Phoenix Rising

April 17th 1479

We finally make our way to the top of the cliff after an hour of climbing. I pull Dawn up last and then turn toward a vast forest that lies before us.

"I guess we should start moving." Before I take a step though, Chris grabs my shoulder.

"You do not know what dangers lie waiting in the forest, perhaps we should..." I cut him off abruptly as I shake free of his hand,

"Should what? Sit here and wait for a miracle? Sit and wait for the dangers to come to us? I do not think so, we have no other options." Victoria then speaks up.

"But brother, we could travel for days through this forest and what do you hope to find? Do you think we will find others?" I look over at her annoyed.

"As I said, Victoria, we really have no other choice. We need food and water or else we will die. I don't know what we will find but it is better than sitting here waiting for something to find us."

We begin trekking through the thick forest. After a short while I look back and realize that Chris and the captain are not with us. I am about to call out for them when I hear a thunderous crash above us.

"What was that?" Victoria asks, looking up frantically.

The sun is setting and a fog is quickly descending upon the forest, making the surrounding trees look more mysterious.

"It was most likely just a bird." I respond.

My initial shock that flooded my brain days earlier has been filled with my normal sense of attitude and negativity. Just the way I like it.

"Must have been a large bird then." Dawn said quizzically. "What if it was a dragon! Or a giant, or worse?" Victoria's eyes got all wide as she got herself all worked up over nothing.

"That is highly unlikely seeing as those are all fictional creatures. So give up your childish musings, Victoria. For goodness sakes, you are nearly twenty and one years now. You are old enough to use some common sense."

"Why are you always such a boar?"

"I am not a boar, I am a realist. I don't worry about minuscule things like different beasts from fairytales running free on an island. We need to be worrying about finding shelter, food, water, and fire. It has been raining for the past week. At least that's what I assume based on the level of humidity and the moisture on the plants. It seems that we will have a hard time finding dry logs to make a fire with."

"Where are the captain and christopher?" Victoria finally asks me, looking around us.

"I do not know." I reply, remembering I was going to call to them. "Chris? Captain?" I yell loudly. I listen for a moment. Silence. Suddenly we both hear the crash again, but louder and nearer this time.

"I think that making sure that there is not a ten foot gorilla swinging about or a swarm of parasites about to come and gouge out our eyes, is just a little important at the moment, don't you think? Plus, knowing the residents, if indeed there are any, of this island might also be in our best interests."

"Stop worrying about it. If there are creatures that are going to kill us then we will die either way. And if there are people living here we do not know that they would welcome us and if they even would be able speak and understand our language. What we really need at the moment is shelter and our other basic needs. I don't know about you, but I am starving." I begin walking again when we hear a giant thud behind us.

"We should probably search for the others as well." Victoria says timidly.

"If they were stupid enough to run off then they can take care of themselves. I am sure we will run into them soon enough." I reply, getting more and more irritated by the minute.