Queen of the Castaway Isle

That they're pretty.     

Pretty and smart? Now that's just god damn dangerous. Threatening.     

It is a blessing, it is a curse, it is the single greatest thing a mother can bestow on her daughter. If she's good and lucky, she doesn't have to be smart.     

Aubrey knows she's beautiful. She knows it as she knows her family is beautiful. Her mother, an heiress, and socialite well known for her paparazzi perfect appearance, her father a top international model when he was young, her grandmother a world-renowned ballerina, with legs and face-mounted in oil paints in the Lourve.     

She was born to be beautiful. With the genetic lottery rigged like that, how could she not?     

She had it all, her mother's glamourous smile, her father's smoldering blue eyes, her grandmother's long long so very long gorgeous legs, and most importantly of all her grandfather's money.     

Rich and beautiful, tall and blond, how many on this earth could ever touch the line of the fortune she was simply born with?     

Girls like Aubrey were meant to have the world. Whatever their hearts desired. Everything was already set up, the scene at the party, all she had to do was show up and be the rightful star of the show. It was everyone's honor and privilege that she graces them with her beauty and presence.     

Girls like Aubry were meant to have it all.     

At 19 Aubrey was already a successful international model, much like her beautiful father before her. Her dancer's legs had walked the runways of the world's most expensive and prestigious brands. Her social media followers were in the millions. Just one of her jobs could make her an equal amount of that. No one could say she wasn't a self-made woman. That she relied on her parents and grandparents and the fabulously wealthy family before. That's just the way life worked and she would be a fool to deny what was her obvious god destined rights.     

Of course, beauty like this didn't come cheap. It wasn't anything a random lottery winning could buy. It took generations of wealth, privilege and careful upbringing to raise a modern-day princess. Whatever Aubrey wants Aubrey gets. Whatever Aubrey doesn't like, goes away, immediately.     

She was one the beautiful, even among the elites, no especially. She was the goal, the dream, the ideal.     

So what was she doing here? Trapped on a dingey island with this bunch of low class losers, no hotels, no sparkling sake and no way out.     

Blame Caleb.     

Beautiful, kind and oh so very stupid Caleb.     

They knew each other since they were in diapers. Went the same prep schools, went on joint family vacations together, modeled together on her daddy's brand. It was like everything was set up for the two of them to be together. A perfect piece to the custom made puzzle.     

But Caleb was dumb as fuck.     

He was the one who wanted to 'be like everyone else' and lower himself to such common standards. They wouldn't be here if he didn't have to go through his whole 'finding himself' phase that artsy hipster white boys just all had to go through. He was the one with his silly little youtube channel and art school and just ridiculous life adventures that landed them here in the first place. She admits she found it charming for awhile, but that was before it put her on a cheap-ass crowded plane instead of her family's jet.     

She can't even allow herself to be mad or blow up at him because 1. he was just hurt from an exploding plane of all things god damn it to fuck and 2. she was the one who forced tagged along on his trip.     

When her parents told her that their close friend's son Caleb was going off somewhere, again, for his stupid Vlog and research it had pissed her off. It scared her. So she not only badgered him into including her but ordered at least 3 hidden bodyguards to pose as other tourists to trail them. Because Caleb was stubborn and stupid. It's like he liked living like a poor person.     

She didn't have to be here. But then that would have no one to take care of his stupid cute ass and no one to remind his art slut brain that he was very much taken.     

By her, duh who else?     

The idiot, who was just injured and burned mind you, was now being even stupider.     

Instead of resting away in their tents, which she can admit wasn't that stupid of him when most everyone else had nothing, he was out. Making friends as always, sketching a fucking flower or something, and just being horribly stupid. This entire thing was horrible and stupid!     

"I can't take it anymore!" she screeched, ripping down the zipper to her tent.     

Immediately, her plain-clothed bodyguards were there ready to see to her every need possible. To be more precise, their shelter of tarp and tied branches was right outside her tent.     

Keshia was the closest and most convenient to use, being the only female guard. The only one out of this batch of three that was allowed to personally serve and touch Aubrey's expensive skin.     

"Jacket! Shoes! Ugh not those ones!" she commanded.     

