The spring sunset has painted the skies over Haven Brook. The final exam was over. School is closed; it's time to enjoy a well-deserved break!
A brown, curly-haired boy named Jack was lying down when his mobile phone started vibrating.
As soon as he picked it up, he saw Max calling. He was his close school friend. He was a tall guy who always loved to wander.
Jack answered and put the phone to his ear. “Hello?”
“Hey, how’s it going?” Max’s voice came through, lively as ever.
“I’m good. How about you?”
“Same here. So, on this vacation, have you planned to go somewhere?”
Jack smiled. “I already had a plan set up before school even ended. Next week, we’re heading to Demons Island. I’ve got everything ready—even the ship is arranged.”
“Wow?” Max’s excitement was clear in his voice. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“Surprise! I wanted to keep it a secret.”
“Good. So, whose ship is it? How did you arrange it?”
“It’s Uncle Daniel Scott’s ship,” Jack explained. “I talked to Uncle Daniel. Next week, he’ll be taking some supplies to Dick Island. Demons Island is right next to it.”
“The ship will stop once at Demons Island to unload some cargo on its way to Dick Island. We’d get off there. A week later, the ship would return from Dick Island, stopping at Demons Island again, so we’d just hop back on board and come home safe and sound.” He explained.
“Nicely planned,” Max said, pleased.
Jack leaned in. “Then, why don’t you join us?”
“When does the ship leave?”
“On the 25th of this month.”
Max did a quick mental calculation. “Today’s the 19th. Alright, I’ll set off on the 23rd.”
“Sounds good. I’ll hang up now, then.”
“Perfect. See you then!”
“Take care.” And with that, Max hung up.
Jack spent a few more minutes scrolling through social media before falling asleep.
***
June 23rd. 10 A.M.
The doorbell rang when Mr. Bernard opened the door to see a tall, lean guy with a huge school bag slung over his shoulder. At first glance, he immediately recognized him.
“Oh! It’s Max!” Mr. Bernard exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. “Finally decided to remember us?”
“Oh, come on, Uncle, I remember you all the time,” Max said with a smile. “Besides, we just spoke the day before yesterday.”
“That’s right,” Mr. Bernard chuckled, biting his lip. “Honestly, I can’t remember anything these days. So, how are your parents?”
Before Max could answer, he added, “Oh, look at me, keeping you standing at the door. Come in, come inside!”
Once inside the living room, Max sat down on the sofa. Just then, Jack’s mom, Mrs. Luci Bernard, called out, “Who’s here?”
“Come and see who it is!” Mr. Josef Bernard, Jack’s dad, shouted back.
Mrs. Bernard entered the living room, and as soon as she saw the boy, her face lit up.
“Well, it’s Max!” she said excitedly. “When did you get here?”
“Just a little while ago, Auntie.”
“Well, you two chat,” Mr. Bernard said. “I’m heading out for a bit. I might be late getting back.” With that, he walked towards the door.
“Alright, take care!” Mrs. Bernard screamed after him and then turned back to the boy. “So, Max, how have you been?”
“Good,” He nodded. “And how are you, Auntie?”
“I’m doing well, too.”
“Where’s Jack?” Max asked, looking around as if expecting him to pop up nearby. “I don’t see him.”
“He stepped out for a bit. He’ll be back any moment.”
Right then, Jack walked into the living room. As soon as he saw Max, he exclaimed, “Hey Max! When did you get here?”
Before Max could respond, Mrs. Bernard said, “Look, Jack’s back now. You two sit and chat, and I’ll bring you some snacks.” She said as she headed off to the kitchen.
Jack dropped a bag onto the sofa and sat down beside Max. “So, when did you get here?” he asked again.
“Just a little while ago,” Max replied. “Where’d you go? And what’s in that bag?” He pointed to the bag on the sofa.
“I went to the market to pick up some stuff. It’s all in there.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“I’ll tell you later. It’ll come in handy when we get to the island.”
“Oh.” Max exhaled and didn’t press further.
“Go freshen up,” Jack said. “Mom went to get breakfast.”
Without another word, Max headed to the washroom. After washing his hands and face, he saw that Mrs. Bernard had brought breakfast for them.
They started chatting while they ate. After finishing, they went to Jack’s bedroom, where they talked for a while. In the afternoon, they went out for a stroll and returned in the evening.
***
After dinner, they went to the balcony. Jack was holding a magazine, and he pointed at it, saying, “This has a detailed description of Demons Island. Plus, there’s a map showing the location of Demons and the surrounding islands.”
“Let me see.” Max took the magazine from Jack’s hands and carefully looked at the map inside. Then, pointing to a dot circled in black, he asked, “What’s this black-marked thing there?”
”Where? Let me see.” Jack took the magazine back from him and examined the black-circled dot closely. “I don’t know much about it either, but it looks like it may be some kind of island.”
“Well, does it say anything about this inside the magazine?”
“Who knows?” Jack shrugged. “There might be something.”
“Let me check.” Max took back the magazine and started reading it.
“What does it say?” Jack asked.
“Vampires Island,” Max muttered under his breath.
“Vampires Island! So, an island of vampires.” Jack mumbled. Turning to Max, he said, “Care to explain a little more?”
“The black-circled dot on the map—it’s an island,” Max explained. “And it’s called Vampires Island.”
“Hmm.” Jack nodded absentmindedly. “Vampires Island. So, an island of vampires. Pretty cool. Are there actual vampires or something there?”
