Jonathan sat beside Mike, who was still bedridden, suffering from the effects of the poisoning. Mike noticed that Jonathan was wearing a strange robe, unusual in both shape and color. Curious, he asked, “What’s this robe? And why are you wearing it?”
Jonathan replied calmly, “It’s the clothing of the tribe. They give it to every newcomer to wear so they don’t feel out of place among them. But let’s not dwell on that now. How did *you* end up here?”
Mike began recounting his story from the beginning: how he had heard about the ship’s disappearance, how the military base had summoned him to lead a search mission, and how he had encountered the terrifying storm and that monstrous creature. After finishing his tale, he turned to Jonathan and asked, “And you? How did you get here?”
Jonathan answered, “You know I was the first mate on the ship that was delivering supplies to a naval base in the ocean. But there was a malfunction in the navigation system, and we veered off course. Suddenly, we found ourselves in the middle of a violent thunderstorm. As we struggled to navigate through it, that massive entity appeared in the darkness… something we’d never seen before. We couldn’t make out its features—it was just a shadowy, terrifying presence. While we stood there, paralyzed and unable to think or move, the creature lunged at the ship and swallowed us whole. When we woke up, we were here, on this strange island. The darkness was so thick we couldn’t even see our hands in front of our faces. We thought we were still inside the belly of that beast, but when dawn broke, we realized we were on solid ground. After that, we assessed the damage and found that the captain was the only casualty—he died after hitting his head on the ship’s control panel during the storm.”
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Mike listened intently, then laughed bitterly. “Seems like I came to rescue you, and now we both need someone to rescue us! When we get back, the base commander is going to yell at us until he loses his voice.”
Jonathan chuckled. “Damn you, you’re right. That old man’s going to kill us with his shouting.”
The two laughed until they were out of breath. Then Mike asked seriously, “What happened to Thomas, the son of the Chief of Staff? I thought he was on your ship. I know they wouldn’t have sent their best pilot on a reconnaissance mission unless someone as important as Thomas was missing.”
Jonathan fell silent for a moment, then said softly, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but Thomas is dead.”
Mike was stunned. “When? Where? How?”
Jonathan replied, “A few days after we arrived, he was bitten by a venomous snake. He was bedridden in the ship’s infirmary, but we couldn’t save him. After three days, he succumbed to the poison.”
Mike’s face darkened. “This is bad. You, me, and the entire crew—especially you—are going to be in serious trouble because of this.”
A heavy silence fell over them as the weight of the news sank in. Finally, Mike broke the silence, saying, “But let’s not think about that now. If we don’t find a way out of here, we’ll be joining him sooner or later.”
Jonathan nodded. “You’re right. Let’s focus on what we can do now. Here, put on these clothes and get ready. We’re preparing a welcome ceremony for you.”
Mike raised an eyebrow. “A welcome ceremony? For me?”
Jonathan smiled. “Yes. The tribe celebrates every newcomer who arrives on the island. They believe we’re guests of their ‘Master,’ and this is their way of honoring his visitors. Come on, get up and get ready. The tribal chief, Manu, will explain everything you need to know during the ceremony.”
End of Chapter Six