"This isn't good."
"Don't say that."
"It's just that... it's just..."
"Are you tired?"
"I'm beyond tired."
"Is it your legs? Mine are really cramping up."
"My legs are twisted knots of pain, but they're kicking."
"Come on- we have to keep going."
"Easy for you to say, you're the one with the life vest."
"Do you want it?"
"No... no, you keep it, it's just..."
"Just what?"
"I want land. Or at the very least, I want to see land."
"We're going to make it."
"Only if you mean the royal we."
"Don't talk like that."
"I can't... I just..."
"Look... there is- there's something- something I can do that will help."
"I can't imagine what."
"But look, you have to know this is a last resort- the very last. You have to trust me, John. I'm going to trust you. Please... just don't get wierded out."
"What are you talking about? Look, I'm up for anything."
"All right then, hold both my hands tight. Now, promise me you won't get freaked out or angry or anything."
"Yeah yeah, I promise. What exactly are you going to do?"
"Just hold on."
With that Michelle closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate on something intensely. Her brow furrowed and she clenched her jaw tight. After a moment though, her face relaxed and a great calm washed over the both of them as they bobbed in the water hand in hand, face to face. John stared at Michelle as she appeared to be doing nothing at all. Then, it seemed she was doing something, or something was happening to her life vest. It was inflating. Somehow she was filling it with more air. How, John couldn't imagine, but in a matter of moments the bulging vest seemed much too full and he feared that Michelle was going to burst their only flotation device. The fabric was visibly straining and the belts creaked in protest as the vest swelled unnaturally larger and larger.
"Stop or you'll..." but before John could finish the vest did just what he feared. It ruptured. The bright orange vest deflated quickly and fell limply back onto Michelle's small form. And yet, it didn't actually have that far to fall for Michelle's body now seemed significantly more substantial. Her chest was rapidly filling the gap left by the defeated vest and was expanding still. John's eyes widened in amazement. She wasn't blowing up the vest, she was blowing up herself. Michelle seeing his confusion clutched his hands tighter. The space between the two shrank and John realized it was Michelle's entire body that was expanding before him. She was rounding out like a barrel, her clothes stretched about her ever increasing circumference. Her puffed up arms shrank into her rounding form. Slowly now she was rising out of the water. John squeezed her hands even tighter. His widespread arms were barely able to hold on to hers as she continued to widen. John then felt the expansive curve of her belly press into him. She was spread out beyond him by several feet on either side, and still she grew. Soon their bodies were squeezed together tightly and they rose together out of the chilly sea. John couldn't believe it. It felt as if he were hugging a giant balloon as it was inflated. Only this balloon was soft and warm and he quickly reminded himself wasn't a balloon at all, but his girlfriend. Their arms were spread further and further apart as Michelle filled out into a complete sphere with only her head, arms, and feet revealing any semblance of her old shape. Perfectly round now John guessed she spanned at least five feet in all directions. Michelle looked about herself with a subtle grin of satisfaction. John continued to stare dumbfounded. Michelle then managed to gently lean backwards so that John could rest on top of her. His weight pressing down on her caused Michelle to spread outward a bit more, but her growth had completely subsided and they seemed safe for now. With the moon high above the two bobbed gently somewhere in the middle of the Pacific ocean.
"Michelle..." John started still in shock.
"Not yet," Michelle stopped his inevitable questions. "Lets just rest awhile and I'll answer your questions later."
2.
John awoke having slept comfortably on the cushoiny surface of his newly expanded girlfriend. Looking about the horizon he sadly found no land, no ships, no sign of rescue. There was only the unending surface of water which kept Michelle's buoyant body bobbing and dipping- the long horizon tilting and swaying. John turned away as he felt a sudden wave of nausea wash over him. Closing his eyes he brushed his cheek against Michelle's warm smooth surface until the feeling passed. He looked down to her adorable sleeping face nestled into her swollen body. Perhaps sensing his gaze her eyes opened.
"Good morning," she said with a great yawn which seemed to cause her to expand even more.
"Good morning to you," John said with a loving smile.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, you make a very comfortable bed."
"And how many girls can say that?"
"Not a one."
"Right. OK, I guess I should explain," Michelle said with a nervous tone. Michael could see her hands off on either side fidgeting. "Yes it's weird, yes it's bizarre, and as far as I know, I'm the only one who can do this. But, we are safer from drowning then we were last night." Michelle looked deep into John's eyes to gauge his reaction, but couldn't read his expression. "And I understand if you're freaked out, and if you don't want to see me anymore after we get rescued, I'll understand."
