Sanctuarium

Chapter 3

     Tommy's cave was in the side of a large hill that was covered in green bushes. The door was above the ground, so it was only reachable by climbing up the steep rocky slope, or by flight. Next to the door was a couple of holes for windows that looked out onto the beach of Sanctuarium Island.
     The island was very large (about the size of all of Hawaii's islands together) so it was big enough to hold a growing population of anthromorphics. Hundreds of years ago, the humans had started killing off anthros on the mainlands due to their hate for difference. As a result, a large group of remaining anthros got in a ship and lived out in the ocean, careful to go where they knew humans wouldn't find them. After months of weaving in and out of the currents to avoid being followed, the starving, desperate crew of the ship found a huge island. It was uninhabited and untouched. It was perfect. So, they set up camp, wrote up a map, and sent some of the crew back towards the mainlands where they found more anthros in hiding and helped them to get to the safety of the island. Over the years, hundreds, thousands, and even tens of thousands of anthros were able to make it to the island before they were completely exterminated.
     Miraculously, none of the maps to the island were ever found by the humans, so not a single human was ever able to follow them to their new, secret home. The island was named Sanctuarium Island for the protection it gave to the desperate anthros.
     Some of the ones who had first found the island governed it at first, and then it was passed down to new leaders.
     The species of anthros on Sanctuarium Island were diverse although many were unfortunately killed off during the massacre back on the mainlands.
     So, for hundreds of years, Sanctuarium Island sat in the ocean with a fifteen mile radius of currents and a maze of jagged rocks that had developed over time after the anthros had settled there.
     In other words, the island was protected by God.

     So, when Tommy returned to his cave after his visit to Chrissy's, he closed his door and sighed dejectedly as he stared out his window at the beautiful ocean. The vibrant blue turned into a mixture of darker blues and white as the tiny waves washed onto the shore at an angle.
     He leaned his cheek on his palm as he tried to figure out what had gone wrong. Did Chrissy really just not want to start a relationship? Or did she not want to start one with him? If that was the case, then he'd just have to her that he was the right person for her. Or at least convince her.
     Tommy sighed again. This was going to be harder than he thought.