Shipwrecked

Natalie is shipwrecked on a deserted island with several other castaways. She feels God has brought her to the island for a reason. But how can she possibly help the teen that always keeps to herself?

Chapter 1

 

            I looked around at the people in front of me. Everyone was soaking wet and full of fear. We were all just anxious to go home and fall asleep.

            The captain had called us together for a meeting. I had a feeling that we would not be given good news. We had been gone a lot longer than we were supposed to.

            What was supposed to be an afternoon cruise on the ocean had taken a turn for the worse when we ran into a storm. There was heavy rain, strong winds, and large waves. Many of us thought we were going to die. Surprisingly, we made it safely to this island.

            “I am afraid I have some bad news,” the captain said. “The storm caused some damage to the boat, making it impossible for us to leave here.”

            “What about contacting someone for help?” one of the adults suggested.

            “I am afraid we are having some problems with the radio,” the captain said.

            It was starting to sink it. We were on an uninhabited island with no way off or no way to get help. We were castaways.

            “There is a good chance we will be spending the night here,” the captain continued. “But hopefully, someone will be looking for us before long.”

            We all let out a groan together.

            “In the meantime,” the captain said, “I think we should go around and introduce ourselves and then I will give everyone a job to do.”

            “I am David,” a young man began. “I am the first mate.”

            “I am Destiny,” a teenager said. “I am a sophomore in high school.”

            “I am Dr. Barner,” a guy said.

            “Are you a medical doctor?” Destiny asked.

            “Yes, why do you ask?”

            “I am hypoglycemic,” Destiny answered.

            I could see the captain’s eyes grow wide in fear at this information. Apparently, the situation was just getting worse.

            “Talk to me later,” Dr. Barner told Destiny.

            “I am Natalie,” I said. “I am a junior in high school.”

            “I am Shawna, an elementary teacher, and this is my sister, Lena.”

            “We are Carl and Emily Wilde,” a couple said.

            The last person was a teenager that did not make eye contact when she told us her name was Malie. She was the only girl wearing a sweatshirt even though it was soaking wet from the storm. It was also very warm. I remembered she was wearing this sweatshirt on the boat.

            “I am going to put the teenagers in charge of food,” the captain said. “The Wildes and Dr. Barner will be in charge of water. David, Shawna, and Lena will be in charge of shelter. I will take care of the fire. Now, I suggest that everyone go to bed since it is getting dark. We can get started on our jobs as soon as the sun is up.”

            Destiny went over to talk to Dr. Barner and the captain went to start a fire. Everyone else lay down on the sand.

            Before I closed my eyes, I thanked God for leading us to the island and prayed that He would keep us safe. Then, I asked that He would help us get rescued.

 

Chapter 2

 

            I woke up early the next morning to find a roaring fire. Destiny and Dr. Barner were beside the fire, talking.

            Shawna and I both got up from the sand at the same time and went to sit beside the fire.

            I could see that Destiny was eating something that looked like a protein bar. My stomach growled loudly. I had not had anything to eat since yesterday at lunch.

            “Can I have one?” Shawna asked Destiny.

            “Sorry,” Dr. Barner replied, “Destiny needs to save what she has so that we can try to keep her blood sugar stable while we are here.”

            “So the rest of us are just supposed to starve?” Shawna asked angrily.

            “The teenagers will go looking for food as soon as they all wake up,” Dr. Barner said calmly.

            Shawna stalked off angrily.

            “Make sure you try to eat often,” Dr. Barner told Destiny. “Hopefully, you will find some fruit and you can carry it around with you so that you will not pass out.”

            “I will be fine,” Destiny assured him.

            Slowly, the rest of the castaways joined us except for Malie, who was still asleep on the sand.

            “I have no idea how she can still be asleep,” I said incredulously. “I do not think any of us slept very well.”

            David went to wake up Malie.

            “Are you ready to go?” I asked the teenagers once she joined us.

            They both nodded.

            Before we headed out into the jungle, I decided to say a quick, silent prayer. I closed my eyes, folded my hands, and bowed my head.

            “Lord, I pray that You will protect us as we head into the jungle to look for food. Please help us to be successful as well. Amen.”

            We silently headed into the jungle.

            “This would be a good vacation if we were not shipwrecked,” Destiny said after awhile.

            “God certainly has created a wondrous place,” I agreed. “And nobody even knows it exists.”

            Suddenly, Destiny stopped and put out her hand to stop me. “Where is Malie?” she asked.