"Not see you?" John started. "You're going to be a whole lot harder to miss. Which, now that I think of it, will make us a lot easier to spot out here."
"Wait," Michelle said hopefully, "you're not mad?"
"Mad for saving my life? Not really. I am a bit saddened that you would keep such a big secret from me, but I understand." John sat up and pressed his hands into Michelle's great rounded front. His hands sank in a bit and then sprang back. Her body was fairly tight, but not too taut, like a ballon that was full, but not overinflated. "Is it reversible?"
"Oh, yes, I've been this big before. It just takes some concentration. Do you want me to shrink back down?"
"No, this is good. I was just making sure." John now spread his legs so that he straddled her wide body giving him better balance.
Michelle was pleased to see him so relaxed. "Well, I guess we have some time to kill, so how's about a story?"
"Well, I did have a full day of starving to death planned, but sure, why not."
"Don't be negative," Michelle scolded from below. "Anyway, this all started when I was very young- four I believe. One day my mother had taken me along to the supermarket, a chore I always found immensely boring. I was dragging my feet behind her and wiping my drowsy eyes when I felt this odd sensation. Looking down I say myself start to swell up all over. It didn't scare me, in fact it seemed oddly normal. I just stood there and watched it happen. I was wearing this cute little pink jumper and I slowly filled it more and more. I must have looked like a big ripening peach. I remember feeling puffed up and snug, like being packed into multiple layers of winter clothing. As I continued to expand my clothes got pretty tight, then awfully tight, but even as I began bulging out of my clothes and straining its seams, I still remained calm. I remember being more amused than anything. Bigger and bigger, tighter and tighter, then pop! I burst a button and watched in awe as it shot off and hit my poor mom right in the back of her head. She hadn't noticed that I had stopped and she was a good fifteen feet ahead. Still, even from that distance my button hit her hard enough to get her attention. She turned angrily thinking I had hit her on purpose, but when she saw me her look turned instantly to fear. Seeing her reaction caused me to panic in return. Apparently little girls weren't supposed to suddenly resemble over-inflated beach balls. Mom thought I was having an allergic reaction and she screamed for help. Seeing such panic in her eyes I realized that my expansion was upsetting her and I quickly shrank back down. Somehow even then I could control it almost instinctually. Tearfully I apologized but my mom was absolutely baffled. She left her shopping cart right in the aisle and rushed me home."
"So this doesn't run in the family?" Michael asked patting her drum-like surface making a soft tum-tum sound.
"Oh, no. I mean, you've met them. My family never did anything remarkable or questionable in any way. So they looked at this as a curse. When my father came home that night my mother closed all the blinds in the house and ordered me to show him what I had done in the supermarket. So I did. I had been sent to my room for the afternoon and had been practicing this new talent. Basically I just need to relax- like its my natural state to be inflating. It actually takes more effort and concentration for me to keep a normal figure. Anyway, I was thrilled. I thought I had learned a neat trick. My father like my mother thought otherwise and forbade me ever to do it again, especially in public. Since I didn't seem to experience any pain or after effects from the experience, they decided not to take me to see a doctor. This was to remain a skeleton in a tightly locked closet."
"Hmm, and so you've never done it again until now?"
"What? No way! I thought it was a gift or a super power. A secret one, sure, but one I practiced diligently whenever I had the house to myself. I couldn't tell you how many excuses I've come up with for lamps I had knocked over and why all the furniture had moved while they were out. Some people might stretch out a sweater they borrowed, but when I was done with one it would look like a tent! There was this one time when I got so big I burst all the living room windows and..."
John interrupted her story by suddenly leaning far to one side and vomiting.
"Oh, oh John, I'm sorry," Michelle was shocked. "I didn't mean to gross you out."
"No, no," John said wiping his mouth and now looking quite ill.
"It's not that. I think I'm getting seasick."
"Getting? John you are seasick," Michelle said looking up at his pale face with concern. "But why now? You never got sick on the boat."
"Well, no offense, but the boat was quite a bit larger."
"Oh," Michelle said. "Well..." she paused, biting her lip. She took a good look at her swollen form with John wobbling on top. She closed her eyes and relaxed. "Hold on."
In an instant John felt himself rising up as if in an elevator. From beneath him Michelle began to spread in all directions. Laying back down he moved up towards her face.
"Put your arms around my head," she instructed.
