1

The miniature green plants sparkled and glistened under Michaela and Daniels’s artificial light. Yet, it bothered Michaela just how much attention Daniel had been paying to these plants than to her. In fact, it made her extremely angry. So mad that a cruel little plot had grown in her mind and sprouted overnight into the morning. And by the time the dawn light shone in, Michaela’s mind had simply become pure evil.

Today was the proverbial ‘last straw’, for Michaela now thought it fit in her mind to end their science trip, end her relationship with her boyfriend, and embark on a new future in a foreign land.

Several months ago, Daniel and Michaela departed for research to the mountains on an unknown island 7,000 kilometres away. Michaela, the lesser experienced scientist, had in time fallen in love with this habitat and even spoke insanity by suggesting the couple should live here forever. This perturbed Daniel and since then, he stayed a slight suspicion about his girlfriend. Every so often, he would notice Michaela wonder off during their research hours to take several long breaks by the spiralling stream below them and sign off for the day. 

This day, January 4th, was truly a cruel day. Our little scientist crept out of her blanket in an irritated mood. Thoughts of phrases she wished to say to Daniel spilt out into her morning routine. She started boiling an egg in their pot forgetting to also put in eggs for Daniel. Perhaps this was a sign her love had almost sorely faded. She cracked the boiled egg violently with a spoon, then began eating over a beautiful balcony view, and hummed sweetly

‘ Waha-heera-ooo-sheeraaa, waha-hoo-sheera…’

Once her breakfast was eaten, Michaela playfully communicated with nature. She petted the birds, which chirped and crawled along the balcony’s pole, whilst feeding them crumbs of a solid salty egg yolk. The birds seemed to chirp in excitement, and Michaela felt at peace.

‘Waha-heera-ooo-sheeraaa, waha-hoo-sheera…’

This was until she heard the sound of her boyfriend in the background. With every inch of her body, she wanted to love him again. As Daniel rolled about, yawned, and began escaping from an entrapment of several blankets, Michaela called out these words:

‘Daniel, I forgot to make your eggs this morning, you’ll have to make them yourself. I’m going by the stream…’

‘Really??’ croaked Daniel whilst he dressed himself. ‘You used to hate going out this early, what’s with the big fuss?’

‘I think I’ve found a new home.’ chuckled Michaela in a sarcastic tone, remembering to contain what she truly felt until the time was right to tell him the truth.

‘I don’t think you’ll love staying at a place like this dear. Remember once we discover the source of that song, we’re bringing the evidence back home where we’ll probably be rolling in riches. Not this dingy old mountain….’

‘Oh. That’s right’ muttered Michaela ‘I guess I’m just a different Michaela today.’

Daniel could see something had happened to her overnight, something radical. It seemed as if she had almost stopped caring about absolutely everything. The same bird which she played with earlier flew by and vanished into the clear blue sky. Somehow, this signalled to Michaela that it was time to go, so she exited their marquee without saying goodbye to Daniel.

‘When I come back…’ thought Michaela ‘…I can’t tell him just yet…’ 

For the first time, Daniel watched her exit the experimental quarters they were performing lab tests in by herself. The two scientists had been boyfriend and girlfriend for over 5 months, having met each other in Cuba. They both believed their passion in science made them the perfect couple. That was until today.

Suddenly, Daniel heard a sound from his radio antenna seated on a brown desk behind him. It was the sound that brought them to this land for research. The sound of a strange beautiful song they heard 8,000 miles before.

‘WAHA-HEEERA-HEEERA-OOOO-SHEERAAA-WAHA-HEEERA-HEEERA-OOOO-SHEERAAA…’

‘The song’s playing again, but we just can’t tell where it’s coming from in these mountains ...’

Abruptly, a rush of monstrous wind overtook this blissful morning. It pushed and pulled violently on the marquee. The pillars wobbled and began tearing from their foundations.

CLUNK! CLUNK!

Came the sound of his living room chairs. Daniel ran outside to call for Michaela, but by then, she had long gone.

A yellow chair crashed into a whiteboard and hurled it into the ground.

Immediately, Daniel ran back in and tried to stabilise everything by closing the marquee’s entrance. There were three strings Daniel and Michaela used to shut the exit to outside together. It worked by a pulling mechanism. The faster and harder Daniel pulled, the quicker the door would close but the wind was ferocious, and many of their belongings began flying.

‘Dammn it!’ he yelled. ‘Michaela!’ he shouted into the distance.

Still, he got no response.

Little by little the rope gained more resistance, until Daniel could no longer beat the wind.

The door then flew open and flung out several research papers.

‘Just close!’ yelled Daniel.

He made for the door with his rope-burnt hands and pulled again, this time with double force.

‘Arhhghhh!’

He noticed the wind getting stronger, but his efforts were paying off.

Unexpectedly, the wind stopped and the door shut aggressively, sending Daniel flying backwards into his sheets.

Shortly afterwards, there followed a faint scent of burning which came from behind his small miniature kitchen. Whatever this could be, Daniel seemed more concerned about their science project. He crawled back onto his feet, adjusted his pants and cursed about their lost papers.

The scent then became stronger, and billowing smoke appeared all around their yellow-themed temporary home.

‘EEEEEYAAAAH!’ thundered a high-pitched female voice from outside.

A beam and staff-liked shadow stood outside. Then, more shadows followed with odder shapes. Men and women’s shadows surrounded the marquee, seemingly examining the outside before choosing to wreck its contents. After a little while, the figures began to move away from the door, one by one, until only two were left. They were notably singular male and female shadows, and they were holding hands. As the two figures encroached further, Daniel rummaged through his deep pockets and retrieved a small green pager the couple selected to have in contact for emergencies. Before Daniel could page, it was too late. The two figures holding hands had come in, and the more Aztec-looking of the two threw a dagger straight for Daniel’s heart. A long blue dagger tore through Daniel’s shirt just missing the top half of his body, only to drill a hole in the wall behind him. Looking up at the man who threw it, fear leapt up inside of him.

‘Where is Micheala!??’ cried the freakishly tall warrior.

 Beside the man appeared to be what looked like his wife. She gripped his hand intensely whilst tears streamed down her eyes.

‘Michaela!?’ she screamed ‘Michaela!??’ Leaving his grip, she began searching the room in a storm of fury. Daniel’s eyes followed her in amazement.

‘Michaela!??’.

