The island's ambiance was worthy of its name—it looked cursed. Its shape was similar to a volcano, making it more like a fortress or prison because of its dimensions.
We reached the island's shore and left the raft afloat. Nanatili akong nakatayo lang habang pinagmamasdaan ang gubat na sumalubong sa amin. It was as eerie as the forest we went through before navigating the ocean.
"I-is this a hidden island?" tanong ko sa kanya kaya naman napalingon siya sa akin.
"No. This is in the prefecture of Ogasawara, Japan. Locals call it Minami Iwo Jima but they believe that this is an uninhabited island due to its features."
"But what about the fog a while ago?" I asked and he gave me a smirk in return.
"That was Farallon's sixth sense," he answered.
Nagsimula naman siyang maglakad kaya agad akong sumunod sa kanya pero napapahinto ako kapag may naririnig akong sumisigaw. Their howls were a mixture of pain and anger, sounds that could trigger anxiety to others.
Napatingin ulit ako sa gubat at lalo akong natakot dahil kakaiba ang mga nakikita kong puno at halaman. They looked endemic and several of them were peculiar and unnatural. I moved closer to him since the atmosphere felt disturbing and I don't want to be alone in this kind of place.
Bigla naman siyang napatigil at nabangga ako sa kanya. Pagtingin ko, may tatlong lalaking galing sa loob ng gubat na papunta sa direksyon namin. They were wearing black and red clothes, and I wasn't sure if the red spots were part of the design.
"Vince!" the shortest one yelled.
One of them looked at me and their green eyes were intense and terrifying, as if emeralds were embedded on their iris. Nagtago ako sa likuran ni Mitsuo dahil kakaiba ang tingin nila sa akin at hindi ko rin alam kung ano ang kaya nilang gawin.
"Let's go," bulong ni Mitsuo pero hindi ako gumalaw dahil kakaiba talaga ang pakiramdam ko sa lugar na 'to. Magsasalita na sana ako pero nagulat ako nang bigla niyang hinawakan ang kamay ko. 'Trust me,' he said and my heart just skipped a beat. What was that?
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Wala akong nagawa kundi ang magpahatak sa kanya at sinundan naman namin ang tatlong lalaki. When we entered the forest, the sunlight was immediately blocked by the tallest and bulkiest trees, making it more frightening. My initial reaction was to clench Mitsuo's hand and I was surprised when he held it tighter. Bumilis na naman ang tibok ng puso ko pero parang tumigil 'yon nang dahil sa nakita ko.
Consecutive roars from the huge lion and leopard in front greeted us and I was rendered motionless due to fear and confusion. Their bodies were twice larger than the normal ones and they looked more ferocious.
"Shira, Hyora, halt," the guy in the middle ordered and both of them backed away, but their glares and growls made it clear that they were still watching us.
