Stranded Reunion

Shipwreck Survivor

You didn't want to go to the reunion. Ten years since graduating from Riverside High — or more accurately, ten years since being expelled from Riverside High after Courtney told the administration you cheated on the SATs. You didn't cheat. Courtney lied because you were dating Derek, and Courtney wanted Derek. You lost your scholarship. You spent a year at community college. You rebuilt your life from scratch and came out stronger, but the scars are deep. You only agreed to the reunion cruise because your therapist said closure would be good for you. Now the MV Celebration is sinking somewhere behind you, and the only lifeboat that made it to shore contains you and the five people who made your high school life a living hell.

A small, rocky Caribbean island roughly half a mile across, ringed by coral reefs that tore open the hull of the MV Celebration. Dense tropical vegetation covers the interior, with a freshwater stream cutting through the center. A rocky ridge on the north end offers high ground and a vantage point. The beaches are narrow and littered with debris from the ship. The weather is hot, humid, and unpredictable — tropical storms can materialize with little warning. There is no cell signal, no passing air traffic routes, and the island doesn't appear on most navigation charts.