Lost Encounters

Strangest Isle

   "Alright everyone," Capt. Gomez said as stood up and slung his shotgun over his shoulder. "We're moving out. Gear up, and follow my lead."
  Within moments, the 7 members of Squadron 5 strung out in single file behind their leader. Kate walked behind the captain, eyeing the ground as her feet shuffled along. Cpl. Ryan struggled forward behind her, as he was weighed down with a large medic pack and the company's emergency pack as well. Following him was Sgt. Banks, Pvt. Sheller, and Pvt. Cooper. Lt. Walker brought up the rear.

  "Am I going crazy?" Kate asked herself as she forced herself forward. Her left leg still felt broken and loose, and several times she had stumbled, just to have Cpl. Ryan catch her. "Who is that girl? What did she want?"
"Everything okay, Kate?" Cpl. Ryan asked, his blue eyes filled with concern. "You don't seem to be your overconfident Asian self."
  Cpl. Ryan stepped up and walked beside her. They walked in silence for a while, listening to their feet crunching the dry leaves covering the forest floor.
"How good are you at keeping secrets?" Kate asked, looking at Ryan. Ryan looked shocked.
"Kate!" He hissed back quietly, "You know what the Captain said about keeping secrets!"
  "Yes, I know," Kate paused with a sigh. "But I'm afraid to tell what I've seen. It might make the others think that I'm going crazy."
"That depends," Ryan said, glancing around thoughtfully. " What did you see?"
"I'll only tell you if you'll keep it a secret."
  Ryan quickly glanced around. Capt. Gomez was out of earshot and so was Sgt. Banks. It was now or never.
"Alright," he agreed. "This is between you and me. My lips are sealed."
  "Over where the helicopter crashed," began Kate, "I saw something. I saw someone that...that wasn't part of our group."
  "Are you certain?" Ryan interrupted. "Because when I found you, you appeared to be unconscious. And you had your eyes closed. I dragged you over to the fire that Sgt. Banks made. Then I went to find Cap. When I came back to you, I touched your shoulder. You opened your eyes then."
  Kate glared indignantly at him. "I know what I saw, Ryan."
  Ryan sighed. "Okay...who did you see?"
" I saw a girl," Kate went on, "She was young, maybe 13 or 14 years old. She had long black hair and really dark eyes."
Ryan's eyes widened, but he didn't interrupt.
  "She was wearing a long black dress and was just staring at me. When she finally did speak, she sounded like you. I guess then I opened my eyes, but when I did she vanished." Kate looked at Ryan, searching for any sign of belief. But she saw that he was in mental conflict. Ryan was silent for several minutes.
"You don't believe me, do you?" Kate asked dejectedly. "That's why I didn't want to tell anyone."
  "No, Kate, it's not that," Ryan stated. "It's just that I believe that what you saw was one of the many tricks up this island's sleeves. I believe you. I'm sure all of Squadron 5 can agree that this place is haunted. In fact, look at what I found..." Ryan pulled from his pocket a red little book. It was worn and old with age and use. "I know it's  a journal of some sort," Ryan continued, handing Kate the book. But I can't read anything on it. I can't even read the cover!"
  Kate glanced at the red cover. He was right! Nothing. She opened the book and saw many empty lined pages. "This is so weird." Kate looked at Ryan. "Remember, sealed lips."
  Ryan smiled and put his finger to his lips. Then he stepped back to his place behind her....

   Capt. Gomez led his unit through what looked to be an ancient jungle. Short, thick, trees that looked thousands of years old dotted the forest here and there, mingled with younger trees. Around the older trees, thick, vine-like plants entangled the trunks and hung down from the low branches and grew along the ground. Old, dry leaves covered the ground, making the forest sing as the Squad's boots crunched on them.
  It was evening, and the setting Sun shone it's last rays through the trees and vines. An evening wind whispered magic through the great trees, causing most of Squadron 5 to shiver involuntarily. Through this isle Capt. Gomez fearlessly led on.

  Just as the last rays waved goodbye to this side of the world, Squadron 5 came into another grassy field. They found in the center of it an abandoned mud hut with a thatched roof.
"We're stopping her for tonight," Capt. Gomez ordered. The hut had a small hole in the top of it to let out the smoke of a fire. In the center of the hat's floor lied ten stones, arranged in a circle.
  "Kate, Sheller, and Cooper, you guys go out and collect some wood. The rest of us will set this place up. This will be our temporary headquarters for a while." Capt. Gomez ordered.
  The three soldiers did as ordered and scattered to find wood. Far from the others, Kate bent down and began to gather wood. A stick broke behind her. She spun around, but nobody...no one...was there.
  "Sheller? Cooper?" Kate called. No one answered. She was alone again. She bent back down to pick up a stick.
CRACK!
Kate whirled around in time to see the form of the girl she had seen earlier vanish behind a tree, laughing and giggling quietly as if to herself. Kate stepped slowly toward the tree. The laughing stopped. Kate pulled out her gun and ran around the other side of the tree. Nobody was there. The girl had vanished. Kate's heart raced within her and fear gripped her mind. Putting the pistol back in it's holster, she picked up several sticks nearby and started back towards the hut.
  A little ways from the hut, Kate came face to face with the girl. The girl wasn't smiling, and her face was as pale as death. Her eyes burned with a fiery anger.
"Why?" She whispered. "Why??!!" The girl suddenly screamed, loud and bloodcurtling. Kate stepped back in fear but tripped on an unseen object. Kate fell with a scream, spilling her arm-load of wood. Kate heard distant shouting and beams of flashlights scanning around. They called her name but she felt powerless to answer. She couldn't move. A force seemed to hold her captive. Kate felt something trickling out of her head. She placed her finger there and pulled it back...blood. Her world began to spin slowly, and her vision began to dim. The girl knelt down beside her, gazing into her eyes as if reading Kate's very soul. Just before Kate blacked out, the girl smiled, her eyes lighting up as if she had just found something valuable...