9.
With it being just a little after eight o'clock on a warm, bright morning, Daniel Allen emerged from the house that he had inherited along with the name that he had been given. Eight months had passed since his time on a particular island, and still he was finding it difficult to get used to his new name, his new home, his new old cheap blue car, the low paying office job he acquired and basically his new life in general. This new life he has, it just wasn't him.
Wearing a cheap light blue suit, which came with his new name and new life and so on, Daniel got into his cheap light blue car and was not at all surprised that he could not get it to start. The car was also far too small for a man of his size. The fact that it wouldn't start made it more of a frustrating beginning to his day than what it needed to be.
Daniel took several deep breaths to keep himself calm. The anger management classes his job forced him to take were actually working, huh, imagine that. It could be debated that the island changed him on a personal level, and this is something he would not want to discuss even if he were to be free to do so. Upon exiting his automobile, Daniel was greeted by his next-door neighbour.
'Good morning, Roland.'
'Good morning, Missus Dempsey, you do know my name is Daniel Allen now Right?'
'Daniel, spaniel, just because your mail comes with a different name on the envelope doesn't mean that your actual and real name is no longer Roland.'
'You are right Missus Dempsey, but Daniel is the name I must go by now, OK?'
'Have a nice day Roland' Missus Dempsey spoke with glee as she began to head back inside her house, 'by the way, call me Sandra.'
'I will but only if you call me Daniel.'
Missus Dempsey had closed her door before Daniel had managed to get his last sentence out.
Daniel paused for a moment before he began to repeat the same sentence three times over, 'my name is Roland'.
Before he could say it a fourth time, he was interrupted by the delivery of the morning post. If things could not seem any worse the fact that his mail was coming in the name of Daniel Allen, as Missus Dempsey had mocked, just made him feel that tad bit worse. However, his spirits would soon be lifted for among his bills was an envelope which was a little different from all the other envelopes.
No way ... this can't be. This envelope, it was a kind of envelope that he had not only seen once before but had also received once before. The only difference between the first and second time of receiving such an envelope was the name on the front.
Roland or Daniel, whatever name he wants, or is to go by, or feels he has to go by, was set to go back to the island. The 'Beast' would be set to return, with only one thing on his mind, to seek and destroy one Claude Raymonde. The one thing Roland would be sure of is that one way or another Claude would indeed be on the island.
As Roland knew all too well, no one had even been invited back to the island for a second stint. The only reason why Claude had been there at the same time as Roland was due to the fact that Claude had never left. Is that Claude fellow still there now? Who can say? And if he is, will he be there when the time comes for Roland to return?
Roland would have just under four months before he would be due to arrive at a pre-determined location prior to being shipped out to the island so every spare moment, every spare second Roland would spend getting himself ready, getting himself in shape or as much into shape as he possibly could.
Having joined a gym under the name Daniel Allen would be something to aid motivation, keeping him going forward, physically and mentally, fueling his anger, fueling his determination and ensuring that he would be more than ready for his return. When the time would come for him to make his return there will be no need to remember any of his anger management breathing exercises. He would be free to unleash all of his anger and all of his rage. This time the 'beast' would be stronger and angrier than he had ever been before. David Allen, once on the island would be free to once again be ... one hundred percent ... Roland.
As the months passed, Roland would feel conflicted on many levels. He felt both ready for action and had the desire to train further and longer, doubting if he really was ready. Choice escaped him. Time was running out. And then there was Rachel. The thoughts of her never left him. She's a one of a kind, does he really want to go back to the place where he watched her die? If it means he gets to confront Claude then ... hell yeah, he wants to go back.
Preparation is done, whether or not Roland believes it is enough. The time came when Roland would have to make his own way to a remote location. He was told where this location is, and he was to go there alone at a specific time and was also ordered to not inform anyone of where he was going or as to why he was going there.
As always, the location of the 'animal' island remains known to only those behind organizing the online broadcast, as to who these people are, is also something which remains unknown. So, when Roland or Daniel Allen as it said on his invite, arrived at the remote location, he waited and then waited some more.
Where it is he had come to, is an unused multi-story parking lot. Roland entered with trepidation. This is something very different to what occurred last time round. He moved slowly, feeling sure he was being watched yet being unable to see anyone or anything that could be viewing him. Again, there is confusion.
All this felt ominous, as if his life is currently in danger but then that would defeat the purpose of the show he would be returning to. Could this be a ploy, some sort of trap? Why would it be? What could such a thing accomplish? Seconds seemed like minutes. Roland seemed to just ... wander ... until.
A large silver canister came flying through the air, from outside in towards Roland and landed ten feet in front of him. Roland took a step back not knowing what to make of what just happened. A moment passed then three more large silver canisters came at him in a similar fashion in quick succession, each coming to a halt at a similar distance away from him, one landing to his left, one to his right and another not far behind him.
Five seconds passed after the moment the fourth canister had landed behind Roland when a gaseous substance began to pour out the first canister on front of him. Then the same thing occurred with the other canisters. Roland stood his ground and smiled. If this is an abduction, it is one which will see him emerge upon a certain island.
It was indeed time to go back to the place he had been longing to get back to. A year had passed since he was last there. He knew the gas would make him pass out, but he also knew that when he awakes, he will either be back in the one place in the world where he feels most at home or be one step away from getting there.