            “Malie?!” I called out loudly.

            I could hear someone or something thrashing through the jungle that sent me into a panic. A couple seconds later, we could see that it was Malie.

            “What?” she asked irritably.

            “You scared us when we could not find you,” Destiny said. “I thought a wild animal got you. Please try to keep up.”

            We continued walking but Malie soon fell behind again. We stopped so that she could catch up but then she fell behind again.

            “You have such a beautiful name, Malie,” Destiny said. “What does it mean?” I could tell she was trying to start a conversation so that maybe she would walk a little faster.

            “It is Hawaiian for ‘calm,’” she replied before falling behind.

            “Aren’t you hot in that sweatshirt?” Destiny asked. “I am warm and I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt.”

            “I am fine,” Malie said.

            “Look, there are some pineapples!” I said excitedly.     

            Destiny and I ran ahead and eagerly began gathering pineapples, mangos, and coconuts. Malie took her time getting to us. Before we headed back though, we all had a snack since only Destiny had had something to eat since we arrived on the island.

            “Maybe we can attempt to catch some fish this afternoon,” Destiny said on our way back to the beach.

 

Chapter 3

 

            During lunch, we all gathered in small groups to eat the food we had brought back. I ate with Destiny and the Wildes. I noticed that Malie ate by herself. I wondered why she was keeping to herself.

            “Do you have any fishing equipment on the boat?” I asked the captain when we finished eating. “Destiny and I want to catch some fish for dinner.”

            “That sounds like an excellent idea!” the captain exclaimed. “I will go get it for you. But please take Malie with you. She seems to be feeling a little down.”

            A few minutes later, we were handed some fishing poles and gear.

            “Do you want to go with us, Malie?” I asked Malie. She was sitting on the beach, still wearing her sweatshirt, and staring at the ocean.

            Malie shook her head so Destiny and I headed down the beach so that we could fish.

            “Where are you going, girls?” Shawna called after us.

            “We are going fishing,” I responded.

            “Do not be ridiculous, Natalie. You can leave the fishing to the men. You girls need to get an education.”

            “But we are shipwrecked,” Destiny protested. “We cannot go to school.”

            “It just so happens that I am a teacher,” Shawna reminded us.

            “Yes, but you are an elementary teacher and we are in high school. And we have no books or supplies on the island.”

            “The island will provide.”

            “Shawna, let’s leave the girls to go fishing,” Lena said. “They are planning on catching our dinner. Besides, all the adults are planning on helping with the shelter this afternoon.”

            “I am afraid I must be excused, Lena. These girls need an education.”

            “Of course I wanted to spend my spring break shipwrecked and taking lessons from an elementary teacher,” Destiny mumbled as we followed Shawna down the beach.           

            Shawna turned around and I thought she had heard Destiny but instead, she yelled at Malie who was still sitting on the beach.

            “Come on, Malie! It is time for school!”

            Malie made a face and reluctantly got up and joined us.

            “All right, girls,” Shawna said excitedly, “we are going to study tide pools.”

            I looked down at the small pool of water in front of me and saw some tiny sea creatures swimming around. This could be interesting.

            “This is nothing new to me,” Malie told Shawna. “I am from Hawaii. I have seen this all before.”

            “Perhaps you would like to study math?” Shawna suggested.

            Malie sat down at the tide pool and stared into it. I had a feeling she was probably not watching the sea creatures like Destiny and me.

            After a few minutes, Shawna asked us to share our observations. When it was Malie’s turn though, she said that Destiny and I had said everything that she had been planning on saying.

            I could tell that Shawna was not pleased but she let it go. She then led us a little farther down to the beach. She said we were going to do math.

            Malie rolled her eyes at Shawna when she was not looking. I did not know what this girl’s problem was. She was antisocial and very rude.

            For the next hour, we wrote out math problems Shawna gave us using a stick in the sand. They were too easy for us.

            “Tomorrow, let’s run away to go fishing before she has time to notice we are gone,” Destiny suggested as we headed back to the beach after school was over for the day.

            “I doubt that Malie will put up with Shawna for another day,” I said.

            “I wonder what her problem is,” Destiny said.

            “I have no idea. But I will be praying for her.”

            “But she does not deserve your prayer!” Destiny protested.

            “None of us deserve God’s forgiveness given for all sins through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, but He gave it to us anyway. We should all have been sentenced to death, but instead anyone who accepts this forgiveness and brings Jesus into their heart will one day spend eternity in Heaven.”

