You Have a Bright Future Here

The furious sun is starting to rise again over your horizon, and soon enough, the cold rocks where you slept will become like hot coals, untouchable and unforgiving. It's been like this every day since you've been here, and the heat and its effect on your callused and charred body are only getting worse. Soon enough, you'll end up like Cheryl. You all know what happened to Cheryl, even if you don't. One day her skin went from beet red to a prune-like purple, and then she started screaming, laughing, and then she disappeared. When he was still around, Greg proposed to have a ceremonial funeral, but there was always just so much work to do that soon it was just understood as canceled. Life is just too busy, between keeping the signal fire up for outside help and keeping watch that the others don't go mad and, of course, looking out for the Masked Ones – you don't care what Tyler said, they are as bad as they seem. You've seen them prowling around, murmuring amongst each other in the forest, way too much. Liz and Cheryl had agreed before they left you for God knows where.

The morning wastes no time, and you try to fish just like Roger taught you before he disappeared. You catch a small silver fish, gut him, and throw the poor little guy on the fire. There aren't many fish left, it seems, even though fewer people are eating them. You split the fish in five ways and head up the rocky embankment, where Rachel, Dave, T.J., and Allie are, heads down as they do their own thing. There is a lull as you walk up. Were they talking about you?

T.J. is sharpening a spear, and he'll most likely try to go out into the woods again to confront the Masked Ones. He doesn't think what happened to Charlie and Simone had anything to do with these beings. He doesn't believe the stories. He said it's just a trap for us not to enjoy this time on our island, and he's not going to sit around waiting for the next lurking. But you'll be damned if he'll drag you out there. You saw what you saw.

Allie hasn't been doing well. She sits on the shred of blanket that's now hers, it used to Ellen's before she disappeared, and rocks back and forth like she already has one of her dozen daily panic attacks. Life on an island never seemed to suit her.

Dave smiles as he takes his chunk of fish. He said he'd have to come down there with you next time, but you know that he either wont or can't with that bad back of his. Either way, you expect he'll be next to go no matter what, so you're not getting too attached.

Then, there's Rachel. She screams at the top of her lungs, pulling at her rope bonds that keep her restrained to a thick palm, the same place where they kept Matty, J.J., Tom, and Megan when they went feral. She yells profanities at you but you just try to give her the fish. She chews some and then spits it at you. You're more annoyed at the waste of fish than her spiraling insanity.

You sit and eat with Dave, T.J., and Allie, the last of whom seems to be back in reality for the moment, long enough to eat some fish at least. You all talk about the night, and how they all are pretty sure they heard Brent screaming out in the forest, or maybe it was Harold. T.J. says well it's about damn time somebody goes and faces whatever it is face-to-face. You and the others just pay attention to the fish. When you're done, you look over at where Rachel was, and the loose, empty rope now lies on the rocky ground. She's gone now too.

T.J. says he's going to go confront the Masked Ones. You say, go for it, you have to go and try to get more fish, maybe stoke the signal fire a bit more. He shrugs and pats you on the shoulder as he heads up through the woods. You know you won't see him again, and at one point in time, it would drive you totally insane at the mere thought of it, but he's going to go where all the others ended up.

Sometimes you wonder what it's like, wherever they're all going. Maybe they're hitching boats to bigger, better islands. Islands with better shade, a place that has better fish and there isn't such a lurking shadow breathing down their neck. I mean, sure there will be some lurking shadow like the Masked Ones, every island has to have it, it wouldn't be a mysterious island without it, but maybe there's actually cares about their stowaways. Maybe there are opportunities to join their upper echelons over there. Doesn't seem like the worst gig.

Overthinking leads to depression. Depression leads to complacency. Complacency leads to whatever the hell happened to Cheryl. That's why you're sure Allie will be next. But you do your own share of overthinking, don't you? You're trying to fish, but you're really just staring out into the water. There are some rocks on the horizon, maybe those places are better than where you are now. Or maybe they're a hundred times worse.

Then, you see them. At first, they're just specks, but they're getting bigger. You splash your eyes with water and look out just to be sure you're not hallucinating like Gustav did before he disappeared. There are boats on the horizon, and they're coming toward the island. But there's not just one boat. There are three. Three beautiful, smokestack-sporting, large boats. Heading straight. Your heart drops so quick you almost throw up.

You look behind you and you wonder what the others would say if they saw them. Would they scream so loudly that they would scare off the boats? Would they kill you just for a chance on the boat, even though there are plenty of opportunities to be saved out there? Would they all hug and kiss each other and cry over all the poor souls that are now no longer on the island?

And then you start to really think about it. What if they're just liked the Masked Ones? What if they're worse? What if you've been so accustomed to island life that you can't function anywhere else? What if they put your sorry ass right in the middle of the ocean, and in the dark, cold, shark-infested water, you wish to God that you never left the island, Masked Ones and crazy people and all. And don't say it's just overthinking. You don't know those people on those boats? Sure, they seem happy all day long while they're specks on the horizon, but when you're on board with them, and they're showing you the ropes, you can be damn sure you'll see that they're not happy. Not happy like you are.

You walk over to the signal fire and look at the swirling flames that dance on cracking black logs. Well, maybe they aren't really dancing right now. In fact, they're pretty low. You'll need to stoke it to get the ship's attention. But that will get the attention of the Masked Ones, no doubt about it. Then what? Then they'll see you, and you'll end up just like Cheryl. Oh, God. Why was rescue ever a good idea to consider?

You turn and, boom, there's a damn Masked One right there. You say hello, and that the weather is only getting hotter. Black, animal-like eyes look back at you from under a round, wooden, and featureless mask. It looks out there at the ships, and then back at you. You say you weren't going to signal them, and somewhere deep inside you, you mean it. You're loyal to your island. You want to see it flourish, and you want the ecosystem to be at its best. The Masked One nods, but continues to watch you as it drifts back into the woods.

You then spill water onto the signal fire, and somewhere, you see the boats start to shift westward. After all, you can't just leave the others, it wouldn't be fair. After all, this suits you.