Stranded

I

Walking down the hill, I try to forget about the incident and wind up back at the ship's wreckage. Salvaging for supplies, I take a knife, backpack and head back into the wilderness. It is not until night time that I get another twinge of hope, which manifests in the form of distant, rising smoke.

Heading towards the beacon, the light of a fire casts shadows amongst the trees. The sound of tribal drums penetrates the dense growth as the men and women orbit around the fire, in movements that mock the flames. I am on the verge of breaking out the brush when all the festivities come to an abrupt halt.

A new man takes the center of attention as he leads a woman, bound hand and foot by thick vines, towards the center of the circle. The lead man shouts something in a foreign language, and then proceeds to cut the restraints. With a final shriek, the woman's screams become interwoven with the tribe's as the flames greet her with their warm embrace. The tribe starts their dance back up, this time mocking the woman running to escape the pain. It is not until her movements come to a final stop, that anyone throws water on her. Turning my back to run, the foul stench of burning flesh penetrates my nose and the final image I am left with is the people pulling her apart and feasting on her. With the dream of help destroyed, I focus on developing a new plan. Searching the forest for food, I decide to pronounce it a night and take refuge in the bushes.

I spend the next two uneventful days scavenging for food. As I decline from the mountaintop, a sharp pain strikes my ankle and is followed by an ear-shattering crack. Wanting to set myself free, I begin to claw at the vine that is keeping me suspended above the ground. When I get the knot loose with a gentle tug, I am greeted back to the earth by the tribe leader with a bag over my face.