White.....All that could be seen was bright white.....
What is this place.....??
What is happening.....??
Is this what everyone calls Heaven.....?? Or worse, is it Hell.....??
Lots of questions.....
Why is it so bright.....?? Can someone switch off the lights or close the blinds.....??
It is burning the face, stinging the eyes.....
When will this stop.....??
With all these thoughts in mind, JK tried slowly opening his eyes, grimacing due to the intense blazing light. But soon, the light slowly started fading and it was turning black. His head started to spin, his eyes rolled back, and the lids closed. He could hear a low, faint voice. Someone was talking. Maybe talking to him.....?? He could feel some movements next to him. He could feel something brushing against his shoulders. His body was being shaked. Maybe that someone was trying to wake him.....?? Is it an angel.....?? With all these thoughts in mind, JK fell into a deep slumber again.....
JK jolted awake from his deep slumber. Whole body covered in sweat, his thin shirt was clinging to his body giving a view of his well built abs, chest heaving up and down due to heavy panting, JK was staring into space as though he woke up from a nightmare and was shocked. "Oh you are awake...!!", just then a voice pulled him out of his trance. He came back to his senses and turned his head towards the source of the voice but was met with the shadow of the person retreating.
His whole body was aching like anything. He wanted to stretch a little and reduce the pain. In order to wipe the sweat off of his forehead, he tried moving is hand but something was holding his hand. He turned to look and saw that his both wrists were tied to the end of a nearby tree trunk with the thick stems of some vine plant. He looked at his legs and same was the state of his two ankles. To make most of the situation, JK glanced around the surrounding. He could feel the hard floor below him. It was just the earth, bare and natural, with no flooring. He understood that he was inside some sort of man made shelter. The house like structure was made with wood sticks, tied around with thick stems of vine to keep them in place. The roof was made with dried grass in random pattern. Sunlight penetrated through the gaps in between.
JK squinted his eyes due to the bright rays that was falling on his eye. He couldn't process what was happening. He was still not sure he was alive. The last thing he remembered was being on a plane that was about to crash. He thought that was the end for sure but here he was, alive but in some unknown place. He tried to free himself from the hold of the vine stem by shaking his hands and legs vigorously but that only increased his pain and further tightened the hold. He gave up when he heard heavy footsteps and voices that was getting nearer by the second. He fixed his gaze on the open door that was, again, made with wood sticks and dried grass.
A group of people were walking towards the small house he was in. Only six members entered the house and the rest of them stayed outside trying to sneak a peek of the situation inside from the door and the small window. JK sort of felt claustrophobic. The palace was very spacious. Even though he had several guards on standby, he still had a private space of his own. But here, seven people in that small hut was enough to take up all the oxygen inside the room.
"There are only two possibilities. Number one, I'm really dead and this is some sort of weird fantasy land in the afterlife or number two, I'm having some unrelated, meaningless dream and I have to wake up before it starts feeling all real", JK said this looking into the eyes of every person in the room and in the end he started laughing like a maniac, confusing the other people watching him.
"Boy, tell us what is your name, who are you, where have you come from?". JK stopped laughing and stared into the eyes of the man who said this to him. That man was muscular and looked very fit for his age and stood in the front and center. Rest of them, who were also looking muscular and fit, were in the back surrounding this man.
They were all dressed different. The shoes they were wearing were made of twigs and straws, some were even barefoot. Their skin was filled with various designs and drawings. Their dress was made of a combination of animal fur, bird feathers, plant leaves and flowers. Even their faces had those same design and patterned drawings. Everyone wore a headband made of vines, leaves and decorated with small white flowers. They had matching wristband on their right hand and sea shell necklace on their necks.
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"Boy, I asked you a question..", JK completed his observation and again fixed his eyes on the man who asked this question. "It's surprising that you don't know me being in my country", JK scoffed at all of them. That man was starting to get mad. "Consider it as a blessing that you are still alive because no creature that has entered our island is left to live", the man spoke with a grin on his face. "The consequences of this conversation and the hospitality given to me won't be good for any of you, remember that", JK replied shaking his wrists and ankles implying about the bind. "Ohhhh, please just say who you are before something happens...", a girl emerged from behind the man standing in the centre.
Tall and young, the girl was dressed just like everyone else. With a little muscular build and honey complexion, she was looking pretty in that costume and with all those drawings and patterns all over her face and body. She stood next to the man.
With a deep sigh, JK gave in and answered to their question. "I am the King of Zodia Province". Everyone started laughing. JK stared at all of them with his wide doe eyes. "Looks like he has lost his mind", one of the man spoke with concern in his voice. "Like every other day, I went to the shore to collect clams. I saw him lying under a tree. His state was not good. His body was burning and he had wounds all over his body. I tried waking him but he didn't budge. With the help of kids I brought him here, gave the potion to reduce his body heat and treated his wounds. But you all insisted that he is a threat and tied him up. But see, the poor man doesn't even know who he is. Can't we just release him and help him??", the girl spoke looking at JK and then at the man.
JK looked all over his body. He could see patches of green sticky substance in several places. "Listen to the girl and let me go, I'll find a way back to my home myself. I don't want to take this anymore", JK demanded. "There's no way out of this place but I don't want to kill your imagination. Listen young man, once you are out of here, it is the end. We will go back to the time where we never knew each other, got it??", the man asked with fire in his eyes. "Gladly", JK replied and one of the man freed JK from the hold.
Rotating his wrists and ankles to reduce the pain, JK met everyone's gaze. The girl's eyes were filled with concern for him but he ignored it and made his way out of the hut without saying anything and everyone followed him. They all reached the shore. JK looked to his right and then to his left. He couldn't see anyone. It was water everywhere. He looked back and met the eyes of the man and the girl. He noticed the grin on the man's face. His anger increased. He ran towards the sea and jumped into the water.
"Poor guy, he has made up his mind that he wants to die. He chose to drown instead of us", one of the man spoke. All of them returned to their works, except for the girl, who stood their, staring at the waves and the struggling man.
JK knew that he was in an island filled with strangers. The way out was not easy. He needed help. But he couldn't take it anymore. All this felt so strange. He wanted everything to end as soon as possible. He wanted to do something rather than sit idle and give up. He thought that if he swam to the middle of the sea, he might find help, maybe any boat. They will recognise him and help him. With these thoughts, he flapped his hands and legs vigorously to swim faster and farther. Little did he know that fate has a different plan for him.....
