Chapter 3

The four young men were sitting at a rocky cliff near the Waikaloa Bay.

Tristan was wrapped up in a blanket they found in poor condition, but it was thick and warm. He was eating a very large bowl of rice and fish that had landed on the ground. His muscle definition was almost back to normal, but not all the way back to normal.

Jordan was still curled into a tight ball, his bowl of rice and fish sitting completely untouched on the ground next to him.

Kenny was standing, holding his empty bowl as he stared out to the vast ocean, with the sea levels visibly lower than normal. He continued to just stare out in contemplation.

Joan was sitting with his legs crossed as he picked at his food, repeatedly rubbing his tired eyes.

The four of them sat in complete silence.

Tension thicker than steel.

Joan reached down and rubbed his hand along the rocky ground, which was still moist from the tidal wave of water.

The trees nearby were dripping water off their leaves and branches.

Tristan finally finished his bowl and placed it down.

He lifted his gaze just enough to stare out into the vast horizon in front of him. His eyes were somber and full of sorrow as he pulled his knees close to his chest.

His muscles were all back to their normal size, but even then it didn’t matter.

Jordan’s eyes continued to be full of anxiety and fear. He wasn’t shaking anymore, but the language his body was speaking was enough.

“So…hell of a first day.” Joan said.

Kenny turned to look back at him while Jordan and Tristan both continued to stare forward.

“Stop talking.” Kenny said rather demandingly.

“Oh come on. We need to talk about this. We can’t just sulk and be sad.” Joan said as he slowly stood up to his feet.

Tristan turned to look at Joan, his eyes beginning to turn red from tears. Jordan’s eyes were already painfully red and dry, his body running out of tears to cry.

“We need to get better at using our abilities. If we don’t, we might destroy this entire island.” Kenny said.

“You think the news has broken?” Jordan asked.

“Probably. I mean, a fire that could probably be seen from space followed by half the island disappearing under water.” Kenny replied dryly.

Both Jordan and Tristan looked like the response was a gut punch. Their faces were both covered in sorrow as Joan sighed, scratching his head and face.

“Well, we should figure out a place to stay for the next few days. No boats or planes are traveling in the area until they figure out the cause of the incidents.” Tristan said, reading breaking news off of his phone.

“How is your phone working?” Kenny asked.

“Because I have a waterproof phone. The only problem will be when I go to charge it.” Tristan replied.

Jordan pushed his small container of rice and fish to Tristan.

They didn’t share any words, just looked at each other when Jordan gave a subtle nod.

Tristan moved the fish around and put his phone in the rice, letting it sit and absorb the moisture.

“Thanks.” Tristan said softly.

Jordan gave a very small smile before turning away.

“Well, we should find somewhere far away from any towns or cities.” Kenny said.

“There aren’t many on this island. We’ll be fine.” Tristan replied.

“Well, where is that city?” Kenny asked.

“Kahului. We’re on the other side of the island from it so we’ll be okay.” Tristan replied.

“Sounds good. But there are a few houses spread out around here.” Kenny said.

“A small neighborhood.” Joan said.

“So, where should we go?” Kenny asked.

“Nānu'Alele Point.” Jordan spoke up.

The other three looked at him surprised.

“It’s far from most things here. The roads to get to it are long and hard to traverse.” Jordan replied.

“I like the sound of it, but how sure are we?” Kenny asked.

The four young men shared glances at each other repeatedly.

“Whether it’s perfect or not, we don’t have too many other choices.” Tristan replied.

The four continued to share glances, as if waiting for somebody to give direction or take charge.

“Alright, let’s go.” Kenny finally said.

Jordan and Tristan moved closer in order to help each other get to their feet. Tristan picked up the container full of rice and his phone as they all began to walk along the coastline.

“So, what should we do when we get there?” Joan asked.

“Build a house or something.” Kenny replied.

“That sounds like a lot of work.” Tristan joked, sounding like he was complaining.

“Unless you got some workers to build one for you.” Kenny replied back.

Tristan tried his best to make it look like that didn’t bother him as they continued to walk.

The four made their way along the coastline, finally coming across their end point.

Kenny was carrying Jordan on his back while Tristan and Joan had their arms wrapped over each other.

“Holy shit…my legs are killing me.” Tristan complained.

“We’re almost there. I see a good open spot.” Kenny said.

Jordan lifted his head up and looked forward.

“This seems remote enough.” Jordan said.

“Let’s hope so.” Tristan replied.

All four men dropped to the ground, leaning against different trees while panting and stretching their legs, massaging the burning and aching muscles.

“Holy shit…I’ve never walked that far before.” Tristan said.

“At least you weren’t carrying somebody.” Kenny replied.

Jordan frowned and hid his face as he kept massaging his sore legs.

“So, we gonna tear down all these trees and build a house?” Tristan asked.

“We can’t tear down too many, otherwise it’ll draw attention.” Kenny replied.

“And we shouldn’t take any from the outer perimeter. That way even if boats come by, they won’t notice.” Joan chimed in.

“Sounds good.” Kenny said.

The four men all sat around and continued to rest, sitting in tired silence.

“So…” Jordan said softly.

“So.” Joan replied, as neutral a tone as he could give.

“So.” Tristan said, sounding tired and annoyed.

“So.” Kenny said in a light and cheerful tone.

All four men began to smirk, which quickly turned to quiet laughing.

