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They were supposed to be on their way back to Auradon.
Instead, they were sailing through the middle of the storm, rain hammering against the deck of their ship hard enough that Max could barely hear himself think. The sky had turned an ugly shade of grey, clouds rolling over one another like they were trying to swallow the ocean whole. Every few seconds, lightning flashed in the distance, followed by the low growl of thunder.
“This is ridiculous,” he muttered, gripping the railing as the ship rocked beneath them. “We were supposed to be back hours ago.”
“We’ll be home when the weather decides to stop trying to kill us,” Hazel said, knuckles white as she held on to the ship’s wheel.
Max looked back at her, cocking his head. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“No.”
Squeaky and Squirmy were huddled beneath the edge of the covered portion of the deck, watching the waves with increasingly nervous expressions. Felix stood next to them, soaked through despite the extra coat he’d thrown on. He squinted into the storm, trying to see through the sheets of rain. “We can’t keep going like this,” he called, voice barely audible over the harsh wind.
Max and Hazel exchanged glances, instantly understanding what he meant. Hazel sighed before yelling out, “Then we dock!”
They spent the better part of the last hour searching for somewhere- anywhere- they could wait out the storm. Finally, through a break in the rain, Felix had spotted a small stretch of coastline. It wasn’t much, just a rocky beach followed by a dense wall of trees, but it would have to do.
The ship scraped against the sand as they brought it as close to shore as they safely could. Hazel hopped off first, securing the boat before giving the rest of the crew the go-ahead. Max jumped down onto the beach and immediately sank ankle-deep into wet sand.
“Wonderful,” he mumbled, wincing as he felt the wet fabric of his pants brush against his leg.
Felix climbed down behind him. “At least we’re not drowning.”
“Your optimism is inspiring.” Max looked toward the trees, searching for any sign of life, but found nothing. “Do we know where we are?”
“Nope!” Hazel said, voice a little too cheerful for their situation. “Felix saw an island, and I sailed toward it.”
He frowned, squinting as if a town would suddenly reveal itself. Hazel finished tying off the boat and glanced over at him. “Don’t,” she warned, crossing her arms.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to. We’re not splitting up.”
“We can’t just sit here.”
“Yes, we can, and we will.”
“For how long?”
“Until the storm passes and I feel confident we aren’t going to capsize and drown.”
“And then what?” He paused, gesturing toward the enormous wall of trees. “We have no idea where we are. We don’t know if there’s a town nearby, whether anyone knows we’re here, or whether we’re even still in Auradon territory!”
“We’ll figure it out when the weather clears,” Hazel assured, shrugging and settling down on a large rock, gesturing for the Smees to join her.
“And how long will that take?” Hazel gave him a pointed look. He sighed, accepting defeat. “Fine.”
Deciding that the beach didn’t have much to offer them, they sheltered in the ship’s cabin, listening as the storm raged around them. Rain battered the deck, and thunder rattled the windows so hard Max thought they might shatter. Eventually, however, the worst of it began to fade, the rain slowing to a steady drizzle. Sometime after midnight, the clouds finally began to break.
Everyone besides Max was asleep.
He sat on the edge of his bunk, staring at the trees through the small window. He couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said earlier. They didn’t know where they were, and they didn’t know if there was civilization nearby. Even if there was, they had no way of knowing how far away it might be.
He glanced towards Hazel, studying her face until he was confident that she wouldn’t be waking up soon. Then he quietly stood, pulling on his boots and grabbing a small lantern to light his way.
He’d just take a quick look, find a house or clue about where they were, and then come back.
He slipped off the ship, the scent of wet earth and salt hitting his nose. Max lifted the lantern and approached the tree line. The forest looked different at night; darker and almost endless.
“Just five minutes,” he told himself, taking a deep breath and stepping forward.
The forest was much denser than it had looked from the beach. Branches caught against Max’s coat as he pushed his way through them. Water dripped from the leaves overhead, a large droplet falling directly into his eyes. “Lovely,” he mumbled, raising the lantern higher.
There was a faint trail beneath his feet, patches of grass turned brown and flat. It seemed promising enough, so he followed it. The farther he went, the quieter the forest became. He stopped when he realized he could no longer hear the waves.
He glanced back. He couldn’t see anything but trees.
“Okay,” he whispered to himself, anxiety spiking. He’d only been walking a few minutes; it should be easy enough to retrace his steps. Except the trail beneath his feet looked different, and he couldn’t remember if he’d seen a tree with a split in the trunk before now.
