As the jet breaks from the clouds, I see a brown land mass laid out below us. It sits on the ocean like an autumn leaf floating in a puddle. The island is rimmed with white cresting waves and bright blue tropical ocean that immediately drops into a deeper, more impenetrable color. This is not what I expected.
It's past sunrise now. Austin, looking much less pale than the day before and standing on his own two legs, has emerged from a room at the end of the cabin. He sits beside me. We're both buckled into our seats as we strain to look our the windows at the island. As we descend, it grows in size. Other, smaller islands behind to appear on the southern horizon.
"What is that thing?" Austin, in the aisle seat, leans over me.
A mountain sits at the island's apex. The top of the mountain