            I could tell that I was making Destiny uncomfortable by talking about religion but I did not care. I was a Christian with a mission to tell everyone about Jesus.

            “Sorry to walk away, but I need to eat,” she said before she left.

            “Lord, help me reach Destiny before we leave the island,” I prayed.

 

Chapter 4

 

            We had dinner late that evening because after we got back to the beach after school, the adults were still working on the shelter so we all helped excepted for Malie, who had disappeared in the jungle and did not return until after we had finished the hut and had dinner.

            “Do you want something to eat, Malie?” Dr. Barner asked when she returned.

            “No thanks,” she responded. “I found some fruit while I was in the jungle so I ate that.”

            “Come join us,” Mrs. Wilde said. “We are just talking and trying to stay warm around the fire.”

            “Actually, I am kind of tired. I am going to turn in.” She went into the shelter and lay down.

            “She sure keeps to herself a lot,” Shawna said. “I noticed that when I was teaching the girls.”

            “And she was kind of withdrawn when we were hunting for food this morning, wasn’t she, Natalie?”

            “There is something definitely odd about her,” I agreed.

            “I would not jump to conclusions yet,” Dr. Barner warned. “After all, none of us knew her before we were shipwrecked. And being shipwrecked is not easy for anyone. I would just keep an eye on her.”

            I was not sure what we were supposed to be looking for though.

            “Do you think people are looking for us, Captain?” Mr. Wilde asked.

            “I am sure they are, but there are a lot of uninhabited islands around here. It could take some time.”

            “As long as this does not turn into Gilligan’s Island and we are stuck here for years,” Lena said.

            “Oh, Lena, that show was very unrealistic,” Dr. Barner said with a laugh. “They had several opportunities to be rescued and Gilligan always messed it up.”

            “The show was still funny though,” Lena said.

            “I would think of this as a tropical getaway if I knew when we were being rescued,” Mrs. Wilde said.

            There was a murmur of agreement at that.

            “Come on, guys,” I said. “Let us not worry too much. After all, God saved us in the storm. And God has given us food and shelter here on the island. I am sure God brought us here for a reason. And when He is ready, He will have us rescued.”

            “I am sure you are right about God saving us and giving us what we need, Natalie,” Shawna said, “but I do not think God would have a purpose for bringing us all to a deserted island.”

            “God works in mysterious ways though,” I said. “God has plans for all of us.”

            “Plans that include this island?” Destiny asked doubtfully.

            “What could He possibly accomplish on a deserted island?” Lena asked.

            “So I take it none of you have a relationship with God?” I asked.

            “We go to church occasionally,” Mr. Wilde said.

            I was starting to think that I had my work cut out for me. I only prayed that I would have enough time before we were rescued.

 

Chapter 5

 

            The next morning, Destiny, Malie, and I headed back into the jungle so that we could get more food. Again, Malie was wearing her sweatshirt and walking slowly behind us.

            “Do you think we will ever get rescued?” Destiny asked me.

            “You just have to have faith,” I told her.

            “That is one thing I do not understand about God. Sometimes, it just seems like He does not hear my prayers.”

            “God hears all prayers. He just does not give you the answer you want every time. He is not a genie.”

            “It would be nice if He was.”

            “It would not be good for us to have everything we wanted. Besides, if God answered our every prayer the way we wanted, we would not have the right kind of relationship with Him built on trust and faith.”

            “So I just need to trust God? Then we will be rescued?”

            “You need to trust God that He has a plan for you. Who knows when He plans to have us rescued though?”

            “Do you have any trouble trusting God sometimes, Natalie?”

            “Of course. There are times when I think I know more than God. But really, I am only looking at one tiny piece of the puzzle of life. God is looking at the whole puzzle. He can see the big picture.”

            “So you still believe that we were brought to the island for a reason?”

            “I do.”

            “Do you have any doubts about being rescued?”

            “It is hard not to. I know I should trust God but occasionally, my mind is often wondering if we will be here forever. I mean, I have seen no helicopters, planes, or boats around here.”

            “Why are you so close to God?”

            “I guess one day I was just told that if I ever wanted to spend eternity in Heaven, then I needed to accept Jesus’ forgiveness and live my life for Him. I did this immediately.”

            “I guess I always thought that if you were a good enough person, you would go to Heaven.”

            “That is a common misconception but not true. We are all sinners and are not good enough to go to Heaven on our own.”

            “So if a person waits too long to bring Jesus into their life, it could be too late to go to Heaven, right?” Destiny asked.

