Short Story Swirl

The Island (Fantasy)

Today, like most days, the forest was peaceful and thriving. The sun was shining through the leaves while animals scurried about beneath the canopy. The song of the birds hiding in the branches echoed throughout the forest, giving the grazing deer below some music to enjoy while eating. A lone squirrel sat on a rotting log that bordered one of the many woodland trails in the forest, loudly cracking open an acorn. Suddenly, he froze, and his head whipped up to look down the trail. He could hear someone coming. It wasn't long before a young girl became visible as she bounced down the trail, looking all around her in wonder. When her eyes met the squirrels, she smiled softly, but the cautious squirrel scurried off. She continued on anyway.

The sun warmed the breeze that blew through the trees, brushing against the girls arms and making her skin tingle. She loved the forest, this one in particular. She's been here many times before, and will visit many times after. She smiled as she continued along the trail, the bounce in her step making her short hair bob up and down. She listened to the birds as they chirped, the beauty in their songs always had the power to bring her close to tears.

Before long, the trail opened up to reveal a small beach with a large, sparkling lake. In the middle of the lake lay an island, not too big and yet not too small. As the girl approached the beach, her smile widened. This was her secret gem of the forest. As far as she knew, she was the only one who knew about this place. There was no trash from other people littering the beach, nor has she ever seen anyone else while here, and she's spent many hours here. No, this was her special spot, and hers alone.

Placing her waterproof backpack down on the beach, she quickly stripped down to reveal a white bikini covered with blue spots. She put her clothes inside her bag, and slipped it back over her shoulder. She stepped carefully forward, trying not to trip on the many rocks that bordered the shore. Slowly, she dipped her toe into the lake, testing the temperature of the water. Satisfied, she stepped in, going deeper and deeper until she could no longer touch the bottom, her bag helping in keeping her afloat. She took a moment to savor the feel of the water, swimming in circles and swishing her arms back and forth. It was a nice break from the heat beating down from the sun. After a couple of minutes, she began to swim to the island. Despite how much she loved the beach and the lake, the island was her favorite.

There was no beach on the island, it just dropped off for about a foot, and then there was the lake. No gradual slope for the girl the step up on, instead, she grabbed the closest over-hanging tree and hoisted herself onto shore. The island was very overgrown, with no trails to lead the girl around, but she knew her way.

She wasn't walking long before she came to a small clearing. Circling the clearing were several huts, with a huge stone firepit in the center. The huts were simple; trees were cut thin and tied together to form walls, and the roofs were made from the hay that densely populated the clearing.

The girl didn't build them, in fact she had no idea how they got here. She assumed they were from some ancient tribe, but with the fragility of the huts, that seemed implausible to her. She didn't think about it too much, she just simply enjoyed having the small village all to herself.

She stepped into the clearing, looking at the hay and thinking about how she needed to cut it again. Since she was the only one who knew about this place, maintenance was mainly up to her. Since she discovered the island, she's been trimming the hay and using it to start her fires at night. She never stayed long, only a couple of nights here and there, but this was her escape.

The bush next to her rustled causing her to jump. Carefully, she watched the bush, slowly making her way closer. Suddenly, a small coconut jumped out and rolled in front of her, stopping at her feet. She smiled, a wave of relief washing through her. She thought her island had been discovered, but it was only Remmy, the islands guardian.

She picked up the coconut and turned it around so the three holes were on top. She tapped it once, then twice, and suddenly two little slits appeared in the fur of the coconut. They widened until they were open fully, revealing two light brown eyes that blinked several times. The girl laughed, placing the coconut back on the ground. As soon as it touched the dirt, two arms and two legs sprang out from the furry ball. With newfound energy, Remmy the coconut began to run in circles around the girls feet, happy that the kind human was back.

Although only a coconut, Remmy has guarded this island for as long as the girl had been coming, probably even before then. The girl didn't know for sure, but she knew that Remmy was more than just a tree nut. He kept outsiders from finding the island, keeping it hidden from view. The girl didn't know why she was allowed in, but she simply accepted it and enjoyed the peace it brought the both of them.

Together, they began to pick up the fallen sticks and clean the overgrown plants on the island, returning the village to its former glory. Smiling to herself, the girl couldn't help but feel blessed at her magical companion and private village. It truly was like a dream.