Episode Title: Showdown in the Sand

This is not how things were supposed to happen.I was supposed to have been back so long ago to my dreary, rainy, seasonally depressing Seattle life by now. I should be three lattes deep, sloshing down the streets and wondering how places like Hawaii even existed. I should be looking for love and acceptance in places I more naturally belonged in. I should be layered up and bundled, keeping out the bone chilling wind coming from the sound. In every possible way, I shouldn’t be here.

Yet, here I was.

I was standing at the edge of the ocean I knew so well, but this time in a very unfamiliar fashion. I sank deeper into the sand from the weight of this decision I had to make. I hoped the tide would pull away the overbearing hatred living on this beach. Instead, it lapped at my bare feet and reminded me how my place here had to be solidified. We were way past the temporary nature of this island stay and long term conflict resolution was required.

I hope she will understand and forgive me.

They were all gathered on the shore behind me. I could feel the heat of their stares into my back. It couldn’t be confused for the sun, as it was glaring off the water and causing my eyes to uncontrollably squint my eyes. I’m glad the sun wouldn’t be in my face when I would face him. Perhaps I'd be so lucky as it's ray would unexplainably amplify and blind him, taking away the responsibility of taking him down off of me.

I turned around and began tromping through the sand. Even though we’d been here a long time already, there is still no way to gracefully walk vengefully in sand.

We locked eyes.

He brushed his dark hair off his sweaty forehead and tipped his white hat forward. He took one lanky step forward to separate himself from the others. He wasn’t so bumbly and loveable now. He rolled up his sleeves of his tattered red polo. He was just some schtick sidekick but he didn’t look like a joke. I was half expecting the caricature version of him in this moment but the gravity of the moment had injected him with real masculinity. The Skipper always said he didn’t have any muscles but he was flexing what he had to resemble them for intimidation.

“This is my island, hence the name”.

"It's a joke, just as you are."

Just as he was sliding out of character for him, I was morphing into someone I didn't recognize. I blame this damned island for this and so much more.

"You all have made it very clear that you don't want me here, and I have made it very clear that the only reason I have put up with your array of shit is because of her, but I am now past the point of what I'm willing to put up with".

I withdrew the makeshift weapon from my pocket. The coarse fibers of the coconut cordage poked into my hand as I gripped the handle. The fishbone tip I'd spent so much time sharpened on rocks gleamed a bright white and looked strong in its bamboo casing. This island was a prison, and this was essentially a prison shank. I intended to shank him and leave him bleeding in the sand.

Everyone seemed surprised, which was odd. What did they think I was doing all this time in my solitary confinement? I sure as hell wasn't crafting trinkets or gifts for them.

He lunged at me, thinking that I would be caught off guard by his pounce. I wasn't though. I was seconds away from making the first move anyway. With all the strength I could muster, fueled by love and blind rage, I grabbed one shoulder, plunged my shank in between his ribs, and pulled him to the ground. As he hit sand, his body flopped and all his bravado bounced out of him. Just as a I had thought; he was weak. He used his mob mentality to garner super human strength but when it was just him, he as just a man.

He rolled over and gasped. Much to my dismay, the point of the weapon did not dig deep enough to mortally wound him. He was injured, sure, but not clinging to life.

I stood over him and then started back at the group."Things are going to change around here," my chest heaved as I spoke. "Ginger, I didn't want to do this, but I hope you know I had to."

She batted her big eyes at me and pushed her flowing hair from her face. She didn't say anything. None of them did. Gilligan got up and slumped off to tend to his wounds. "I've said it once and I'll say it again. I'd make a terrible vampire. I faint at the sight of blood". He passed right out and some of the others ran to his aid.

I turned to return to the ocean's edge. As I approached the water, Ginger came running up behind me and whispered in my ear. "I suppose you want a kiss now?"

"I know Gilligan said no and insulted you, but saying no to you was the worst mistake of his life. Even worse than getting us all stuck here forever."

She slipped her hands around my waist and we stood there, staring into the infinite horizon between us and the life that never would have put us in each other's path.