Stranded

Chapter 1

It is strangely quiet on the far side of the island this afternoon. No birds are singing, no leaves can be heard moving in the wind. Yet, the setting still feels peaceful. The earthy smell of numerous flowers and the bright warmth of the sun floods through the forest.

The calming silence is disrupted by the sound of a twig snapping. Kaden looks down and silently curses to himself. He was trying to stay unnoticed but he is now sure that every hidden creature is staring at him.

"Well, so much for trying to be invisible," Kaden says aloud.

The young man continues his way through the forest, not bothering to be absolutely silent this time. He is determined to find what he has been searching for since he was just a boy. Kaden is certain that this is the island his grandfather told so many stories about and had great adventures on. He already visited every other island that seemed to be like the one he heard of. They were all spectacular, but they just weren't the right one. This is the last one he has to visit. Everything seems to fit the descriptions perfectly, but Kaden still needs to make sure that it truly is the right place he's been looking years for.

As Kaden walks through the trees, he gets the feeling that he's getting close to his destination. Sure enough, five feet ahead of him is a magnificent waterfall in a small lake, perfect for swimming and bathing in. He feels his stomach flip over, knowing what's going to be behind the waterfall. Yet, instead of pressing onward, he walks over to the water and stares at his beautiful surroundings. It feels like magic is just floating in the air and drifting through the water. Kaden spots a flicker of movement to his right. He sees nothing except for water streaming down the rocks. He shakes his head, thinking to himself, "of course there's movement, it's a waterfall for goodness sake." Turning away from the water, he continues past the waterfall.

According to what his grandfather told him, his old treehouse should just be about 50 feet away. Kaden thinks back to a conversation he had with his grandpops just a few years ago.

"Now, Kade-boy, once you get to the waterfall, walk about 50 feet behind the fall and you should find a huge tree in a small clearing. In that tree is my home," Kaden's grandfather informs him.

"So, is it like a treehouse? Like in Tarzan?" Kaden inquires.

Grandpops chuckles, "Yes, you could call it that. It took me 5 months to build it and it protected me for 15 years. It's probably worn down by now and overrun by nature. If you ever find it, you'll want to fix it up, so bring tools."

"Alright, Pops. I'll fix it up for you."

"And make sure to bring some important things like pillows, plates, and whatnot. Expect everything to be destroyed when you get there."

"Okay, don't worry. I'll have everything planned out."

"Good, that will be necessary for survival on that island. Things won't always be what you think they are. Be careful and expect the unexpected."

Kaden always remembered that line after Pops told it to him. "Expect the unexpected." He had to constantly keep that in mind, because he knew that if he didn't, there would be plenty of surprises here in store for him.

Lost in his thoughts, Kaden trips over a tree root. He stumbles forward a bit before balancing himself. Looking up from the ground, a giant tree looms over him. About 5 feet above him is the "treehouse," just like his grandfather said. The general term for "treehouse" is a bit of an understatement for the hulking setup that is built in the tree. But it really did seem like the house is truly a part of the massive plant. "Tree Palace" would be a much better term to describe it. He could see from where he is standing that his new home needs some work. Though, it still looks pretty sturdy and it isn't in that bad of a condition for a place that hasn't been lived in for decades. Walking towards the tree, he puts his hand on the stair rail.

"Home at last," Kaden sighs aloud.