As he held her close she rolled forward as she continued expanding. John watched her hands move further and further away down the ever expanding curve of her body. Ten feet wide, Twenty- higher and higher they rose as bigger and rounder she swelled. John looked at Michelle with wonder and awe. She just smiled proudly and enjoyed the sensation of becoming easily the largest living thing on the planet. She'd never had so much freedom to grow, so she wasn't afraid to abuse it. Soon Michelle was so big that John was again laying flat, only now her pretty little head stood before him, not below. Her long hair lay flat as it fanned out from behind her face. Neither hand was visible, they were now somewhere far off on either side the massive sphere that was Michelle. As she reluctantly realized this was probably big enough, she stopped her growth. She then seemed to concentrate, and John felt them drop, though he noticed no shrinkage.
"Taking on ballast," Michelle said matter of factly.
"Oh," said John again amazed beyond words.
"I can control what my body absorbs. I've been filling with air, but now I'm taking in some water to keep us from bobbing too much."
"Very thoughtful of you," said John, the natural color now returning to his face. Cautiously he stood, but he found her quite stable now. His feet sank only a few inches into her springy surface, and he realized he could actually walk about this fascinating landscape that spread before him. He didn't wander far, for the curve of her body got more severe the further he went from her head, but he needed to get an idea of her size. Gazing down he saw the water far below- he guessed about 100 feet. If she was half submerged, that meant she was about 200 feet in diameter! This literally knocked him off his feet and he fell backwards with a bounce.
"Are you OK?" Michelle called to him.
John rushed back to her and laid down so they could be face to face. "You're incredible."
"Incredibly huge you mean," she corrected him blushing.
"No," he said surprising her with a kiss, "you are incredible."
"Oh- ah," she stammered with tears in her eyes. From beneath him John felt her slowly expanding again below him.
"You're growing again."
"Yeah, sorry," she said stopping the growth. She smiled warmly back at John, tears still flowing. "Like I said, it takes some concentration to keep from growing.
"Sorry to have distracted you," John said softly as he wiped the tears running down her cheek. Tears she couldn't possible reach herself.
"Don't be. This is like a dream. I've held this secret for so long, convinced that I was a freak. And you're really not bothered by it?
"No," John said honestly. "I mean its different, I'll give you that. But I've always loved that you were different."
Michelle was in love. "This is more than I could hope for." Again John saw tears welling in her eyes and felt a subtle rise.
"Just don't forget that we are lost in the middle of nowhere."
"I know, I know," she said trying to focus.
"Well, I've got the time, so how about another story? You called this a super power. Did you ever find a use for this ability? Besides being a human raft I mean?"
"Well, I never fought crime by inflating if that's what your asking. Until now I've never found a useful purpose for this ability. But I've always had this fantasy. Something I would daydream about when I was feeling blue. You see, the town I grew up in was one of those oddities of logic that put it in a valley a few miles downstream of a large dam. Well, in my fantasy the dam bursts and sends a wall of water down the canyon that leads down to our valley. Unless the water can be stopped the town will be destroyed and thousands will be killed. Feeling suddenly heroic, I drive up to meet the flooding waters and dive right in. Immediately I begin to inflate faster than ever before. Taller, wider, in every direction I spread. Water surges all about pushing me along with it downstream. Bouncing along with the current I look to the distant cliff walls that make up the canyon. The sheer enormity of the canyon is almost overwhelming- almost. Its a huge task, but I am a huge girl- no the biggest girl, and I'm still growing bigger by the second. I know I can do it. Faster and faster I expand. The oncoming water is getting closer to town, there's maybe a mile to go before it floods the valley. Determined, I continue swelling until I can feel the cliff walls brushing up against me on either side. Now spanning the great width of the canyon, I continue pushing outward until my enormous round body is wedged firmly in place. The water still finds its way through the nooks and crannies remaining, but I am quick to fill those spaces. I continue expanding, increasing the pressure between me and the cliff walls until eventually the water is completely stopped and I'm literally wearing the canyon like a skin-tight pair of jeans. I've formed a massive plug. I'm a human dam. What took over a decade for man to build I've accomplished in moments. Like that story with the little kid and the dike- only I've used more than my finger to plug up the hole. Countless lives and real estate have been saved. I'm a hero. A hero spanning a quarter mile across, but a hero nonetheless. Those who would have mocked me now declare me their savior. No favor is too small and my every whim is accommodated since I am told I will have to stay like this for quite some time until the dam can be repaired. People come from all over the world to marvel at me. I'm a national monument and the number one tourist attraction that year. The president commends me. Kids buy little inflatable Michelle dolls, and..."
