The car tipped back on all four wheels. Anthony got grip on the pavement with his blades and wrenched at the car door. It pulled open with a groan.

"Come on, guys, wake up, come on," Anthony called out pulling at Ike's arm. Zacs eyes flew open and he looked over the front seat of the car.

"Dad," he screamed.

"Ike wake up," Anthony yelled shaking him.

Ike's eyes fluttered open as he looked from side to side. The rain had all but stopped momentarily. Walker sat up holding his head. A slight trickle of blood ran from his hair line.

"Dad are you ok," Zac asked frantically.

"Yeah, I'm ok, just a bump, we gotta get out of here," he said trying his door. It was jammed.

"Shiye, are you ok," Ike exclaimed reaching back.

She sat up and put her hand to the top of her head.

"Oh shit, my head, what the hell happened," she exclaimed.

"A tree fell on your car," Anthony replied helping Ike out and to the back door.

"Where's this tree," Ike said noticing there was in fact no tree on the car.

"Over there, the wind blew it off," Anthony pointed as they helped Shiye and Zac out. Walker standing beside him.

"There's got to be some place for us to go," Walker asked looking around. Up ahead the road way started a sharp climb up the side of a cliff. Distantly he thought he saw head lights but the rain began to pour down even worse than before.

"There's baseball field over that way a few hundred yards, I think we can take shelter in the cement area, it's got high walls," Anthony yelled pointing to their right.

"Let's go then," Walker called out.

"What about Taylor and Will," Zac yelled.

"We'll have to leave them in Gods hands now, there's not much we can do on foot," Walker replied.

*          *          *          *          *

Taylor gasped as he felt his feet leaving the ground beneath them. Everything seemed to flash past his eyes. From their days back in Trinidad, to the day he broke his arm on his bicycle and the day he met Will. But suddenly he felt a strong hand grip his left wrist and he felt is flight suddenly jerked up as he slammed sideways against rocks.

Taylor shook his head trying to stay conscious. His right arm was totally useless, it throbbed with pain and he couldn't move it. His ribs hurt, he glanced up and saw that Will was holding on to his wrist with one hand while gripping a root that had grown out from a patch of dirt nestled in the rocks over his head.

Will's face was a mask of fright and confusion. He kept squinting and looking down at Taylor. Then he'd struggle to pull him up further.

"Taylor, you've got to help me I can't hold you much longer," he cried.

"I can't, my right arm is out of the socket," Taylor cried back, his feet frantically digging at the rocks trying to get a foot hold. He could hear the waves crashing into the rocks fifty feet below.

"I'm running out of strength, oh God Taylor," Will cried straining to hold on, his fingers slowly sliding from around Taylors wrist to his hand.

"I love you Will," Taylor cried knowing the inevitable was only seconds away.

"I'll always love you, don't forget me, please," Tay cried as Wills fingers slipped further towards the end of his hand.

The wind seemed to quiet, the waves almost distant now. Will looked down realizing he was about to loose the only thing on earth that he was living for.

"I can't hold on anymore Taylor," he whispered.

"I know, I love you Will," Tay cried quietly back.

"I'm not going to let you go."

Will took a deep breath squeezed Taylor's hand with all his might and let go of the root.

Taylor screamed in agony as he realized what had just happened. He had become resigned with dying, with falling into the rocks. Knowing that Will would be ok. But now he realized that Will had let go of the root instead of him. He once again felt himself dropping. Will directly above his face. Somewhere he heard a roaring noise. As if water or wind was rushing towards them.

Then before he knew what was happening he felt himself slamming up against Will. The wind knocked out of him, the pull of gravity seemed to be broken. He was sure he was dead. The sensation was as if he and Will were being thrusted into the air. Taylor blinked his eyes trying to see what was happening. His face was buried against Wills neck, his wet hair blowing around his eyes. Taylor struggled to see. What met his eyes shocked him.

Their fall to the rocks had been cut short by the arrival of Bertha. Her mighty winds topping two hundred miles an hour had heaved a tidal wave into the island. The combination of wind and water had projected both of them up into the air.

For a fleeting moment Taylor was relieved, even energized with the realization that they had not fallen into the rocks, but they had been saved. That feeling left just as soon as it came. For now, they had no where to go but down. Where, it made no difference. He was sure the fall would kill them both instantly. He struggled to see Wills face. His heart sank, Taylor screamed out with every ounce of strength in him. With Wills pale, face and eyes rolled into the back of his head his brain could only conclude that Will had passed away.

