Escaping the Island: You are Invited!

The Start

The day after the hectic day where they had to do this and that was told by the staff member of the organization something to do with the betterment and other elements for the vlogs. They almost ended at around six in the evening and were sent early dinners before they were then allowed to rest for the D-Day of their adventure.

Stuart woke up at around five in the morning though they would still be sent out at around seven. He couldn’t sleep, to say the least, his mind was so active, a lot of scenarios playing in his mind, and all of those endings were just the same* Death. He could already feel that there was something strange about that island, he couldn’t exactly tell what it was but if they would find dinosaurs’ fossils, then surely there would be other fossils of animals too, or worse, alive.

Or if it would not be those wild animals, then there were still the dangerous ways and paths that they would take. After all, it was an island, there were huge possibilities that supernatural happening would be enough to cause them problems, but he thought it would be better than any of the things that he was imagining in his mind which honestly were imaginable, and only his bloodied, lifeless body was all that he could see.

He took a bath and prepared himself, the organization at least provided them a pair of Waterproof hiking shoes for them to have their feet at least safe from sharp things around, and really, if it was not sponsored too, he would have worn his worn out, imitative, low-class shoes that he only bought for not even the fourth of the original price.

He went out of his room but immediately stopped when he came eye to eye with the girl in front of him. It was Debbie, the girl who looked strong and stern by how she did not smile nor try to please people, she expressed distaste when she wanted to, she was not shy to show her true self, and that was really admirable. Even though she rolled her eyes upon seeing him.

She went to the elevator, and he was following close behind. She was also dressed in the same shirt just like yesterday with the logo of the organization though she had a jacket over it. She seemed to be heading to the same floor as Stuart as she punched the fifth floor. Maybe she would also have her breakfast now or she would ask for tea just like him.

As expected, they went separate ways, though they took the same chamomile tea for their own, but after that, they sat at different tables. They were the only ones there aside from the fifth floor’s staff members in the room. He wondered what the organization was preparing now for them and how they would go to the island, but that was the least of his concern. There were a lot of things going on in his mind, and having the things that were out of his concern was the best thing that he could do.

While he was sipping on his tea quietly, thinking of nothing but what would happen to him in that month as he looked over the darker blue surroundings outside from the whole glass window which was still enough to see the horizon, he heard the sound of the metal feet of the chair being pulled beside him. As he looked there, he found Debbie with a blank expression on her face, she was looking at him with those sharp gazes that weirded him out.

“Uh, how may I help you?” he asked awkwardly, curiously meeting her determined eyes.

“What is your goal?”

He looked at her with a weirded-out gaze, if he was already surprised to see her beside him, then he was stunned when she approached him. The way she asked that came out strong like she was a goon bullying someone to give what she wanted or a crazy woman suddenly throwing that question to a random person.

He rested his back on the chair when it finally registered to him. What was his goal? Honestly, he did not know, or maybe he knew. It was the two billion dollars prize, didn't all of them have that goal in mind? That was why they were caught by a fishhook with bait and now they couldn’t get their mouths out of it until they were dead.

“Uh, the money?” he answered carefully, and by the sudden fall on her face told him that she wasn’t pleased with all by his answer.

“I thought you’re different from them,” she uttered with a disappointed sigh. She sat properly and sipped on her tea and looked away.

“Isn’t that the reason for almost all of us?”

“No. I am here to save my family’s lives. If the world is an elimination game, they are at the last spot and would be eliminated anytime soon. They needed to have support, and this organization has offered that very support we needed******. I knew it was too good to be true that they just offered to pay for their hospital’s bill without anything in exchange or rather say, not yet. I should have known that in exchange for that money is my life.”

He realized that it was the reason why she was held like a prisoner. The organization that everyone thought like an angel to give money in exchange for a fun adventure had their own evilness up their sleeves too. They took advantage of poor people, appearing to be angels, only to know that they were only evil in disguise because of how they would be forced to be on an adventure they didn’t like.

As far as he could remember with his research before his data expired, there were reviews about the organization, though almost all that he read were positive reviews telling how they were so much happy with the money they had received and how fun the adventure they went to was. But as he scrolled to the very end of the review, there he found the more realistic reviews, the traumas expressed by the other victims, they said that they had lost their friends while on the adventure, some even expressed how dangerous the adventure given to them was, though there was not much injury on them but there would be if they became less careful.

But after every statement, they would still thank the organization for the money they had received. It all was going down to money.

“Then you are here too for money brought by poverty. I am too.”

She looked harshly at him which took him off guard. “I want to survive not for the money but for the people waiting for me. No one knows how hard it is for me to leave them when I am the only one they can count on. No one knows what these people would do to my family while I am gone. I couldn’t trust them anymore after this.”

“Well,” he said, inhaling as he shrugged. “What do you want to happen? Why are you asking me?”

“I want to form an ally with someone who has the same goal as mine. I thought it would be you,” she looked at his face then at his body. “Though you look like you couldn’t be trusted at all. No offense.”

“Wow. I’m offended,” he honestly told her as he let out a derisive laugh. “Are you some kind of a fool? No offense, just honestly curious.”

