The One Lost On The Way

Will he ever escape his fate of dying on the tortuous island?

Chapter 1:
As the air blew across my face I glanced over the boat to see an island with great shining waters and trees so tall it could go to space. My friends looked at me with their eyes wide open and one with an open mouth full of shock. I turned my head and looked at the island once more. My friend earlier said to me "stick together always, no matter what" this thought ran through my thoughts of not so much happiness and grace. My friends always did our handshake before we did something out of this world. I told them without looking around at them, just looking at the great grace ahead saying "should we do our handshake" with a grin. I waited for a response but no answer. I turned around slowly with worry about what was behind me and soon that grin turned into tears, as my friends were missing. I had my eyebrows downward with confusion and my face drowned with tears. This was officially the worst day of my life.


The bare light of my torch was burning out into a lonely ember. My hands slowly started to shake into a deeper meaning of what I didn't want to come true... deep despair. When I slowly but surely made it with a tight grasp on the steering wheel. I shuffled through the junk drawer on the boat filled with unpaid bills and eviction warnings. I started to grasp our book of polaroid pictures of us having fun on this boat that gave me a smile with a sigh of relief for the future of hope, the only thing I wanted, that I starved for was hope. I was thirsty for hope. On this very boat, in 2010, the hurricane season was early and unexpected. It was with this surprising entry that my dad was on this boat, as a hurricane type 5 came through and his body was never salvaged from this very ocean. When he knew he was going to die, hope ran from his body.


As the Sun was no longer to be seen and the moon was taking its place I began to start a fire for hopes of fire. I set up camp with the deep thought of the motor running on my mind. A deep shiver came running down my back. I had no thought whatsoever that the motor might be broken. I started to look for berries on the island, with big dark circles under my eyes.

I became sleepy in the deep fog of the island, I couldn't even see my boat. I slowly started to close my eyes with ease. I had a funny thought when i closed my eyes "no WD/40 needed for my eyes". I fell asleep to the waves crashing along the rocks. With certainty there was an answer in the morning.


I started to open my eyes to see the bright sun giving me a nice sunburn. The fog was pretty much gone as far as I saw. I went to gather food ,but then I started to think of what might happen if I don't fix it now. I had my drivers license pamphlet in my hand, seeing if it would help me with the motor. I glanced over with a smile. That smile soon changed to my eyes lit up and my mouth stumbling with fathom, the boat was gone! I said to myself "how could it have disappeared,I anchored the boat?". I then ran into the ocean and started to scream because I knew I wouldn't get out soon. I thought of this island and ocean as a sort of a death trap. Now every detail I looked at on the island and ocean was a threat. A soon trembling heartbeat became faster and faster until I slowly calmed down trying to swallow my fear.


I soon came to a realization there was no time for play. Not a single second. I hunted, I collected nuts, fruits and all, I climbed to the tallest trees for coconuts. As I walked on the sides of the island to find berry bushes or anything I could salvage. I soon stumbled upon a big stone, so big and sharp. I ran across to my little hut I had built earlier and grabbed my stick and other materials to help tie the rock onto the stick to hunt for food. I glanced over to see a beauty, a nice big king crab. I slowly walked toward it with precision. I quickly walked behind and there was my shot. I quickly got it prepared for dinner. I said to myself as I was cooking with a smile on my face "finally something that isn't berries or coconuts". I ate this meal with a huge side of proudness.


As my stomach was no longer yelling for help, my mouth was. I was so thirsty. I saw a high rushing river not too far away. I walked over there with an empty coconut shell and a plastic water bottle from the ocean's trash. I bent over and collected the water. I swallowed the water fastly. Each gulp felt like a sigh of relief on a stressful day. The water was dripping down my face.


The thought of my family at home made my stomach feel like an empty hole. Knowing my family hasn't seen me made me feel guilty that I was irresponsible. It was late. I should have turned the boat around but did I, no. Now I had no friends, no parents, and no public society. This made me have a long running thought as we sit here and look around us. We aren't really that appreciative for what we have. We have no thought whatsoever of the people and the family we have at home. From this moment on I felt as if my family and friends were drifting away. I guess I was having a mix of emotions I couldn't control. Everything was out of my hands.


I got a pile of leaves and layed down to look at the bright shining stars. The stars felt like a calling from the universe to me. I laid there for about 30 minutes thinking, lately I have been doing alot of thinking. My heart felt like it was still racing but to an endless hole with nothing but obstacles each way. At some point I just wanted to fall to see what would pop up for hope. I guess you can say I'm like my father, hopeless.


I always avoided thoughts about my father ,but I couldn't let them go. Me and my father were like two peas in a pod , we never split from each other. We had everything in common. When I found out my dad was not coming back I didn't believe it. My whole world felt like something from a sad movie you will never think that will happen to you. After all, anything can happen. For example me on this island. The same one my dad died in.


