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Micah is now watching my reaction. I’ve never been great at hiding my emotions, which is easy because sometimes I barely feel like I have any. His eyes flicker at me. “We will stay here for another day at least, in case they come searching. Then, if no one comes, a couple of us can go explore.”

I dart my eyes between the three boys who are seemingly in charge. If Micah, Maison, and Ezra are leading us, then we might as well kill ourselves right now.

“One more fucking day. That’s all I’m asking for, London.” He says it like I have any decision-making authority over what we do. “Tomorrow you can go explore and see if you can find somewhere better. I’m not going to stop you.” He turns his head toward the four kids fighting for their lives. “But keep in mind we can’t exactly move them.” They are passed out, but somehow barely holding onto their pulses.

“Now, someone help me move these bodies,” Micah barks. “I know it’s not the most pleasant job, but we can’t have them so close by. We have to find a better spot for them. They will only attract wildlife. The rest of you can help get the crates off the plane and we will assess from there.”

The vicious wave of nausea nearly cripples me at the thought of moving those bodies, but even worse is spending one more night next to them.

Thomas steps forward. “I’ll help you, man.”

Ollie and Nathan, who remained quiet, also step forward. “We’ll help you, too. It’s the right thing to do,” Ollie says, nudging Nathan to go with him.

Maison and Ezra head toward the airplane to evaluate how to get access to the valuable resources inside. The rest of the girls, including Jade, trail behind them. Nigel hangs back and doesn’t do a damn thing, but I don’t have the time to worry about the dark look in his eye.

I walk over and sit next to James to check how he’s doing. Relief washes over me to see his eyes bright, and the fact he’s sitting up. Despite his wounded state, he’s still tending to the four people gravely injured.

Micah walks over and towers over me, and I glare up at him as the sun behind him nearly blinds me. I’m ready to give him a flippant response, but he hands both me and James a bottle of water instead.

“Here you go, sweetheart.” The sharp edge in his voice slices deeper than the rocks I slept on last night. “Drink this sparingly. It’s all you get for now.”

He slips away to join Thomas and the others waiting for him. I will give him a pass on his clear pissy mood, given the job he is about to do, and try my hardest not to stare at his muscular backside that leaves little to the imagination in those sweatpants.

I check on the rest of the injured; Jess, Matthew, Madison, and Colton—the only ones left breathing, but unconscious. They are all moaning, but there is no visible blood on them. Their wounds are from internal bleeding or head injuries. For a couple of them, all I can hope for is a quick death.

“How are they?” I ask James, who’s tending to Madison, who woke up briefly while we were all arguing. His facial expression tells me everything I need to know. They are barely holding on, and I’d be surprised if they lasted a day.

“How are you doing?” I lean down and check on his wound. While exploring the cockpit, Micah found the first aid kits, along with the pilots and flight attendant, their heads hanging in the most unnatural way. At least, that’s what Nigel told me earlier, which explains Micah’s sullen mood. Micah spared a bandage for James because he has a slighter higher chance of living than the rest of them.

James swallows and gives me a strained smile. “I’m fine. Like I keep telling everyone, it’s just a scratch.” The sweat on his forehead is building beneath his blonde shaggy bangs, and I worry about infection. He chugs his entire water bottle in one gulp and slumps forward. It’s up to him to hold on, but I admire his resolve. His body is strong—all the training he’s done for hockey will help him.

I sit next to him and take a small sip of my water, staring up at the fluffy clouds as a breath catches in my throat.

Where the hell are we? And when are you coming for us?

Nothing but a few small, scattered clouds and a blazing sun shines down on burnt skeletal trees that pepper the forest. Thick, gross, ugly woods and slimy rocks, and the faint smell of acid that seeps out of the nearby plane. Alaska isn’t beautiful. The landscape we landed on is barren and charred, like a fire blazed through here once, and even mother nature has abandoned it.

Every second that ticks by without the sound of a helicopter gives me less hope that anyone is coming for us. I shift over to Madison as incomprehensible moans come out of her. I offer her all I have—my soft hands—as I rub her forehead and tell her it’s going to be alright, even though I know it won’t be. It’s what I would want to hear if I were dying.

I drown out the banging noises Ezra and Maison are making as they pull out what they can from below the airplane. The other group’s progress is unbearable to me… all those dead bodies. I just hope they can find a prettier place to rest them.

They deserve better.

Hunger burns my stomach as James and I sit quietly next to Madison, and I place her head on my lap. Last time I ate was in New Ocean nearly twenty-four hours ago. If Micah has food, he’s not offered any to me, or anyone, for that matter. I try to recall how long the human body can go without food. Several weeks, which is probably why Micah hasn’t let anyone have anything. But this little twinge of hunger could turn into something much more menacing, and soon.

The moment Madison stopped shaking and died is unknown to me. If there was a death rattle, I didn’t catch it as I was lost in my own dark thoughts.

It’s when she stops withering, I think to slide my hand to her neck to check her pulse.

There is none.

She is gone.

A cry escapes my lips, and I lean into James as tears flow out of me. I close her open eyelids as her eyes stare right into me. I didn’t know her, no personal connection to her, but still, I’m glad she didn’t die alone. I consider telling the others, but don’t bother.

Instead, I rest my head on James’s shoulder and cry, even though he’s barely awake himself. For the first time since landing, I let out all my emotions. I cannot spend more time in this place than I need to—

This graveyard.