Chaos.
At one time I thought I knew what chaos was. A shopping mall the day before Christmas. A morning school run with five kids in the car. A 50% sale at Barneys.
No turns out that wasn’t chaos. Now I really understand chaos…
The salty tang of water burns my throat as I splutter and gasp my way to the surface of the water. My lungs burn from the lack of oxygen they had had while I was under and the burning sun stung my eyes as I finally broke the surface. Most people see beauty in the ocean and the sky.
I saw horror.
Screams and frightened cries filled my ears and the wild flailing of arms caused the water around me to slosh and panic me further.
I kicked the water and turned in search of land. I turned away from a woman who was screaming shrilly with her eyes screwed shut and just caught the tail end of the plane disappearing into the depths of the ocean no less that 20 feet from where I stood.
A hand suddenly landed on my head and I felt myself being pushed under the water. I gasped in surprised, which was a bad move when I think about it. The water immediately filled my mouth and I started to choke. I raised my hand to grab onto the hand that was clasped onto my head and I dug my fingernails in. The hand immediately let go and I took in deep ragged breaths as I broke the surface again. I turned and saw a huge man treading water next to me with a panicked look on his face and a hand cradled against his chest.
Fucking bastard.
If I wasn’t so desperate of getting out of this situation I would have smacked him in the damn mouth instead though I was distracted by a little girl nearby who was clinging to a young woman desperately.
I felt someone bump into my back but I was to preoccupied screwing my eyes shut against the glare of the sun trying to focus on a green blur I saw in the distance.
Land!
My survival instinct kicked in and I kicked my legs, completely focused on the land I could see in the distance. I paid little attention to the screams around me and swam as hard as I could in the direction of the land.
Before too long I felt the water get shallower and the screams were almost nonexistent. I was soon in shallow enough water to stand up and I did. My eyes swept over the beach I was now on. The stretch of land only seemed to be about 3 miles long and there was a jungle straight ahead.
Where am I?
I felt something bang against my leg and glanced down seeing a suitcase bump against my leg as the swells of the water washed it ashore. I turned back to the ocean and was surprised so see the stillness. The absolute calm. The sea sparkled gently as the sun slowly began its decent towards the horizon lighting the sea into a swirl of blue, green and silvers.
I glanced to my left as I heard someone coughing and saw a dark haired man standing there holding up a coughing red head. He glanced at me briefly before casting worried eyes back to the slowly calming girl. I turned right too and saw a few others all spread out laying, sitting or standing on the shore line also staring out in disbelief at the now peaceful looking ocean.
A flash of white caught my eye and I saw it belonged to tough looking guy slowly making his way up the beach. He was batting at a leather coat as if trying to drain it of water. He looked up and met my eye and I lost my breath at the shining blue eyes met mine. They held no emotion, just a peaceful acceptance. He smiled at me softly and I returned it with a nod before turning back to the ocean.
The chaos was over.
For now at least.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Hi.”
Buffy looked up and saw the red head she had seen choking when she had first got onto the beach.
“Hey.”
“Im Willow.” The red head greeted kindly plopping down on the sand next to her.
“Buffy.” Buffy responded going back to staring out into the ocean
The sun had set almost two hours ago and Buffy had retreated further up the beach and she now sat close to the edges of the jungle. Despite the darkness the air hadn’t cooled that much and it was still warm enough to wear nothing but a tank top which is what Buffy had stripped off to. Her jumper was now laying out next to her drying while she sat in damp jeans and a tank top. The noise of the waves softly hitting the beach soothed Buffy.
“So how you doing?”
“I'm okay. I just survived a plane crash so im just peachy.” Buffy sighed playing with the sand beneath her.
“We’re all sort of having a little meeting. We want to sort a few things out you know…I was hoping you’d come.” Willow said with an inviting smile on her face.
Buffy nodded to her. Not as if she had any other plans. She looked past Willow to see the dozen or so people gathered around a burning fire a few yards down the beach.
It’s like lord of the damn flies.
Buffy stood and followed Willow over to the group most of whom all studied Buffy, the only member of the group who had gone and sat by herself not speaking to anyone. She sat down cross-legged next to a glaring brunette and a funny haired little guy ignoring all the interested looks she was getting.
“Right well now that we’re all here…”
Everyone turned his or her heads to look up at an oldish looking man who was standing close to the fire. He was wearing a pair of tweed trousers and a crisp looking white shirt. Everything about him screamed repressed.
“I thought this might be a good idea. We don’t really know how long we’re going to be here so I thought we should all at least know each other.” He spoke with a refined English accent.
The shaggy haired brunette guy who she had seen help Willow out of the water raised his hand as if he was in kindergarten and Buffy rolled her eyes.
“How do we know how long we’re gunna be here? I mean we might not even be on an island or anything.” He shrugged.
“It is an island Mr…” Giles trailed of expectantly.
“Harris but call me Xander.”
“Well Xander this is most definitely an island. I have walked the entire length of it actually. It is barely 4 miles long and about 3-4 miles wide. Surrounded by water on every side with no other land in sight.” Giles informed him with a saddened look on his face.
“Well someone will come. They have too.” The brunette next to Buffy spoke and Buffy could practically feel the attitude dripping from her.
“We’ll we did crash almost three hours ago and we haven’t heard or seen anything so we will be here for at least tonight I believe.”
