The words leave my mouth too fast, I realize, because Neil's response shuts me down quickly.

"Volcano, huh?" he asks in a teasing voice. "Where's the magma then?"

Sam and I both glare at him.

"Inside the volcano, I'm sure, considering that magma is what you call the stuff inside volcanoes. Maybe you're thinking of lava," Sam hisses. A sharp jab of laughter sneaks out of my mouth, and I turn my head to muffle the uninhibited chuckles that follow in Kaia's hair.

"You know what I meant," Neil snaps, rolling his eyes. "Lava, magma—same thing."

"Actually, Sam just explained the difference," I whisper, and Kaia's body shakes with laughter.

"Shut up, Jordyn, before I make you," Neil responds, his eyes going dark. I tense up, but Sam steps in.

"Lay a hand on her, and there's going to be a real fight," he growls as he extends an arm over Kaia and me. "Understand, Neil?"

The two of them stare at each other for a long second before Kaia unrolls herself out of my grasp and points at the two of them with a shaking finger.

"Put the rulers away, boys. We have bigger problems than that volcano-mountain-thing."

They both glance back at her, and I find myself just as confused. A volcano seems like a pretty big threat to me. There's only so far we can run from an eruption, considering that we're on an island. It might not be pouring out lava right now, but that earthquake and smoke has to mean something.

She looks at me and then groans.

"The alcove, idiots," she says. "Our shelter is destroyed. Do I need to keep going?"

My eyes go wide.

No shelter means no protection from the elements. No rock to block the freezing wind, blistering sunlight, or crippling lightning. Yet, it's not only the weather we need to be concerned with. If we're forced to sleep out in the open, we're exposed to lions, birds, and monkeys. Who knows what else could crawl out of the water and nip at our toes. Even that turtle from earlier didn't look friendly.

"Now, I don't know about you three stooges, but I really don't want to be out in the open whenever the creators decide to turn off the lights," Kaia says as she brushes sand off her jumpsuit.

Her recovery time from the panic moments ago is phenomenal. I reach out a hand to wipe sand from her shoulder, and she jumps at my touch. Her eyes go wide for a moment, and her back tenses up. Once she realizes it's just me, she relaxes again.

Maybe she isn't completely recovered.

"We're going to have to find another shelter," Sam pipes up, "and fast."

Kaia and I both nod.

"But where, though?" Neil asks.

"Around the beach?" Sam suggests.

"I walked all around this place," I mumble. "We won't find anything."

"Then we're gonna have to go into the woods," Sam informs me.

I just blink at him. If I had known that's where he was going, I wouldn't have suggested it. The last thing I want to do is wander around inside the jungle that just tried to toast me alive--even if it was my own fault.

I look up at the smoke curling away from the mountain as the three of them delve into an argument about what's best. Smoke means fire, and fire is something I understand. Fire is as familiar as brownies and windchimes, and regardless of what happened earlier, it feels just as safe as Sam does.

The mountain should serve as a warning and scare me off. Instead, it grabs my curiosity like iron shackles, drawing me towards a gleaming guillotine.

"We have to go in," I blurt. From the way Sam's head jerks towards me--mouth open and gaping-- I assume I cut him off mid-word. His eyebrows sink into his eyes, and concern mixes with confusion in the lines around his frown. Kaia and Neil both look over at me.

"We should what?" Sam asks.

"I said, we have to go in. There's no other option."

Kaia claps her hands together and makes me jump.

"I knew she would be on my side!" she says excitedly, grabbing my hands. I wince in pain, and she drops them like hot coals. "We have to. Argue as much as you want, Cowboy, but you know I'm right."

Sam turns me to face him and looks me directly in the eye. The dark blue reflects my face back at me. Bits of sand cling to his stubble, and a scar cuts through his left eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" he whispers, leaning in so that only I can hear him. His breath down my neck sends chills up my spine. The proximity makes my knees weak.

"Yes," I say, feebly.

"Jordy, you need to be positive."

"I am," I whisper back, willing my voice not to shatter under the building pressure. I'm more curious to know more about the volcano than I am worried about the predators lurking in the trees.

"Okay," he replies, backing up. His hands leave my shoulders but run down my arms until only our fingertips touch. Sam turns to face the two of them again, but he leaves one of his hands close to mine.

I think about holding it, but willpower shuts that down fast. I need to appear stronger than I feel, or else he'll make me stay here. And Sammy is not someone I want to fight with.

"Alright," he says to Kaia and Neil. "We're going in."

Kaia nods then glances up.

"We need to move fast, though. The creators are cutting the days very short. The last place we want to be is in the jungle unprotected when the lions are out prowling around."

We nod in agreement.

"How do you suggest we cover ground faster?" I ask as I tug at a knot in my hair.

"Split into groups again?" she says with a shrug. "It worked when we were guarding."

Sam groans.

"You're going to suggest we split into boys and girls, again, aren't you?"

Kaia laughs and nods. "Of course. I don't trust the two of you not to hunt Neil and I down instead of looking for shelter, and I can't partner with you. You would stab me within seconds."

Sam nods smugly.

