The Survivors

Ash tells Kieran not to let Sean coerce him into saying something he is not comfortable with regarding Liam. Ash says, “But whatever happened back then is done […] That’s not going to change. So don’t let it tangle you up in something you’re not happy with now” (74). Kieran thinks Ash does not know much about what happened on the day of the storm. Olivia is hesitant to talk to the police, but Ash assures her it will be okay.

The narrative switches to 12 years in the past. That summer Kieran and Sean celebrated finishing high school. Ash, however, had dropped out and begun working at a local plant nursery, planning to open his own landscaping business. Kieran and Sean worked for Finn and Toby’s diving business. Olivia spent her days at the beach and showed no interest in Ash or Kieran, but she was attracted to Sean. When his friends pushed him to explain their connection, Sean just said he and Olivia were friends.

Kieran enjoyed exploring the caves near the water’s edge and tried to convince his brother and Toby to lead tours through them. One afternoon, he took a solo trip through the caves to scout possible routes for the tours when he spotted Olivia alone on the beach.