The king of the Vampire Island

As soon as they left the house, they caught a taxi and headed straight for the bus stand. They arrived just ten minutes before the bus was due to depart.

If they were a second late, they might have missed it. Fortunately, they were ahead of schedule.

The bus sped down the highway, its engine humming steadily. They sat side by side, with Jack by the window, gazing out at the passing scenery—though there wasn’t much to see.

“Did you let Uncle Daniel know we’re coming?” Max asked.

Jack shook his head. “No, I forgot. Hold on, I’ll call him now.” He reached into his pocket to grab his phone, but it wasn’t there. Then he remembered—he’d left it on the dressing table back home.

Max raised an eyebrow. “I forgot mine, too. Now what? How are we going to contact Uncle Daniel?”

“It’s fine,” Jack reassured him. “Uncle knows we’re coming. And I’m familiar with Mariner’s Bay.”

“Let’s hope that’s enough,” Max muttered.

They sat in silence for a while.

An hour later, they arrived at the Mariner bus stand. After a quick taxi ride to the port, they were greeted by Captain Daniel Scott.

Mr. Daniel, already acquainted with Jack, walked toward them with a friendly grin. “Hello, young man.”

Jack grinned back as they shook hands. “Hey, Uncle. How’s it going?”

“I’m doing well,” Mr. Daniel replied, his smile widening. He gestured toward Max. “And this must be Max, your friend?”

Jack nodded, and Mr. Daniel greeted Max warmly before leading them onto the ship. He showed them to their cabin, where they dropped off their bags.

After a quick look around, they left to explore the ship before dinner. When they returned, the sun was setting, and they headed straight to their cabin to sleep.

But sleep eluded Jack. One question gnawed at his mind: Are there really vampires or man-eaters on Vampire’s Island?

He wasn’t sure. It could all just be a tall tale.

“But really,” he thought, “do vampires even exist?”

It would be nice to go there and find out for himself. Maybe he could learn the truth about the man-eaters... or whatever else might be lurking on the island.

Eventually, exhaustion overcame him, and he drifted off to sleep. When Jack awoke the next morning, it was already seven o’clock, and the ship was well underway.

He rushed out of the cabin and onto the deck. The port vanished from view, meaning they were far out at sea.

The rest of the day and night passed uneventfully. But by the second afternoon, the storm hit.

The ship lurched violently as massive waves crashed against it. The crew scrambled to keep things under control, but it seemed as though the ship could capsize at any moment.

Jack was the first to spot land. He dashed to Mr. Daniel, who was clinging to the wheel. “Uncle, look! There’s an island! We’re close enough—couldn’t we take shelter there until the storm passes?”

Mr. Daniel’s gaze remained fixed ahead. “Even if we’re dying out here, we’re not going anywhere near that island.”

Jack frowned, confused. “Why not? What’s so bad about it?”

“I can’t say much,” Mr. Daniel replied, just as a huge wave slammed into the ship, knocking Jack off his feet. Mr. Daniel grabbed his hand just in time, preventing him from being swept overboard.

“It’s not safe here!” Mr. Daniel shouted. “Get back to the cabin now—before another wave hits! And that island... It’s so dangerous that anyone who goes there never comes back.”

The words haunted Jack as he hurried back to the cabin. What did Mr. Daniel mean by that? His mind raced. Could that island really be the legendary Vampire Island?

Determined to find out, he resolved to ask Mr. Daniel. But then, doubt crept in, and he decided against it for now.

The storm subsided by the end of the night, and the next morning, the ship docked at Demon's Port. Mr. Daniel arranged for the boys to stay in a hotel and told them, “In about a week, the ship will return from Dick Island to Demons Island. I’ll bring you back to Mariner’s Bay then.”

After bidding them farewell, he left.

At the hotel, they had lunch and then spent the afternoon exploring Demons Island.

At the beach, they were watching the sunset when Jack spotted a boy about their age hiding behind a bush, eyeing them intently.

“Max... hey, Max,” Jack whispered.

“Huh? What’s up?” Max asked.

“There’s someone over there. He’s hiding and watching us,” Jack said, gesturing toward the bush.

Max squinted in that direction but saw nothing. “Where? I don’t see anyone.”

Jack nodded toward the bush. “He’s right there. I can see him.”

Max took another look. This time, he saw the boy. “He’s been following us since we got off the ship.”

“What?” Jack said, surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I don’t know. I just forgot,” Max admitted.

“Whatever,” Jack said, brushing it off. “But why is he following us? Do you think he’s up to something?”

“Who knows?” Max shrugged. “Maybe he is.”

They watched the boy for a moment, then Jack noticed he was still there, lurking behind the bush. He turned to Max. “Let’s go ask him what’s going on.”

Max nodded. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

“But we can’t just walk up to him,” Jack said, motioning to the back of the bush. “You go around that way. I’ll approach from the front.”

Max didn’t say anything but smiled and nodded before heading around the bush. Jack walked toward it, and as soon as the boy saw him, he tried to run. But Max was faster, grabbing him by the wrist.

“Hey, kid! Why are you spying on us like this?” Max demanded.

To their surprise, the boy twisted his arm free and sprinted off, shouting over his shoulder, “If you want to live, leave this island! They won’t let you survive—no one ever survives!”

Stunned by the boy’s strange behavior, they turned to head back to the hotel. As they did, they thought they saw something move behind the bushes.

When Jack glanced back, something darted into the darkness. It was too quick to identify, but it left an eerie feeling in the air.