"I probably would," he mutters under his breath. A snicker leaves my mouth, and he glances over at me with a smirk. "I don't trust Jordyn with Neil either. So that's fine."

Sam steps away from me. The moment the closeness is lost, my bravado crashes, and I have to fight myself not to grab after him. Kaia sweeps me up instead, leading me towards the woods.

Sam and Neil head off in another direction.

"If you find anything, just scream," Sam calls over. "We'll definitely hear that."

"Same to you," Kaia answers, before I can even open my mouth. She turns to me and adds, "Alright. Let's go, Jordyn."

I sigh and follow behind her.

I asked for this. It's my fault. At least I'll be getting to check out the volcano.

We walk for a long time--Kaia leading and me following--without speaking. It's easier to focus on the threats surrounding us if neither of us talk. The surveillance monkeys hang from almost every other limb and watch us with endless black eyes. We pass several small orange cats with black stripes. I expect them to chase after us, but instead, they lurk behind us, following each careful step we take.

What amazes me the most is that the jungle looks completely untouched by the fire hours before. I expect to see burns, ashes, and destruction. Instead, the greens are just as vibrant as before. Light filters like snow through the thick canopy, warming my shoulders through the jumpsuit. I tiptoe carefully through the soft moss of the undergrowth, grateful to be away from the coarse and hot sand.

As we go, Kaia slices halfway through branches to mark our path. Somehow, I know what she's doing without asking; I was going to do the same thing. That gives me another hint at my past--I must have had good survival skills.

We walk for what feels like an eternity before the ground begins to slope upwards and rocks sprout under our feet. I stumble forward painfully, catching myself on knotty vines. Kaia reaches out to help me, but I straighten myself up quickly.

"Where should we go next?" she asks in a low whisper, looking up at the mountain. It looms over us threateningly, casting deep shadows all around us.

"Let's walk around it," I whisper as I tiptoe forward. The rocks dig into the bottom of my feet and cause me to wobble unevenly. Pain shoots up my legs, but I refuse to let that show on my face.

"Fine, but I don't know what you're hoping to find," she mutters, following behind me.

We walk for another ten or so minutes, the jungle growing darker around us. I keep one eye on the volcano and the other on the path ahead--if it can really be called that. The small cats still follow behind us, eyes glinting in the orange light of an early sunset.

"Hey, Jordyn," Kaia says suddenly, running to stand beside me. "What's that?" She points directly ahead of us where a square shape is redirecting the sunlight. The shadow cast on the ground inches towards us, large and promising.

"A building?" I reply as I resume walking. Kaia runs ahead.

"You were right!" she says, reaching out to touch the side of what looks like a concrete shed. "It can't have been here for long, though."

The sides of the shed are spotless; grass around it is flattened by its presence. In every sense, the building appears to have been dropped in the middle of the jungle recently. Not a single vine has taken over the gray-washed concrete like they have the rest of the trees.

"Have you ever been this far in?" I ask Kaia as she circles around the shed.

"Neil and I haven't explored all of the jungle," she mumbles, looking up. "We seem to be on the opposite side of the island, away from your rock shelter. I don't think I've ever been on this side. Neil has." She looks at me again. "I've never seen this before."

I nod my head. There's a steadiness in her voice that tells me she isn't lying. Either that or she's really good at it.

We move a few more steps to the third side of the building and find a door. Kaia grasps the round doorknob, turns it, then jumps back as it swings open. I laugh.

"Well, I didn't expect it to be unlocked," she says defensively, turning bright pink.

"I can tell," I mumble, stepping inside.

The concrete floor cools my aching, burned feet. It is covered in leaves, but what looks like a rug stands out in the center. The room itself is completely empty. A singular window hangs in the wall to our left, casting orange and red sun onto the run.

"Well," Kaia says, interrupting the silence, "I guess this will work as shelter. It looks sturdy enough."

"Yeah, until that volcano erupts," I whisper, still looking around the empty space.

"Let's deal with that problem in the daylight," she says reassuringly. "One killer island feature at a time, please. I'm more concerned about being mauled right now."

I nod and take a few more steps in. Kaia shuts the door, and I jump.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Locking us in for the night."

"What? Already?"

She looks at the window and then nods.

"It's almost nightfall, and we're safer in here than out."

"But the boys--" I stammer, my stomach filling up with nerves. I don't like the idea of being locked in any sort of small space with anyone other than Sam.

"If we call them now, God only knows where they'll have to trek over from. It's safer for them to stay where they are and find us in the morning," she says softly.

I know she's right. Yet, the familiar fear is back, hammering its way through my facade. I bite my bottom lip and lower myself onto the edge of the rug.

"I won't even sleep near you," she says as she sits down across from me, "but if I was going to hurt you, I would have done it a long time ago."

I hold my tongue, letting my unease grow. I'm back in my dream, fighting against the shackles as she pulls me underwater. Kaia has never been anything but nice to me, but The Island wants me to see her as my enemy. It was right about the fire; what else does it know?

Kaia heaves a sigh and then lays down on the rug with her back to me. I touch the knife in my pocket, just to ensure it's there. Within minutes, she's asleep and darkness has fallen on the world outside. I lay down and stare at her mane of black hair.