"Wow, that's quite a dream," said John snapping her out of it.
"Yeah, well I've been kicking that one around for quite a while."
"So, you never revealed this ability to the public?"
"Would you? I don't think everyone shares your enthusiasm for this."
"No," John agreed, "I guess your right."
"I am trust me." Michelle frowned a bit and went on. "You see, there was this one time. I was at school- it was gym class. I'd had a bad breakup and was having trouble keeping myself together. Several times that day I had experienced minor bloating. My clothes would suddenly get tight and I'd excuse myself to the bathroom and try to shrink back down. Well, we were playing soccer and I was goalie. The ball was far from my end, and my mind just started wandering. My gym clothes were quite baggy, so I had swelled quite a bit before it caught my attention. I stopped growing immediately, but then I remember this little thought jumped into my head. Why shrink back down? Why not let myself grow, what a great goalie I'd be then if there was no room in the net for the ball. With that thought I felt myself swell faster. It felt liberating. Even though all eyes were on the other end of the field, I had never let myself expand outside before. It was such a rush. I was awash in a flood of emotions. I grew and I didn't care. Then wham! I got hit right in the face and down I went. This hurt like hell, but it got my attention back. As people rushed around me I managed to quickly deflate without anyone noticing. I used the wallop to the head as an excuse to leave early. Back inside I had the showers all to myself, and standing there in the square white tiled room I looked at my body. And I thought 'I am different, but is it so bad? What's the real thing that I am afraid of? Is this a curse or a gift?" Slowly my stomach bulged out. And I thought, "this is amazing, no one else can do this, right?' So I let myself get a little bigger, then a little more. My belly was so big, so wonderfully round and soft. I touched it and it felt nice. So I let myself swell even bigger. Still soft, still nice- no, it felt better than nice, it felt freeing. Caught up in my expansion I hadn't noticed three girls entering the room. 'Holy crap, Michelle's pregnant!' one of them yelled. I turned and looked horrified at their gawking faces. 'Oh my god, how have you been hiding it, you're huge. I'm telling the teacher.' 'No!' I yelled and stood in the open doorway blocking her escape. 'Move it,' she said trying to push past me. Her little hands pressed deep into my giant belly. Seeing their reaction I knew I couldn't let her tell anyone else. Without even thinking I let myself balloon outward so that I tightly filled the doorway. The girl was knocked backwards. The eyes of the other two nearly popped out of their heads. 'You're a freak,' one said. 'No I'm not. Look its just, just keep it a secret,' I rambled. I could see it in their eyes, they didn't know what to make of me- this absurdly round girl blocking their only exit. Still they teased me, but I noticed how they were backing away from me as well. It was then I realized, this was fear, and fear was a weapon. Awkwardly I pushed myself out of the doorway waddled to the center of the room. I kept my eyes fixed on theirs, and they didn't move. As I slowly resumed my growth they exchanged quizzical glances. I just smiled and continued to fill out before them. Soon I was perfectly round, and the room was becoming quite crowded. One girl decided to make a run for it and again I surged outward, now not only blocking the door, but filling the whole room. When I stopped growing all four walls were pressing against me. The girls were trapped helplessly in-between. My head was now up to the ten foot ceiling and I looked down at their panicking faces. Their heads were all that was visible since their bodies were hidden behind the curve of my own. I could feel them squirming. I remember thinking how pitifully small they seemed. They begged me to let them go, but I told them they had to make a promise first. They refused and started to scream for help. So I grew a little more. Now my head was pushing on into the ceiling tile and my swollen body covered up to their mouths. The walls creaked from the pressure I was putting against them. I could see tears in the girls' eyes. 'Now,' I said. 'I don't want to hurt you, but as you can see I'm more than capable.' To emphasize my point I squeezed them a little more. A tile popped off the wall and drove my point home. 'I don't want anything but your silence. Try to imagine how this is for me. Now I'm going to let you go, but you have to promise never to speak of this.' They all nodded desperately. 'And to make sure you keep your promises, let me remind you that you all have nice big homes. Betray me, and I'll pay you a visit, although I can't guarantee that your houses will be able to contain me.'"
"Good threat," said John engrossed in her tale.
"Yeah, and it worked. Those girls never talked about me, or even to me ever again," said Michelle with a slight frown.
"Mm," said John rising to his feet. "Well that passed some time."
"Do you see anything?"
John scanned the horizon. "Sorry."
