The Forgotten Island

Up in the forgotten valleys of Warsaw Mountain, lies a majestic lake. If google maps was accurate, Lake Winnasaw was the most desolate lake in North America, being over thirty miles away from the nearest road. Mark knew he couldn’t hike to it in one day, but from what he read, the journey would be worth it. For him, it wasn’t about the view … it was about the island.

Lake Winnasaw was home to Peaqoug Island, named after the tribe that used to live there before the valley became inhabitable. From what Mark had read, the island still held remnants of the old mining town that was formed after the tribe left. There were legends that the island was haunted, but he didn’t care about that. He cared about the rumors of a hidden treasure that was buried on the island by a prospector who had explored the mines and found gold.

Mark had done his research and as he trekked through muddy paths, he daydreamed of returning back down with gold in his pack. Besides for his gear, he had brought a few different maps of the old mining town. As he journeyed through the thick Alaskan Wilderness, he realized it wasn’t going to be as easy to find as he might hope. He had brought a metal detector with him, but everything was so much bigger in real life than it appeared on Google Earth.

After an exhausting hike, he made it more than halfway to the island, making camp in the middle of an open field near the river he had been using as his guide. Even though it was summer, the fading sun sent a chill through his tent, and for once in his life he felt scared. It wasn’t about survival, he had camped in freezing locations many times, but he had never been so remote before. It made him feel alone. He had trouble sleeping, and every gust of wind sounded like voices piercing the silence he had grown accustomed to during his hike.

He thought about turning back, but he knew his mind was just playing tricks on him. Even more than that, he knew his friends would tease him if he didn’t at least try. He had been talking about this expedition for a while now, and they had all been too afraid to come with him; he couldn’t blame them now.

He didn’t sleep much and the first spec of sunlight protruding over the hills was one of the most comforting sights he had ever seen. The light brought renewed confidence and he made good time on his way up the mountain. After hiking for most of the day, he eventually found the edge of the lake resting against the horizon.

As he walked further, he saw the island come into view as well. It was bigger than he imagined, and it would be a longer swim than he hoped. He wasn’t sure if he should wait until morning or get it over with now and try to build a fire to keep him warm. He changed into his waterproof gear and held his pack high above his head as he made his way through the water.

He admired the beautiful mountains in the background, the ones that once held the treasure he hoped to find, as the water made its way up to his chest. He was able to wade the entire length, reaching rocky embankments as the sun began to fade. He couldn’t see far into the island as the views were blocked by rocks and trees that went over his head.

He threw his pack up over the rocks and climbed onto the island, finding himself face to face with a thick forest that went as far around as he could see. He decided to cut his way through, and it didn’t take long for him to find remnants of the mining town that resided there. He saw rocks, and stones aligned on the ground and he felt himself shivering from the cold as he ventured further into the woods.

The town was loosely scattered about the forest, and he could only see different remnants of the establishment every so often. It would be harder for him than he thought. He was looking for patrol cabin 6, the place the prospector had stayed during his years at the mine, but he couldn’t discern anything that resembled the markings on his old map, and it began to get darker.

He eventually found a clearing that was big enough for his tent, so he decided to get a good night’s sleep and explore the island more thoroughly in the morning. He tried his hardest to build his fire, but even without any noticeable wind, he wasn’t able to get one going. Wet and exhausted, he laid in his tent, falling to sleep faster than he anticipated.

He was awoken by a scream in the distance … or was it the wind? Against all his instincts, he got up and poked his head outside his tent. It was fainter than before, but he could hear it further ahead. Without thinking, he grabbed a gun he had brought for the bears and his flashlight.

He followed the noise through a path ahead until he reached the wooden foundation of a tiny cabin. It was still in fairly good shape, and he noticed a big white x carved into the door. He approached it slowly, but his feet stopped as another chill swarmed through him. He was frozen for a second, but his curiosity kept him moving forward. He pushed the door open, took a small step into the cabin, and shined the flashlight inside. He was able to see carvings in the wood that looked like nails, but within seconds his light went out.

He was captured by darkness for a moment, only to find himself face to face with a tall floating figure that was glowing in the dark. It was wearing a dark robe that floated above the ground and he could only see its silhouette along with two red eyes. It was fuzzy, like out of a dream, and he felt like he was looking at it through thick glass.

“We don’t get many visitors.”

“Who … who are you?”

“Does it matter?”

Mark wanted to run, but his body became paralyzed. Was he dreaming?

“I have an offer for you, Mark,” said the figure, putting a black hand out in front of him, “Take my hand, and become one of us. You will be able to live forever in the beauty of these mountains. Without pain, or fear, or worry.”

“But why would I want that?”

“Who wouldn’t want immortality? Take the offer.”

Mark raised his hand for a moment before pulling it back and shaking his head, “No. I don’t want it.”

“Well of course you don’t want it. Who would want this?” said the figure, his eyes peering beyond Mark’s shoulders, “I just needed to distract you long enough.”

“Distract me?”

Mark turned around and noticed there was someone behind him now. His heart sank as he stared at the figure’s face. It was the same face he had seen every morning when he looked in the mirror. He looked down and saw he was now wearing black robes while the figure had his clothes and his pack to go along with his face and body. The figure began to run away from the cabin, so Mark chased after it, floating through the forest towards the lake.

The figure reached the lake before Mark and turned towards him. It winked at him and smiled before turning towards the lake and taking a step into the water. He tried to follow after it, but his new body stopped as soon as he got to the edge of the island. He tried multiple times, but he kept getting pushed away by an invisible forcefield.

“It’s no use,” said the figure from earlier, suddenly appearing by his side, “We’re not allowed to leave the island.”

“Why not?”

“I wish I knew, but don’t worry, it won’t be long before someone else comes to search for the gold. I’m next but you can take the person after that.”

“And how long will that be?”

“Not long. I’ve only been waiting fifty years.”

Mark collapsed on the ground and watched his old body step out of the lake and disappear into the night.