The group all descend into silence. Everyone looking sadly into the fire or into the sand beneath them. Buffy however spent the time studying everyone around her. Safe to say they were defiantly a random bunch of people but Buffy stopped her perusal of the survivors when they came to rest on the bleached blonde she had seen walking up the beach just after the crash.
She was startled a bit when she realised his eyes had been trained on her and she met his steady gaze unblinkingly. His hair now glowed almost silver in the flickering light of the fire and she fully took in his face. His cheekbones were high and unbelievably defined, his lips were unlike any mans she had ever seen; they were full and soft looking. His face alone could easily make him a model but his eyes set off the rest of his features perfectly. They were the most startling colour blue she had ever seen and the emotions shown in them were amazing.
He raised an eyebrow when he noticed her gaze flickering over all his features and he smiled when he saw the blush creep up her neck.
She was absolutely gorgeous. He had first seen her getting on the plane. Man she was a sight. She looked irate and had a scowl on her face at the time but her eyes were full of a certain spark and Spike had had to adjust himself when he saw the fire burning in her eyes as a man jostled her on his way to the toilet. Her hair fascinated him and even when she had just swum from the wreckage and her hair had been plastered to her head he hadn’t really noticed. Instead he had noticed her soaking wet clothing that had revealed every curve of her body.
He had shivers just thinking about it.
“Well im Xander Harris. I’m from San Diego and I was flying to Sydney to visit my brother. I’m 24 and im a construction worker. I was alone on the plane.”
Buffy broke out of her staring competition with the blonde when she heard the brunette guy talking. Great group bonding. How fun.
“I’m Willow Rosenberg and I was going to Sydney with my friends Oz, and Tara.” Willow started indicating the funky haired guy next to Buffy and a shy looking blonde next to Xander.
“I’m 21 and it was kind of a backpacking thing.”
“I’m Cordelia Chase as in Chase Corporations! I was going to Sydney for this like huge fashion shoot and im 26 and engaged to this really amazing and really rich guy.” the girl next to Buffy jumped in next saying the story as if she was giving them an amazing tale and she beamed at them with her perfectly pearly whites.
“I’m Rupert Giles. I’m from Britain originally. I’m an author and so I often travel for my work. Im 46 and I have a wife named Joyce.” The old librarian looking guy said softly.
It went on like that for over a half hour and Buffy actually found herself interested in this. It was good to know something about people who you were gunna be staying with for the night and it was unbelievable the different people were. There was Xander, Willow, Cordelia and Rupert or Giles as he said he preferred to be called but there was also Tara and Oz who were both originally from Boston and had met Willow in college.
A tall black man named Gunn and his girlfriend Fred also introduced themselves. Gunn was a high school gym teacher while Fred was a second year intern at a hospital in San Diego training to be a surgeon. Following those two, a hulking and brooding brunette who said his name was Angel. Buffy paid closer attention to him he was exactly her type and if she had been off the island she would definitely of liked to get to know him better but it turned out he had a girlfriend back home and she quickly focused on the next person which was a girl named Anya who to put it honestly was the bluntest person Buffy had ever met.
Everyone else had said maybe 2 minutes about themselves whereas she had rambled on about her past sexual life and her thriving business. Two brothers name Wesley and Riley told the group they were both from Iowa and that they had been flying to Sydney on holiday as they had both inherited a small fortune and before Buffy realised it they were all looking at her expectantly.
“I’m Buffy Summers. I’m from L.A originally. I don’t have a job really. Just go where the wind blows me really. I’m 22 and that’s it really.” Buffy shrugged now turning to look at the only person of the group who hadn’t spoken. The man gave a little smile to her before puffing out his chest ready to talk.
“My names Spike. I don’t answer to anything else. I’m 28 and I don’t have a job either a drifter like yourself luv.” Spike winked at the blonde opposite him.
“I don’t have kids don’t have a wife or girlfriend and I am officially freezing my balls off.” He finished while the rest of the group laughed. The chill had indeed picked up and most of them had moved closer and closer to the fire without realising it trying to keep warm.
“Do I know you from somewhere?” Cordelia asked with a thoughtful look on her face. Spike gulped audibly but shook his head.
“Nope don’t think so.”
Oh god don’t let her recognise me.
“Yes you look familiar to me too…” Willow studied him thoughtfully.
“Just one of those faces I guess…hey how bout that chill right?” Spike spoke loudly trying to change the topic.
“Yes I believe we should settle in for the night. I have a few blankets that I managed to salvage from the things that got washed up but I think everyone should build their own fire too.” Giles encouraged them all handing a blanket to Gunn and Fred.
“So pet…cold?” Spike asked staring down at her nipples, which were pressing against the thin material of her tank top. Buffy looked down at herself and back up at Spike, surprising him when instead of the indignant cry and insult he would have got from a woman at saying something like that he instead got a half-hearted shrug.
Well kitten has got balls aint she.
“Im very sorry I only have one more left.” Giles said apologetically holding out a blanket and glancing in between the blonde pair. Spike smiled while Buffy frowned a little.
“Looks like we’re bunking together Summers.” Spike leered pressing his tongue against his front teeth enticingly.
Buffy felt a shiver go through her at the downright sinful image he made before gulping slightly.
“Im gunna go search for more warm clothes, will you build the fire?” She asked not waiting for an answer as she jogged off to where everyone had piled the washed up suitcases, leaving a stunned Spike gawping after her.
He never expected her to let him share a blanket with her and had expected to be fought with over it instead she had just gone with it and was going to sleep very close to a complete stranger.
Damn who is this girl?
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!