"We're going to be OK."
"Yeah."
"I don't know how I'm going to explain this though," Michelle said looking out to her enormous body spread out before her.
"We'll worry about that when the time comes."
"It will come, don't worry," Michelle reassured.
"Yeah," John said not entirely convinced. "I just hope its soon, I'm starving."
"Me too," Michelle agreed. "I only look full."
"Hmm..." John said now looking to the west.
"What is it?" Michelle asked while trying in vain to turn. "Is it a ship?"
"I'm afraid not. There are some pretty serious clouds moving in. I think we might be in for a storm."
"Well, our luck just keeps improving."
3.
The storm turned out to be a full blown typhoon. John hugged Michelle's head tightly as her mammoth body was tossed about by the giant waves and surging winds. John was being bounced repeatedly as Michelle was constantly rocked and rolled. Even at her amazing size, some waves still managed to crash over her, drenching them both. For hours John held her tight, but as another great wave hit, John lost his grip and began to slide uncontrolled along Michelle's smooth wet surface. There was nothing he could do to stop and Michelle watched in terror as John slid out of her view. John frantically grasped about trying to stop his fall, but it was now inevitable. The further he slid from Michelle's head, the steeper the descent and the faster he went.
Michelle looked all around, but feared the worst. At her size, a fall could certainly kill. If he lived he would certainly drown in this storm. She had made the decision to shrink down and look for him, but then their luck finally changed. She had pretty much forgotten that she even had hands, but she now felt something clinging tightly to her distant right hand.
John was just as astounded as Michelle when he somehow caught hold of her hand stopping his fall. He looked down seventy feet below to the violent sea. He clutched what remained of her wrist tightly with both hands. Michelle's hand patted his gently. He leaned in and let her touch his face so she would know he was safe. He watched as her hand pointed upward and then made the OK sign. He kissed her hand in agreement, and he instantly felt the now familiar sensation of Michelle's body spreading out against his.
This time the growth was faster, almost frantic. This was like no elevator. This was more like a plane taking off. John watched as the ocean raced away from beneath him. Two hundred feet, three hundred, four- onward, outward, she was moving out in all directions. Again the arc of her body became so great that he was again laying pretty much flat, and her growth subsided. John couldn't even guess at her size. A mile wide- possibly, but it was just too much to even think about. The now distant waves now only caused the slightest shudder against his enormous girlfriend. Still holding her hand John put his head down and waited out the rain.
4.
By sunrise the storm had ended. John rose and scanned the ocean for a sign of help. Still, he saw none, which was disheartening as he now had a very high vantage point and could see for miles. Looking up the subtle slope of her body, John began walking to find Michelle.
Michelle felt John's tiny footprints as he approached her head. He'd walked nearly a half hour before she spotted him on the horizon. This was when an odd thought hit her. That's not the horizon, that's me. She looked all around, and realized all she could see was herself, and she saw that she seemed to go on forever. How big was she? She couldn't tell, but she knew she was well beyond anything she'd previously considered gigantic. Bigger than any ship, taller than any building, Michelle was the largest man made object for sure. Only mountains gave her any competition. A chill went through her as she thought this. She was experiencing emotions that just couldn't be processed. With only the sky above and her tiny boyfriend in the distance, she literally was the world.
As John finally reached Michelle's head, he plopped down before her exhausted. "That storm sucked."
"Yeah," Michelle said quietly.
"Are you OK?" John asked noticing something different about her.
"Well, there's a bit of a problem."
"What?"
"I ah... I can't seem to shrink back down.'
"Oh no," John said looking about her vastness.
"I'm just not able to concentrate. That storm really wore me out, and I think it also because I'm so hungry. I'm sure that's it. Besides," she said trying to lighten the mood, "someone's bound to notice us now."
5.
"See anything?"
"Negative."
"Man am I hungry."
"Ditto."
6.
"See anything?"
"No."
"What the hell are they doing?"
"I don't know, but man I could sure use a..."
"Don't say it. Don't talk about food. It only makes it worse."
"Actually I wasn't going to. I was going to say I could really use a bathroom. I haven't had anything to eat or drink, but I really have to go."
"Well, you're not going here!"
"Yeah, don't worry, I'll hold it."
"You bet you will."
7.
"See anything?"
"Besides you?"
Michelle looked up at him coldly.
"Nope," John answered flatly.
"Are they even looking for us?"
"I hope so."
"Its just bad luck," Michelle said frowning.
"Well, yeah, but..." John stopped himself.
"But what?"
