#cheesy cracker

The flare was a brilliant white. Gavin remembered seeing a high school teacher some years ago burn magnesium in front of his students. Was it in a chemistry class? Who was that teacher? For whatever reason, Gavin couldn’t picture the man or recall his name. He could only see those browned and worn-out gardening gloves around metal tong handles, holding aloft the brilliant white flame in front of where his face should be. Gavin had looked too long directly at it, and was momentarily blinded, which he did again in the jungle.

Unable to see, he felt it appropriate to sit where he was on the dirt, which turned to mud on his wet clothing. His pants had become stiff and crusty on the boat ride, then soaked through and heavy in the water. He wondered about the odds of finding a clean pair in his size on the island, or at least a pair within a few inches and a belt. He brushed a hand across his brow, which was also getting pretty crusty.

Gavin yawned. He ate another cheesy cracker from the small pack of six in his pocket. There was only one more left. He noticed that he hadn’t heard Daniel complain about anything for a few moments. He also no longer heard the drums or roaring metal.