Another dagger was thrust in front of Daniel’s face.

‘Where is my little girl!?’asked the warrior.

 Daniel fixed himself to speak.

‘We mean no harm to anyone! We’re just scientists doing our research here. I have no clue what you’re referring to…! ’

‘You and your thieving kind stole my Michaela years ago!’

‘ I stole Micheala…?!’ murmured Daniel confusingly.

Behind them, the wife was turning Daniel’s home into a garbage dump. She rummaged recklessly in every corner.

‘My Ifalta!!’ shrieked the women. The outfit she wore seemed tribal and fashioned very closely to her male companion.  She also seemed to have a sharp stare whenever her and Daniel locked eyes. Such eyes as hers only said one thing: murder.

‘My Ifalta! Come quickly! Look!’

The husband stared down Daniel, retrieved his dagger from the wall it was lodged in, and went to his wife.

Behind Daniel, they both shrieked in tremendous agony.

‘You snivelling thief!! What witchcraft did you use on her??? She’s fallen in love with our enemy!’ said the man. He held up what appeared to be a picture of Daniel and Michaela hugging.

‘Our daughter’s been completely brainwashed… Maulaba, Croshi! Seize the Injaba (thief) here!’

Several more figures quickly stomped in sequentially, all raising their daggers in the air, and shouting a long super chant which rang long in the ears of everything around them that breathed.

‘OOO-SHEERA-OOO-SHEERA!’ they chanted.

‘I want this trickster taken to the ritual tonight! He has stolen what was ours and fooled many outsiders too!’

‘But our king, why isn’t Michaela here? Where could she have gone?’

‘You’re right. For some reason she’s not here. You two go and find her now! Bring her straight to the ritual without fail!’

‘Yes, our king.’ Nodded two freakishly tall men dressed in decorative yellow ancient fighting attire.

The two carried together a golden patterned dress, looked to be worn only by the higher ups of their clan. They seemed to be carrying it for a reason.

‘Ensure you’re careful not to harm Micheala’s dress. It’s important she is seen clean at the ritual tonight.’

‘Micheala’s dress…?’

‘Wait! please! There’s been a great misunderstanding here. You must be mistaken. We’re just scientist here visiting-‘

Before             Daniel could comprehend, the remaining company of warriors had swarmed in, taking turns to topple him over, and throw him into a large brown sack.

They tied it shut with ropes and began dragging Daniel out of the marquee and into the beautiful sunlight.

What followed were the sound of several horses hooting and stamping their iron-clad feet as he felt himself ascend into some sort of tall carriage.

 ‘Forward! Before we miss the ritual!’ cried the king.

And the whole family of warriors galloped away from Daniel and Michaela’s cherished temporary home.

‘WAHA-HEEERA-HEEERA-OOOO-SHEERAAA-WAHA-HEEERA-HEEERA-OOOO-SHEERAAA…’ played that eerie song once again somewhere far away in these green mountains.

Daniel could now only see a graded shadow of their little home through the brown sack.

‘I wonder how tall and beautiful  our daughter Michaela looks now Fjlta? It’s been way too many years!’ Sang the wife who sat on the front horse which led the way.  

Fjlta, the leader, sped up on his bright brown horse which was the largest and swiftest of the clan.

Behind him sat his wife. She rubbed her chin across his shoulder softly. He reciprocated by leaning in to her.

‘But wait. Michaela is unaware of the outsiders here my Fjlta. Such as the likes of Zeral! That traitor might find her before the men you sent do. He knows little of how we moved our home now since you banished him from us my king.’

‘Do not worry dear, today is the day when we shall finally be reunited with our daughter.’

‘Zeral cannot be trusted. The only worth he has now is to play the national anthem for us every year. If Michaela bumps into him, who knows where he’ll take her to. It will be anywhere but home!’ Grunted an older man riding his horse at the back of the group.

 ‘WAHA-HEEERA-HEEERA-OOOO-SHEERAAA-WAHA-HEEERA-HEEERA-OOOO-SHEERAAA…’

‘More importantly our king, what is our intentions for bringing one of Michaela’s kidnappers back with us? Should we not have simply killed him back there?’

Fjlta grunted and spat furiously onto the road.

‘I wish to ask him some questions! Something to help advance our people’s intelligence. Zeral let us down long ago. It is time we learn how to improve without him. After he’s done building the technology we need…we will kill him…’

Meanwhile, Daniel continued to page Michaela inside of the sack. There was no response after waiting a few minutes whilst the group continued their treacherous journey. Her pager was switched off.

‘She must not be in a good mood. Ahh Micheala, out of all the days to be mad at me again you completley picked the wrong one…’ thought Daniel.

In the midst of a turn in the road, the group found themselves remarkably struck by a gush of wind.

All the horses then toppled over onto the hard rocks and yelled loudly incoherent sounds of pain.

Daniel too was tossed around by mother nature and landed across the ground beside a long splashing stream.

Many of his kidnappers were knocked unconscious due to the impact of their fall.

‘Fjlta! Fjlta!’ he heard someone yell outside of his sack.

It was his wife. She seemed to be one of the only ones left unscathed and was searching for her husband.

‘I am alive my love…’ he called.

The king was lodged next to a tree pulled out of its roots. His regular armour appeared shattered but the rest of his body remained intact. With the help of his wife, he arose from the ground only to find his horse totally defeated and dead.

‘Have the god’s cursed us on the day of the Thumala (ritual)?’ he asked.

‘No my Fjlta, but look! The thief’s trying to escape from us!’ said his wife and pointed towards Daniel, who violently tried to unleash himself from his sack.

‘Why do you persist? You will not get very far.’

‘I know nothing of what you’re talking about. You’ve got the wrong Michaela here! She doesn’t know you. Let me go!’

‘How can one forget their only family?’ replied the king softly.

‘Quickly! Restrain him!’ He shouted.

Fjlta’s wife drew a sharp bronze knife from her silver belt strap. She villainously trudged across littered rocks to reach Daniel, yet a sudden wind viscously hurled her straight into the long blue stream. A stream heading straight to its giant waterfall.

‘My dear!’ shrieked her husband. He instantly drove himself into the stream, swimming after her drowning body in the merciless water current.  

The king pumped out several strokes across the water to reach his wife until both of them eventually neared the end of the cliff.

Daniel had only just unleashed himself from this sack trap to see two familiar bodies, his kidnappers, unknowingly now floating towards a cliff leading to the waterfall below.

