I - The Storm

They were under a very strong, unexpected storm. The captain of the ship couldn't foresee it. The strong wind and sea currents pushed the small ship as if it were made of paper. The worst part is that the storm was moving, taking the vessel with it. It was many hours, many hours, and the ship ended up completely off the planned route. In the end, it intensified, and the vessel, already battered, succumbed. The crew tried to save themselves, but most didn't make it.

Bruno, 42 years old, dark-haired, robust, with a strong build and experience in sailing, spotted land in the distance and swam in that direction. Already close to the shore, he noticed a boy almost drowning, near complete exhaustion. He hesitated for a few seconds between the situation of "every man for himself" or lending a hand. He looked at the shore, its proximity, and the boy's youth inclined him towards the latter. He approached him from behind and took him firmly by the waist, lifting him so he could take air, his innate and worked-on strength made it not too much for him despite the fatigue. He spoke loudly and told him to hold on, that he was going to pull him.

That's how they reached the shore. Bruno put him face down with his head to the side. Alexis, that's what the boy was called, coughed several times, vomited some of the water he had swallowed, and began to normalize in a few minutes.

* Bruno: "How are you doing, kid?"

* Alexis: "Better... tired, but okay... thanks for helping me, if it weren't for you, I would have drowned"

* Bruno: "Sure, you almost were"

* Alexis: "Thanks again"

* Bruno: "I don't remember you on the ship, and we weren't that many"

* Alexis: "My name is Alexis, and I was a stowaway, a friend of a sailor helped me hide"

* Bruno: "Look, I think there's someone else over there"

Bruno walked about twenty meters, Alexis stayed lying on the sand, actually, he was exhausted. As he approached, he recognized Cesar, another sailor from the shipwrecked boat.

* Bruno: "Cesar, are you okay?"

* Cesar: "Almost dead from exhaustion, but okay"

* Bruno: "I'm glad to see you, I think most have died... well, besides you and me, there's a boy over there who was also on the ship, but he was traveling hidden, you probably don't know him"

* Cesar: "Bruno, do you have any idea where the hell we are?"

* Bruno: "None, from what I saw from afar when I swam here, it's clear we're on an island, a small island, but no idea of anything else, and it doesn't seem to be any other island, at least not very close"

* Cesar: "Well, let's see how we manage"

* Bruno: "We have to survive, that's what we have to do"

* Cesar (already standing and looking around): "Look, Bruno, there's something over there, it looks like a construction... shall we?"

* Bruno: "Yes, but first, let's go see the boy, to see if he can come with us"