The Island

We exited out the car, and flashing lights blinded us. People were shouting at us, trying to gain any new information from us. This was our first public appearance, and the press was going absolutely insane. Our "team", as they call themselves, surrounded us and ushered us through the crowd. I could hear that people were shouting, but there was so much going on that I couldn't make out a single word. I couldn't find the sanity within the chaos

We finally entered the news station, and it was like a breath of relief. Even though people were everywhere and moving around in a very organised structure, it felt less chaotic than the scene outside. A woman with a walkie talkie and a clipboard spotted us and started to head in our direction. With every step towards us, I can see her face change--morphing into a mask of professionalism. It was like she could let her guard down when she thought no one was watching. But once she saw us, her next "task", she had to slip back into businesswoman mode. It must be tiring to act like this all day, every day.

Maybe, it's that I now notice the little things--every breath, movement, every sound. Being on the island for so long can do that to you. When you are stranded in the middle of nowhere, in survival mode, you have to notice the little things around you to, well, survive. Because noticing the sound of a branch breaking nearby can mean life-or-death. It can mean that there is an animal nearby that has the potential of hurting us, or it can mean that we might have food for the next few days. But back in the real world, this constant level of hyperfocus is not as needed. Sure, it's good to be aware of your surroundings, but it's too much now. It was just me and Anna on the island before we were rescued. And, now everything--everyone and all of the sounds and smells--is just too overwhelming. 

The sound of the woman's heels brings me back to reality. She has a smile on her face as if we are the most important people in the room. She probably treats every guest on the show like this. Or, maybe we are special because of our story. Who knows? It doesn't really matter because that was the last time I will ever set foot in a studio.

"Hi, I'm Sara and I'm a PA for the show. Thank you so much for taking some time out of your busy schedule to meet with us today. Please follow me and I'll bring you to your green room." The woman turned gracefully like a ballerina and started walking in the opposite direction. "I hope you don't mind sharing a dressing room--I figured it would be more comfortable being together rather than in your own rooms. If I was wrong, please let one of us know, and we will find another room."

We passed the soundstage where the talk show is filmed, but only a few people were in the room. As we turned the corner, we headed through a doorway that led to many doors as if we magically walked into a normal office building. It was weird to see the sudden change of the TV magic of the set that was literally feet away from the rows of offices and rooms. She led us down the long hallway that had many pictures of all of the celebrities and important guests that have been on the show. We stopped halfway down the hallway, in front of a door that had a sign with our names on it. Fancy.

"And here we are," Sara said happily. "Hair and makeup will be in shortly to make sure you are camera ready." Sara opened the door, and the room looked like a cozy living room. There were a few sofas against the back wall with a giant entertainment stand facing it. In the corner of the room was a table filled with a variety of snacks and a see-through mini fridge with drinks. On the wall near the table of snacks was an intercom system.

"Inside, there are several snacks and drinks--help yourself. And if you need anything else, just hit the red button and ask. Someone will bring it to you. If that is all, you should be sitting with Ms Amy Rivers in less than two hours." Sara said before swiftly walking away before we had a chance to reply.

The next few hours were a blur. Another woman came in and did our hair and makeup. She really didn't do much in all reality, but just gave a more polished look--more "camera-ready" as the people around here kept saying. I'm not sure how long we were in that room, but Sara came back and said our segment was about to start. She led us on to the set--a set with a live audience watching us, which didn't help the nerves that I suddenly started to feel. We briefly spoke to Amy Rivers before another person somewhere by the cameras began to count backwards to signal that we were seconds away from going live.

Maybe it was the nerves or the lack of sleep, but I didn't hear a word of what Amy said or Anna's replies until a question was specifically directed at me. A question disguised as a tool to get me talking and to tell my side of the story. After several minutes of being silent and sitting there. Sitting there like I was a kid with my parents who were having an "adult discussion" with a teacher or something, and I had to be on my best behaviour.

"I know we just heard from Anna, but Mia, tell us what it was like--the crash? Do you remember the crash?" Amy River said in such a way that I couldn't do anything but answer.

"I...um, I was heading to see family, but I hate flying." I nervously spoke, trying my best to not stumble over my words, barely succeeding. I decided that looking directly at Amy would help quell some of my nerves and hopefully trick my brain that I was just talking to a friend. A friend and not the millions of people who would end up watching this video or the hundreds of people in the audience who are staring directly at me. "I took a sleeping pill before we boarded the flight. My memory is kind of blurry--I'm not sure if some of it happened, or if it was just my brain half asleep and it was just part of a dream."

