Survival On Death Island

Chapter 2

Valerie was silent and could only follow Enrico. She didn't want him to leave her again if she talked too much.

They entered an area filled with dense trees and shrubs that grew almost as tall as their bodies. With the help of a penknife, Enrico cut down any branches or leaves that got in his way. It had been with him everywhere for fifteen years.

He used to be in the army. He had been assigned to the jungles of Africa, chasing after terrorist gangs hiding in the jungles, so he was used to living in the wild. However, for some reason, he resigned and switched professions to become an office worker.

Their ground was so sloping that Valerie nearly slipped several times. "Can we stop for a minute?" she asked, feeling pain all over her left leg.

"No, we have to keep going," Enrico replied.

They resumed walking, passing all sorts of unfamiliar-looking vegetation until Valerie suddenly pulled his hand away when she saw something between two trees not far from her.

"Look at that!" She pointed her finger to her right.

A wooden pole with a board with an arrow pointing to the left appeared to be embedded in one of the tree trunks. On the back of it was a splash of red stain. Enrico touched it and smelled a strong, fishy odor. He suspected something, but he wasn't too sure.

They finally decided to follow the arrow. It might lead them to a village. They got further into the jungle until they could no longer hear the sound of the waves crashing from the sea.

"Stop!" Enrico tugged on Valerie's hand, squinting his eyes ahead. A man was standing still between two trees.

They approached, hoping the man would help or give them food or drink. However, that hope was dashed instantly when they realized no one was there.

The person Enrico had seen earlier was a scarecrow with a hat, shirt, and pants.

"Why is there something like this in the middle of the jungle?" Valerie shuddered in horror, staring at the creepy-looking scarecrow.

"I don't know. But it looks like someone came to this place once," Enrico said, looking around and accidentally noticing a splash of red stain on one of the nearby tree trunks.

He unhesitatingly touched the stain and smelled it. As he had suspected before, it was blood. "Something is going on here," he muttered.

The jungle was indeed a place full of mystery. There were many unexpected things in it. Enrico had to be more careful, especially since signs indicated that this place was hiding something terrible.

Enrico was drawn to the large, long branches scattered not far from him. It looked like he could use them to make a makeshift hut. He began to pick them up one by one. However, his eyes suddenly caught something hidden under dry leaves. It was a backpack.

Enrico took the backpack and stuffed the collected branches into it. "Let's go back," he said to Valerie, who walked after him.

"Who does that backpack belong to? Where did you find it?" asked her.

"I don't know, I just found it," Enrico replied, continuing to walk at a pace that felt so fast that it seemed overwhelming for her to keep up.

"You can't take something that doesn't belong to you. What if the owner is looking for it?" Valerie's breath seemed to catch.

"No one will take it. The owner is dead." Enrico pointed out the red splotch he had found on the back of his backpack for the third time.

Valerie gasped, instantly realizing that this place was genuinely terrifying. "I don't want to be here," she said, teary.

They went back the way they came. However, when they returned past the board with an arrow paint, their steps were suddenly halted when a snake blocked the way. It hissed, exposing its sharp fangs.

"Back off," Enrico said as the animal got closer.

The snake, which had a black color with a yellow pattern around its body, appeared to be in an attack position. Its head kept moving, trying to peck Enrico. However, he managed to dodge. He had to be careful not to be caught off guard by its every move.

When the snake tried to peck again, Enrico shifted to the left, reached out his hand, and quickly grabbed its head, gripping it tightly, before thrusting his penknife.

The venomous animal slowly weakened, remained motionless momentarily, and then died.

"We'd better hurry, it's starting to rain." Enrico threw the snake into the bushes before taking another step.

As soon as he reached the shore, Enrico arranged the branches he had gathered into a hut with a sand floor and a roof made of coconut leaves that grew nearby. Although it looked far from decent, it was at least a place to rest.

Valerie reluctantly sat inside the hut. However, she had no choice; her legs were too sore to move.

The wind was getting stronger, making the air feel stabbing. Enrico checked his backpack, hoping to find something useful. A flashlight, a compass, and a lighter were stashed in the front pocket. He quickly built a fire with the remaining twigs before his and Valerie's bodies froze.

The backpack was thrown in the sand, but suddenly, a small book fell out of it. "What's this book?" Enrico murmured, picking up the object no bigger than a cell phone.

Inside one of the pages was a series of interconnected strokes that looked like a map. There was no description besides the words 'area of death' and a skull symbol.

Enrico continued to look at the map intently until he unconsciously began to close his eyes and finally fell into a deep sleep. However, in the early hours of the morning, he woke up to the sound of sobbing. He turned his head and found Valerie's eyes looking puffy.

"Why are you crying?" Her voice sounded hoarse.

Valerie hurriedly wiped away the tears and said hesitantly, "I'm thirsty."

Enrico wiped his face and, without another word, left. Relying only on the moonlight for illumination, he approached a coconut tree and climbed it, returning shortly with two coconuts. "These are for you."

"Thank you," Valerie said as she tried to take one of the coconuts.

However, he suddenly pulled it back. "I'll give it to you on one condition," he said, staring intently at Valerie's lips.

"What do you mean?" Her voice rose, feigning ignorance.

Enrico smiled widely, leaned closer to her, and whispered, "You know exactly what I mean."