AVA Suivre l’histoire

It has been ten days since I woke up on this island. I can’t remember anything, my name, where I am from, or how I got here. The only thing that gives me a clue of my identity is a weird-looking copper bracelet on my left wrist with a name on it, Ava. The boat looks new and unused. The interior has no personal items or anything to give a clue about its owner. I know it is not mine. I feel like I was running away when I got stranded here. Whatever I was running away from remains a mystery.

My food supply is dwindling, and I need to get more water. I sign and pick one of the remaining fruits and take a huge bite. The thought of having to go out is not a pleasant one. I have noticed several odd things happen to me and the island whenever I go out that makes me question my sanity. Am I hallucinating? Am I in a dream? Those questions have become so frequent in my brain that I keep voicing them out loud.

Picking my makeshift bag and a bottle of water, I climb out of the cabin and walk toward the forest edge. The beach is beautiful and a literal paradise. Golden gleaming sand that looks soft and clear ocean water is calm and warm. I look down and frown. The slight parting of the sand to make way for me is troubling. I have not seen any living creature there, but I seem to repel it and almost everything I come into contact with on the island. I look ahead and see the rotting trees and sigh. I touched those trees during my last trip out of the boat, which is unaffected by my touch.

Concentrating on the task, I walk into the forest, realizing the rot has spread faster than I imagined. I stop in Infront of one particular tree and sigh again. I will have to get a new source of food. I pick up one of the fallen fruits halfway rotten and study it to gauge if it is salvageable. Realizing it can’t, I drop it and look around the area. There is nothing under my feet other than dead rotting leaves and rocks. It should be painful, but I feel a slight discomfort.

It will be dark soon, and it is troubling as finding my way back will be difficult since I've gone deep into the forest this time. Spotting a small bush with bright berries, I let out a victorious whoop. The bright red and orange berries look odd though I pick them, not worried if they are poisonous. It doesn't matter to me either way. After taking as many as I can fit in my bag, I make my way to the small stream I discovered just a short distance from the forest edge line. It's a natural disappearing stream with fresh water. It has been one of the best discoveries, and I don't have to drink salty ocean water.

I make my way back, not minding the scratches from twigs and broken branches on my bare arms and legs. As I approach the boat, I stop and stare at the setting sun. The view is breathtaking as the red and orange hues cast a golden shadow on the water's surface. The golden glow is warm and enticing, though it makes me sad. I know there is a story behind that emotion though I don't remember. I turn away from the stunning view and make my way to the boat avoiding looking down or anywhere else other than ahead.

In the cabin, I put the fruits in a makeshift basket by the bed, placing the water bottle beside them. I climb on the bed and move to the marked wall in the corner. Taking out a small pocket knife from under the thin mattress I sleep on, I make another straight line beside the ten already there. Another day ends, and no help seems to be coming. I go through my usual routine for the night, sort out the fruits and eat some for dinner. I look at my arms, assess the injuries, and note the wounds have healed with no visible scars.

I have noticed that I heal almost immediately after I'm injured while the pain level is low. I’m not quite sure what happened to me, but a lot about what I am right now is wrong. I lay back on the bed, trying to remember something, anything. I give up after a while and drift off to sleep as a restless feeling settles over me. I wake up to voices outside the cabin’s door. I feel happy to be finally rescued, but their conversation catches my attention.

“What’s her name?”

“Ava. The boss will be pleased to know she is here. This boat must get destroyed before we leave."

"0kay. I think it's safe to collect her now.”

I try to sit up, but my body feels heavy. There is an odd smell in the room. I don't know what I knock over, but it alerts the people outside. I can hear them start to panic though it doesn't make sense.

“She is up! She is supposed to be unconscious with the gas I’ve released there. How toxic is she? Bring some more gas! We need it. Jesus Christ! Look at what she has done to this place!”

“The trees are rotting! I have never seen anything like this in my life. Are you sure it's okay to release more of this? The first amount was already too much.”

“You heard her wake up, right? It was too much though it was not enough for someone like her. She is dangerous! So, bring in as much gas as you can. How much of it do we have?”

Straining to listen, I start feeling faint and weaker. I can’t help but wonder why anyone thinks I am a threat. The fear in the voice I’ve heard is almost tangible, leading me to ask myself, who am I? With that last thought, everything becomes dark.