Story time with sigma

shouts on the island

(now with actual shouts)

The rickety old boats moved along a current as I gently paddled, guiding myself to the green horizon of the island that lay waiting for me, a gentle breeze stoked my face I glided through the dark water, I could here the wind, the sea waves despite non presenting themselves and hear the witch like howls of birds taunting from the island. My uniform was wet and ripped, my head cut and my lungs tripping over themselves trying to catch my breath. Tired, hungry and firstly I approached the large island mass, a stroke of sand lead itself to an empty bay, the background lined with mountains surrounded and outnumbered by the vegetation that claimed them. As the boat approached the shores of the endless island that now loomed over my small boat, casting a deadly shadow upon it I spotted a glow in the distance, wood planks, wood logs, it it it was an overturned boat! Perhaps there were more people here? Together we stood a better chance of survival!  But as I approached I noticed the reason it was a glow, the orange signs of death and panic that through all our history we have shared a paradoxical relationship with, it hurts us but we need it to survive- the boat was illuminated by

fire.

As the boat crashed into the sand it rocked and I stumbled onto the beach and fell to my bashed knees. As I crawled across the hot white sand I stumbled upon what I dreaded, wedged into the sand lay a skull, square and grey. I picked it up and fell onto my back- looking into its deep dark voids that masqueraded as eyes, false, fake,  just empty. Deep into it I looked, a saw the flicker of the flames on the boat still burnt into the memories of the soul that this skull I looked into. Did it hurt? Does it still hurt? Can you feel it. Can you hear me. Please.

I kicked a bone across the sand, bouncing across the sand and landing into the warm water. A sweet smell of salt, berries and moist air greeted my noise as air flew through forrest and fed the fire that began to engulf the boat like a raging army attacking a village. The cavalry of flame attacked and I suddenly jumped to me feet, dashing onto the boat and kicking open the trap doors. Smoke fell into the hull of the ship as I pulled apart the chests and I searched them. Throwing the items into the air and the landed into the water that had pooled on the now floor of the side ways boat. 

Not finding anything of importance I rushed into the room on the deck and explored it. There was a bed and a skull painting. But now flames started trying to block of the hole I had entered through so I climbed out and fell into the shallow water. At that time the mast collapsed, flame engulfing the sand and trees near me, narrowly missing my legs as I jumped onto the shore. Chariots of rageing flame charged at the forrest, they rode from tree to tree and fell onto the forrest floor. 

I clawed across the sand and slunk under a trunk, just far enough from the fire to be safe. The smoke vanished into the air and soon the chariots drove off into the forrest coast. My one way of the island, ash. The people I thought I might find comfort in, were skulls that stared into my eyes. I looked out into the ocean, I was isolated, trapped on this hellish island, surrounded by flame and the dark of a jungle and with no clear way out. Im trapped in a death chamber and for all I know the martian giants stroll the island with me. 

I stood onto the beach, looking now to the stature of a giant that watched me, the green mountain. And there it was, a slim dark figure falling through the greenery and cliff face. It was- it was- no no. A person. The smoke! Smoke! They must of seen the smoke.  They seemed to be heading towards me, did they see me? Surely they did! Then like the mast of the boat my heart sank into the ocean like the bodies that would never get to accompany on the island. Slowly rising over the mountain was a rectangular head of silver. Two glowing bug like eyes scarred the hideous face and a funnel protruded from the mouth area, a funnel. 

As the figure ran through the forrest and descended the vines. The head continued to rise as the legs started to rise into view.  A flying machine swooped down into the base of the mountain and upwards. It was shocking, like a metal bird with out wings it swooped, it had a green screen too and held a funnel in its mouth too. It flourished the funnel and it ignited, a white glow began as fire shot into the vines, combusting it. The fire ran down the vine and the figure fell into the shrubbery below. 

I couldn't tell if they survived, but the tripod figure now at the top of the mountain also ignited the funnel and it tore down the mountain in a rain of fire and became a vortex of fire that faded into darkness. I sat on the beach, alone and cold. An existential horror crawled under my skin and traversed my spine like a spider. I Fell onto my side, in a few weeks I had gone from living in a nice comfortable house, a nice comfortable life, to military training, to hearing about villages being turned to dust like chalk under a brick. All my hope stolen in seconds. Perhaps I was already dead? Maybe this was hell- that's ok its not like I have to live with it. 

The fire started by the boat still raged along the coast, it didnt speed my way though. I had so little left. So little. Of course then there was one course of action. I collected myself, slicked back my rough, wet hair and punched a tree. 

Eventually night fell. Tired and broken I had built a ramshackle shelter and slumped down inside it. I was just defeated. Waiting. Then I head footsteps. Martians? Was it time? Then there was a knock. And someone broke into my small ramshackle shelter. For the first time since I landed on this island I saw a face. Now things were different.