"It's ok, just tell us what you think you remember," Amy said reassuringly. She reminded me of my mum or a teacher trying to coax an answer out of me, to find the truth hidden below. Or, an interesting story to get views.

"I think...I think I remember flashing lights and an alarm going off. The next thing I remember is someone grabbing my hand, super tight. I don't remember who was sitting next to me. And then, I was cold. The plane crashed into the ocean, and water started to flow in. I couldn't remember--I couldn't figure out how to undo the fastener on the seatbelt. Anna helped me take it off and helped me off the plane. The cold water of the ocean woke me up and made me more alert about what was going on. We pulled ourselves into the rafts that were deployed, and we started to paddle towards the land off in the far distance."

"Wow, you were very fortunate that Anna spotted you and helped you off the plane," Amy said with sorrow and empathy colouring her voice. I'm not exactly sure if she meant what she was saying. "Anna, you said fifteen people made it to the island. What was going through your minds during the first few days?"

Anna looked at me to see who would answer--her or me. The look on my face must have answered her silent question. She nodded and began to speak again. "The first days were...chaos. We were so full of so many emotions--sorrow for all of the people we just lost. We were scared about how would anyone would find us, if they could find us. Angry that this was happening ... to us. Some were angry at the people who tried to take more...leadership roles and started to give others tasks. Many people were happy that people wanted to find order within the chaos, but a few didn't like to be ordered around." 

Anna paused briefly as if she was trying to recall specific details about our first few days on the island to paint a picture of what it was like. Even though it was over a year ago, it felt like yesterday. "It was day two or three before we started to look for a shelter. Before we started to look for food and clean water. Before--" Anna's voice broke as her emotions of the first days overtook her.

I could tell by the look on her face that she was reliving the horror of the island. She was stuck there again. The first month was horrible. People were sick from lack of clean water and food, while some were struggling due to their injuries. It felt like a warzone, and we were helpless. I took Anna's hand to do my best to comfort her, given our situation. Anna held on like I was tethering her back to reality, and I used all of my bravery to finish answering Amy's question. Trying my best to get this interview over with, so we can leave and crawl back into bed for the rest of the day.

"We lost all of the people during the first week...between the crash and the aftermath. Half of the people needed medical attention-- we did our best to help the injured. But we didn't have the right things or the ... skills to help properly. We were so tired and thirsty that it was hard to function. We tried our best. We really did."

Amy nodded, soaking in what I just said and trying to find the next question to help drive the conversation, searching for juicy details. "I understand...and I'm very sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what that was like." Amy paused briefly. 

I think Amy cared and felt bad for us and what we went through, but her want to profit from this interview was greater. Because her next question hit us, and it felt like it was hard to breathe. "You started with fifty people on the plane when you took off, fifteen made it to the island, but only two survived. How long was it just the two of you ... before help came and rescued you?"

This was the first big interview we were doing since we were rescued, and everything felt raw. We already spoke to the authorities about what happened for their investigations, and it was so traumatic reliving the events on the island again. We had to talk to the police about what happened, but we didn't have to give interviews. People kept calling our homes and families demanding interviews, so we gave in. We picked one of the top talk shows in the country, and our lawyers drew up a contract, so this was the only interview we would have to do for a while. I'm starting to regret that we caved and decided to do this interview.

"Eight months," Anna said with steel in her voice. I was so shocked to hear her voice sounding like that; my head whipped to look at her in surprise. "We were together for eight months. Eight months of surviving. Eight months is a long time. And when you are with someone for that long, in that situation, you have two options--grow close or break apart. We grew close. Closer than I am with anyone. We grew close to survive physically, and we ended up saving each other emotionally. We lost everyone within the first three months of the island. We weren't sure if we were ever going to leave, or if we were next--we were losing hope as the days passed. She was my lifeline ... and I wouldn't have survived on that island without her." 

When Anna was finished, the fire in her voice was so strong that Amy realised that she was about to cross a dangerous line. I think Amy was scared to see what would happen if she asked us the rest of the questions, but we will never know what they were. Just like the rest of the world will never know what it was like to live on the island for all of those months, or the secrets that remain between Anna and I.