As I fell asleep restlessly a feeling of emptiness. Have you ever felt a pit of emotion to where you feel nothing, not even just normal emotions. My eyes being open this time with a sense of emptiness drowned me and my empty space surrounded me. The beauty that was around me soon turned dark and a gust of wind and mist hit my face and all went dark...


I soon opened my eyes to see a glow of a fire growing in front of me. I could not see much from the blindfold. My legs and arms were tied to a chair made of wood. The sound of the harp began to fill my ears. I soon realized I was in a shelter from the warmth of the room. From the outside I could hear whispers like "Who could it be" and "will he be in our workforce" or "maybe he is trying to intrude on our property". I felt a gentle hand untie my blindfold. I saw a man and before I could say anything the strange figure began to speak in a deep voice "what are you doing on our island?". I began shaking saying "I came from my island with my other friends but they went missing and my boat began to stop working and now I'm here with you". Silence continued after I said that the figure came into the fires light and I saw his face. He had a scar on his right eyebrow. He also had deep circles underneath his eyes and he had bad posture. He untied me and pushed me outside and I hit the ground.


I fell to the ground and felt a strong firm kick with a voice that was deep with a strong Australian accent saying "Get up now". I slowly got up with the little strength I had. My arm began to shake trying to get my body weight that was all numb from the pain, which was kind of a relief because of the pain that just hit me. My shaking began to stop when I saw these faces that soon brought me comfort and that is something surprising considering I haven't been feeling that way in a while with a feeling of loneliness and not comfort at all...


The faces made me start to tear and the flashes of memories came to me one by one. My pain started to flow away and I was no longer there like my problems were no longer there and there it was... my best friends.


Chapter 2:
         My face muscles began to relax and so did my shoulders. It was a relief to see their faces. We all gathered together in one hug. A man walked up to my friends and grabbed them by the shoulder and dragged them. The man with the accent looked at me and my friends with empathy and a quick tear ran down his face. He quickly wiped this away as if it never happened. I tried to grab them, but the man with the accent was holding both of my hands back tightly. He whispered in my ear as he did this "I'm truly sorry".


         I could feel my legs slowly crashing down to the ground from high exhaustion. A group of men came up to me with deep authority, making it clear they didn't want me here. They pushed me down into a short unstable chair. Sweat drips down my face as my whole body shakes. Not just from the weather, but also from the stress I was under. One man I noticed had a broken arm and big circular glasses. For some reason, I recognized that face underneath the mask. I was surprised that I could see all of that; pretty much everything was a blur. My head was throbbing. I think I had a concussion from the rough handling of my head.


         The man with an Australian accent said to me, "You are going to be a part of our force."
"What do we do in this force?"
"You'll do what your tasks are when you get there ".
My face was confused when told me this. "You aren't the leader," I said.
He laughed and said "You are truly lost aren't you." I nodded truthfully.


         The man told me his name while we walked to work. His name is Angus. I like that name. The walk had thorns coming out of each bush, and the rocks on the ground had rocks that were very slippery. The uneven trail they had paved was only uphill. Angus told me about how they started this island by paving the trail to their unpaid labor. We stopped for water at 5 miles, then continued a few minutes later. I felt special because water was hard to find clean. I felt as though we have made a special friendship in the short time I got to know Angus.


Eventually we got to the main station for work. We were given a piece of paper. They each state our jobs. They were assigned by the ruler. Not being considerate for their state of health. I was given the job of cleaning the fish and Angus was given the job to collect the vegetation grown on the island and set up the assistants' supplies.


After hours and hours of work our shift was over. After, I went over to the harvest to meet up with Angus. As I was opening the gate to land to check on him, I was held back by a strong man. His fist held me back as he was holding onto the back of the t-shirt. I could tell this wasn't Angus. The man slowly put my ear next to his mouth and said with caution,
"Don't move." This made me very confused. I asked him in a whisper back,
"excuse m-."
"Do what I say." he said interrupting. This voice sounded very familiar.


He pushed me onto the ground. This made me go back all the way to where I was knocked out. He pushed me down the Island for hours. By the time we got there, it was just beginning to fade into night with the sunset fading away. This reminded me of when me and my dad used to sit around the fire. He would tell me great stories that had amazing detail. I now seem to look back on those memories. Sometimes I think that I killed my father. The thoughts usually come to me when all is quiet and all there is to see is darkness. "Could I have stopped it?" echoes in my mind, which turns out, I didn't just say it in my head. The man who dragged me here had been away so I never was able to see his face. He stepped in front of me and asked, "Are you ok?" Tears uncontrollable came down my face. I said with a crack in my voice, "Henry I missed you." In those few words, he knew exactly what I meant.


