Chapter 53 Chapter 53
"Do you know how to operate this boat?" Aurora asked Arnold. The boat was still several meters away from the water, so the two of them worked together to carry it. In the distance, they could see fishermen heading toward the shore, returning from their overnight trip.
"I was a fisherman before. My family were fishermen too because we lived on an island, so operating a motorized boat is a piece of cake for me. Let’s set it down here; you should get in so your shoes don't get wet. I’m just wearing slippers, so it's no problem for me."
Aurora climbed into the small boat and sat on the wooden plank serving as a seat in the middle. She noticed a dipper inside and held it up. "What's the use of this?"
"Use that if water starts pooling on the floor," he replied as he pushed the boat into the sea. When the water reached his calves, he hopped in and took his place by the engine. He tinkered with something beside a piece of raised plywood and pulled a starter rope.
One.
Two.
Three.
On the third pull, the engine roared to life. Aurora clapped three times. "I really thought you wouldn't be able to get this thing running." Arnold sat on the plywood box housing the engine and slightly moved a small bamboo lever, steering the boat. "What?!" she exclaimed in awe as they drifted further from the shore. "Now I believe you really were a fisherman."
"When you live by the sea, especially on an island, you have to learn how to fish because that becomes your source of income."
"By the way, where did you used to live? You didn't answer my question earlier."
"I'll show you later." She detected a hint of sadness in his voice. Perhaps he still hadn't forgotten what happened hundreds of years ago. "How about you? Do you still have a family?"
She nodded with a touch of pride. "You’ll have to meet my daddy. He’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met. He is so kind."
"How old is he?"
"He’s turning seventy-three in two months, so even with everything going on, we’re preparing for his birthday. If the battle between us and Morgana isn't over by then, we’ll just celebrate on the mountain. You should come with me."
"Why?"
"Because you have nowhere else to go. There is no one left for you in the mortal world, so you might as well join me. I’ll introduce you to my friends there, especially to my daddy, so you'll see for yourself how kind he is." Mentioning her father gave her renewed strength to return home alive because he was waiting for her on the mountain. He was probably sulking because she didn't get to say goodbye, but she knew he would forgive her, especially if she greeted him with a tight hug.
She smiled at the thought of her dad. She missed him, even though it hadn't even been two days since they last saw each other.
"I know your dad. I saw him on TV once. He has a good heart and has helped so many people, so you’ll likely have many more years together."
"Do you think so?"
"Yes. If sinners live long lives, good people live even longer because their God guides them."
"I agree with you." She tied back her hair, which was whipping around in the strong wind. "Is there a storm coming?" She scanned the sky. "Why did the wind suddenly shift?" she asked her companion, who was also looking at the heavens.
"I don't know, but it looks like rain; the sky is darkening." This time, he was staring at the sea.
"Why?"
"Stand up for a moment and move the wooden plank to the lowest part of the boat. The waves are likely to get bigger, especially with the wind picking up strength."
She followed his instructions. "Are you sensing something, Arnold? Tell me so I can prepare!" she shouted. Even with their enhanced hearing, it was difficult to hear each other as the wind carried their voices away.
"I think there is something in the water!" he shouted back.
She squinted at the water but saw nothing. "It must be a whirlpool!"
"I'm not sure! Just hold tight and don't look over the edge into the sea! Are there important things in—"
Aurora didn't hear the rest of what Arnold said because the wind let out a deafening roar. "What did you say?!"
"I asked if there are important things inside your bag?!"
"Everything in my bag is important!" Speaking of the bag, she suddenly remembered the diving suit Ryuk made. She was about to reach for the bag strapped to her back when a massive swell hit them, followed by a giant wave crashing into their boat!
She tried to hang on, but the boat capsized. With another hit from a large wave, the boat split in two.
\---
She opened her eyes and tightened the strap of the bag to her body. She swam toward the surface but stopped when something grabbed her foot. When she looked down, she couldn't see anything in the water.
"Where is Arnold?" she asked herself. She tried to swim upward again, but her foot was yanked downward once more.
She cursed in her mind as she began to run out of air. She grabbed her sword, preparing to hack away the hand of whoever was pulling her. She kicked her left foot as bait; the creature took the bait, and she arched her back, flipping her position. While her head had been pointing up before, she was now facing the depths, ready to strike. But she froze—in the deepest, darkest part of the water, she saw a massive eye staring back at her!
"Fuck!" she cursed as several corpse-like creatures raced toward her.
She shifted her position and swam rapidly, but one of the creatures caught her foot. She kicked the hand, but it wouldn't budge. Tucking her body, she used the sword to sever the hand gripping her. She cut the arm off, though the hand remained clamped to her foot—but that was the least of her problems. Her lungs were about to burst; she needed air.
As she swam upward, someone suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the surface.
\---
Aurora was gasping for air when they reached the shore. This wasn't the island they had come from, as the ground was covered in white stones.
"Are you okay?"
"No. I almost drowned if you hadn't arrived." She wiped her face with her hand. Her heart was still pounding from what she had seen underwater.
"I looked for you when we got separated, but I couldn't find you. It’s a good thing your sword glinted; that’s how I found where you were."
She took the bag off her back and checked her things. "What time is it? Why is it getting dark?" When they left, it wasn't even six in the morning, and she knew their travel time shouldn't have exceeded five hours. She wondered why it seemed like late afternoon. "What do we do now? We don't have a boat to get to the island you mentioned."
"This is the island, Aurora. This is Isla Muerte."
Arnold stood up, and she followed suit. Unlike Biliran Island, where you could see other islands across the water, here she could see nothing but darkness beyond the shore.
"Why is it already dark?"
"The timeframe of this island is the opposite of the mortal world."
"How is that possible? Didn't we see this island earlier when we were at Agta Beach?"
"That wasn't this island they were seeing. They were seeing Pantaw Pantaw Island. Are you coming?"
"Where?"
"I’m going to gather some firewood so we can build a fire."
"Okay."
They walked into the woods in silence. Aurora knew Arnold was the serious type, but now he seemed intensely somber, his brows furrowed as he gathered dry wood. She simply followed him, picking up any branches she saw.
"Are you hungry?" he asked again as they returned to the shore.
"I'm fine. How about you, are you okay?"
He didn't answer immediately. He lit the pile of dry wood. Only when the fire was burning did he finally look at her.
"Do you know why the mortals named this Isla Muerte?"
"No. Why? If I'm not mistaken, the word Muerte means death or dead, but I'm not sure." She handed him a biscuit.
"Thanks," he said. "You're right; Muerte means death. A lost fisherman passed by here once, and because of what he saw on the shore, he branded it the Island of Bones."
"What?"
"Haven't you noticed? What we are sitting on aren't just stones... they are bones."
She looked closely at the ground. He wasn't joking; bones were scattered all over
the beach. "Have you been here before?"
"Yes. The truth is, I grew up here on this island... and those bones are my ancestors."