It was so hard to find good help, and out here there was no one to fire or hire. She was stuck like this. When, in her entire pampered life, was she ever reduced to such a state of annoyance and lacking?! Never. That's what.     

"Going for a walk?" cooly asked Keshia, handing over another jacket. She was a bodyguard, not a maid, despite whatever it was blondie was expecting.     

But Keshia didn't mind so much. There were a lot of such clients in her line of work, especially the kind that needed a female guard. That and there was something about Aubrey, the young girl was spoiled, street dumb, and plainly helpless. In a place like this, that just meant bad news.     

"We're finding Caleb. It's fucking late and he's hurt."     

"It's...not even 8 o clock."     

"8 o fucking late."     

Keisha was a straight-faced person, patient behind the professionalism. She wasn't too old to believably accompany Aubrey in public, only being in her mid-twenties. She looked more like a dowdy personal assistant than a bodyguard and that was good. It was unexpected.     

Aubrey had to be careful when choosing her guards, especially the female ones. Not too pretty, or interesting or anything. The plainer the better. Didn't want Celeb to get the wrong idea. Caleb wasn't fucking picky when it came to 'his inspirations'. The last guard had Aubrey confused as fuck, because she was as muscular as a bull on steroids and somehow Caleb still wanted to draw her. A lot.     

Old people, annoying loud little children, ugly people, people who just weren't her.     

Fine, fucking fine then. She can accept that an artist needed to practice with all sorts of different subjects, and Caleb was if anything a true artist. But it made her blood boil in righteous fury whenever he took to drawing another young girl more than a handful of times. More than enough to practice or get a sketch right.     

That meant he found someone he found interesting, another muse.     

Which again was absolutely annoying and stupid. He had her? What other muse did he need?! The roles should have been clear! He was the artist, she was the art. If anything she was the greatest masterpiece anyone was ever going to see in their pathetic lives.     

That's how it obviously should have been since they hit puberty and that's how it will be as soon as he wakes the fuck up.     

"Keshia! Hamel! Up! Ugh we're finding Caleb right the fuck now. Chris better be keeping good track on him!"     

Though there was a decade age difference, the two partnered guards made eye contact with one another behind Aubrey's stomping back. It was familiar and joking, the kind between coworkers who shared the same job pains. The 'here we go again' look.     

It was careless to let the subject go on up ahead but really, out here, procedures went out the window. In this case, an exploded plane window. There was no paparazzi out here or any really crazy fans. Out here Aubrey wasn't anyone all that special, celebrity status and all.     

She was a looker though, can't deny that.     

Together they followed the glowing warm light of the main bonfire, something that the airline would create nightly. Aubrey's normally blonde ponytail bounced and glowed firelight. At her age, with her face, make up wasn't even needed. She was the leading girl in any movie.     

If Keshia were any less jaded, or more brainwashed by media, she might have signed in envy. She herself was tall and long-limbed, but too much. She was a black shadow of muscle and lengthy reach. Without a classically attractive wig or any colored cosmetics, she was even more like the slender shadows that bumped dread in the middle of the night.     

Hamel, on the other hand, a big guy, all around His heavy muscles were well protected in his girth. He was not unhealthy, rather it was his body was truly strong instead of just for show. You could stab him and he would probably crush you like a mosquito. The bugs here on this island didn't bother him so much, they couldn't be bothered to break through skin and hair that tough.     

Not when there were so many softer walking blood bags.     

"Ugh! Another one, I hate this place!" Aubrey screeches, slapping in irritation at her thigh.     

She looked great in short shorts. Nice legs daisy dukes, makes any man, and the mosquitos. go mad. Whether she got this critter or not was a different matter. There were just too many of them on this untouched nature preserve of an island.     

It was truly a beautiful place. Paradise even, during the day or the night. Lush greenery, blooming tropical flowers, lapping water and the glow of the stars. With some bug spray and pool service, it would a very vacation-worthy island retreat.     

But there was no pool service, room service, wifi or anyone bending over backward to serve Aubrey as she deserved to be pampered. Thus it was hell.     

They spot Chris before they do Caleb.     

With dark blond hair and abs worthy of a strip club, the third guard often joked he could have made Hollywood as another Chis. He had the looks for it, maybe not all the charisma but handsome enough. Closer to Keshia's age than Hamel. That was the cover, for Hamel and Keshia to pose as another couple, tagging along behind Aubrey in her forced tag along mission.     

