Shadows Of The Forgotten Island

Hurrem, Sali, and the Stranger? (Ep-04)

Morning light gently caressed Sali's face, waking him with a slight shiver. Outside, there were traces of the light rain that had fallen throughout the night; small puddles on the ground and droplets of water dripping from the leaves of the trees formed a silent symphony. Sali added a few more logs to the fire, which was about to go out. The last water droplets hanging from the branches evaporated with a faint sizzle as they met the flames. He slowly got up to gather more wood, carefully stepping around the dry leaves and branches that had fallen from the surrounding trees. His thoughts still revolved around the plane crash and how they had ended up here. But his survival instinct pushed him into action every day.

After some time...

Exhausted, he sat down at the entrance of the hollow and muttered to himself, "This wood will last us a week." Then, he gathered his thoughts: "Next up is finding water and food," he told himself. Organizing the steps to survival in his mind gave him a sense of control. He didn't forget to strap little Hurrem to his back. As he carried her, Hurrem giggled softly. This little sound warmed Sali's heart a bit. After walking for a while, he finally found what he was looking for: a stream. The clear water gave Sali a glimmer of hope. He quickly filled the containers he had with him. "Water is done; now we just need to find a steady food source," he said determinedly. He took the water containers back to the hollow, even putting some on the fire to boil. However, even these simple tasks made it difficult to keep track of time on this island, where the days seemed to blur together.

Time flowed swiftly on this island; as the days chased one another, Sali's consciousness found refuge in the safety of routine. At first, the struggle for survival filled every moment of his day. The few cans he had found around were running out; these were the lifeline for survival. When his eyes caught sight of a can labeled "Barbunya Pilaki," he smiled slightly and thought to himself, "Normally, I wouldn't touch this, but little Hurrem loves it." But he found it increasingly difficult to recall that Hurrem had never actually eaten any of these foods. There was a fog, a confusion in his mind. "Sometimes, I can't even remember how I brought her here," he thought.

As Sali strapped little Hurrem to his back, Hurrem smiled and said, "Daddy." This simple word brought tears to Sali's eyes. "My sweet girl," he murmured, hugging Hurrem tightly. This bond forced him to cling to reality. The time they had spent together over the past six years made him forget everything except the island and Hurrem. Sali had even tried to teach her French and had given her storybooks he had made with his own hands. Over time, Hurrem had become agile enough to move swiftly among the tree branches. Now, when they collected materials for the traps they set, she easily outpaced Sali. While Sali admired his daughter's abilities, a question kept turning over in his mind: "How could a child grow so fast and become so skilled in such a short time?"

The small houses and toys they had built marked the path between the stream and the hollow. This simple life, from the outside, might have seemed like paradise, but there was an anxiety gnawing at Sali. He had strictly forbidden Hurrem from leaving this area. It was Sali's only rule because the world outside the island was filled with unknown dangers. Hurrem, however, contented herself with climbing to the tops of the trees and observing the surroundings. Sometimes the island seemed so beautiful and peaceful that it almost felt like a piece of paradise. But this beauty couldn't cover the growing thorn of unease inside Sali.

One day, while Hurrem was up in a tree, Sali was secretly preparing for her birthday. If his calculations were correct, Hurrem was four years old when he found her; now, she was about to turn nine. "It's been six years," Sali thought. They had been on this island for six years. Sali seemed to have forgotten about cities and people. At night, after Hurrem had fallen asleep, he would try to remember where he came from by reading fragments of newspapers left from the plane crash. However, even those newspaper pieces were beginning to feel like relics of a foreign world. Sali's world now revolved entirely around this island and Hurrem. Hurrem, on the other hand... Hurrem seemed to belong to this island, as if the island had accepted her and made her a part of itself. These thoughts were increasingly troubling Sali; it was as if the island was drawing his daughter into its essence.

When he heard Hurrem coming down from the tree, Sali quickly hid the gift he had prepared. Hurrem was a smart child; she sensed that her father was preparing something for her birthday. "Daddy, today feels special... is it an important day?" she asked. Sali laughed and said, "Nope, just an ordinary day," but as soon as he saw the disappointment on Hurrem's face, he revealed the hidden gift. "Happy Birthday, Hurrem!" he shouted. Hurrem was surprised and very happy. She hugged her father tightly, blew out the candle, and made her wish.

When they asked Hurrem what she wished for, she said, "I want to explore every corner of this island and see Istanbul one day." A moment of sadness welled up in Sali, but there was nothing he could do but support Hurrem's dreams. "But Hurrem, you know the island is dangerous, full of wild and exotic creatures," Sali said. Hurrem, however, simply replied, "I know, Daddy! But I'm just curious," and closed the subject. Sali hugged Hurrem and said, "Alright, sweetheart, we'll explore this place and the world together."

After a while...

Sali was startled by a sudden scream and the sound of an explosion breaking the silence. He quickly shouted, "Red code, Hurrem!" Hurrem, upon hearing this, activated the traps, surrounded the area with barbed wire, and ran toward the hollow's secret cellar. Sali, on the other hand, immediately climbed to the top of the hollow to try to figure out what had caused the scream. He saw a man holding a torch. Was this a human?

The sound that followed filled Sali with dread. What was it that was coming? It was hard to tell what it really was. The thing behind the man stopped, but at that moment, Sali realized that the man was caught in a trap. "Oh no, he's going to get caught in the trap," Sali thought. And indeed, the man got caught.

Sali quickly moved toward where the man was. However, he didn't notice that Hurrem was quietly following him. Hurrem wanted to see what had been caught in the trap. When Sali reached the man, he saw that he had fainted from fear and exhaustion.

Sali gently nudged him, saying, "Hey, wake up." The man's face was pale, his eyes closed; each breath was so faint it was barely audible. For a moment, Sali's heart filled with the fear that the man might be dead. But the man took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and looked at Sali's face. There was fear and confusion in his eyes. Sali opened his mouth to say something, but the man's whispering voice stopped him.

"Please... don't eat me," the man pleaded, his voice trembling and desperate. These words echoed in Sali's mind, freezing him for a moment. He couldn't understand why the man would think that. What kind of horror could he have encountered on this island that made him believe people would eat him? Hundreds of questions flooded Sali's mind. Hurrem was startled by these frightening words; she quickly clung to Sali, her eyes wide with fear. Sali gently stroked her to calm her, then turned to the man and spoke in a reassuring tone.

"Calm down, no one's going to eat you," Sali said, softening his voice as much as possible. But the fear on the man's face hadn't entirely disappeared. He turned to Hurrem and said, "The red code is meant to protect you, Hurrem," he said. It was important to control his daughter; one of the most crucial rules of survival on this island was to take threats seriously. But even Sali's words didn't completely calm Hurrem's inner fear.

The man slowly opened his eyes and looked at Sali's face carefully. There was still a look of fear in his eyes, but now there was a glimmer of hope as well. "Are you... are you human?" he asked, his voice trembling. Sali thought the question was absurd for a moment; of course, he was human. But the man's fear was so deep that Sali answered the strange question with seriousness.

"Yes, I'm human," Sali said, with a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Why do you ask?"

The man took a deep breath, as if this answer would erase all his fears. "Please... show me your teeth," he pleaded, his voice desperate. This strange request puzzled Sali even more, but faced with the man's sincerity, Sali slowly opened his mouth and showed his teeth. The man examined them carefully for a moment, then let out a deep breath, appearing relieved. "Thank God," he said, "You belong to the human group."