Chapter 1

Hey this is my third flight 29 down story, but only my second original. One is a spin-off of the first. Hope you like this one. All about Eric and Mel so I wonder what you'll think.

And I probably shouldn't be writing this since I got another fanfic for 29 down, an Icarly-which IDK if I'll eve finish, and a Kung Fu Panda so please don't kill me if it takes a while to update. I started school so that'll make it even harder.

I played with the hotel tango peace. Mel and Eric get separated from the others, and Mel doesn't save Eric, Mel stays on the beach and Eric goes with the others. Hope you like it. A look at how Mel and Eric could fall in love. I think they're a cute couple so don't hate me!!!!

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Mel

Eric, Abbey and Jackson headed off into the trees in search of food. My ankle burns. I have to stay here Jackson says to rest, to try to heal I before we start off again. The pain is an annoyance. I think I twisted it earlier when we were walking, for it's hurt since I fell some hours ago. Anyhow, Eric's been forced to go.

I gaze at the ocean. It looks peaceful, so relaxed and calm. So different from what it really is. It's our prison, keeping us locked away from civilization, from rescue. I always loved to gave at the ocean in L.A, and imagine what it would be like to sail out over it and see the wondrous islands upon it. Now, since this trip, I've decided to rethink that. I don't think I'll ever have the courage to put myself in harms way over the ocean again.

Something off-color in the catches my eye, way out at sea. Something white floating on the surface. Something. . different. Something man-made I think.

I jump up, cringing as I put weight on my ankle as I try to see if I can get a better look at it. I stare out at the sea, the white bobbing around. I make a split second decision and kick off my shoes, jumping into the ocean. If its something from someone else, it means help can't be too far off. I'm cautious though as I go under of the darkening sky. A storms coming, I'm sure of it.

I swim towards the white ahead of me, fighting against the current with all my might. The water is pushing me back. I've never been a strong swimmer, and fighting the current is terrible. Several times I go under, and I fear I wont be able to get back up, but I do. Somehow, I reach the white.

Gazing at it, my heart stops cold.

Its a sign, our sign. The one we sent out to try to get help. Its still here. My heart drops. No one ever saw it. It never even got away from the island. This is not good. It feels like a huge worry and disappointment have been put upon my shoulders. Somehow, I'll have to tell the others. Great.

The waves become harsher, throwing me beneath the surface with sudden ferociously. I bob up, gasping, my eyes catching a glance at the darkening sky. Lightening. Thunder rattles my ears. How long did it take me to get out here? I have to get back. I try to fight the waves back to the shore, but I'm weak. I can't. My head bob's up above the surface, and on the distant shore I see a form. Eric.

"Eric!" The act of me screaming is desperate, and fatal. I loose sight of him as waves pull me under directly after the pours into my mouth. I'm drowing, and I ca't get back to the surface. I feel my eyes closing. Everything's fading quickly. . . . but I don't want it to. . .

Someone's arms wrap around me and I'm pulled to the surface. I gasp for air, choking out water as harsh waves hit me, trying to pull me under, but someone keeps me up. I glance over at Eric. He saved me? Impossible, and though I'd love to fathom the idea, now isn't the time. I'm still choking on water. Eric pulls me closer as rain begins to fall, begnning as a drizzle. Waves slap at us, and I'm glad there's someone here keeping me up. I'd be dead otherwise.

Eric starts screaming at me over the roar of the water, rain, and thunder cracks, "You have to help me swim Mel! I can't get us both back! You have to work with me!" I've never heard Eric be so sure, so serious. Water slaps at us. I nod, and we begin to swim back, pulling each other along, him more than myself, trying to stay above water. It's hard to breathe, but I keep going. I know that if I stop trying we'll both drown.

The waves slap us hard, and we swim endlessly it seems to me. I begin believing we'll never reach shore. When my hope is gone, Eric pulls me to a stand position, near the beach, though we're still waist deep.

I gasp for air and fall down on the beach gasping. I'm only there for a few seconds though before Eric's pulling me to my shaking feet and up into the trees, away from the ocean. Does it ever end? Since when is he the rational one? We fall to the ground there and suck in needed oxygen.

"Thanks Eric," I gasp, sitting up slowly. I still have a lot of sea water in my body, I know it. I almost drowned. Looking to Eric, I see that he's already sitting staring at me with dangerously hard eyes.

"What were you doing Mel? Trying to drown?"

I fight back a wave of nausea. My head's swimming and my vision's hazy. "I found our sign." He cocks an eyebrow at me and I continue,still slightly dizzy and nauseous, though he seems fine. "The one we sent out for Lex's birthday. It never made it away from the island. It's still here. Or at least it was before the storm. Now it could be anywhere." I swallow hard, shoving whatever I ate last back down my throat.

"That's not good," he says, stating the obvious. "Mel," he says, gazing at me and touching my arm lightly, "are you okay?"

I swallow again. "I-I'm fine." He looks at me, obviously not believing my lie, but doesn't push me further. "We better get back to Abbey and Jackson before they worry." I try to stand but Eric grabs my arm.

"They're not here Mel." His eyes are tired.

I stare at him, fighting back my fear. "What do you m-mean?"

"The waves carried us somewhere, I'm not sure where, but there's nothing on the beach either way you look. The ocean carried us one direction or another away from camp." His eyes meet mine. "We're on our own till we find the others."

Reality hit me like a knife. I was on my own with Eric. No one knew if we were alive.

This could go very, very badly.

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So whatcha think? Worth continuing? Please R&R if ya think so! And its gonna take me a while to update cause I sprang one of my arms so I only have five fingures to type with. LOL.