"Where is he? You're supposed to be watching over him?!" demanded Aubry, marching up to the older blond.     

Chris was the cheekiest and all around the most tired of his employer's attitude. He wasn't so weak and small-minded to be truly hurt by Aubrey but damn did she grate on one's nerves. A lot didn't bother him, he was from Australia of all places, but Aubrey? You couldn't exactly handle spoiled princesses like you do giant spiders.     

He was also just worse at hiding it, not the world's greatest actor. That was Keshia's job. From over Aubrey's head, he shared an eye roll and some silent communication with his fellow guards.     

"Relax princess Milford, Caleb is a big boy that can walk more than a few steps past your leash. He's just fiiiiiiine." Chris teased.     

A point of his eyes told the others the direction Caleb was in, his relaxed body gestures showed nothing was out of place. Or at least, as out of place as things could be in this rag tag refugee camp by the downed planes.     

It was a scary situation in a scary place. People liked to keep close not only for safety just for sanity. When you had nothing else, it was just better in a group with bigger numbers. The company was also comforting.     

Healthy youths like Chris or Caleb weren't hermits, they preferred being with people. Being a part of something, especially when the alternative was to wallow away doing nothing. That's just it, there was nothing to do when night hit. In the day they could attempt to do something. Forage, scout, build, just anything. But once the sun sets here, that's it- there's no clubs, restaurants, or even movies to go see. It was a culture shock, a real trip for the senses to any city night owls.     

It's probably what had Aubrey so agitated. She was used to getting up late and staying out later. The party doesn't start till 10 and even then she wouldn't show till much later at a more fashionable time. There were no trendy parties to attend, no late-night places to show up, no one to take her picture.     

Aubrey was going to tear into Chris for being smart, he was getting increasingly audacious out here. Everything she was frustrated about Caleb for but couldn't vent, for fear of his dislike, was blown onto others. Sometimes innocent bystanders, whoever was around, but Aubrey didn't give a fuck. She was Aubrey Milford for god's fucking sake. Not even some straight-laced asshole of a doctor here whatever could hold her back from getting to Caleb, let alone Chris.     

That is until she saw him.     

Stupid dorky Caleb was talking to someone with his reference camera out. Another girl. Oh fuck, not on her watch.     

"Aubrey, oh come on Aubrey don't be that bitch. Aubrey!" sighed Chris.     

But Aubrey didn't listen as she marched her way over, all she could tunnel vision onto was Caleb with his stupid little pro-camera. A camera that was not turned at her.     

She's not fast enough, because the camera shutters and snaps. She hears Caleb's perfect laugh a little louder as he asks for another shot, another reference angle. The little slut giggles and poses like a god damn child, up high on some rock with her short ugly little legs kicking out.     

"Caleb babe! What are you doing? I was so worried!"     

The boy wasn't expecting her nor her sudden embrace on his side, the surprise makes him almost drop the camera. He hisses in pain as his childhood friend pressed her entire body weight onto the part of his back that was burned. Dressed but still burned and healing.     

"Oh my god, Caleb I'm so sorry. Oh my god no, I knew it you're still too hurt to be out like this. Here let me."     

Before she could do another thing, Chris was between the younger pair, gingerly supporting Caleb from falling over. It was both professional and protective.     

"You okay man?"     

"Yeah yeah, just a shock. Still hurts back there but not that bad, you know." Caleb tries waving off, more concerned about his camera than himself. In a slight jolt, he looks up at the subject he was just photographing in apology.     

"Sorry about that, that was awkward right. Oh shit, yeah that was awkward," he mutters the last part like a dork.     

Aubrey takes the time to finally take a good look at the latest loser to grace Caleb's camera and hatefully soon to be his sketchbook. She feels like scoffing, hardly believing that she got so worried. But she did that to anyone, had to with Caleb's wandering like he wasn't already hers.     

It was just some dime in a dozen Asian chick. Cute enough to some losers who liked anime or something. She looked fucking 12 and even stupider with those shitty weeds on her ugly shaved head. Flat pancake face, chink shaped eyes that could be smaller yeah, but nothing remarkable. Her fat midget stumps for legs flash pale from the bits of streaming light, without a single blemish or bug bite. Ratty oversized bomber jacket and flutters of a skirt.     

