DEATH ISLAND JOURNEY

The Hidden Village

I slowly opened my eyes to be met with a circular ceiling made with straw. In confusion I slowly stood up but pain spiked through my body at lightning speed and disappeared faster than I could process it, I managed to prop myself up slightly and it was then I noticed that my chest and leg were bandaged. Looking around the room I noticed a girl around my age sewing fabric while humming a song, as she turned around I almost jumped thinking it was Karina but calmed down realizing it wasn't her. This one had golden blonde hair with midnight blue eyes, she wore a blue dress which looked hand sewn but wasn't bad.

Girl: Oh, you are awake, I thank goodness.

Dove: Excuse me but who are ya?

She stared at me looking confused, I assumed she didn't understand what I meant since her tone sounded like she was from the 12th century but her words appeared more 17th century.

Dove: Pardon myself, may I ask who thy is?

Girl: Oh, my name is that of Annastacia, and who is thy?

I can't believe she understood that, I just picked the words straight out of a Williams Shakespeare novel I once read to put myself to sleep.

Dove: I'm christanna, but I go by dove.

Anna: Dove? Like the bird?

Dove: Yes.

Anna: Lovely, it matches the presence you give off.

I just assumed she meant aura so I nodded.

Dove: So, um, Annastacia, where am I?

Anna: Me and my friends were going to the stream to fetch water for the village, we saw you laying on the ground nearing death so we brought you back here and treated your wounds.

Dove: Well, um, thank you.

She stood up dropping the needle and threads she used in sewing and placed down the sown clothes on the bed, with my viewing range I could see that it was my clothes and it was then I realized I had nothing but bandages on.

Anna: They were torn up and dirty so I helped to fix it.

Dove: Well thank you again.

Anna smiled then exited the room, I came down from the "bed" and put on my clothes back, indeed they were sewn perfectly like they were never ripped.

Dove: She's very talented with a needle.

I looked around the room I was in which was quite small, and the walls were made with wood and mud which complimented the straw weaved ceiling. Since I had nothing to do I left the room through the doorless door which instant transmissed me into another room. But this room was crowded with people men, women and children alike. The atmosphere was noisy and tense so I wanted to turn back inside but all eyes went to me which made me freeze and everywhere was suddenly quiet.

Dove: (to herself) well this is awkward.

Then Annastacia appeared out of the crowd taking my hand with a smile and leading me across the room to man, assumingly her father due to the resemblance, who sat kneeling down next to a table with two young men whom were drinking unknown liquid from bowls.

Anna: Father, she's here.

The man looked up staring at me so did the other two men and people behind. I felt uncomfortable around these people especially since I stood out like a silhouette among them due to my modern look.

Man: Sit, please.

There was obviously no place to "sit" so I just kneeled like the rest of them. The man then brought out my backpack sliding it to me. I unzipped it and sighed in relief everything was still here.

Dove: Thank you.

Man: There's no need to thank us, we're doing what was right. Now tell us how a child like you could of found yourself in a situation like that? Half dead, bleeding, hungry.

I reached into my bag gripping the map, the man gave an odd signal and two women appeared setting down trays of food before us, I stared at the plate in front of me nearly drooling, I looked at the man who nodded for me to eat and I ate without wasting time cause I was super hungry.

Man: You're not from around here are you? You talk differently, dress differently, and your hair, is it natural?

Dove: Yes, yes it is.

Young man 1: It's so silver.

Dove: I'm a blonde, a platinum blonde.

Man: Interesting, did you come here alone?

Dove: No, me and my friends left our home and journeyed here in search for the treasure at were X marks the spot.

I unrolled the map and placed it on the table as the three men looked studied it.

Young man 2: And where are you're other friends?

Dove: (mood drops) They, They're dead.

Young man 1: Oh, what a pity.

Young man 2: Indeed but death is so expected when young children are left to wander through a dangerous island with no supervision from their adults, she herself would be dead if not for us.

Anna: Mind your mouth hareton.

Young man 2(hareton): It's is you that should mind your mouth, did your father not teach you how to respect those older than you?

Man: Enough hareton, you have no right to speak with such poison in your words (to dove) pardon his rudeness, he wasn't always like this.