            “Exactly. And with life so uncertain, this is one decision that should not be delayed.”

            I turned around and saw that for the first time, Malie was walking right behind us. I was glad because that meant that she could hear our conversation. Hopefully, she had heard it all.

 

Chapter 6

 

            I snuck away to go fishing first. That way, Shawna would not be too suspicious. Then, Destiny was going to sneak away. If Shawna stopped her, Destiny was going to say she was looking for me. Of course, we were not going to come back just so that we could go to school.

            As I was walking through the jungle, I heard the rustling of leaves close by. I stopped and looked. Yes, someone or something was definitely there. I hid behind a tree and listened.

            There was Malie, just a few feet away from me. She rolled up her sleeve and I let out a gasp because her arm was covered in cuts.

            Malie must have heard my gasp because she looked around. After awhile, she must have realized that the sound was the wind because she pulled something shiny out of her pocket and then used it on her arm. Once she was done, she pulled out some bandages and covered the blood. Then, she rolled down her sleeve and walked out of the jungle.

            I knew I needed to tell someone. Malie’s problems were more serious than we had imagined. I decided I would run back to the beach and tell Dr. Barner. He would know what to do.

            As I was walking back, I ran into Destiny.

            “Where are you going?” she asked. “I thought we were going fishing.”

            “Something came up. You go and maybe I will catch up with you later.”

            “I cannot go fishing alone. Dr. Barner does not want me to ever be off by myself because he is worried that this island diet is going to make my blood sugar crazy.”

            “I really cannot go fishing,” I said and headed back to the beach.

            “Everyone is acting really crazy,” Destiny mumbled behind me.

            “Do you have a minute, Dr. Barner?” I asked when I got to the beach.

            “Sure. Let’s take a walk.”

            We walked away from the rest of the group and headed down the beach.

            “So what is up, Natalie?” he asked.         

            “I think Malie might be a cutter,” I said. I told him what I had seen.

            “I was starting to wonder if she was depressed. I guess we had better go talk to her.”

            “You want me to come with you?”

            “Of course. As a Christian, it would be nice to have you talk to her as well.”

            We went back to the rest of the group. Malie was sitting by herself, staring into the ocean again.

            “Can you come here for a minute, Malie?” Dr. Barner asked.

            Malie sighed but got up and followed us back down the beach.

            “Natalie saw you cutting,” Dr. Barner began.

            Malie looked shocked but she did not try to deny it. She would not be able to hide the cuts from us.

            “Do you have depression?” Dr. Barner asked.  

            “What? Are you crazy? I am definitely not depressed!”

            “You are exhibiting signs of depression, Malie.”

            “No, I am not!”

            ‘You are withdrawn. You are cutting. You also just look unhappy.”

            “I am not depressed. I just cut this one time because being on the island is a lot to deal with.”

            “There is no reason to be ashamed, Malie,” I said. “We just want to help you.”

            “I do not need help because I am not depressed!”

            “Then let me have whatever you cut with. You will not need it anymore.”

            Malie reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of scissors that looked like they probably came out of the first aid kit. I wondered if there was one on the boat.

            “Do you have any more bandages?” Dr. Barner asked.

            “They are all gone,” she said.

            “Malie, if you ever need to talk, you are more than welcome to talk to Natalie or me. I am sure the others would be willing to talk to you too.”

            “I do not need help!” she said angrily and walked off.

            “Please do not discuss this with the others, Natalie. I will tell the others to keep an eye on Malie though. Also, do not say anything more to Malie or try to follow her. We do not want to upset her even more.”

            “So you definitely think she has depression?”

            “I think she knows she is depressed but for some reason is denying it. It is hard to help someone that does not want it. But we do not want her to do something stupid.”

            I knew Dr. Barner was talking about suicide but I was not sure how we would be able to stop her. The island was just so big.

 

Chapter 7

 

            The next day, Malie walked even farther behind Destiny and me when we were in the jungle to get more food.

            “What is her problem?” Destiny asked me.

            “I promised I would not say. Dr. Barner just says that we need to give her space but at the same time, watch her.”

            “I am very curious to see how she acts off the island, but after we get rescued, I want nothing to do with her.”

            “They have to be close to finding us,” I said.

            “Let’s hope so. I am out of protein bars and I am tried of a community shelter, no showering, and wearing the same clothes.”

            We stopped to climb some trees and pick some fruit.