‘No!!!’ he roared.

Fjlta caught up to his wife and grabbed her hand. Yet it was a moment too late for they had reached the end of the stream…

Their bodies disappeared over the cliff as they fell to the bottom, husband and wife, holding hands.

‘My word!’ gasped Daniel.

‘My KING!!’ Roared a few men behind him which had recovered.  

‘Kneeeyah!’ screamed a running horse that galloped around to where the edge of the cliff was.

The rider was a tall, starkly warrior with long bluish hair.

Meanwhile, the wind continued pounding away, blowing Daniel’s brown sack off the ground and into the evil stream. It’s water gushed and poured out onto the rocks.

‘Long…live...the king…’

After a few moments passed, the blue warrior came riding back to his fellow companions who were sourly mourning.

‘Tell me…who…just who…. are you people?’ asked Daniel

The blue warrior’s blood boiled. He stamped his long silver dagger into the ground.

 ‘We are the Injurta clan. Before we ever discovered this land and these parts in the mountains, our Michaela travelled with us but was soon taken from us by your scoundrel people many years ago…’

‘As I told your king, you must have my girlfriend mistaken for someone else.’

The blue warrior chuckled.

‘No thief, you are the one who’s been mistaken all this time. She will eventually come and make things clear to you…’  the blue warrior looked saddened by Daniel’s conviction.

The brother of this storyteller came forth with gritted teeth, almost piercing with hatred. He sneered angrily at Daniel’s creased blue shirt and smart suede pants.

‘You know so little for a smartly dressed man! I thought we were meant to kill him already? Why are you chatting with him for Diamond?’ the brother hastily replied.

‘Didn’t you hear the king say minutes ago that this man is useful to our people? We cannot kill him yet. In honour of the king and queen, we must keep him for now’ replied Diamond.

‘I’ll let you know thief that we’ve been trying to reach Michaela for a long time. With today, it is July 4th, a time when we perform an inauguration ritual. On he 4th of every month there is a special ritual and song played with an array of different horns. Usually it is played only for a minute, but after the loss of the king’s daughter years ago, the king requested that it be played minutes more in the memory of Michaela. She always had a thing for music. You have been studying the sound, have you not?

 It’s the sound of our national anthem.’ 

‘Duno! Darish! Sing it to him!!’ he loudly barked at his clan members.

One by one, they began to hum and sing a sound all too familiar to this scientist’s ears.

‘WAHA-HEEERA-HEEERA-OOOO-SHEERAAA-WAHA-HEEERA-HEEERA-OOOO-SHEERAAA!

He was struck by how accurately they replicated the song he’d been researching all these years.

The clan’s song became louder until the noise bounced off the trees surrounding them.

Like an orchestra, the blue warrior ordered them to stop.

Daniel could not believe his ears. He shortly felt his current research project was a complete a hoax.

‘As I already told you, our Michaela has fooled you. She’s come here looking for us – her real family.’

‘You-you’re mistaken! We don’t know anything about you or your clan. We’re just scientists…!’ shouted Daniel in denial.

‘ I’ll show you then...’

Diamond prodded out a small picture from his pocket.

Someone that looked exactly like a much younger version of Michaela was seen in the picture wearing a thin red scarf and hugging a group of small smiling children.

Daniel almost stared at it in disbelief whilst the man talked with him about the history of the photo.

‘I can’t fathom this, I can’t.’

‘I’ve held on this ever since the day she was stolen from us.’ said Diamond, sobbing softly.

Daniel paused at the photo’s resemblance in disbelief.

‘We’re here for research. I don’t know what you’re showing me!’

Yet, Daniel did.

‘You must believe it. Free her of your cursed love bond!’

Daniel went into a cave of his own thoughts.

‘This must be a dream right…?’  he thought.

‘Enough!!’ shouted the last of the men running up at them ‘Let's get going. It’s approaching dawn. We-”

Once again, a villainous gush of wind crashed down upon the group, this time discarding many into tree branches and tearing up the ground beneath them. Scores of nature were left hanging out of their roots, and the birds chirped for help. Daniel found himself shoved to the ground again. He faintly saw a little black horse flail about the riverbank and slowly die.  

Somehow, Michaela - his now trickster girlfriend - suddenly appeared in his vision.

 It was blurry, and certain winds distorted and churned her up. Her slim figure which Daniel loved, came into his view but then shortly disappeared. A second later, it occurred once more. Eventually, there were several Michaela’s all laughing at him and shoving sharp spears into his face. The spears then became men, all standing over Daniel with terrifying interest towards his facial expression.

Quickly his vision became incredibly partial, and he blacked out from the wind’s second attack…

2 

 ‘Ha-ha, why should he look so scared?’ cried someone as Daniel woke up on what felt like a cold and wet ground.

‘Grab him some humus and some bread.’

‘Right.’ Replied another man.

What Daniel saw with clearer sight was unexpected. He was now close to the sea.

A bright blue sky reigned over the ocean and petrified him.

Frantically, he snapped his head back and forth around his radius.

There was nothing but large jagged rocks, a patch of sand, and a white boat.

He grabbed the arm of one of the men - who were now carrying him above in the air on their shoulders to get food -  and hollered for them to put him down. 

At his word, they put him down, almost as if he were the group's captain.

Looking at them, Daniel saw they were nothing like his former kidnappers.

He rubbed his eyes and looked around for Michaela.

‘I don’t understand. Where am I?’

The group chuckled uncontrollably. They were tall jockey fellows. Some radiated concern, whilst others seemed overjoyed.

‘You don’t remember us Dan? I’ll give you some slack. It has been some months since you set sail on your adventures. I’m Oscar. We briefly met in London. It’s been quite a while. How’s your little science project coming along with that hot girlfriend of yours?’

Immediately, it dawned on Daniel.

‘Where is Michaela!?’

‘Michaela? Well, shouldn’t she be with you?’

‘My word Oscar! Where are we!?’

‘At the bottom of the mountains. Didn’t you notice you were knocked unconscious and that the mountains were falling apart?’

‘The mountains are falling apart!? I only observed something strange was happening with the winds, like the oncoming of a crazy storm or –

‘Some freak natural disaster. Could have catapulted our whole ship. The mountains are splitting. Check out those cracks’.

The stocky sailor pointed to triple threaded cracks spread out over the island’s rocks behind them.