She looked like a stupid kid, period. No competition.     

"It's okay," the annoying girl giggles, watching the little scuffle down below.     

Something about her irks Aubrey, more than the usual. Maybe it's how she sits up high like she's somehow above Aubrey. There's something irritatingly arrogant in her chinky black gaze, which was nothing against her own pretty blues off course. But those night eyes almost felt like they were laughing at her, could see right through her.     

Which was a fucking stupid thought. Aubrey felt like slapping those fat baby cheeks into order but it was just a stupid little kid.     

"You got burned pretty bad? Did they give you anything for it?" she calls out, her voice syrup sweet, and it grates on Aubrey. It tastes like calories and burning throw up.     

"Yeah, on the day of. Gotta admit that mud we rolled in helped too. I was going to go see that doctor friend of yours tomorrow or some time to check up. " replies Caleb earnestly.     

Fucking stupid. He talks to random poor people so easily they'll get the wrong idea.     

The ugly little girl twists and rummages in her ratty knapsack, before throwing down some shit.     

"Here catch!"     

It's Keshia, all long limbs, who picks up the tube from the ground when Caleb misses. Duh, of course, Aubrey wasn't going to let some weird little kid throw dirty who knows what at them.     

"Oh nice," comments the other women when she inspected the burn cream, anti-bacterial was a life saver out here. "he's been complaining about sleeping on his stomach to avoid his back."     

"Oh! You're so pretty!" gasps the girl.     

Finally, the girl starts making some sense, even if she doesn't recognize Aubrey. When she struggles down, her skirt flutters and flares, revealing more fat thighs and a glimpse of patterned panties. Like the gentleman he is, Caleb tries to offer a hand along with Halem. If it weren't for Chris in the way, Aubrey would tug him away.     

The little schoolgirl hops off with bright thanks and runs up to Keshia, offering her a small bundle of flowers     

"You're so pretty," she repeats, but to the completely wrong person.     

It's not that Aubrey would want her shitty little weeds but um, the pretty one was standing right here? What the hell?     

"Well aren't you sweet." smiles Keshia, reaching down to play with the petals on the girl's head before taking the offered flowers.     

"I'm serious, you're so tall and elegant, like a supermodel or ladies in poems. I wish I was even a little taller. Ah but my mom says to stop complaining because she's short too. I'm Sophie, what's your name?"     

"Keshia. Moms are usually right, nothing they can do about those genes. Nice to meet you Sophie."     

"Keshia. That's pretty too."     

In the span of a few seconds the girl called Soap or whatever goes from pouting to grinning then aweing with sparkly eyes. Just it's all at the wrong person.     

Aubrey knew something was up with this brat, knew there was a reason she didn't like her right off the bat. The little shit knew exactly what she was doing. Playing cute to Caleb like that. Now insulting Aubrey like this with her little ignoring act.     

This little bitch knows it. She's also the worst type of girl. The same kind.     

Aubrey narrowed her eyes and made a mental note on this one. Oh it is so on.     

------     

Well, this was unexpected. Amusing but unexpected, to see a seething early days Aubrey practically stomping her feet into the sand.     

A simple to please part of Sophie allows her to laugh at the sight. She plays young yes, but not too much. The dead kid walking more likely than not already knows she's older than a preteen.     

Tonight was a good night to set up some traps. Along the way, she attracts some innocent bystanders. No big deal, she could world with that. When she was wandering around the main group by the bonfire, eyeing the potential, because there were just so many easy victims, someone called out to her. She recognized him yeah. Soft, pale freckles and fire dyed hair, the kid she used as a human shield.     

Not her victim pool, but Sophie played along.     

Especially when he was accompanied by 'Chris'. Now there were many Chris', it was a common name, even on this island with a limited amount of people. This Chris wasn't anything too spectacular from Sophie's knowledge. Not the strongest, nor the fastest nor the smartest. But he was a decent all-rounder, with solid stats in all categories. Wasn't squeamish, team player, didn't take sides, and that's what failed him.     

This Chris lived a decent amount of time, till a mudslide and deadly encounter with a centipede thing took him out. Risky times hunting or foraging in the rainy season.     