“That’s what the magazine says,” Max replied. “Not just vampires; there are cannibals there, too.”
“Interesting,” Jack said, unconsciously licking his bottom lip. Max recognized the habit—it was something Jack did whenever he got lost in thought.
“What are you thinking about?” Max asked.
Jack snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Max. “Oh, nothing. So, what else does the magazine say?”
“The magazine didn’t have much text, just a brief mention that the island was rumored to be home to man-eaters and blood-sucking vampires. However, it provided a website link for more details.”
Without saying a word, Jack turned on his laptop and accessed the website. After reading for a while, he smirked. “It’s just a fairy tale.”
“Keep reading. I like fairy tales,” Max said, grinning.
“Alright, got it.”
Jack nodded and began reading, “Around the 14th century, a priest discovered this island. He was known for practicing necromancy. In that desolate place, he performed his dark rituals, uninterrupted. Over time, he grew so powerful that he brought the king of the man-eaters, Hercules, under his control.”
“Even the Vampire Queen obeyed him. The priest then started a ritual that, if successful, would grant him immortality. For this, he had to offer 101 virgin girls to the devil.”
“Sounds pretty interesting,” Max said.
Jack glanced at Max and replied, “Fairy tales are always interesting.” Then he went back to reading, “The priest used his loyal vampires to gather virgin girls from nearby islands. Eventually, the people on those islands discovered his evil deeds.”
He paused to catch his breath before continuing, “On an island not far from Demons Island, a sage lived. The people went to him and told their story. After listening, the sage thought for a moment before saying, ‘The priest has grown too powerful. Destroying him is beyond my ability.’ The people begged him, pleading for a way to defeat the priest. Finally, the sage said, ‘There is one way. But it will cost me my life. Even so, I will try.’
The people thanked the sage and left.
Meanwhile, the priest neared the final stage of his ritual. He had already sacrificed 100 virgin girls. Only one remained.
On the next new moon, he planned to offer the 101st virgin girl. The new moon was just five days away. That night, the ritual would be complete, and the priest would become the most powerful in the world. No one would ever be able to kill him.
Meanwhile, the sage completed his ritual and set off for Vampire's Island. The priest and the sage engaged in a fierce battle.
In the end, the priest was defeated, and the sage killed him. He also eliminated all the man-eaters and vampires, though a few managed to escape.
Afterward, the sage returned to the islanders and told them, ‘The devil is dead. There’s nothing to fear now. You may roam freely. But never set foot on that island. Though the devil, man-eaters, and vampires are gone, some remain there. It’s best not to go.’ As soon as he finished speaking, the sage passed away.”
“Great story.” As soon as Jack stopped reading, Max spoke up. “Listening to that almost put me to sleep. Anyway,” he raised his hand, “is there more?”
“There is.”
“Then read on.”
Jack began again, “In 1921, a team of 30 explorers went to Vampire's Island. Only one survived. Barely making it to Demons Island, he described to the locals what had happened. He said that after arriving on the island, strange creatures attacked them, eating all his companions.
According to his description, the creatures looked something like this: ‘They had bodies shaped like humans, but their heads resembled hyenas.’”
“Is this a true story?” Max asked, frowning.
Jack shrugged. “Who knows?”
“Anyway,” Max raised his hand again, “we’re heading for Mariner’s Bay in the morning, right?”
“Yeah.” Jack nodded. “We’ll catch the eleven o’clock bus, but we need to leave before half past ten.”
“Oh.” Max sighed, raising his hand. “I’m feeling sleepy. I’m going to bed. You should get some sleep too.”
“Alright, go ahead.” Jack yawned. “I’m feeling sleepy too.”
Max left for the guest room.
***
The next morning...
After breakfast, Jack and Max went to their respective rooms. Max grabbed his bag and entered Jack’s room.
Jack was still packing, which made Max frown. “Does it take you this long to pack?”
Jack gave him a dry smile, zipping up his bag. “Almost done. Just had to pack a few essential items.”
“Essential items?” Max caught the words.
“Yeah.” Jack nodded. “The essentials. They’ll come in handy on the island.”
“Oh, come on, tell me. What essentials?” Max asked, growing impatient.
“Alright, here. Take a look.” Jack unzipped his bag. One by one, he pulled out a rope, a flashlight, and a small knife.
“Sounds good,” Max said. “But couldn’t we have bought these things there? What’s the point of lugging them around?”
“There are some strange laws on Demons Island,” Jack replied. “For example, if you don’t have a national ID, you can’t buy weapons—not even a knife.”
Max made a face. “What a weird law. But if they see us with a knife, won’t the authorities do something?”
“Yes, they would,” Jack nodded. “But they won’t find a knife on us.”
Max raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, they won’t find it?”
Jack showed him the sole of his shoe, revealing a small compartment just big enough for a knife. Max quickly caught on and laughed. “Nice trick.”
“Yep.” Jack grinned. “I’ll hide the knife there.”
“Got it,” Max said. “But there’s no ban on ropes or flashlights, right?”
“Nope, no restrictions on those.”
“Then why take them?”
“This rope’s made from ultra-nylon. It’s super strong and nearly impossible to break. I’m not sure we’ll find one like it there, so I’m bringing it. The flashlight’s waterproof, too. I’m not sure they’ll have one like this, so I figured I’d bring it from here.”
“Makes sense.” Max nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
With their rucksacks slung over their shoulders, the two stepped out of the house.
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