Chapter 8 - SEARCHING FOR FRESH WATER
Dawn broke over the island in a blinding explosion of gold and turquoise light, signaling the start of their second day in exile. Parched and desperate for hydration, Elena and Luca set out along the coastline to find a source of fresh water before dehydration set in. Navigating slick rocks and tangled vines, they followed a faint depression in the jungle floor inland, where the dense canopy blocked out the blistering sun. After an hour of exhausting trekking through humid brush, the sound of trickling water led them to a small, pristine freshwater stream bubbling down from a rocky volcanic ridge.
