Shadow Island

Chapter Six

In the middle of the night, I woke up with a start. The room was silent and empty. Jonas and Tim were gone, and a brief surge of panic gripped me. Where could they possibly have gone? I walked to the closed door, opened it, and stepped into the dimly lit hallway. A glance out of the window finally revealed them standing on a nearby hill, appearing to search for something.

After getting dressed, I headed out to join them. The sun was just rising, the air was cool and fresh, and a few birds were circling above the lighthouse. "Morning, guys," I called as I approached. Jonas, wearing his brown coat and hiking boots, nodded at me, while Tim turned to face me. "What are you doing out here so early?" I asked.

Tim sighed and explained, "The boat we came here with sank overnight. Someone flooded the inside with water. And that's not all—someone also stole the backpack with our supplies from the lighthouse!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed in surprise. "Was it an animal? Or do you think someone was on the island?"

Jonas shook his head. "An animal? I don't think so. What animal would take an entire backpack? It was someone who knew we were here and wanted our supplies."

"I've got no signal here," Tim muttered as he checked his phone. "Otherwise, I could've called my mom. She'd definitely be able to send us something."

Jonas gave a dry laugh. "And how exactly is she supposed to do that? By helicopter?"

Tim shrugged. "It's an option."

I shook my head. "No, that's pointless. Our boat is gone, so we're on our own. I think we should find out who it was and what they wanted here."

"And what if this 'someone' is already back on the mainland?" Tim countered skeptically. "Then we're just wasting our time."

At that moment, Tim suddenly bent down and picked something up from the grass. "Look what I found!" He held up a silver key with a small tag attached. "It looks like the key to a room or a shed," he said, examining it thoughtfully.

Jonas took the key from him and nodded. "Yeah, and maybe our nighttime visitor is looking for this key. Who knows, maybe they'll even come back tonight to get it."

I grinned. "Then we should lie in wait. If they lost the key, they probably won't leave the island without it."

Tim nodded eagerly. "Exactly. Let's keep an eye out here and search the area for more clues. Maybe we'll find something else."

We spent the rest of the day exploring the island. As night fell, we hid in the shadows of the lighthouse, the sound of the waves in the background. The darkness felt impenetrable, and the minutes dragged by until, around eleven o'clock, we spotted a faint light in the distance.

"Do you see that?" whispered Jonas with a tense look. "Someone's coming."

I felt my heart pound in my chest. "Who the hell is that?"

The light drew closer, flickering over the ground until it stopped just near the tower. A figure stepped into the moonlight—an old, gaunt man with a scruffy beard, cautiously circling the lighthouse. He looked exhausted and held a long stick in his hand. The three of us exchanged a glance, and Jonas nodded to me.

"Now or never," I whispered. We crept up to him quietly. Suddenly, Jonas stepped forward and called, "Hey, stop right there!"

The man jumped, dropping his stick. "Mercy!" he cried in shock. "I mean you no harm!"

We moved closer, taking a good look at him. He didn't look like a thief—more like a fisherman, someone who had braved many storms and now looked at us in fear.

"What are you doing here?" Tim asked skeptically.

The old man hesitated, raising his hands slowly. "I'm just a poor fisherman. This island is my shelter when I'm out on the sea. Sometimes, I spend the night in the tower."

We glanced at each other, clearly surprised. "In the tower?" I asked, incredulous.

The man nodded slowly. "Yes, for years. I thought the tower was abandoned. When I saw you here last night, I didn't want to disturb you. But as I was leaving, I must've lost my key..."

A moment of silence followed until Jonas chuckled softly. "Well, that explains everything." We could hardly believe that our supposed thief was just an old fisherman looking for shelter.

"So, how about we let this gentleman stay in the tower for the night?" I suggested. "And tomorrow, we can help him get back to the mainland with his boat."

Tim and Jonas nodded in agreement, and we invited the man to join us.