“Did any of us ever imagine we’d run away to live in Hawaii with strangers we met in an airport bathroom?” Kenny asked.

“Well, when you say it like that…” Jordan began to say before they all started laughing.

“Yeah well, what should we do?” Joan asked.

Tristan snapped his fingers.

“I have an idea.”

“Okay…you’re not allowed to have any more ideas.” Kenny said with his arms crossed over his chest.

The four young men were all standing on a small hill, staring down at a nudist beach with people walking through the sand and lying down to get an even tan.

“Oh come on. We can all enjoy this right?” Tristan asked as he began to take his shirt off.

Jordan very slowly and nervously started to pull his own shirt, but Kenny reached out and softly grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Tristan, didn’t we agree to take things slow and stay hidden?” Kenny asked.

“Hey, I’m here to party.” Tristan replied.

“Well, we’re going to go build a house. Come back when you’re going to take this more seriously.” Kenny turned around.

“Oh my God it’s not a big deal.” Tristan replied, making Kenny stop in his tracks.

“What did you just say?” Kenny asked.

Tristan swallowed hard, knowing he just messed up.

Kenny turned back and stepped face to face with Kenny.

“We submerged half an island underwater. We don’t even know how many people are dead. So why don’t you actually take this shit seriously.” Kenny replied.

Tristan was hiding his gaze, but suddenly stood up straight and stared back with intensity.

“You don’t know how I ******* feel. I’m the one who did that shit and this is how I grieve. This is the only way I’ll be able to keep it back. I’m not going to feel sorry or depressed, I’m going to ignore those feelings and enjoy life. So leave me alone and let me do what I need to do.” Tristan said before taking his shirt off while still staring deep into Kenny’s eyes. His torso was muscular but thin as he stood. He undid his pants and pulled them down while staying stoic and strong in his composure.

The group was silent as Tristan stood *****, his face just under Kenny’s.

Tristan finally turned and marched off towards the beach as the three others watched.

“You going to join him?” Kenny asked.

Joan and Jordan shared glances with each other.

“Alright…let’s go build a house.” Kenny said soft and somber before turning to walk the other direction.

Joan and Jordan were trying to communicate in silence, their faces and bodies shifting and motioning in either direction.

Finally, Jordan went after Kenny while Joan slowly made his way towards the beach, slowly and nervously removing his clothes as he did.

Tristan was standing nude, looking out at the water.

His eyes were beginning to tear up.

He swallowed hard as he quickly turned away, not wanting to look over the water anymore.

He cleared his throat before making his way over to a beautiful blonde girl laying on the beach, who looked to be about his age. A young college aged girl who didn’t have any worries and responsibilities.

Her hair was incredibly curly and stretched down past her shoulders as she smiled wide, not even shades on her surprisingly pale and smooth skin.

“Hey, you from around here?” Tristan asked.

She opened her eyes, which were a piercingly bright blue color as she looked over at him. She slowly sat up and smiled.

“Depends on how far you mean when you say around.” She replied.

Tristan smirked and moved to sit down next to her.

“Well, why don’t we have a conversation and I’ll determine if that’s what I mean.” He replied.

She simply shrugged with her smile staying wide and vibrant.

“I guess you could say I’m from the ocean. Spend more time there than anywhere else.” She said as she turned to face the water.

Tristan turned to look at it, but then stopped.

The haunting blue that many others found relaxing and soothing made his brain want to scream.

“Yeah…I can understand that.” Tristan said in a weak and tired voice.

“A shame about that tidal wave though.” She replied.

Tristan felt his body tense up as he forced a swallow down his throat.

“Yeah…crazy huh?” He replied, trying to sound casual and friendly.

“So, what brings you here?” She asked, shifting to lean back and look at him on her side.

“How do you know I’m not from here?” He asked.

“I looked at you and heard you talk.” She replied.

Tristan began to feel more at ease as he spoke.

“Is that…is that a compliment or an insult?” Tristan asked.

“Not sure. Guess we’ll have to see what happens.” She replied.

A shout suddenly filled the air as Tristan looked over at the water.

Jordan had slipped and fell into the water just as a wave came, pulling him further away from the shore.

“Son of a…” Tristan mumbled to himself, but the girl suddenly jumped up and ran quickly into the water, diving in with beautiful ease.

Tristan watched as she disappeared under the blue liquid, clean and reflecting the peaceful sky with shining light.

Tristan swallowed at the tranquil sea, still feeling uneasy and afraid.

The woman suddenly appeared out within a few seconds, carrying Jordan in her arms like he weighed nothing.

Tristan watched on feeling multiple emotions.

Horniness. Confusion. Relief.

“This yours?” The girl asked, holding Jordan before dropping him onto the sand right by Tristan’s feet.

Jordan gasped as he hit, water shooting out of his mouth.

“Holy shit that’s salty.” He said as he gasped and coughed violently.

Tristan’s eyes were locked onto the girl as he swallowed hard.

“Y…yeah…I know him.” He replied.

The girl smiled and turned around, walking towards the water.

“Well, make sure you don’t lose him again. I’ll see you around.” She said before she dove into the water, disappearing while Tristan was frozen in place.

“You okay?” Tristan asked quietly while still staring blankly forward.

“I think so. You?” Jordan asked as he finally got into a sitting position.

“I think…I’m in love.” Tristan replied.

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