The bright sun hit my eyes as I slowly got up from a bed that had thorns, leaves, ect. Stuck in my back. I saw my friend packing up for the journey ahead. My neck had a throbbing pain, but it didn't show because of the smile on my face and the assurance that we would make it out alive. Then it hit me.
...
"We need to go get Angus!".
"Who's Angus?" He replied.
"A friend I made." I said then started to pack my bag urgently with stuff sticking out of my bag.


My friends' faces light up in confusion. I started to walk backward to where Angus was and my friend walked the opposite way.
"Where are you going?" we both said.
"I'm going to go get Agus whether you like it or not!" My face lit up with redness.
"Fine but I'm leaving," He replied with the same anger as I did with his fists balled up.


Chapter 3:


The walk was extremely painful without one of my dearest friends but I continued on to my journey to find Angus. This was a hard decision but I know my other friend will be fine and plus I trust Angus. I didn't get why my friend was being such a jerk, he never acts this way. A sigh came out of my mouth and then I continued on to the important rescue of Angus.


After about 2.5 miles I began to think about what my mother said to me before I went along with my friends.
I remember she said " You know you're just like your father-",
before she could say anything I said "Don't even finish that sentence." I walked away with anger and slammed the door leaving my mother alone. In some way I regret doing that but my father never deserved to be treated with such disrespect. I sighed continuing on with the journey.


After a few hours I was there. I had to be careful because there were guards everywhere on watch. I slid behind a group of abundant buses and ducked there until I came up with a plan. In 10 minutes there would be the change of the guard. The changing of the guards here is very elaborate and lasts for minutes, so I was going to go get Angus when the changing of the guard commenced.This time left me to think about the fight me and my friend had


The changing of the guard had started and that's when I took my shot. I ran as fast as I could ever run. I ran past the farmstead of plants and vegetables. Then passed through the butcher, through the blacksmith workshop, and through the mining facilities that were made for the king's services. All my thoughts were like a blur. Just a blank space waiting for a best friend to reappear and give wise advice.


I was now walking, catching my breath and grabbed photos of me, dad, and the big fish we caught in the great Atlantic. That night was glorious and of course my mom didn't understand. She never really understood anything. The only thing she did was her own life and her healthy version of a chicken pot pie. She never lied. Don't get me wrong, that can be an amazing trait, but when self absorbed people have that trait it never ends well. I sighed and walked faster knowing I needed to get Angus... Only thought is Angus.


By the time I finished getting off the work site I began to look around the place me and Angus first met. I went to this location and saw nothing, didn't feel anything. I did hear something though. It was the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer. With this I heard the sound of boot shackles shaking around and the voice of an angel or so I thought.


Chapter 4:


"Angus!" I shouted turning around to see his face
"I'm so-" he interrupted with no hesitation,
"I need to tell you the truth," He said with a serious tone. My face was filled with confusion.
"When you got on this island we all knew that you were here." He said.
"Excuse me." I said.
"Listen, we know everything about you, from your dad, to your birthmark on your shoulder." He said with certainty.
"How?" I asked. This time he didn't answer, he just moved and stood for a few seconds. Until the thing he wanted to show came out. I saw two guards standing there waiting for the same person. I got more and more impatient as the minutes went on.
Then when the person he wanted to show came out my body began to shake and the only things I could think were "How?". You want to know who it was? It was the one thing that I thought I lost forever... My Dad.


My face began to ease yet my thoughts didn't.
"Finally, I get to see you," he said.
"That's all you have to say," I said with my voice cracking.
"After all the pain and suffering you put me through".
"I'm sorry son, but you understand the full story" He said calmly.
"Go ahead" I said shortly, not trying to cry.
"When I got attacked in the storm I ended up unconscious on this island, they took me in and offered me a life here, or a ship to go home, I chose to stay here because they had a life I thought was better, they didn't have a messed up wife here, and you know one thing led to another and now I'm here."
"How dare you just leave for your own enjoyment" I said with anger clearly showing.
"I'm sorry" He said with some emotion this time.
"I'm done with this crap, let me go home, like you offered him." Tears fell down my eyes as I was taken away gently by Angus.
Before I left I heard A voice out of breath saying "Take me with you".
I turned around to see my best friend, and I smiled.
"Get in here," I said while hugging him.
"I'm so sorry, I was wrong and I should have listened to you" we both said in synchronization. Before I sailed away I looked into my dads eyes and saw no emotion. His eyes with no soul and with a brain that's incredibly dysfunctional.


Angus let me onto the boat and said, "Always know that I was there for you".
I didn't give him a response and continued getting the boat ready. He pushed my boat off to sail and I looked off into the open waters, knowing this was my story. We sailed away that night scared for what might come.


Author's Note:


         A lot of people say that my story isn't the scary story that makes you tremble and shake... What it is though is the thought of never not knowing that is the scary part. The scary stories you're told when you were a child aren't like mine. Mine is not knowing who is lying to you in this world of confusion.