            Suddenly, I noticed that Destiny was just standing at the bottom of the tree.

            “Are you all right, Destiny?” I asked.

            “Quick, eat something!” Malie called out. It was the first time I had heard her speak without first being spoken to.

            Before Destiny could grab something, she fell forward and hit the trunk of the tree before slumping to the ground.

            “Go get, Dr. Barner!” Malie ordered as she knelt down to help Destiny.

            I was curious to know what Malie knew about first aid but I figured now was not the time for questions. I was just going to trust that she knew what she was doing.

            I startled the adults when I burst out of the jungle, gasping for breath.

            “Come. Quick.” I gasped. “Destiny. Fainted.”

            Dr. Barner started running after me into the jungle. Surprisingly, I had gotten a second wind and was able to run the entire distance.

            When we arrived at the tree, we found Destiny conscious and Malie holding her sweatshirt against a cut on Destiny’s forehead. Dr. Barner knelt down to take a look at Destiny.

            Now that Destiny was in the hands of a professional, Malie was back to her usual self. She gathered up some of the food and then walked back to the beach.

            “Is she all right?” I asked Dr. Barner.

            “She just had low blood sugar,” Dr. Barner replied. “Unfortunately in the fall, she hit her head.”

            “I will be fine,” Destiny said with a weak smile. “Malie made sure I ate and then stopped the bleeding with her sweatshirt. Did you know that she is a cutter?”

            “Yes, Malie is depressed,” Dr. Barner said. “But our concern right now is you. Let’s get you back to the shelter so that you can eat.”

            Dr. Barner and I supported Destiny as we walked back to the beach. She kept insisting that she was fine but Dr. Barner would not listen. Then, he made her stay in the shelter for the rest of the day.

 

Chapter 8

 

            I was starting to sleep better on the island. This was not a good thing because we had been here too long even though it had only been a few days. At the same time though, I knew God still had work for me to do on the island and that is why we were still here.

            But this morning, I was awoken to early by Dr. Barner shaking me.

            “What is going on?” I asked sleepily.

            “Malie is missing. Have you seen her?”

            All I really wanted to do was go back to sleep. If any of the other castaways were missing, that is exactly what I would have done. But Malie was a different story. I knew that if she was not found, it could be a fate way worse than death. Her soul was at stake here.

            I left the shelter and began walking around the island. It was not quite dawn yet so it was difficult to see. I knew if I called out than I would scare Malie away.

            “Lord, lead me to her,” I prayed. “She does not yet know You.”

            Suddenly, I felt led to go to the freshwater pool where some of the adults had been collecting drinking water for us. I had only passed it a few times in search for food so hopefully I could find it in the dark.

            “Please lead me there, Lord, before it is too late.”         

            I knew God was leading me to the pool because there was no way I would have been able to find the pool so easily even in the broad daylight and I had found it instantly in the dark.

            Sure enough, Malie was sitting on the edge of the pool, staring into space.

            I sighed in relief and then sat down beside her without saying anything.

            “What, no lectures?” Malie asked bitterly. I could tell that she had been crying.

            “What can I possibly say that will help you?” I asked.

            “You would not be the first person that would try to offer me advice even though they know nothing about depression.”

            “So why not talk to me? Tell me what is going on.”

            I said a quick prayer asking God to give me the right words to say to Malie.

            “I am depressed. And almost everyone in my life is ready to give up on me. Even my parents are ready to be done with me. That is why they sent me on this day cruise anyway. They wanted me out of the house while I was on spring break.”

            “Depression sounds difficult,” I said. “I cannot imagine what you are going through.”

            “I would not wish depression on my worst enemy,” Malie said.

            “Why did you deny it when Dr. Barner and I talked to you?”

            “Because I am tired of people trying to ‘help’ me,” she said, using her fingers to make air quotes. “Nobody understands what I am going through but everyone is quick to help me in ways I do not need it.”        

            Tears flooded Malie’s eyes but I did not say anything because I knew she still had more that she needed to say.

            “I actually came here to kill myself this morning but then I was not able to.”

            “Why?” I asked curiously.

            “I heard what you were saying to Destiny about needing Jesus and it made me wonder where I would be spending eternity.”

            “It is not very difficult to know,” I said. “All you need to do is pray for forgiveness and ask Jesus into your life.”

            “Why would Jesus want to enter my life? I am broken. I have nothing to offer. I would be better off dead.”

            “If that was true, Malie, then you would have died in the storm that left us shipwrecked. God still has plans for you. Why not let Him into your life so that He can heal you?”

