Nikasios's Island

III

Paris sat up from the small bed. Her hair was a mess and her clothes had holes from crashing onto shore yesterday. She yawned and got out of bed. The morning air was chilly and smelled of rain. Paris headed for the balcony and gazed into the distance. Fog lingered on the trees wrapping around them like a blanket. She hugged herself, shivering at the thought of a warm blanket at the hour of morning chills. When Isabel was younger during winter she used to throw blankets on her. Paris stuffed her hands in her pocket fingering for her phone if it were possible it survived the crash. Her phone was underneath gum wrappers and sand but it still worked. She checked the Wi-Fi connection but there was none, this island wasn't modern enough. Paris put her phone back and sighed against a lawn chair on the balcony.

The alluring bird noises filled the silence, resonant to her ears. She lifted her chin slightly. A pink bird with the most spectacular purple accent wings flew around. Itwas following another bird with purple feathers and rainbow wings. The red, orange, yellow, and green colors faded together; the tips almost clear enough to see the trees behind the bird. The rainbow-winged bird reminded her of a colorful diamond. Paris thought of her mother and father at home wondering how they thought she was having fun on the cruise ship. They didn't know about the storm. They didn't hear about the crashing ship on the news. They didn't suspect that their niece, their lovable Isabel, had died.

Just in case they heard of the crash Paris decided to take a photo of the island to show she was okay; even if she didn't have internet to send the pictures. Perhaps someone would find the island eventually. She grabbed her phone again and went in the camera app. With the phone at the perfect angle, she snapped a picture. It was a beautiful view of the birds and colored trees. Her grip loosened and the phone fell from her hands landing two stories below her.

     Paris's eyes widened. "Crap!"

She ran passed the furniture and slid down the pole, her hands blistering on the smooth wood. She should have made leaf gloves before doing. Paris bent down and picked up her phone. A big crack covered the screen almost like a twig clawed it. It was too damaged to be turned on. Great job, you broke it, she thought as a drone sound emerged from a yellow tree behind her. The pitches changed every now and then but overall the sound was perfect, it wasn't flat or off-key. Paris turned around towards the captivating noise. The tree seemed to have a faint golden glow as if it were the sun plastered on bark. Something tangy slithered up Paris's nostrils. It was a familiar fruity scent. Peaches...

"Come closer," whispered a voice in the blowing wind.

Paris was hypnotized by the soft voice. It was peaceful like a rabbit in a field of daisies yet demanding as if leading. She dropped her phone on the dirt and took a step forward. Her eyes stared at the light as she listened to the quiet murmur of the voice instructing her. She felt no longer cold or the urge to pick up her broken phone. Paris lifted her hand gently and moved it closer to the glow. Her fingers were inches away from touching it, feeling the light. The mysteries of it just in arm's reach. She dropped her hands to her sides; she couldn't do it. A voice in her head was screaming this was wrong. Something of darkness loomed off the tree. The golden glow's presence felt bitter and ominous. Paris took a step back, and then another. Her heart was racing though no fear drove within her.

The wind grew heavier, howling amongst the island and twirling Paris's caramel hair into tangles. An invisible finger was tapping against her neck causing shivers to run down her spine. The glow was pulsing like a heartbeat, on and off with its flashy light. Dark clouds covered the island's skies in an eerie gloom of grayness. The sound of thunder was in the background. The sound of the cruise ship disaster was happening. A storm of tragedy and death of the loved was coming; it was coming to this island.

A jagged bolt struck from overhead and rain fell after that. The ferocious wind blew branches against the house creating a rattling sound similar to metal trash cans. Paris was frozen. As much as she wanted to leave she couldn't; her body didn't agree. The only thing she could think of was flashes of her memories about Isabel falling. She could have saved her. All she had to do was reach for her and pull her up, but she didn't. Instead she stood there and untied the raft so she could escape safely. The guilt was weighing her down and she knew that, but what was the point when you were at an island no one else knew existed?

The sound was getting louder. The scenery was brightening and flashing. The winds were getting angrier. This was one heck of a storm. Or in Greek myths, Zeus was mad! Paris was soaked and her feet sunk in the mud that was oozing everywhere. Suddenly there was a shrill of an explosion. A light blinded her eyes and she turned the other way screaming. A throbbing pain stabbed at her entire body and all the noises around her shrunk. A numbness that started in her fingers went down to her arm and then to her head. Paris felt like she could barely move. It felt like her world was turned upside-down and someone was holding her by her feet. Black spots dotted her already awful vision like wildfire until there was no light left.

No light left in a world of darkness on an island secluded from the world.

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Wow I did not realize that the golden glow could be tinker bell. It wasn't meant to turn out that way, but oh well.