Lost Island - Secrets.

Chapter three

 Chapter three.

I stared at the letter and then at the little boy in turn, my breathing shaky. The lettering was a dark red, much like blood and the letter was made of a faded type of parchment. I gulped down oxygen as my fingers trembled to unfold the letter. I looked at the little boy: he too was opening his letter with tiny, shaky hands. I took a deep breath and unfolded the paper in a quick motion. I read it through once, and shuddered. This was all becoming so real - I'd hoped it was all just some too vivid dream, like when you eat chocolate or cheese before bed. But we were by a stream...we had to move. Now.

I folded the letter up and put it back in my rucksack along with the contents that I had tipped out moments before. I unzipped the pouch of the rucksack, pulled out a banana, a wristwatch and a dog-tag before lifting my head to hurry my companion along. He was staring blankly at the letter. "I can't read..." he muttered. I lifted the letter from his hand and cleared my throat. It read through exactly the same as mine, so I began reading him the truth that I did not believe a small child needed. I took on a motherly tone of voice and tried to honey coat things a little bit for him.

'Islander,' I read. 'You have been chosen by the Island to become one of the twenty-five children to worship the earth element. You shall serve it and it shall serve you. Now, you must find your way to camp before midnight, the true horrors of the Island crawl out of their dying-pits then. Do not go anywhere near any other elements before receiving your next letter. Keep away from rivers, streams and the sea; keep close to the ground and not up high in the air and mostly - do not make a fire or go near a fire. Fire kills earth...flames burn trees. But, fear not because you are a strong group of hunters. At camp, you shall meet the other twenty four members to your team. You will have to trust them and they will have to trust you because in the coming months, your sanity will definitely be put to the test...along with your life. You will all find in the pouch compartments of these rucksacks a wristwatch, a piece of fruit and a dog-tag. You shall find your 'island name' on the dog-tag, your true age, your element and your owner. The owner is of course...me - Trickster. Now, move to a safe place - on the ground and surrounded by trees and study your map. Take the compass and find your way to Camp. It is marked out in a green cross. Find it and settle in - and remember. Be there before midnight and before the creatures of the night." I skipped a small section..."Fare well my children. Sincerely, Trickster."

I folded the letter up and put it in his rucksack and placed all of the items in on top of it. I pulled out his watch and tied it onto his wrist and took out the pear for him and clipped his dog-tag around his neck. "What's my new name?" he asked excitedly. His dog tag had a tree engraved into it and on the other side was all of his information. 'NAME: Jack. AGE: Four years. ELEMENT: Earth. OWNER: Trickster' I read to him in a taunting tone. "Oooooh Jack! What a handsome name!" He beamed at me and blushed. "Well, I'm -" I turned my dog-tag over in my hand and looked at the name. "NAME: Holly. AGE: Seventeen. ELEMENT: Earth. Owner: Trickster." I clipped it around my neck and checked my watch before buckling it to my right wrist. Quarter to ten. "Right squirt, we need to get moving. If we get into the forest we can get some time to check the map and we can head to camp. Okay?"  He nodded to me and took the pear from my out stretched hand.

"Oh," he mumbled as he took the pear. I wore a quizzical look on my face. "I don't like pears." I took the pear back and handed him the banana. "Oh thank you Holly," he beamed. He pulled the rucksack to his back and stood up as I did before taking my hand as we headed off into the forest.

"Well Master Jack, that's quite alright." We walked in silence for a couple of minutes and then we entered the denser area of the forest where roots reached my neck and where the trees were taller than the clouds. We walked just a little further, to a little bent over tree. I took out the compass and the map from my bag whilst nibbling on the pear. Jack had long ago devoured the banana and was flopping the banana peel over his hands and humming something tuneless.