‘You got to get off of this island.’ finished the sailor in red. He grinned down at Daniel.

‘But even before that, I couldn’t get hold of you these last few days so I assumed you were in trouble with your reception here.’

Daniel took a cursory glance again towards the mountains. Their shape had drastically changed.

‘I’m sorry, but I need to find Michaela. She’s back there somewhere[DD35]  in the top of the island and If don’t get to her in time those animals claiming to be her family will steal her away!’ said Daniel.

‘Animals? You mean those crazy warrior men? When we arrived, some savages living here were adamant about killing us. However, we had the advantage. We took two of them in for questioning. One of them is a girl. She said she found you by the river screaming her name.’

‘A girl?’ murmured Daniel confusingly. ‘Could it be?’ Daniel thought.

‘Where is she?’

‘She’s sitting in the basement part of the boat. She wishes not to be spoken to by us but seems pretty fond of you…’

Daniel raised his eyebrow.

‘Take me to her. Quickly.’

Shortly, the sailors walked Daniel to the ship, which sat on the sea.

Daniel and the group walked onto the clean white boat, which glistened and gleamed at every corner. Each man was delicate not to blemish the boat and walked down on it with a certain pride displaying their admiration for this master class-looking vessel. Before Daniel was taken down to the basement, he asked Oscar a question as they went down the dark, dimly-lit staircase.

‘These savages seemed to know Michaela. I only saw her briefly this morning until she left …’

 ‘To be honest Dan, the woman downstairs looks strikingly similar to that girlfriend of yours….’

They had come to the bottom of the staircase.  With Daniel in front, he stared motionless at the odd figure sitting before him.

‘Michaela…?’

A face-tattooed woman raised her sulky head from the table and stared deeply into Daniel’s eyes.

‘Yes…my sweetheart...’

She blushed. He blushed back.

‘Wha-what are you doing… dressed like that…?’

‘This is the man who stole you Michaela!?’ shouted a figure hidden in the darkness behind her.

To Daniel’s amazement, she nodded in agreement with this eerie figure.

She wiped the tears from her pretty eyes. Micheala was dressed head to toe in bright red and purple tribal clothing, indistinguishable from those warriors’ attire that had kidnapped him earlier.

‘Michaela???’ questioned Daniel.

By a dark patch in the corner of the room stood a stalky warrior with a furry grey coat. He looked slightly different to the ones Daniel had encountered. Slowly, he emerged from the shadows.

 ‘With everything that’s occurred, it would be in my best interest to kill you Daniel.’ muttered this mysterious man as he whipped forth a long sharp knife which shot out of his coat.

‘But… seeing this scene… I’ve come to second thoughts about when I should do it…’

‘So Michaela…’ said the man whilst stepping closer and clasping his hand on Michaela’s bare shoulder.

‘Do you really love this man…?’

Michaela nodded agreeably

‘Michaela…??’ cried Daniel.

Michaela’s heart filled with contempt.

‘Dan, I have so much to tell you.’

‘Don’t trouble yourself my daughter. As Michaela’s father, I forbid her to have any more relations with you!’ ordered this stalky man.

Daniel thought back to when he saw those two warriors claiming to be Michaela’s mother and father fall to their deaths in the waterfall and became very confused.

‘But I saw-‘

Irritated, the warrior took a yellow flute out of his side coat pocket and murderously sprayed poisonous darts upon Oscar and Daniel.

‘What are you doing father?’ moaned Michaela.

Ducking for cover behind a flipped table, Oscar pulled out his pistol and shot blindly over at the enraged warrior.

‘Oscar! Oscar!’ cried Daniel as the captain shot off bullets.

‘Whatever you do, don’t shoot at Michaela. You hear me!?’

‘She’s no good. You should have dumped her a long time ago!’

‘It doesn’t make any sense. She can’t suddenly end everything we started! No matter who they’ve brainwashed her to think she is!’

Back on the other side, the grey-coated man and Michaela were in deep conversation in their own language.

Abruptly, the warrior ceased fire.

Oscar stopped and stood up to shoot again.

The warrior swiftly ejected his grey coat in the air, which diverted Oscar’s whole attention away from him rapidly darting from other the side of a pillar with a much larger flute in his hand. He blew it quickly, and a single great dart punctured Oscar’s chest.

Oscar collapsed beside the barricade and bled profusely. Daniel saw his body flop and watched the blood spill from his top-half in horror.

The man deposited his yellow flute back into his side.

‘Say your last words to the man Michaela. Let there be no more delay in our family eliminating him! Let us get going!’

A significant knock came from upstairs.

‘Osc! What's going on? Open up!’

‘We heard shots down there! You guys alright?!’

‘Darn, we can’t open this thing now.’

‘Foolish, foolish thieves. I’ll get rid of all of them and purify the whole of Injurta.’

Michaela lifted her hand to the warrior’s face.

‘That’s enough now Father. Let me say my final goodbye...’

Daniel picked up the now cold weapon lying half-clenched in his friend’s hand.

He clasped fingers around the gun in a tight clinch as he heard another step, then rapidly flailed his arm about over the table in their direction.

‘Stay back! Or I swear I’ll…’

‘Dan, put down the gun, dear. Let’s not let anybody else get hurt.’ Whispered Michaela as she approached. As she spoke softly, Daniel quietly calmed down until he finally lowered his weapon.

Michaela saw Daniel hunched over his dead friends’ body in disbelief.

For the first time today, they both got closer than ten feet away.  

‘Explain yourself Michaela! All these months we’ve been researching together to locate this phenomenon of a sound. Was it all a lie? Just who are you??’ quipped Daniel to Michaela.

Michaela looked over to the warrior. He nodded at her. 

‘I didn’t know how to tell you the truth … this place is where I was born Daniel...’

‘ Where you was born…? Michaela, you’ve been brainwashed.’

‘More like you have been the one who has been deceived’ cried the warrior from the shadows.

Daniel gulped.

Michaela looked down, casting her eyes to the pale ground.

‘Ever since I was young, I remember having vague memories of this place and the people here but I could never understand why those memories were there. My supposed parents comforted me by explaining that they were just childish fantasies and made-up dreams, however, I always knew better. I knew these vivid memories were much more than that.’

‘Yes…’ helped the warrior ‘you were remembering your homeland, where you were originally born and raised: Injala.’

Daniel felt the sweat roll down his forehead.