It was that second Taylor felt himself colliding with something and then suddenly all was dark, and quiet.

*          *          *          *          *

The Eye of Bertha... dead calm.

*          *          *          *          *

Zacs eyes opened. He coughed sputtered at the sea water that had nearly filled the cement dug out. The sky was pitch black. All was silent. Distantly all around him in the distance he could hear roaring. He looked to his left, Walker was slouched to the side. Ike and Shiye beside him. The other guy, Anthony was face down in the water. All of them were still. Something inside Zac pinched, he felt a knot in his throat. Something, something he was scared to even imagine was happening.

*          *          *          *          *

The darkness and silence was peaceful, no pain. No fear. Taylors mind drifted, suddenly a dull throbbing drifted over him. Then a painful searing sensation and sudden cold and wet enveloped him. It all wavered and went away. Then suddenly rushed back and slammed into him.

His eyes snapped open. He slowly lifted his head, his head pounded. He moved his left arm to wipe his eyes. He looked down to see his hand covered in blood. He followed the blood to his arm. It was covered in slash marks. His stomach turned and his eyes flashed as the first stages of shock rushed through him. He squinted and opened them again. Palm fronds were all over him and under him. His heart jumped as he caught a glimpse of what looked like a lock wet brown hair.

Taylor pushed one of the fronds to the side. Uncovering Wills face and chest. Taylor cried, putting his cheek to Wills. It was still warm. Taylor heard a deep gurgling coming from his mouth.

"Will," Taylor tried to yell, but his lungs would barely fill with air. All he managed was a whisper.

"Will, please," Tay gasped quietly.

Will's eye lids fluttered and slowly opened. He stared blankly off to the side of Taylors face.

"Tay," his voice whispered.

"I'm here, I'm right here," Tay cried.

"I, Tay, I," Will teared. His heart ached, he could barely move. But most of all Will could not see him. His eyesight had totally gone. He ached inside, praying to God Taylor wouldn't notice.

"I'm right here," Taylor cried pulling Wills right hand up.

"I love you Taylor," Will whispered.

"I love you too," Taylor cried.

"We can make it, we've managed to beat out all the odds, we can make it Taylor," Will tried to smile. Taylor cried as he watched Will stare blankly off behind him.

"I know, I know," Tay said pulling Wills hand up to his face. Deep inside he realize Will couldn't see him. Taylor pressed Wills hand to his face. Kissing his hand.

"Please hold me, Taylor, I can't feel anything."

"I'm never going to let go, I'm right here," Taylor cried. Wills breathing became shorter.

"Tay, I'm dying."

"Shhh, we'll be ok," Tay cried into Wills face.

"I am Tay, I love you, I always will."

Will gazed into the darkness that had overtaken his eyes. He could see nothing, the warmth pressing down on him, the voice and skin pressing into his face were his only comforts. Taylor was there with him. His soft sweet warm mouth kissing his face. His moist wet lashes. His delicate fingers brushing his hair. He felt so weak. He began to feel distance growing between them. His heart raced, he tried to gasp for air. Death did not scare him, losing Taylor, losing his touch and presence did.

"Taylor, please hold me, I can't feel you, I, where are you," Will whispered. His eyes darting from side to side.

"Will," Tay called frantically.

"Will, I'm here, I'm right here, oh God Will!?"

Suddenly the rain dumped back down onto them. Taylor felt the wind roar up around them. Once again he felt himself moving. He couldn't stop himself. All he could do was hold onto Will, he screamed in pain as the muscles in his right arm forced the limb to reach up and wrap around Wills body. Taylor gasped for air, his collapsed lungs sagging in defeat as his mind slipped away.

"Not much longer now, it will be over," Tay heard his mind telling him.

He felt Wills presence near him. Not from the body he clung to as the wind tossed them around. But close.

"I'm never going to let go," Taylor tried to call out. But the words never escaped his mouth.


On to Chapter Nine

On to Chapter Seven

Chapter Index

Taylor Quest Home Page

Disaster in Paradise is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
This work may not be duplicated in any form – physical, electronic, audio, or otherwise – without the author's written permission.
All applicable copyright laws apply. All individuals depicted are fictional with any resemblance to real persons being purely coincidental.

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