Dove: It's okay (to herself) I mean it was enough to heat up my blood and send a powerful punch straight to his face but it's okay.

Man: This treasure you seek, do you know if it's real?

Dove: Well so far the map's been valid so I assume the treasure is real, or this entire journey has just been time and soul wasting.

Suddenly the man stood up.

Man: Follow me.

The man lead me, and basically everyone else in that Hut to an abandoned area quite far away. It was a huge cave which lead into a dark and spooky tunnel. I pulled out the map tracing my location and realized this was were the X marked on the map.

Man: Nobody has gone down there in years, people are just too scared to see what dwells deep in the cave.

Dove: Well, it's were I have to go.

Man: No, it's too dangerous.

Dove: But I thought you said no one has been down there in years?

Man: I never said that the ones who went down last came back.

I froze realizing what he meant but I had come this far, I couldn't turn back, then Millie's, Jackson's, and Bruce's deaths would of been for nothing.

Dove: I appreciate your concern sir but I need to complete this journey, I've nearly fallen into an inescapable sandpit, I've escaped being eaten by hungry forest trolls, drained of my blood by blood-thirsty vampires, dying at a booby trapped temple and the wrath of mountain dragons. This is final part and I need to complete this so I can feel complete.

The man stared at me and I could here the people in the back murmuring about me from my bravery, the fact that I was willing to die, my strange hair colour, the fact that I should be staying in a home cleaning or engaging in a handcraft instead of going after imaginary treasure, but I did give a darn thought about what they said, I dipped into my bag and brought out the flashlight ready to go in but stopped when I felt pressure applied to me. Turning my head I saw that it was Annastacia hugging me.

Anna: Please dove.

Dove: This is what I have to do, I left my home to do this and I can't go back without a proof to myself of success. I'm not sure you would understand the role I play in where I'm from.

She looked at me with tears in her eyes and put an item in my hand, I looked at it and was shocked to see a stuffed dove sewn from white fabric, it's wings were made from actual white feathers.

Dove: You made it yourself?

Anna: (nods) Since you're a dove, I made it to compliment you, it expresses you and matches well with your hair.

Dove: (smiles) Thank you, I'll treasure it.

With that I hugged Annastacia and turned into the cave putting on the flashlight and went in.

I was only like 5 minutes into the cave when I fell straight through a large whole in the ground I didn't even see. The fall wasn't pleasant and I landed face first onto the ground scratching my body on some rocks which caused several bleeding spots. But with all the pain going through my body I still managed to stand up and move. I picked up the flashlight and the map looking around to see that I was in a cave, not the usual dark rocky cave, this cave's ceiling was covered in dripstone which dripped water every now and then. The cave also had moss on the walls along with odd colourful plants, overall the cave was lively with nature. What caught my eyes the most was a large conveniently placed chest at the end the cave, believing that was what I was looking for I walked forward only step on a trip wire and with instincts I drawed back before a large dripstone could drop on me and kill me, it was then I noticed the skeletons on the ground. I gulped and stepped forward again, there were no other traps relieved I walked towards the chest only to get shot out of nowhere in the arm with an arrow. I screamed as the arrow penetrated my skin but even with that I still went towards the chest.

Getting to there I pulled the arrow out of my arm which I regretted doing since it tripled the pain for a split second. I mean whoever didn't want me to reach this place must be very protective of the treasure, but if so I expected more booby traps then this. I leaned on the chest for a moment catching my breath and rethinking my entire short life, I couldn't even believe I had survived all this, it felt too good to be real. Looking back at the chest, I brought out the golden key and tried unlocking it, at first it didn't work and I was about to blow my top but then I realized I held it upside-down, and it actually mattered due to the keys 3d shape. Once it clicked, I lifted the top and got blinded by a bright light, once the light died down my jaw dropped as I stared at the contents of the chest, it was gold nor jewelry nor rubies, the chest was filled to the brim with diamonds, actual solid diamonds. This indeed felt to good to be real.

Dove: Am I dreaming?

I slapped myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming and immediately regretted it since I had a bleeding scar on my face.

Dove: Okay, definitely not dreaming, ouch.