‘So this was your goal? To find this land and just leave me..?’

‘Daniel I promise, my love for you was real. It just so happened that the thing we were both researching could possibly lead me to my real family. If the roles were reversed, wouldn’t you do the same as me? ’

Daniel sat inaudible for a moment.

‘…Where did you go this morning?’ he asked

 ‘I went further up the mountains dear. As we first suspected, I learned there was obviously someone other than us living here. The further I got up, the more I saw that the topography of the mountain drastically change.

The first thing I came across were these horses with red blankets wrapped on their backs drinking from a cold stream, as if someone had let them out. They were several of them, carrying brown luggage sacks and sharp objects that looked like killing weapons. A small boy was with them and he kept whistling about the stream until he saw me and somehow shouted my name without us even having met.  He seemed so happy. Then other horses came charging out. The men on top of them scanned the area until they found me along the side of the stream. Their clothing looked like the clothing I constantly saw in my dreams. The ones I even had nightmares over. They had tribal patterns, beautiful patterns of red, black, and yellow satin. They somehow seemed to know me, they even called me by name. They offered me a small gift; jewellery, patterned jewellery. But then father came and saved me. He killed them and explained to me that these were traitors of the clan who wanted me to join them. Father is the person who had been making the sound we had been researching all this time…’

‘And… now what…?’ croaked Daniel.

‘I’m sorry Daniel but now I’ve finally found out what these memoires I told you truly meant!’ She shrieked.

‘Even if this may be true. Why is it that you have two fathers Michaela?’

‘What are you talking about Dan...?’ pried Michaela confusingly. 

BUUUUUU! Came a sound of a lurching storm current pushing on the boat.

Swiftly, another giant gush of wind struck the boat and rocked it off its anchor.  

Immediately, the room flipped sideways tipping everyone off the floor and into the walls.

The grey coated man was shoved across the room, injuring his knee.

‘Father!!’ cried Michaela.  

Daniel bruised his shoulder on impact, and the boat landed back on its bottom until the winds hit it once more. No one was left unscathed.

Once the boat stabilised, Daniel noticed a loud clinging sound quickly come from the roof.

Someone had broken the lock of the basement upstairs and started down the steps in a hurry.

It was another old friend of Daniel’s. His name was Rupert. He was dressed in the sailor’s crew traditional blue uniform, surprised to see his general somehow seemingly asleep on the ground.

‘What’s going on Dan, the old man slept through all that? That crazy bugger’. Hey, we should leave because this storm is going craz-‘

Soon he saw that the red patch on Oscar’s chest was blood and a yellow dart lodged in it.

Quickly, Rupert pulled out his gun to shoot, but Michaela’s guardian had already cocked his flute and placed five darts across Rupert’s body. Rupert collapsed in an instant on the top flight of stairs. They all watched as Rupert turned and called through the basement’s exit to the rest of the men on deck.

‘Silooo, come quickly!’

‘Miraaaan!! Oscar’s dead, he’s bloody dea-‘

Without a second wasted a shorter man came and yelled down at Daniel who stood in a static shock down at Rupert.

‘Wha- what’s going on?’ he cried

Daniel said nothing.

‘Get out of here Miraan. Just go! Before you get yourself killed.’

‘What? Dan, what are you say-‘

 The boat got rocked once again by a furious wind current, it knocked the majority of people in the basement clean out.

Light waves gushed over the ship, wetting the surface.

Seeming like the only survivor, Daniel glimpsed across the room and saw a body lying motionless on its face.

It was Michaela’s supposed father; knocked unconscious.

One more body he managed to see with blurry vision was Michaela’s. She was angrily dragging herself across the room using only her arms and a good leg.

Her left foot had been injured in the fall, and she tried to reach higher ground via the staircase.

‘ Dan… get going… you don’t understand… he’ll kill you…’ she murmured.

As the water waves pounded at the vessel, the two got closer and closer. Daniel held her up.

‘Michaela snap out of it alright…’ cried Daniel, ‘Snap out of this! Let’s just go home!’

Michaela rested her head on the ground. Whether this was on purpose or out of pain, Daniel could not tell. Yet, there was a long silence between the two. There came a crack in the boat which spat up water from the sea. She slowly awoke and looked up at Daniel.

‘Michaela, we have to leave this island dear…’

‘I will die with this land, my home! Dan, you must get out of here right now. Word has gotten around. Now my whole family is looking for you and wants you dead… ’ preached his former girlfriend and slumped on the pale wood afterwards.

Daniel checked her pulse. She was still alive, but unconscious, terribly wounded from her injuries.

He placed his arms underneath hers and began lifting.

Eventually, he managed to carry her body up to the top of the staircase.

Luckily, the boat had stopped shaking but was still stranded at sea, floating them all aimlessly beyond the island.   

Finally, Daniel pulled both him and Michaela to the deck using his last bit of strength.

Exhausted, he collapsed at the basement’s exit.

They laid there for what seemed to be aeons, months, and years, as Daniel heard the sound of cascading waves and the sea creatures talking to each other. He was awakened by streaming light.

The sky's light had become brighter, and a stiff silence seemed to overtake the atmosphere.

All things went quiet.

Once Daniel opened his eyes he was struck by a scorching sun.

Quickly he covered them and turned to lie on his stomach.

However, he noticed something was very different.

‘Michaela?’ he cried beside himself.

‘Michaela??’ he uttered again. She was gone again.

Getting up and looking around on his knees, he was frightened by a familiar group of people.

They were surrounding him with sharp pointing knives.

The group butted the long knives towards his face each time he tried to turn his head.

He smelt their intent was to kill him.

He heard muttering between them. Someone spoke gently to one. Another gave an order.

A deep resounding voice boomed. More orders were shouted out; then, the whole boat fell silent.

 ‘Kill him now. He and his kind are most likely the cause of these winds on our land.’

Daniel felt an incredible gust of wind brewing but he could not see behind all the knives pointed at him. Then immediately, a terrible wind current shoved the boat around and shook many of the men onto their knees.

Many members of Michaela’s clan were also soon pushed off the top of the boat and taken into the sea. One lady was sprawled onto the ground, clinging on to a jutting part of the boat, which kept her on. Meanwhile, many others were carried off to the waters and drowned without aid. Rain fell violently and splattered over the ship. Few remained dangling from the ship's railings for dear life.