“I just need to keep going.” He picked a direction and walked. After ten minutes, he still couldn’t hear the ocean.
The lantern flickered slowly, making him jump. He shook it, sighing when it flickered again. He should have brought a better one. He should have done a lot of things differently.
He started walking again.
But now he was moving faster.
By the time the sun began to rise, Hazel was awake.
She sat up and immediately noticed the space beside Max’s bunk. Her expression shifted from tired to confused as she looked around, not seeing him anywhere. “Max?” she called out. Maybe he had just gone to the deck for some air.
“Max?!” she repeated, loud enough that Felix stirred.
“What?” he mumbled, rubbing at his eyes.
“Where’s Max?”
“He’s not here?” he asked, suddenly fully alert.
She shook her head as she headed towards the deck. She spotted them towards the edge of the ship: a set of footprints leading directly into the forest. She cursed loudly as her heart sank to her stomach. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Max.”
Felix and the Smees appeared behind her, following her gaze to the footprints.
“Stay here,” she instructed, pulling on her coat and grabbing a lantern.
“Absolutely not. If Max went into that forest alone, I’m coming with you,” Felix said, grabbing a lantern of his own. They locked eyes, both of them refusing to be the first to look away. Slowly, she nodded, turning her attention to the Smees.
“Smees! Stay here and guard the ship!” she ordered. They saluted playfully. “Felix, let’s go.”
Max had completely lost the trail.
He wasn’t sure if there had even been a trail to begin with or if he’d made it up. He’d stopped trying to find it and instead focused on finding anything at all. At some point, he’d crossed a shallow stream. He’d climbed over fallen trees and pushed through thick branches, leaves brushing against his face.
Every direction looked the same.
Eventually, Max stopped beside a large rock, rubbing a hand over his face. He was exhausted. His clothes were damp with a mixture of sweat and morning dew, his boots were caked in mud, and his lantern had gone out for good.
He climbed onto the rock, hoping to see something above the trees. He found nothing but forest stretching for miles in every direction.
Max’s confidence finally began to crack. He’d been so sure he’d find something. He’d imagined returning to the ship with a triumphant smile and telling Hazel that he’d found a road, or maybe even a house. Instead, he couldn’t even figure out which direction the ocean was.
“Okay, think,” he said, his voice strangely small in the empty forest. The ship was somewhere behind him; all he needed to do was find the beach.
He picked a direction, but after a few steps, he stopped. It didn’t feel right. He turned the other way, walking a few more steps before stopping again.
He’d gotten himself lost.
Hazel was going to kill him, assuming she ever found him.
“Max!” Hazel shouted, her voice echoing through the trees.
Max’s head snapped up, half sure he’d been hearing things before she called out again. “Hazel!” he shouted back, his voice coming out louder than he’d expected. He stumbled forward, trying to find his way to her as she continued shouting.
Another voice joined hers as Felix started yelling too. “Max!”
“I’m over here!” he cried, nearly laughing from relief. He followed their voices, racing through the underbrush until he saw the trees start to thin.
Then Hazel appeared.
The second she saw him, she stopped. For several seconds, neither of them spoke, awkward silence filling the air as Hazel looked him up and down, taking in his tangled hair and damp clothes. Finally, she broke, rushing forward and trapping him in a tight hug.
“What were you thinking?!” she chastised, squeezing him so tightly he thought he might not have the breath to respond.
“I thought I could find help,” he wheezed, wrapping his arms around her.
Felix groaned from behind Hazel, staring at him judgementally. “You look like shit.”
“Thanks.”
Hazel pulled away and grabbed Max by the shoulders. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” he assured her, placing his hand on hers.
“Really?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Really.”
She looked him over again, licking her thumb and wiping dirt from his cheek. He winced but stayed still. “Why did you think wandering into the woods alone was a good idea?” she questioned, her eyes narrowing.
“I was just…trying to help.”
Hazel’s expression softened slightly. “You could’ve helped by staying on the ship.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Hazel sighed, pulling him into another hug. Max stiffened slightly before relaxing against her. “Don’t do that again,” she warned.
“I won’t.”
“Can we please get back to the ship before he decides to explore another ecosystem?” Felix said, rolling his eyes in an effort to hide his relief. Max saw through it, but didn’t say anything.
“Come on,” Hazel said, pulling away. “We’re going home.”
They set off, Max following Hazel and Felix closely. When the trees finally gave way to the coastline, he could’ve sworn the sight of their ship had never looked so good.
For a moment, he looked back at the forest, wondering if it really was completely vacant. He shook his head.
He’d had enough exploring for one day.