Conquering the Land of
No Return by Joshua Chua
It was a bright and early Friday morning when Jack and Eduardo were
eating breakfast at Jack’s house while listening to the radio.
“Many years ago, Inaccessible Island flourished
with wildlife and activity.” The radio buzzed. “This mystical realm resembled a
peaceful haven that people would die to visit. It seems awfully ironic,
considering the fact that over the years, many tourists have randomly
disappeared without a trace searching for this illusive safe haven. But,
through recent investigations, there have been multiple photographs of
Inaccessible depicting a barren, rocky land. Could there be a connection
between the numerous disappearances and the sudden change of landscape on
Inaccessible Island?”
“Hey Jack,
have you heard all the buzz on the
news?” Asked Eduardo.
“Don’t pay
attention to that nonsense!” Jack retorted.
“Ok...
just calm down, would you?” Eduardo pleaded.
Jack Vaughn and Eduardo Rodriguez
had been best friends ever since they had met at the docks in Rio de Janeiro.
Jack is a stocky, athletic, 6 feet 4 inches sailor with brown hair that has traveled around the world multiple times. He is 31 years old and was born in
the United States. With his cocky attitude and air of confidence, he feels that
he can accomplish anything that’s set before him. Eduardo on the other hand, is
a Brazilian native that is strong, muscular and also a dock worker. He has dark
skin and short brown hair, both as a result of working in the sun all day. His
happy go-lucky personality always helps him to find ways to cheer other people
up. Jack and Eduardo both live in Rio de Janeiro hoping to find something
that’ll make them famous and world-renowned.
As the weeks passed by, more reports
of mysterious disappearances found their way to televised news and the rumors
started to rumble. Many different people
in Rio de Janeiro had different opinions about Inaccessible Island. And as the
vanishings continued to pile up, Inaccessible Island found a new nickname, “The
Land of No Return”. But even with all
the new reports and allegations, Jack was not ready to be ‘brainwashed’ by the
news.
“Come on,
Jack! This could be our big thing!” Eduardo exclaimed.
“What are
you talking about now?” Asked Jack with a hint of annoyance.
“Well,
imagine if we were able to sail to Inaccessible Island and take a few pictures
and
investigate
a little bit.” Eduardo explained. “People would be talking about us for years!”
“Well, you
do have a point.” Jack replied. “Let me call my old sailor friend and see if we
can rent a boat or something like that.”
So this is how the journey began. Jack and Eduardo arranged for a boat to take
them to Inaccessible Island the next week.
Although there were forecasts of major tropical storms deep in the South
Atlantic Ocean that would be between them and Inaccessible Island, Jack and
Eduardo weren't too worried about it; they were only excited about their
upcoming trip to the “Land of No Return.”
A week later, Jack and Eduardo headed for
Inaccessible Island.
“Eduardo,
hurry up, get your bags! We’re going to be late!” Jack shouted.
“Ok, I’ll
be there in a minute!” Eduardo replied.
Jack and Eduardo headed to the docks in Jack’s black SUV. They would
board the HMS Titan, which is a medium sized passenger ship that would take
them to Inaccessible Island. It would take approximately 18 hours to get there,
but neither Jack nor Eduardo were fazed by the prospects of a long and boring
boat ride. They were simply just too excited for anything to bother them.
As Jack and Eduardo arrived at the docks, they were surprised to see
that there were people swarming everywhere! They all had cameras and there were
packs of reporters huddled throughout the crowd.
“Why do
you think they’re all here?” Jack asked.
“I have no
idea… maybe they’re here for us!” Eduardo replied jokingly.
Jack and Eduardo grabbed their
“adventure packs” which were filled with clothes, photographic equipment and
other things that they would need for their adventure. As they were making
their way to the HMS Titan, Jack was suddenly grabbed from behind. Jack
attempted to wrench his arm free, but his assailant had a firm grasp on him. He
turned around and was
face to face with a grimy, old man that he had never seen before.
“What’s
your problem man?!! You could have seriously injured me there!” Jack yelled.
“I just
wanted to give you something. It’ll help you on the island. ” the old man
rasped.
The old man proceeded to give Jack a
compass. It was golden and shiny like new. Before Jack got the chance to thank
the man, he was gone, lost in the ever-growing crowd of people. After looking
around, Jack realized that he wouldn't find the man and ran to catch up with
Eduardo near the ship. They checked in with the guards and entered the HMS
Titan. Since it was almost dark, Jack
and Eduardo went and found their cabins.
After having a delightful dinner in the dining hall, both men decided to
turn in for the night. But Jack couldn't sleep. Something was bothering him.
How had the old man back on the docks known that they were going to an island?
Jack and Eduardo certainly didn't tell anyone because they didn't want anybody
to worry for them. Plus, why did the old man give Jack a compass? The captain
of the HMS Titan had plenty of experience according to the ship’s pamphlet.
And, if the compass was intended to be used on Inaccessible Island, it was of
no use because Jack and Eduardo both had a few compasses in their bags. With those thoughts in mind, Jack soon fell
asleep. If everything went according to
plan, or even if it didn't Jack and Eduardo would need all the energy they
could get.
The next day, Jack and Eduardo roamed around the ship looking for
things to do to pass the time. They were extremely lucky because there were
only a few passengers on board so the ship was practically theirs. Jack and Eduardo played some table tennis on
the sky deck, swam in the pool, and even watched a game of basketball on
television! As the HMS Titan propelled them towards Inaccessible Island, the
excitement became almost unbearable between the two. They were about to embark
on a journey that would either make them famous or possibly end their lives.
There were so many different outcomes that could happen.
“Hey Jack,
look out the window! Looks like an island to me!” Eduardo exclaimed.
“It sure
does… but I thought Inaccessible Island was a barren, rock land.” Jack
murmured.
“I thought
so too, but this island has jungles and wildlife.” Eduardo pointed out.
Looking through the ship’s windows,
Jack and Eduardo could see an island with tall trees and canopies, and a white
sand beach. After checking with the Captain, it was confirmed that they were
indeed heading to Inaccessible Island. Both adventurers were amazed by the
island’s beauty and peacefulness. It was as if they were in paradise! But in
the back of their minds, they were both thinking the same thing. What could
have made Inaccessible Island change so dramatically?
After observing the island for quite
some time, Jack and Eduardo went to their cabins and fetched their adventure
packs. They would be docking on Inaccessible Island’s white sand beach in a few
minutes and they wanted to be the first people on the island. They were told
that the HMS Titan would not wait for them during their exploration of
Inaccessible Island and they would be alone for a few days until the ship would
come to pick them up a few days later. Of course, this would all depend on
whether or not they could survive.
Just as they were adjusting their cameras, the whole boat shook
viciously and everything lurched forwards. The HMS Titan had reached land. The
only thing is that it wasn’t just a regular piece of land, it was “The Land of
No Return”.
Jack and Eduardo exchanged goodbyes
with the Captain and his crew. Then, the two men grabbed their adventure packs
and slowly headed for the exit. After pushing the metal door open, they both
descended a few hatch ladders and jumped off onto the cool, soft sand. The
safety feature of the HMS Titan kicked into gear and the ship soon began to
retreat back into the water. After a few minutes, the HMS Titan spun 180
degrees and started its voyage back to Brazil. As the ship began to move
farther and farther away from Inaccessible Island, Jack and Eduardo had sinking
feelings that they were now alone.
“Well, now
we’re here. We actually made it.” Jack sighed.
“Getting
here was the easy part, now we have to survive.” Eduardo replied.
---------- End of Part 1 --------------------------
Stay tuned for Part 2! Leave a like and a comment and as always, share it with your friends!
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