[i]It'd almost be funny if it weren't so sad.[/i]

Jude refused to open his eyes. He had woken up, of course. He felt sun beaming on his face from somewhere in a way that made him positive he wasn't in a dream. But what had happened before-- with Penny and the storm and everything-- he wasn't sure. Maybe it was a dream, his brain playing a cruel joke of an emotional rollercoaster where-in finally, he begins to make a friend, and god himself rips it all away and kills everyone. Or maybe it was real, and he'd wake up and he wouldn't be living his life anymore. That was, depressingly, less sad than the alternative. But Jude didn't want to find out. Maybe he could just sit here, eyes closed, basking in the warm sun and sand forever.

[i]Wait, sand?[/i]

Without opening his eyes, Jude moved his hand from his side and reached out, scraping the ground. He was still on a beach. Had he passed out here or something? Maybe everyone was looking at him like he was an idiot for falling asleep on the beach, surely drooling everywhere, without a towel. The anxiety was enough for Jude to finally sit up and open his eyes and confirm no one was eye-balling him. Indeed, no one was. In fact there were a lot less people here than before. And a lot less [i]resort,[/i] too. The young man whipped his head around all over to confirm it. He wasn't even AT Otterholt anymore. Stumbling up to his feet, Jude's heart began to race. What was going on? That tornado... there was no way it managed to whip him and a bunch of crap from the resort all the way to a seemingly deserted island. He wasn't even that close to the water.

[i]Oh god, mom![/i]

Jude started to spiral into an anxious wreck. What day was it? How long had he been out? Was the sun that high before? How worried must his mother have been-- how'd he let her convince him to even come?! A hundred thoughts swished and dashed through Jude's skull as he began to break down and hyperventilate. Luckily, there was something able to bring him back to reality. He was ignoring the first few people to get up, but his own name being called, especially in distress, was enough for him to swallow his fears. He turned, almost recognizing the voice. It was Penny.

Jude wanted to run over and hug the young woman. Their encounter had been real-- her reaching out to him, asking him to stay-- but so were his mistakes, and the cruel reality that they were both in now. He stomped down the urge for human contact and lightly jogged over to her.

"Penny. I'm... glad to see you I guess. At least I know the name of someone here, right? U-uh, are you okay you seem rattled? Not that I wouldn't be I mean I think we almost died! I-- oh jesus. Where's the kid? The-the little girl?"