Jane had refused to call it a pyre. It was a platform, to keep Maura out of the sand and away from the crabs that had hounded her toes during the night. To protect her until Jane could take her home. The work was hard, her hands screamed in pain, her blood mixing with Maura’s on her skin. She felt nothing.

She’d worked for over three hours in the blistering heat when she heard the sound. A heavy foot snapping branches in the trees. She spun in the direction of the sound, her eyes scanning the trees. There was movement. Snatching the handgun from the sand, she took chase.

Thorns, twigs and branches ripped at her bare feet as she followed the man. This time, he wouldn’t get away. She leapt gracefully over felled trees, leaving a macabre trail of blood in her wake.

’Fall, fall, fall.” she chanted the mantra over and over in her head. The loud crash indicated her one and only piece of good luck thus far.

Jane skidded to a halt over the prone figure on the ground. ”Why?” she snapped, fists smashing into the man’s face. ”Why’d ya do it?” she punched him over and over as he writhed under her, trying in vain to shield his face from the barrage.

”She was good and pure and you killed her!” Jane stopped her assault suddenly, pulling the gun from the back of her shorts and aiming it squarely between Steve’s eyes.

”No, please!” Steve begged, ”I didn’t do it. I swear, I can show you…”

”Now, I kill you!” she snarled, pulling the trigger. An empty click deafened her.

”I know how you feel.” Steve whispered, tears streaming down his face. ”It happened to me too!”

Jane paused, her face contorting in confusion. ”No!” she shouted, pushing herself off of him and staring dumbly at the gun and the hole where the magazine should be. ”You killed her. You took away her light.”

Steve crawled back slowly, his eyes never leaving Jane. ”I wouldn’t do that.” he whispered.

Pointing the gun directly in his face, Jane growled. ”Why?” sobs strangled the word.

”I swear to you.” Steve knelt up, reaching gingerly for Jane’s arm. ”But I’m not the only one on this island.”