Sophie didn't necessarily want him for her own. Not in the way she eyeballed Ryo, Isko, Leon or even the teenaged Stefen or his soon to be dead brother. No, she's marked those ones as certainly useful and for the most part trustworthy.     

Just don't fuck and it's all good, lesson learned with Ryo.     

People like Chris weren't her top priority but they weren't bad for the group as a whole. Solid and safe, at least in the time he stayed alive. It wouldn't hurt to make his acquaintance when he was so likable to the main group, and there was definitely no need to become his enemy.     

Sophie smiled and played along with all the polite small talk. The questions on her health and what she was doing around here. Questions she answered, all by her vulnerable lonesome self, loud enough for anyone around to listen. If they wanted to.     

When Caleb tells her he likes her flower crown and shyly asks for a reference photo, showing her his fat ol sketchbook and all, well she could hardly say no. It was free advertising, a free platform.     

It wasn't a honey trap no. But it might as well have been.     

In the moonlight and against the bonfire, she hopped around. Cutely posing in any way the artist would like. But it wasn't for him she was acting for, trying to attract.     

It was all too easy.     

There should be a good long trail by now. So many small fry that caught a whiff of her sweetness, that knew she was all alone without her siblings around. It would be such a shame if she wandered somewhere dark and got lost tonight.     

Aubrey was a fun little surprise.     

Her bodyguards were even nicer ones. So Chris used to be one of Aubrey's huh? No big deal, he would break away soon enough. The others though, now that was interesting.     

Halem was noticeably strong. Mature too. The faster he broke away from Aubrey and establish himself, the more set he was. It really was a waste of him to die so early in protecting that spoiled bitch, before she wised up.     

Sophie really did like Keshia, thought she was gorgeous in her fast legs and strong arms. Much more useful than girls like Aubrey. She could respect Aubrey's viciousness, in her tenacity to somehow stay alive all those years, but again that didn't mean Sophie had to like her. She wasn't even useful in any way, at least not that Sophie could see.     

"Everything you're not." Ryo had taunted a lifetime ago.     

Looking back on it, Sophie figured it was more of a job than the truth. He said it because that's what she was scared of. He said it to hurt her.     

Looking at the spoiled princess now, Sophie feels like dying from laughing.     

This? This silly little pampered girl, straight out of a comedy, was what she was so threatened by one? So hurt and compromised by? Ryo left her for this? Such a laugh!     

Of course, Aubrey years down the island was something tougher, a spine of steel and sheer ruthlessness. A scheming brain sharper than most knives, one that wasn't seeing any action at this point. Aubrey wasn't a good person, and that was most likely what kept her alive. Kept her on top.     

Good people didn't make it to the latter years. Herself and Leon included.     

Aubrey was a nice surprise. When she wasn't busy, when she was feeling petty, Sophie didn't mind playing with this Aubrey. A part of her wondered what it would be like to steal back. Maybe take those useful guards.     

Sophie admits, it takes two to tango. Ryo was very much at fault himself for where they went wrong as a couple. In what he considered 'not' cheating versus her own definition. Ryo was an awful boyfriend at the end. But Aubrey? Oh that little bitch started it.     

Sophie delights in the burning glare sent her way.     

How nice it was that this S class whore was alive again. When she had time, Sophie would play lots and lots with her.     

Just not tonight. She was busy tonight. A little too hungry to play petty girl games.     

Sophie bids goodbye to her new acquaintances, flowers and all. As quickly as she came, Sophie skips off, attracting all the wrong type of attention.     

She takes an extra slow time by the edge.     

There's a creek nearby, a little runoff from the main river that the group established themselves around. The water sparkles with the moon in reflecting the night sky. Stars stretching out to infinity without the interference of any mainland lights. It's a beautiful scene, a paradise on earth.     

When she takes off her child size shoes to dip in dainty little feet, a trap triggers. When she presents herself even more vulnerable than she already so obviously is, she hears the clumsy rustling. A gasp followed by heavy breathing. A disgusting hungry panting.     

It was just too easy.     

Sophie playfully kicks the little nymph reflected below, splashing about and giggling like a lunatic.     

The worst kind of girls are the ones who know it.     

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