The fire was burning brightly as Nate kept looking out into the darkness of the jungle, in truth it was hard to call the area near their camp a jungle it wasn’t really thick with trees until one got closer to the base of the mountain.
“Where the hell are they?” inquired Rose as she looked up from the large piece of pan fired chicken.
“I have no idea.” Stated Kelly
“Hopefully nothing happened to them.” Added Amanda but even in her voice that sounded hallow.
“In the morning we should go after them.” Said Nate
“Agreed.” Confirmed Kenny as Kelly nodded in agreement. “If it wasn’t so dark I would say go now.”
“Hello?” said a new voice in heavily accented English as everyone jumped and looked toward the tree line. It wasn’t any of their friends, the voice was a women’s but it wasn’t Stacy’s or Taylor’s.
“Who is out there?” inquired Rose as everyone stood up.
“Are…are you real?” asked the voice again
“We are real.” Reassured Amanda as a figure came out of the woods, she was thin, very thin and wore cloths made out of leaves with a well-worn faded green one piece swimsuit. Her black hair was pulled back and tied off with a more self-made rope. Judging by her features she was clearly Asian likely Japanese. She looked to be about of age with them, but that was hard to tell judging by how thin she was.
“You…you…are…real?” inquired the women as she reached out and touched Nate who was the closest. When her fingers touched him, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him and began to cry.
Everyone was taken aback as they watched this women just cry as she held onto Nate
.
“Must be another person who was ship wrecked here.” Offered Kelly as everyone nodded in agreement.
“Come sit down, we have some food.” Offered Rose as the women pulled away from Nate and was guided toward a one of the logs which had been brought up around the fire. Amanda handed her a large plate with the largest piece of chicken they had left. She began to bite into it like an animal.
“Who are you?” inquired Kenny as the women stopped for a moment to chew.
“Emiko.” Answered the women. “I am from Fukouka.”
“That is in Japan.” Added Nate as Emiko nodded.
“Hello Emiko, I am Amanda.” Said Amanda as they went around and introduced themselves. Emiko seamed more focused on the food then their names.
“What year is it? I have been on this island for so long?” inquired Emiko as everyone looked at each other and then told her the year. She paused for a moment. “15 months…I have made it 15 months.”
“You have been alone for 15 months?” inquired Kenny as Emiko shook her head.
“My boyfriend…is here along with some friends….but they has been trying to get me to join them.” Stated Emiko, as she took long pauses to think of her words. She had studied English in school but it had been so long since she spoke it or spoken to another human that she paused to think. “I know they did something to their mind, they would never have wanted to be one of them.”
“What are you talking about?” inquired Rose
“This island…is no ordinary island…there are merpeople on this island.” Stated Emiko as everyone looked at each other. “They use this island to hunt people down and turn them into merfolk…recruit them they call it. I have refused to join them…they got my him and all the friends which went out with cruise…but not me….no they haven’t gotten me.”
“I see.” Said Nate as everyone looked at each other wondering if this women was crazy.
“Emiko…so you and your friends went on a cruise out of Florida or somewhere and…” started Rose as she went digging for information.
“No we left from Kyushu…the island moves…we are in a magical world which is why electrical items do not work.” Stated Emiko “That is what they tell me…when they learned that I knew where their pools where and that I wasn’t going to make a mistake they started to talk to me…to call me to them with their singing. I have made it so far.”
“Ok…” said Kelly
“Beware…their singing they can lure you in…they don’t like to do it…they see it as wrong but they will.” Stated Emiko as everyone shared another look. “Make sure you never swim in water that leads to the mountain…that is where the creatures breed and where anyone who is taken by them is brought to be fully turned. I saw them take two figures today into the mountain.”
“You saw two other people?” inquired Nate
“Yes…but they were taken. Just like the love of my life and my friends…all of them are now them.” Stated Emiko before her face got sad “If your friends has also been taken soon they will be merpeople in body and soul as well.”