The Island of The Cursed

The man woke up, lying on the shore of the sea. He was confused and totally oblivious as to where he was or how he got there. 

“Ah, my head, it feels like I’ve been spun around on a pinwheel.” He looked in every direction and contorted his face. ”Where am I? Who am I?”  The shore of the beach was lined with trees. He got up and looked out to sea, then at the lush vegetation. “Hello?” he yelled. The only thing there was the light breeze and the ruffling of palm trees mixed with ebbing waves.

“Is anybody here!”

He breathed heavily as he pondered out loud. “Okay, calm down,” he said to himself. “There are not many explanations. It is possible I was in a ship that got wrecked. If that is the case, I must have been knocked out pretty hard to lose my memory, or…”

“It appears that is exactly what happened John.”

The man turned around in reaction to statement that came from behind him. He beheld a middle-aged male with a tattered white long sleeved shirt and torn black slacks. He also had what looked to be makeshift flip-flops made of wood and leaves.

“Thank goodness there is someone else here!” said John to the man in raggedy clothes as he ran to embrace him. “I thought I would go mad being all alone.”  Then John tilted his head and gave a blank frown. “You called me John. How did we get here?”

“Well, your right when I heard you speak to yourself. We were indeed shipwrecked. It happened two days ago when our resort boat was caught in a water- tornado. We were lucky. I managed to grab onto driftwood that brought me to this island. As for you, I have no idea how you survived. Your amnesia must have been caused by a blow to the head.”

“Do you know where we are at all?” John asked.

“Well, we were running along the edge of Bermuda but I do not recognize this island. I suggest we look for other survivors. Let’s start by skirting the beach. Oh, you can call me Tim.”

The two began their search along the sea border. As they walked on the warm sand, John’s water drenched shoes were falling apart.

“Ouch, my feet,” he said.

“I’ll fix that. We’ll have to go into the trees to make some footwear. We might as well search there, it has been an hour or so I’m guessing.”

John and Tim passed through the trees only to find no sign of indigenous people or other survivors. Tim fixed a pair of flip-flops with palm tree bark and some leaves.

“Feel better?”

“Yes, thank you. Where did you learn to do that?”

“I was taught by…”

Suddenly a very high pitched scream rang out.

“Which way did it come from?” john froze up like someone poured ice down his spine.

“Right in front of us! Hurry!” Tim burst forward without thought or waiting for his companion.

“Wait, what about…oh well, I would rather prefer not to alone then stay behind.” With that, he hasted after his friend.  Tim was ten yards ahead of him. Then he disappeared behind a gathering of trees. When John broke through he found Tim holding an extremely frightened woman.

“You’re safe. What happened? Calm down.”

“A monster was chasing me! It was trying to bite me!  It was so horrible!” said the woman.

“Something doesn’t feel right Tim. It’s this island. I sense a hostile presence.”

Tim paused to listen to the sound the forest and the feel of the air and looked around. After a few moments Tim concurred.

“You’re right, like something is watching us.”

“What will we do?” the woman’s voice still trembled.

Tim then recognized her. “You’re Suzanna”

“Yes, was he with us too on the boat?” she asked looking at John.

“Indeed.” Tim was silent for a while. “No it can’t be.” He said to himself. “It’s just a myth.”

“What are saying? What’s a myth?” John asked anxiously.

“Have you ever heard of the Island of the Cursed?”   

“Are you saying this island is cursed?”

“I am a geographic scientist. There has always been a myth among my colleagues that an uncharted island that is full of monsters and ghosts exists near the Bermuda triangle. Now quickly, we have to find a way to start fire.”

“I know how to do it with rubbing sticks. I was in the Boy Scouts.” 

“Suzanna spoke with unease. “I can’t sleep.”

“You can sleep next to me.” Tim gave a smile to her.

“Okay.”

After making a fire, they found it hard to rest, but soon exhaustion kicked in and they were asleep.

“In the morning Tim and John woke to a grizzly horror; a bloody trail led from where Suzanna slept and there on the ground was her strangled, devoured remains.

“We have to get off this island, now!” Tim exclaimed.

“But how?”

“I don’t know!”

Then they felt something in the wind like a bee hovering around flower. A bright light with a green mist surrounding it appeared. It rushed at Tim first and thrust him into a large log snapping the base of his spine.

“I can’t feel my legs! I’m paralyzed. Go! Save yourself!”   

John wanted to help but what could he do.

“I’m so sorry my friend.” John ran for the beach and after ten minutes of running he made it. Then what he saw next elated him. His face lit up and he cried out for joy and wept tears of happiness.

“Here! Right here!” he said waving his arms as he looked up at a rescue chopper. When the helicopter touched down John charged into it and yelled. “Leave now! There are no survivors.”

The chopper flew of away from the island. After the ordeal John would carry the experience to his grave.       



1,000 words