Daniel mustered up in his arms every ounce of strength left in him to get into the driver’s seat. He dropped over the railings, slamming his back on the metal platform. The ocean tossed and turned on itself, throwing Daniel backwards into a familiar body.

It was Michaela’s.

She was laying on the ship, face down and crying.

Over the harsh wind’s noise, her subtle sobs could still be heard.

‘Michaela, if I can get to the wheel, I’ll be able to make sure we both make it out of here alive…’

‘I can’t leave my country, my people…’

She finally lifted her head from the ground and saw what remained of the mountains. Its entire topography had changed.

‘ INJuttaaa!’ screamed someone from behind over the charging winds.

A last surviving member of her clan hanged to the boat's edge. It was the grey-coated  warrior who had somehow made it out of the ship’s bottom deck floor.

‘Daniel, please get him! He’ll fall if we don’t help him.’

‘I cannot accept even a grape by your people.’ Yelled the falling warrior at Daniel as he approached.

‘Daniel, get my father!’ she thundered.

There was a tussle between the two men. Daniel accrued slaps and jabs whilst lifting him..

He scrambled up on his feet once Daniel let go of his arms.

‘I’ll tell you something right now… about where our people have chosen to live…’ huffs and puffs fed out his mouth. Then, he regained his breath.

‘This country. You know it’s always been said that everything would come to shreds one day. The land’s position is too primed for stormy winds and thunders. I’ve- I’ve even protested that we Injurta must find another land to settle, as this one is too tumultuous for even three people like us to live on for much long.’

‘That’s enough father, sit!Daniel will help us out of here in that case... if we can’t stay home,’ Michaela sobbed ‘We’ll make another home…’  

The elderly man bowed his head a little, it perturbed Daniel, the look in his eyes.

Michaela’s father pointed eastward with a long painted finger nail.

 ‘I shall show you the golden land our forefathers sought, right now, Michaela.’

He beckoned at Daniel for him to be lifted and placed by the wheel to direct them all.

Michaela grinned a bright grin.

‘Will mother have gone there already father?’ asked Michaela as though she were four years old.

 ‘Yes…’ paused her father in a crude suspicious tone ‘…most certainly….’

‘Micheala can’t possibly have two fathers. Who are you…?’ Pressed Daniel.

The man grimaced.

‘What? This again? Daneil what are you talking about?..’ cried Michaela.

‘Who are you to tell me I’m not her father. I’m the one who has being playing the national anthem from the top of the mountains. Of course I’m her father!’

Michaela looked irritated but yet curious at the same time by Daniel’s question.

Thunder tore down from the sky and struck the top of the mountain.

 ‘Nonsense… well… I think that thunder is a sign that we should go’ muttered the old man solemnly. ‘Let’s find the rest of our family.’

Michaela nodded reluctantly.

‘Why should we go with you? If we can’t be certain of who you are?’

‘Father, please forgive him he-‘

‘Micheala, your real father and mother are dead! I watched them fall to their deaths

‘Hmm well It’s either you come with me or you both simply die here… now let’s get going…’ spoke the tatted warrior.

‘Daniel, please… just..’

Reluctantly, Daniel revved up the ship over an unconscious sailor’s body, and the ship stirred into action.

They set sail eastward.

The waves washed up many of the sailors and Injurta clan’s bodies as the crew sailed by.

Neither Michaela, Daniel, or this old warrior took a glimpse out at what horror lay in the sea, instead they kept progressing into the unknown east.

Silence reigned.

CLICK.

The boat seemed to stop and jitter.

Daniel revved it up again until they were on the move once more.

The tatted warrior sighed greatly.

‘I never knew that whenever she arrived, that it would be with someone else.’

Tension ensued between the two.

Daniel could feel that this man’s intentions were far away from Daniel and Michaela’s

‘Oh look!’ he jumped

‘We are arriving soon.’

‘What have you done?’ thought Daniel. ‘I can’t see anything over the horizon here.’

They stared off into nothing but a clear blue sea and soft clouds.

‘… where have you led us..?’ moaned Michaela

Michaela glimpsed at Daniel.

‘The problem with the Injurta is that they fall so easily in love with whoever. They know almost no restraint.’

The older man pulled himself up on the ship's mouth railing, revealing a large long spear hiding by his side. Michaela froze by the backseat of the ship.

‘Long…live…the king…Michaela, bid all your hopes and dreams farewell.’ He turned to Daniel

 ‘Along with your former boyfriends too….’

‘What are you doing!?’ shouted Michaela.

Suddenly this old warrior pounced like a 21-year-old and swung at Daniel.

Luckily, the first swing missed, but he came back at him again.

Daniel ducked underneath and into the ship's lobby area, where the old man chased him with devilish intent.

Daniel could barely run with his wounds and stumbled away.

‘Daniel…!’ cried Michaela ‘No….’

Michaela sobbed once more and reached into a sailor’s pocket.

Out of it she pulled a warm gun, fully loaded.

‘Thief!’ said the man whilst trampling over the now-stopped Daniel.

He held a spear over his head to bring down on Daniel.

‘You should have never come here. This is your fault that our land collapsed in advance. Now you shall pay for all my countrymen’s deaths!’ Raved the old man.

Michaela cocked the weapon in their direction with flowing tears coming down her face.

Closing her eyes, she fired.

BANG!

A few flocks of birds dispersed north to get away from the sudden shot.

Daniel looked away in awe.

The old man stood stiffly.

The gun laid still in Michaela’s grip whilst she looked at Daniel.

Blood slid out and down the side of Zeral’s mouth. Painfully, he spoke to Daniel words they could not comprehend at first. Losing various inhibitions, he said whatever came to mind.

‘Marry me instea…’ he mumbled. His body was failing him. Blood poured from the hole in his back.

‘Marry me instead….’

‘What? What are you telling me?’ bleated Daniel back at the dying man.

‘… will you marry me… Michaela?’

Even the rising sun stood still in shock at this statement.

Birds diverted west, and waves ceased to push up against the ship.

Michaela took a step back.

‘Who in the hell are you??’

‘You see, marrying you will get us what we need. If you come with me now I can bargain you to many of the lands around here, such as the one I described and we’ll be filthy rich. You’re an eye grabber, so I know many rich and promiscuous men will put up a price for you. And when you’ve been sold, I’ll lurk around as a servant for these men as part of the deal. Once the time is right, I’ll get rid of them when no one is around and rescue you so that we can be free to make another deal again. What do you say? There’s a whole lot of money in it for you…’

‘I say, you’re a dead man walking… who lied to me about my family…’ cursed Michaela

She tilted her head sideways.

