𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐚 - 𝑁𝑜 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙

Island 8. Celeste And Widget

Somehow, Celeste managed to take her captured boat from the dock and sailed herself. But the waters were never ending and she had no idea of directions whatsoever after staying in the ocean for so many days. Her starving stomach was of no help.

The skies were turning darker and she knew that a storm was all due. The frequency was an issue. It didn't look like a normal storm as well. The velocity of winds was also quite wild, she had no idea how she'll be able to help herself now. Suddenly, she remembered how she came here. It was stormy that day as well...

"You!" A shrill voice shouted.

"Where am I?" She asked, totally clueless.

"This..." The villagers undoubtedly understood whatever she was saying. Strange enough, she could do the same. Ever since she came here, there seemed zero language barriers.

After talking with them, she got to know her situation. She was in an impoverished village in Asia during the eighteenth century. But, it was no ordinary village. Last full moon, something strange happened. The people went to celebrate someone's wedding in another village, leaving few people behind. When the returned, the people were mysteriously missing. There was no trace whatsoever of struggle or anything that could make it look like the work of jungle bandits.

"There are ghosts!" Someone shouted. According to some, the village was haunted by malevolent ghosts, who were now keeping everyone to leave the village. Someone even said that Celeste won't be able to leave as well, if this problem persists. Another adventure. What would she do now?

She decided to take care of this matter by investigating the ring she found. It was where she was laid down when she came here. Strangely, it was the same place where the ghosts first appeared.

It was near the village border, adjoining the jungles, beach and village. A local was there with her, who told her that Two British nationals were killed by a ferocious tiger in this place few weeks before. This incident was followed by several other tiger attacks, and many deaths. So, the British sent someone named Widget to investigate.

"Maybe the Nature is angry with us and wants to punish us..." The local whispered, but, Celeste heard it nonetheless.

After walking few minutes, they meet two other people, one of them too fashionable for her taste. The fashionable one introduced himself as Ashton, a British guide. Of course, the other one was Widget. They decided to travel together.

Just a few seconds after they set off, they notice that Ashton wasn't following them so, they go back. Ashton was nowhere. He had disappeared and the local believed that a wild animal just took him away. Unconvinced Celeste and Widget still continue their investigation.

"Do you think a tiger came and took him away?" Widget whispered.

"With no sound whatsoever? Who'd believe that." Celeste whispered back.

"You know, something similar happened few days ago. The locals continue to say it's the work of a tiger."

"It's unconvincing but we don't have solid grounds..." Celeste started to continue but stopped as the local stopped in his way.

"A tiger's coming. We need to go back."

"This is weird! No matter how you look at it!" Widget said frustratingly.

"A tiger came and took Ashton away in few seconds but we didn't know and now he's sensing things?"

"This is suspicious. Perhaps, we should go with someone else." Widget said and Celeste agreed. The next day, a lady named Leila accompanied them.

She told them a story of how few friends came to the nearby village to tour. There was a guesthouse there, to stay which was owned by a man named DS. He was a guide who agrees to lead them the next day to the core area, where tigers live, for hunting. That very night, DS disappeared and his decapitated body was found in the nearby swamp the next day.