes play tricks on you in the dark your eyes can play tricks on you looking out over the expansive ocean. Sometimes it felt like he could still see the small rickety raft bobbing its way away from the island towards some sort of salvation.

Supah sat next to Fredrik. “How’s Ken?”

“Good…he’s really good.”

We both glance over at the pig who’s sound asleep on the ground. His glistening belly falling and rising steadily.

“Why didn’t we build a second raft?” Fredrik asks.

“What?”

“Just a question I’ve had…wanted to get it off my chest.”

“Well it’s just a smarter idea to leave some here in case help naturally finds us.”

“Right but what if like a year passes, at that point I feel as though we have to kind of go out on our own again, y’know. If we had a second raft built we could’ve used it in case.”

“Yeah…I guess you’re right. We can always build one with us 9.”

“Yeah I suppose. Easier with 17 though.”

They both sit there looking over Bay Ken. He played a role of innocence, he had no qualms, no worries, to him he wasn’t stranded this was his home, always had been. It’s a perspective.

“First thing you're doing when we get rescued, what is it?” Fredrik asks

“Getting black out drunk.”

Fredrik laughs. “I’ll join you in that. After I take a shower hot enough to nearly boil me.”

Supah nods. “That sounds great.”

“Never going to the beach ever again, I can tell you that. Had enough of this shit for multiple lifetimes.”

“If that ain’t the truth.”

“I wonder what QCC is up to right now.”

“We’re here.”

“I mean like the team. Did they shut down? Did they replace us…I wonder what lore and ramen are thinking.”

“They most likely think that we’re dead.”

“Yeah I suppose.”

“And we didn’t get replaced. There is no replacing us. Is it possible they moved on, yeah, but they sure as hell didn’t replace us.”

Fredrik nods and smiles. “You’re right.”

“I should keep moving around.”

“See you around Supah.”

Supah went through the motions again of moving away to his own personal isolation as he looked down at his feet as he stomped through the sand leaving his size 14 prints behind him. He began to ponder something, in the future will someone find this island and before finding the plane wreckage that will be disintegrated by then or our skeletons they find these footprints, the first thing they see to symbolize the fact that someone had been here before.

Supah sat down with Abdi and Ryland, they were in conversation.

“Supah, settle it, Sunrise, Sunset?” Abdi says to Supah.

“Swiftly flow the days?”

“Hardy har. Sunrise or sunset, which is better?

“Gotta say sunset.”

“Get fucked Abdi.” Ryland says.

“Whatever. Sunrise is way better.”

“Why’s that?” Supah asks.

“Because the day is just starting, you got all your shit left to do, sunrise is just sad.”

“But a sunset after a really good game is like a seal on a love letter.” Ryland responds.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Abdi says.

“You know, I’m not totally sure, but it felt right so I guess it has to be right.”

“Sometimes I worry about you, you know that?”

The day slowly fades away. The sun hides in the distance and the stars take over. Supah lies on his back just looking up at the night sky, something he had not done to that point. He understood why people lived out in the country, at least slightly. Not drowned out by the city lights, a masterpiece was shown to everyone for the price of absolutely nothing besides abandoning the moderness of the world. Supah knew constellations existed but didn’t know the name or location of any of them so he just made them up as he looked around. Most were vulgar terms that gave him a cheap laugh as he said them. He was always the funniest person he ever knew and he was never too ashamed to admit it.

A few more days pass. Every day that went by was a little more disheartening. Yes they weren’t being found but the idea that their friends were lost and/or dead at sea was a thought much, much worse. Nobody had much to do besides wait around, twiddling their thumbs. Eating every now and again to make sure hunger doesn’t strip them away before the chance of help arrives. Some days were definitely harder to do the basic things than others. When it feels like purpose has been lost most people just feel like there is no reason to keep going. We fought these feelings with late night campfire stories and songs sang together as best as we could remember the lyrics.

It was a day around a week later when a noise was heard. It sounded like a bird in the distance flapping its wings but the flaps became far more rapid and loud. Looking up they saw something out of the ordinary, a speck. A tiny dot slowly grew larger and larger. Before the actual sight of it came into view it’s sound, the sound of helicopter blades furiously slashing through the air gave it away. Help was coming, help had arrived. It’d take about 30 more minutes before the helicopter would land. Opening the door was Lore and Ramen.

“God, you look worse for wear.” Ramen said as he approached the tattered group of survivors.

“Did you find the others?” Patey asks.

“Sure did.” Ramen said.

“Are you all alright?” Lore asks, checking each of their players thoroughly.

“We’re fine.” Supah says.

“Celly told us you would have almost certainly resorted to cannibalism.” Ramen said.

“Someone needs to check on them.” Fredrik said, carrying Bay Ken.

“Who’s this little guy?” Lore asks as he approaches the pig and starts to pet it.

“Bay Ken, or Ken for short.”

“Right.”

Lore helped the stayers get into the helicopter while Ramen inspected the area to see how they survived. He looked around at the fuselage and scoffed.

“Always the falcons that get in the way.”