The sun stood still.

They both watched in silence to see what he’d say next.

‘Well then…’ he mumbled with abated breath

‘…IF YOU WON’T MARRY ME, NO ONE WILL!’ shrieked Zeral.

He slipped out a piercing yellow dagger and made for Daniel’s head.

But before he could throw, Michaela loaded one more round and put a bullet through his back again. 

He thumped to the ground like a sack of sand. His arsenal fed out of his strap belt.

One could see that his weapons were striking sources of great fear, sharp and intended to kill.

Michaela excused a loud breath. She recovered through quick short huffing and puffings  [DD50] to calm her elated nerves.

She passed over the clan members’ dead body to see how Daniel was doing.

He sat inaudible, with a pale expression.

‘Dear, I’ve come a long way from where we were before, I need you to help me go back home, please, steer the ship...’ she looked extremely cold with grief, speaking to her former lover.

‘Why should I help you after you lied to me?’

‘I know; I know I refused to tell you how I really felt. But out of anyone I’m the last person who wants you to see you get killed. So please just help me this once and I promise all this madness will end.’

Daniel witnessed how much Michaela wished for him not to die.

He got up with her help and the two sat in the two seats in front of the wheel.

The boat shuttered and stirred into action.

It became apparent to Michaela how much Daniel still cared for her, even though they were from two completely different worlds now. This frustrated Daniel.

‘The Injurta are an ancient civilisation. A group that segregated from the Aztec and became their own people. I am one of them.’ Explained Michaela.

‘How long did you intend on keeping this from me?’

‘Ever since you began researching the sounds. I could not find a way to coherently explain what you were actually looking for was my home country. It would have made no sense to you at the time…’

‘…I see… what if we never found our way here… would it alter how you felt about us...?’

‘Until this day… I still have feelings for you… but my family and my home…must come first...’

‘…ah... I see...’ whispered Daniel and stared hopelessly for a minute into the dark sea. 

The two kept advancing along a few tumultuous waves. The ship fell up and down upon the sea’s surface until the menacing winds stopped.  Then, Daniel’s memory jogged him.

‘These waves, that wind, all of these are products of a type 4 storm brewing here.’ He said to Michaela’s quiet demeanour.

Daniel sighed after noticing just how much she wanted to get back home more than anything else.  

‘You know; I could tell you were still mad with me this morning after you left…’

Michaela fell even more silent, though there was a twinkle in her eyes from his statement.

‘The only thing which matters to me now is this land...’ said Michaela softly.

‘I’m sorry…’ whispered Daniel. His voice crackled.

‘Sorry for what…?’ queried Michaela

‘For last night, what I did before, and even before then…’

He pressed down harder on the boat's foot pedal.

Michaela held the cold metal of the wheel on top of Daniel’s hand.

‘I could never find the time to thank you for bringing me here to my home, so please, there is no need to apologise. ‘

‘Well...ehmm... where would you like me to drop you off…’ he said as they approached a broken mountain landscape.

‘By the mouth of the cave here. It is said that this happened to be the entrance to which the founding fathers of Injurta slept in…’

Michaela found one of her dead clansmen’s coats and wrapped herself in its[DD54]  warm embrace.

The boat shifted direction towards a dark cave.

Daniel began to study the cave’s shape and volume. He found himself disturbed at it’s sight and felt uneasy approaching. He reached into his back pocket, producing a small notebook.

‘You know this cave happens just to be the treasure trove for travelling scientists, Michaela.

I can’t express just how ecstatic I am to discover such an important monument of research. It’s causes me to…’

Daniel stopped midsentence.

He felt a soft embrace from Michaela’s hand on his shoulder, telling him something.

She bowed her head.

‘Please, Daniel, don’t make this about your science...’ She cried.

He had noticed in the last hour since seeing his former girlfriend again that her voice and accent had altered. She sounded and seemed more like those members of her clan’s lower, darker voices who spoke in monologues.

Daniel could see the change in her face also. Something which had never been there before. Her face paintings made many things rough, rugged, and radical.

Daniel looked over the ship and stared into a reflection of himself. He too no longer had the same freshness as when they first arrived to this mountain.

‘Michaela, you do know you’re going to die living here?’

Michaela loosened her grip.

‘I have told you I am not coming back. Plus…’

She took hold on the wheel.

‘…If you don’t steer. We’ll die much sooner.’ Said Michaela as she fed the wheel back around until it straightened up.

They looked at each other, remembering the times they had together as former boyfriend and girlfriend. The sea was tumultuous but somehow still at ease, with the soft gleam of the moonlight dancing across it’s surface.

As the ship stopped, they only hugged for a while now as friends. Whilst they were looking over each other’s shoulders, two parallels formed.

Over Michaela’s shoulder, Daniel saw a toppling mountain land slowly being churned up by the wind and with no chance of anyone surviving more than a week. Beyond Daniel’s shoulder, Michaela viewed the life she had left behind to be with her true family.

Michaela began to have second thoughts until Daniel said

‘Do you need me to help you across?’

‘Mmmm, no. All I wish is for you to get out of this island in one peace[DD59] …’

‘Farewell, Michaela.’

‘Goodbye Daniel.’

Before Michaela could step off the boat, two familiar figures appeared out of this musty cave.

They limped whilst holding each other’s hands.

One looked out towards the ship and appeared flabbergasted. Then the other tall figure stopped walking about the cave’s mouth.

Michaela took one step forward so that at least her eyes would be able to make out what figures were coming to see her.

Elated, she recognised their cloaks and their colours. A sudden glee filled up inside of her, and all of a sudden, the former freshness which used to be present in her face appeared again, but greater. She appeared as a little girl who could not hold back her joy so she burst out with tears. With one cursory glimpse at the foot of this wobbling companion Michaela saw an ankle marking with a striking resemblance to her clan. She screeched, almost falling out of the boat.

Danny grabbed her, perplexed at why she was acting this way.

She thanked him.

Looking up again she yelled at the people coming from the cave.

‘Motger, Pagter!?’

The two figures appeared greatly familiar to Daniel.

They lurched forward before the moon’s light. There was a striking resemblance in them but Danny for some reason failed to remember.