            Malie was silent as she stared at the pool. Tears were still streaming down her face but I could tell that she was thinking about what I had just said.

            “What if I am still depressed after I bring Jesus into my life?” she asked at last.

            “God can still do amazing things through depression.”

            Malie was silent again.

            “Think about what you have to lose and what you have to gain,” I finally said.

            “You are right,” Malie said. “I do need Jesus in my life. I have messed up pretty badly and I need forgiveness, even if I do not deserve it. And I know God can do great things through me, even if I am broken and depressed.”

            “Shall we pray?” I asked.

            “Lord,” Malie prayed out loud, “I need You. I need Your forgiveness. I need Your healing. I need You in my life. Amen.”

            Her prayer was simple and to the point and I really liked it. I said my own silent prayer, thanking God for Malie’s decision.

            “Let’s go back to the beach so that everyone will know you are all right,” I said.

 

Chapter 9

 

            “Thank goodness you are all right,” Dr. Barner said when he saw us return. “Please do not ever go off by yourself again.”

            “Do not worry,” Malie said. “I won’t. I have a different perspective on life now.”

            “And what is that supposed to mean?” Dr. Barner asked.

            “I have Jesus in my life. I now know that suicide is stupid. However bad my life gets, I know God has plans for me.”

            “He has plans for all of us,” I said. “We were all brought to the island for a reason.”

            “But what does a girl like Malie have to offer God when she is depressed?” Lena asked curiously.

            “You never know. She might do something really big, or she might do something that seems small to all of us, but she was there when God needed her most.”

            “God saved all of us in that storm,” Malie said. “If you had died, do you know where you would be spending eternity?”

            “I like to think I will be in Heaven,” David replied. “I am not a bad person. I have never killed anyone.”

            “That is what I thought too,” Malie said. “But we are all sinners. We all need Jesus. Without Him, we will not be going to Heaven.”

            “Wow, we are all at risk on this island,” Mrs. Wilde said.

            “We were at risk in the storm too,” Mr. Wilde said.

            “It is like we are gambling with our futures,” the captain said. “Only instead of money, we are playing with our souls. I do not like it.”

            “And really, God does deserve our praise,” Destiny said. “On this island, He has provided us with food, shelter, and a doctor. He has given us so much more off the island.”

            “And we do not deserve it anyway,” Shawna said.

            “So what do we need to do?” Dr. Barner asked. “What do we need to do to bring Jesus into our lives?”

            “You need to tell God that you are sorry that you are a sinner. Tell Him you are ready to have Him come into your life and that you will live the rest of your life for Him.”

            Suddenly, all the castaways were on their knees, crying out to God. Several were in tears.

            For the first time, I saw Malie give me a small smile before getting down on her knees. I knew she had more to say to God. I also had a lot to thank Him for.

            Just as everyone was starting to get up, we heard the sound of a helicopter. We all started jumping around, waving our hands in the air.

 

Chapter 10

 

            The helicopter did see us but was unable to take us back. They did send a boat though. We were on the boat for a few hours until we got to Hawaii, where we were instantly taken to a hospital to get checked out by a doctor.

            After I was pronounced fine, I was led to a conference room in the hospital to join the other castaways. A press conference was being set up.

            I took the last remaining chair in between Destiny and Dr. Barner and looked around.

            “Where is Malie?” I asked worriedly.

            “There is no reason to worry,” Dr. Barner said. “She was taken to the psychiatric floor for a few days.”

            “But she said that we did not need to worry!” I protested. “She said she realized that God had a plan for her.”

            “Malie voluntarily checked in as a precaution, Natalie. She may not want to commit suicide, but her brain is not programmed right. Unfortunately, her brain still wants to self destruct. It is difficult to understand but Malie did the right thing by checking in.”

            “I suppose they will announce where she is during the press conference.”

            “Actually, they are only going to announce that she is being hospitalized in order to receive medical treatment. They are not going to be specific.”

            “That is a relief,” I said.

            “Hey, Natalie!” Shawna called. “Shall we pray before we get started?”

            We all stood up and gathered in a circle. We grabbed each other’s hands and I prayed.

            “Lord, I thank You for this great group of people as well as their decision to become Christians. I thank You for keeping us safe on the island and helping us get rescued. Help us use this press conference as well as the opportunities that follow to bring glory to You. Amen.”

            “Amen,” the castaways repeated and everyone went back to their seats. It was time to begin.