Incubus I (UNDER EDITING)!!!

Chapter 20: On A Beach?

Mia~

  The scent of damp earth was the first thing i perceived,  from the absolute nothingness. Then the warmth of the morning sun, upon my arms and back, then i could hear the life around me, birds, and the roar of water beating hard against the land, it would have been an illusion of absolute darkness, but for the sensation I felt when i tried to feel more of my environment from my fingertips. My bed felt like grains, my thigh still hurt, a little reminder that whatever this was, it was real. Unable to match that environment with my last location, i forced my eyes open.

It appeared plain like a painting at first, the beach, coconut trees, shurbs and bushes, till the wind blew past the trees,  causing their long narrow leafs to flutter around. I shut my eyes and opened them again to be sure i was seeing rightly, but this nightmare didn't disappear, i was on land, with no clue as to how i got there.

  I sat up, rubbed the sand off my face and arms. Then i looked around me to see the rest if any of the others were around, but no one was. Not the ship, none one of my teammates, not a single soul. I sat in solitude, trying to remember something that could explain my current predicament, but no image in my head was of any use. They just didn't relate, from a not so comfortable bed to the beach sand. I felt the urge to rest my back so i dragged myself till i reached  the foot of a tree. There i sat watching the morning sun climb from behind the the mountains.

   I felt a burning sensation over my whole body, and sprang back to consciousness. Slightly opening my eyes, as it ached when the light came through. The sun was high in the sky and extremely hot, perhaps my brain couldn't take it anymore that's why i woke up, that was an easy fix. I rolled over into the shadows and cooled off a bit. I wasn't sure how long i had been out but it had to be a couple of hours for the sun to be that high in the sky.

Grateful i could think clearly this time, i tried to recall the events again but nothing made sense. I looked to the sea and saw a few crates on the shore, planks, and floating ropes. These were only pointing to only one possible reason, why i was here. Ship wreck, i didn't even realize i held my hands held up behind my head at the thought. I had a conviction that someone else had to be here with me, at least one person.

I motioned to get up, but my right leg won't let me. My thigh still hurt, not as much as before though, but enough to keep me from walking. I cut a strip from my leg and cut the sleeves of my top to make a bandage which i wrapped tightly around my leg. I didn't get it at first, but after a couple more tries, i did. I drew my leg back and forth, to examine it. Satisfied, i pulled myself up with the tree and staggered back to the beach, walking majorly on my left.

I looked both to my left and right, but didn't see anything, just crates and more wood. My stomach growled before i decided which way to go. I had even forgotten what it was like to be hungry, with so much on my mind.  I reached for one of the crates floating nearby and dragged it to shore. It was perfectly sealed, and i hand no means to open it. I reached for a stone and began smashing the lock, but it was too strong. I tried throwing it into a rock but it didn't break, i was using up much energy on that crate,  but i didn't have a choice. I tried the lock again  with a bigger stone this time and it yielded.

I opened it quickly, only to discover it was filled with silk. Angered, i kicked it over with my good leg. I sat on the rock and held my head in my hands,  thinking of what to do next. I looked up again to see another crate floating nearby. I immediately got up and ran towards it. My leg hurt with every step but i didn't bother about it till i got the crate back to the shore. I hit it with the rock in the same fashion as the first, and it yeilded to reveal dining and cooking utensils only.

I sank into the ground disappointed. Then an idea struck me, i looked to the trees and as i had hoped, large coconuts hung from the top, problem was,  it was way too high for me to climb with my bad leg. I picked up a couple of rocks and walked off to the tree that first caught my attention.

After hurling the rocks at the coconuts the first three times with no results, i felt a dominant chill from the back of my head, wash down the rest of my body parts as i slumped into the tree, and felt a tear, roll down my cheeks. The wave of fear and loneliness i felt at that point caused all glimmers of hope i had to diminish instantly, all the thoughts of  being stong, and the conviction that I wasn't alone suddenly vanished. I was truly alone, stranded on an island i had no idea how i got to.

After a few moments of thinking i looked to the beach and saw a small crate on the shore. At this point all objects in boxes of any kind annoyed me,  but i had no choice but to check. I walked over to it and opened it  to my surprise it oppened easily and was filled with dried provisions. I could feel my face light up with a smile and my worries drown as i grabbed a steak and gnawed at it speedily. I reached for a can of food,  limped back to the utensils crate to fetch a knife which i used to open it.

Moments later i sat on the beach sand and rested against a rock with my third, half empty food can in hand,  too full to take another spoon. I stopped myself from thinking, just to keep myself sane, but i had this crazy idea to swim into the open sea. To see most of the island perhaps i could see more of it from a distance,  but i considered my leg and ignored the option.

I sat there on the beach till late evening,  having nowhere else to go. I walked to the water on a whim, hoping to find something, anything at all, but found nothing. I began to retire to the shore when i stepped on something. I drew my leg back and looked through the clear waters at it. A sheathed sword sat at the bottom, buried halfway in the sand. I picked it up and hung it around my shoulders. Then continued back to land.

With my food can in hand at sunset, i examined the sword carefully when i arrived at my spot under the tree, the wolfhead sigil on it looked familiar, and it made my heart race. Kelvin was around here somewhere, and the thought of that was comforting, i had someone who could protect me nearby, all i had to do was find him. I finished my food quickly and ran back to the water front to scan the mountains for any sign of life, and to my delight, smoke was rising somewhere in the mountains, perhaps, someone was setting a fire or making dinner. Which ever it was, i was motivated to find out so i picked a few knives from the utensil crate and hung Kelvin's sword over my shoulder.

I got up to leave, but ducked when something caught my eye. I looked up to see a dark skinned, skinny looking tall man having a torch and a spear,  dressed in leaves, bones, having a belt made of human skulls and animal skin,  studying my footprints. Perhaps he was a native of the island, i thought. i saw him notice the footprint lead directly to me. He held out his spear and began threading cautiously towards the rock and crate, behind which i hid. My heart began to race as i gripped one of the knives tight in a bid to throw it at him any given chance.