It had been nearly 4 hours since the three women landed on the uncharted island. After examining the beach and mapping a course towards a lake in the center of the island, the three now found themselves in the middle of a rather lush jungle.
Despite the beauty of the island, Natalia and her friends were puzzled by something. So far they had seen no animal life at all. While they weren't expecting to see any large animals, the fact that they hadn't heard any birds or even heard any insects buzzing around was peculiar. After so many years of exploring they had grown accustomed to to at least having to swat away a few mosquitoes. The fact that the island appeared devoid of evn the smallest animal was slightly off putting.
"Certainly is quiet," Susan stated in a low voice. Natalia and Dorothy both nodded in agreement, noting the eerie beauty of the land. "On the plus side no mosquitoes," Dorothy said happily. "Remember that time we got malaria?"
"Been trying to forget it," Natalia grumbled, pushing forward. As the trio moved on they couldn't help but feel just a bit more energetic than usual. For Natalia it struck her as strange, over the past year or so she had found her usual energy had fallen. She would tire quickly on these expeditions, having to take a break after only an hour or so of hiking. Now, it seemed like the further she went, the more energy she had.
OWWWW
Natalia and Susan turned, glancing back at Dorothy. The raven haired woman had been in the rear, her bad knee not allowing her to keep pace. Now a wave of guilt washed over Natalia as she watched Dorothy grasp her bad knee. "Damn it," she cursed to herself.
"Dorothy you okay?"
"Its my knee," she grumbled, cursing under her breath as she rubbed it. "Think I pushed myself too hard."
"Sorry," Natalia replied meekly. "Its my fault. Probably should've called for a break hours ago."
"Not your fault Nat," Dorothy replied. "Honesty i haven't even felt tired. Should've known better though, been dealing with this damn thing for 4 years now."
As Natalia now went to examine her friend, Susan now examined her surroundings. The jungle itself was beautiful, a thick canopy of trees letting in just enough light to give a warm and inviting scene. Still, the silence of the island was a bit eerie. Susan wondered if anyone had even set foot on this island before.
Something odd now caught the blond womans attention. Furrowing her brow, she now steppedboff the path, noticing something in the underbrush. Pushing back a branch, she was surprised to see an empty set of clothes.
The clothes themselves looked a bit out of fashion but were in pristine condition. It was almost as if whoever has left them had simply laid them about and forgot about them. What was odd though was the fact that it appeared to be a complete outfit. A top, shorts, undergarments, even a pair of boots and socks lay neatly in the brush, as if the owner had simply vanished. Slowly she now gazed passed the bizarre scene, noting several other pairs of clothes strewn across the jungle floor.
SUSUAN! Come here!
Shaken from her musings, Susan now bolted towards her companions. Natalia had sounded frightened, almost surprised by whatever she had discovered. Bursting through the brush, the blonde woman now pushed up her glasses as she stared at her brunette and raven haired friend. "What is it! Whats wrong?"
Natalia and Dorothy's faces were ashen, shocked by their mutual discovery. As Susan approached, Natalia now pointed at Dorothy's knee. "Look."
Susan squinted, gazing at the womans right knee and seeing nothing. "I don't see anything?"
"My scar," Dorothy whispered. "I had a scar on my knee from surgery. Its gone."
"Are you sure," Susan asked.
"I saw it," Natalia whispered. "I saw it clear as day. We both did! And then...and then..."
"Then what?"
"It vanished," Dorothy finished, her low voice low and foreboding. "It simply disappeared, like it had never been there."
Susan paused, leaning in closer to take a better look. Dorothy's knee was indeed flawless, any scar from the surgery no longer present.
"I had surgery on that knee when I was 39 years old," Dorothy stated. "I know their was a scar there. I've seen it everyday for the last 4 years."
"And I watched it fade away," Natalia added, her voice barely more than a whisper. "It, it was incredible. It just got fainter and fainter until their was nothing there. I can't explain it."
"And my knee feels great," Dorothy stated, flexing the offending limb as if to prove her story. "I haven't been able to flex my knee like this since the surgery."
"Natalia," Susan stated, slowly trying to put the pieces of this mystery together. "Theres something very weird about this place. I found a bunch of discarded clothes over there. Complete outfits too, just strewn on the ground. That plus Dorothy's knee, its something but I just can't put my finger on it."
Natalia now rubbed her chin thoughtfully, baby head idols, abandoned clothes, and a scar that mysteriously vanished. They were all connected, she just couldn't quite put it together.
For the now 39 year old adventurers they would need to figure it out soon. With each passing hour they grew just a little bit younger. Would they be able to escape the island before befallen its curse?