“Mmm… Peaches?” A fruity floral fragrance tickled my nose. I took a deep breath of the relaxing scent. “What is that scent, smells lovely.” I blink open my eyes to see a dimly glowing cave ceiling with a myriad of multicolored flower petals dancing on an invisible breezee. “Beautiful.” The sight was so magical, I nearly forgot what I had just survived through. “Ah, the pain!... Is gone?” I sit up abruptly, looking down at my completely healed legs. “How?”

“Good morning sleepy one.” A calming voice greeted me from behind. I tried to turn around to see who it was, but my body went slack. “Easy now, you’re healed, but still weakened. It’ll take you a few days to adapt completely to this Island.” A gentle touch helped me lay back down.

“You’re awake, good.” Tara came over and sat down beside me. “How is he Heather?” Her Tanzee was behind her, scanning the cave with its rifle as if on guard.

“He’ll make a full recovery, if he survives the adaptation.” Heather replied, I tilted my head back to witness her stroking the head of a fairy looking girl made of flowers. She was the ideal image of a kind caring grandmother surrounded by floating petals. “Patty exhausted herself fixing his legs, you better survive boy.” She turned a stern gaze on me.

“Yes ma’am.” My response was instinctual, do all grandma types have this power?

“We still have an hour left until the dungeon opens, think he can walk out on his own?” Tara gave me a skeptical look, while holding up one of those glowing syringes.

“No more stims.” Heather coldly stated, I felt a chill run down my spine, this woman was not to be crossed. Tara stored the drugs with a look of slight embarrassment. “Were you trying to turn him into one of those bastards?” Being stuck in the middle of someone’s scolding is never a good thing. “You better than anyone know what too many stims do to a person.”

“I just want to get back to camp quickly, we need to find him!” Tara’s face began to slip from her leader’s attitude. “If it wasn’t for that damned code, we wouldn’t have lost Woody…” Tara turned her head away, struggling to keep it together. “He…” She took a moment to take some breaths. “He lured the Felbats away so we could rescue him, excuse me.” She stood up and walked off into the cave with Millie following her.

“Poor thing.” Heather sighed as Tara left. “Now, wrecker.” I felt terrified for some odd reason. Heather stood above me, with a serious look. “Talk.”

“About what?” I gulped, this granny surrounded by petals was not pleased.

“Who are you, why are you here, and how did you know about Pals?” Her eyes spoke of death if I didn’t give her the answers she wanted.

“I can’t remember my name at all for some reason. I have no idea where on Earth this is. I was hired by a Doctor Oakton to fly a drone and scan the open ocean for something he called P.A.L. which stands for Possible Alien Lifeform.” I took a few quick breaths after talking so quickly, I was visibly sweating under her gaze. “We were taking some kind of scan of the open ocean when a mass of sparkles capsized our vessel, and then I woke up to Tara and others saving me. Please don’t kill me.” She stares so hard I can feel my soul quiver.

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“Why did you work for this, Oakton person?” Her eyes got sharper. “Are you related to him?”

“No ma’am! I was unemployed and in massive debt, I took the first job I was offered. I didn’t know they were looking for Aliens, I swear!” My responses brought out a chuckle from Heather.

“Why are you such a scared child? I’m just the healer, I won’t kill you.” Her murderous aura vanishes when her kind granny smile appears. “Yet.” She starts laughing like it was a joke as she walks away with her Pal.

“What did I do?” I just laid there, unsure of what to do now.

“You can’t blame them, they lost a close friend and adopted son when saving you.” Yavis joined me on the floor. He used his large pack as a cushion to lean against.

“So they blame me?” I asked.

“Only because you’re here, but not entirely.” He took out a chunk of wood and a knife from his pack. “They understand you aren’t the reason, but they don’t know where to direct their anger at, and you just happen to be here.” He starts whittling away.

“I don’t understand.” I let out a large sigh. “I don’t even want to be here.”

“Would you rather have drowned in the ocean?” Yavis replied.

“Killed by the water, or killed by a mammoth or a granny? Tough choice.” I sarcastically snapback, which only makes him laugh.

“They were about to let you drown in your wreckage, but one person stopped them” He looked me in the eyes with a solemn expression.

“Woody?” I guessed.

“Yes, Woody, the leader of a small group of survivors who are plagued by the Rayne Syndicate's tyranny.” He starts carving again. “Those thugs you saw last night are just the lower level drugged out trash they use to poach and cage Pals so their leaders can grow stronger.” His expression turns dark for a moment. “They even take the Pal Tamers so they can steal their Pals.” After a few breaths, his merchant’s smile is back.

“Did they take Woody?” I was stunned I washed up onto such a dangerous island.

“We don’t know, but the Pals he lured away are ferocious maneaters.” Yavis just continued his whittling.

“Why did he do that?” I can’t fathom why a stranger would risk their life against such terrifying creatures for another stranger, I felt a slight sense of guilt. “Why not let me die?”

“That’s their code. ‘Help others, like helping yourself.’” A real smile showed on his face for a brief moment. “There are many survivor groups scattered around the islands, but they are like you, survivors of a wreckage. Those of us who are born here, don’t really understand it, but we respect it.” Yavis placed the carving back into his pack. “You aren’t the first nor last wrecker to wash up on these shores, but if you want to survive these islands, you’ll need help.” He offered his hand to help me up.

“What should I do?” I managed to shakily stand up, I still can’t believe my crushed leg was fully healed in moments.

“For now, get ready to run.” Yavis pulled out a large handgun and headed over to the group waiting by a pitch black wall.

“Through that?” I joined the group while staring at the unnatural dark tunnel shaped opening hovering in the middle of the room. “Is it safe?” The group burst out in laughter.

“Only one way to find out!” Ivy shoved me into it from behind.

“Fu-” The cold darkness washed over my body, I really don’t like her.