He listened to Michaela

‘Motger, Pagter!!’ she cried again

‘Motger, Pagter??’ he thought and then asked

‘Michaela, who are these two people? What are you saying?’

‘I can tell by these two’s markings. It’s the same as the one on my ankle. Meaning we’re from the same branch in the Injurta clan. Judging by how it’s fashioned, this could only mean their my parents. And I-I I recognise them so well! Ohhh but how is this possible. ’ Michaela pointed to the hawk tattoo riding up her ankle onto her thigh. They we’re identical.

‘Daniel quickly, tell me. Who were those people of my clan that kidnapped you this morning?”

‘I suppose I cannot argue with how you identify another clan member. But Micheala.  Your parents both died in the waterfall after they kidnapped me. There’s no way this could be them…’ interrogated Daniel.

He peered closer at them. Their striking features were exactly reminiscent of those who kidnapped him earlier.

 ‘How did you survive...???’ questioned Daniel astounded.

The older man appeared distasteful towards Daniel as the ship pulled up yet he quickly answered Daniel’s poking question.

‘We Injurta, are not the dying type for such things. We grew up here. Therefore, the mountains landscape has been ingrained so deep in our brains that we know every crevice, corner and tree. In other words, when you saw us taken by the water stream into the waterfall, we did not fall to our deaths. Only, we faced some injuries, as you can see...’

He pointed to a bandaged shoulder wrapped with the trimmings of a bamboo tree.

‘I just about managed to angle both myself and my wife here towards the opening to a cave. It’s a sloping long downward spiralling cave leading to the bottom of the island. As you can see, I dislocated my shoulder and hip during the fall.’

‘And how are you, Motger(Mum)?’

‘I am suffering too Dear but not as bad as your father…’

‘I see, well…’

‘I have medicine.’ Stated Daniel.

‘You wish to help us after we plotted for you to be killed??’ argued the injured man.

Daniel reached underneath the ship’s compartment and gave Michaela a first aid kit.

‘Because you are dear to Michaela, I will offer modern civilization’s help to you.’

The man looked repulsed at the idea of excepting help from an outsider and shunned the box before him.

Michaela stepped in.

‘You must see Pagter, this man is not like the others. He helped me, took care of me all these months, and now he has brought me to my family. For this, he is dear to me too.’

‘His kind stole you from us. The man must be killed after we have our use of him.’

‘No Pagter! He is no enemy of ours. He saved me from a traitor in our clan.’ Defended Michaela.

He sighed and talked with his wife.

‘It appears Zeral is now dead.’ He stated.

The women lowered her head in comprehension of what this meant.

‘And who is responsible for his death...?’ cried Michaela’s real father.

‘I am Father. I shot him but without Daniel’s help, I would have surely been dead today. All of Injurta would have lost their daughter.’

The man and wife looked befuddled. They looked around, fidgeted with themselves, and looked back at Daniel. In both parents’ eyes were sustained feelings of hatred and frustration for all that had taken place today.

‘With the mayhem that’s gone on today. I've lost almost half my people to a cursed storm. Today’s only triumph was finally getting back my daughter after many painful years. And so because of that...’

The man leant forward and clasped his palm over Danny’s shoulder

‘Because of this reason, I will let you go free… Daniel…’

Seemingly beyond the cave, several figures, only noticeable by their shiny metal armoury scattered across their bodies, appeared to hold down what looked like long sharp daggers.

‘Stand down, my brothers,’ he called behind him. ‘We shall let this intruder go to his own country…’

Daniel smiled gracefully.

Michaela ran and stood beside her parents, who quickly hugged her in a warm embrace.

‘Daniel, you should get going. The storm is growing, its not safe outside any longer.’ Urged Michaela.

Daniel nodded.

‘Might I say before I leave? This storm you are facing is quite unusual. I hope you understand what it means to stay here with your wife and daughter.’

‘We Injurta are not afraid of a storm, mark my words, we shall survive. As you have probably heard from that traitor Zeral, we have other lands to make ours.’

Daniel thanked him and began observing what ferocious wind churned towards every one of them. They struggled in the dancing wind as the current licked them backwards.

‘It is past time for us to go back inside.’

‘Yes, my Injurta. Let’s get inside. Things must be prepared to avoid any more of our people’s deaths.

‘Well, our Michaela, now it’s dually your hour to part ways with this man…’

‘Aunty Michaela!!’ a small orange-haired boy rushed out to meet Michaela but her parents held him back, and commanded that he should wait until she got inside the cave to greet her.

Michaela’s father could tell her body language had altered with his last words about parting ways with Daniel. She now seemed to be frozen in time.

He sighed.

‘Please, make it quick, my dear.’ He said and clambered back into the dark cave with his wife.

A small silence brewed.

Michaela spoke.

‘Where will you go? This can’t be the end of your science trip?’

‘Back home.’

‘Where you will tell everyone about this land and our people. I can’-‘

‘You have my word; I will tell not a soul about your clan. This stays with me. Though I must inform everyone about this bloody storm.’

Michaela grimaced in the wind. She was uncertain.

‘Daniel, listen. I know how much you love your science. I know how hard this will be for you to let go. But I urge you to forget everything you’ve seen her. That includes me…’

‘It’s been so long but yet you trust me so little…’

Michaela chuckled.

‘You should know me by now. We’re both still scientists’ 

Daniel laughed then slowly caressed the back of Michaela’s hair. They lent in for another hug, until suddenly a destructive wind ripped Michaela out of Daniel’s arms and thrust her close to the dark insides of the cave.

The ship which Daniel and Michaela had come here on bumped in the water.

 In matter of minutes, the vessel would be toppled over in the sea. He looked at his fallen former girlfriend with glee.

‘I guess it’s time I go. Take care. Michaela...’

‘Yes... take care…Daniel…’

Daniel clambered back on the seat of the boat and wound up the engine by turning the key.

The ship appeared to have garnered some rust. In a few more months, it would stop working altogether. Luck seemed to be on Daniel’s side to get it even to work. He reversed out from the cave and took the ship northward.

Looking back, he saw Michaela watching him, hoping with the tiniest bit of feeling that she had left in her belly that somehow, just somehow, things could have been different.

Soon enough, Daniel sped out of eyesight, and Michaela hurried back into the cave. And then you could faintly hear chants beginning a ritual…

‘Waha-heera-ooo-sheeraaa, waha-hoo-sheera,sheeraa-wahooo…’