"Never mind," John said turning away.
"What?"
"I don't know, maybe... maybe knowing what I know now, there might have been something you could have done."
"Like what? Look at me, I think I've done more than enough?
"No, before all this. Maybe you could have done something- you know, to save the ship."
"It was hard enough to let you know about this, there's no way I was going to swell up in front of a thousand old tourists. I would have caused even more panic. Besides, looking back I'm glad I didn't save that ship. They put our lives at risk with that drunk of a captain. Anyway, I'm sure the cruise line is insured, and everyone else got off safely. We were the last ones off remember."
"And who's fault was it that we missed the last lifeboat?"
"Mine!" Michelle bit back angrily. "O.K. I was panicking. I've never been on a sinking ship."
"But..."
"No. Listen, this is not something most people can just accept. Now I didn't go into a lot of detail when I said that my parents disapproved and that's because they totally freaked. They never looked at me the same way again. Just like the girls at school. They may never have said it, but I was made well aware that I wasn't normal or accepted."
"Yes, I get that but..."
"And my last boyfriend- my fiancee- I never told you why we broke up."
"You were engaged? You never told me..."
"Yes, and he broke up with me. Why? Because of this- because he couldn't deal. One day we were fooling around and he started tickling me. We were having so much fun I just couldn't help it. I blew up right up before his eyes. He lost it, I mean really lost it. I tried to explain, but he couldn't even comprehend what I had done. If you could have seen the way he looked at me. I can't take that again."
"I told you, its OK."
"Well maybe its not OK! You have no idea what this is like. I'm enormous. I'm beyond huge. I can't see past myself. I don't even know if I can reverse this any more. My hands are probably a mile apart right now and if you could see either one you would know it was flipping you off right now. Somewhere down there is a fish that won't stop nibbling on my toes. I'm tired, hungry, and scared."
"I'm sorry."
"Just leave me alone."
"Michelle."
"Go."
"How can I? Wherever I go, there you are," John joked inappropriately.
"I said go away!" Michelle closed her eyes in anger. For an instant it seemed the whole world shook and John fell flat on his face. When he got back up Michelle, or at least Michelle's head was nowhere to be seen. John stood alone. The curve of Michelle's body was now hardly noticeable. He couldn't really tell which direction was up or down any more. Everything seemed flat. The ocean was no longer visible. Michelle's body just continued straight off into the horizon. It even seemed colder. Was he that much higher?
Michelle what have you done? John thought to himself. He called her name. There was no answer. He turned in the direction that seemed to slope slightly upwards and began walking.
John walked for hours and still had not found her. How big could she possibly be? Should he even be going to her? What if he made her angry again. What if she grows bigger? With that thought, John stopped. He didn't know what to do. This whole situation had literally grown out of control.
As he stood there John noticed a faint humming noise. He turned looking about as the sound grew. Looked up he saw a helicopter approaching. First unsure of what he was seeing he rubbed his eyes to confirm the vision. Yes, it was a rescue helicopter. John waved to them enthusiastically. The helicopter approached him quickly but did not land. As it hovered a man with a megaphone called out.
"Are you John?"
"Yes!" he yelled back."
"Your girlfriend told us where to find you." He tossed out a ladder. "Come on."
John quickly climbed on board and hugged his rescuer. "Thank you so much, I really can't..."
"Don't worry about it," the man said smiling. "And don't bother trying to explain. We'll take you to her. Oh, and we've got some food as well."
John was handed several cans of a nutrient shake and he drank them quickly. As the helicopter rose John still could not see an end to Michelle. Her rounded shape was somewhat more noticeable from here, and soon, he saw the tiny spec that was her head.
The helicopter took a position near Michelle and John leapt out running to her.
"John, I'm so sorry," she cried both happy and sad.
"Don't be, we're finally gonna be all right." John leaned down and kissed her forehead. He then pulled out a shake and put a straw in the can so she could drink. After a few moments the rescue worker approached them.
"So you guys finally found us," Michelle asked looking up to the man.
"Not exactly miss. We were given a tip on your location."
"A tip from who?" John asked.
"Well, you're not going to believe this. We've been lookin all week, but turns out we were given bad coordinates from the ship's captain so we were all looking in the wrong place. But this morning an astronaut looking out of his window on the space station reported seeing an unknown land mass in the Pacific and called us to check it out."
"He saw me from space?" Michelle blushed.
"With his own two eyes."
"Well..." Michelle started in disbelief. "Well, I'll be sure to thank him."