She indeed looked offended. She rolled her eyes at him and went out beside him, leaving without any word but left out with a negative note and negative impression on him. For him, she appeared to be selfish, but again, weren’t all of them like her? He didn’t actually know if he wanted to form an alliance with her like what she was asking, he personally thought they would be better off alone.

“The eight explorers bound to Kropeti Island, please gather your things and go to the van waiting outside. The time has come, thank you.”

The eight who were called sighed. They looked over the window and looked over the city and the clear horizon. They knew this would be the last they would see this sight in a month, or possibly they never would.

Stuart went out of his room with his backpack full, his katana and gun tied on his both sides, the monopod was in his hand and the camera was already connected there though they were not going to use it yet. They also have multiple power banks for it, but their phones were confiscated, there were no signals there anyway so it would be such a waste.

He found the others walking toward the elevator as well, and since they were carrying bags that were almost as heavy as them, they just settled on going out by four. He was one of the firsts, when he came out of the building, he found the van waiting for them, and as far as he knew, it would almost take to twenty-fours long transportation on land, air, and water combines until they get to the island so it would take another day of self-preparation before they start their journey.

But it felt just like an hour when they reached the water transportation they would use to get to the island after so many hours which was a speed boat. There were two speedboats, the other staff member of the organization was also there to get them there safely and be sure they would all reach the island. One speedboat would be left which was what they would be using on their way out.

The transportation on land was kind of quiet and peaceful, as usual, no one talked aside from Mr. Jury who go over the things they should do but no one already listened to him and just looked outside as they all fell on their own thoughts. When they reached the airport, the man did not come with them anymore and just bid them goodbye.

Stuart was seated beside Marlon, and that man really irritated her to the bones. He was like him in some ways, they both wanted the money and it drove them to survive and be wealthy, but there was just something off with him that he did not like, maybe when he said he wanted the two billion alone to himself? Or when he said the two women they were with looked beautiful while licking his lips? Or was it just his whole being that irritated him? He didn’t know, he was just sure that he would never be with him.

The surrounding they were in was already the water, there was no nearby land anymore and the pier that they were just earlier had vanished from their back and he bet they were already in the middle of the sea.

“Yow! We’re on our way to the island, check how healing the water is!”

Stuart glanced at Drake on his side and frowned, yes, they were told to start vlogging now, but of course, only this egocentric young man followed. He had been posing here and there, checking his face on the camera and obviously just trying to be cool which was kind of irritating especially that he was beside him and nudging and accidentally hitting him because of his giddiness, but he never apologized for those even when he showed his irritation about it.

It was already five in the morning, and the surrounding was still dark and there were frequent small waves against them but the sun was already peeking so they were still feeling calm at least. Stuart opened his camera and just showed the surroundings silently along with the people he was within the speedboat which were Drake, Debbie, and Craig, and the two drivers as well.

Drake was still trying to make himself handsome, Debbie and he were silent, and Craig was also starting to vlog by informing the viewers about what was inside his bag. Debbie and his eyes met for a moment when the girl looked behind to see how far they had gone through now, there was something in her eyes. Fear? Doubt? Anxiety? All he just knew was that it was all not positive.

She held his gazes for a moment, then averted his gaze after a while and just looked ahead of them. Maybe all of them felt the same way as she did, they all have their own ways of hiding their worries, but they couldn’t do it now, could they? Unless they could jump out of the motorboat and swim nautical miles away from the land then the people might find it entertaining and the organization might spare them, so by that, they would be alive. But no one would do that, of course.

After all, there was no two hundred million on that.

They drove the speedboat until the sun had shown, but the weird thing was while they go further the sea, the waves were getting stronger and the wind was swaying the boat, though not much in a harmful way yet but they could feel that they were already getting near their destination especially that the part became dimmer with the clouds and fogs suddenly encompassing the place. Debbie’s hold on the straps of her bag tightened as she found Stuart also looking around with full attention and awareness as they drove along with the suddenly vague surrounding.

It remained like that for a while, until they got past the dingy part of the sea. The cold wind blew vigorously, hitting their faces. Their hearts dropped on their stomach and felt it beat loudly in their ear, shivers ran down their spines as if they felt someone was looking from afar, and their mouths went dry, they couldn’t even find a lump to swallow. The only thing they needed was the intense sound in the background music and they would really pee on their pants.

In front of them was the mysterious island. The island was enough for them to decide to back out upon seeing it. They could suddenly hear incoherent whispers along with the blowing winds, Stuart even blinked his eyes when he thought he saw a pair of red eyes looking right back at him but when he opened his eyes, there was nothing anymore.

What is this island?

They were speechless, even the two drivers felt the sudden need to rush as they both wanted to just get out of there. As they were getting nearer, it was getting scarier and their fear was doubling, it was obvious in each of their eyes, screaming to them to go now and flee for their lives. But no one listened, they were already there.

The speedboat parked on the side, the man from the other boat threw the anchor on the shore to remain there, while he jumped along with the others and switched to the other boat where the other speedboat was already readying to go out of there.

This is it. Stuart thought.

The camera recording turned to play.