BEYOND THE EVENING TIDE

When I opened my eyes, sunlight flashed across my face, making them ache. As I rubbed them, I felt something gritty against my skin and fingers.

Sand.

It was all over me.

I wiped my face, but instead of clearing the sand away, I accidentally got some into my mouth. I immediately started spitting it out like crazy.

I tried to stand, but I couldn't feel my legs. I tried again, this time using my hands for support. When I managed to sit halfway up, using whatever strength I had left, I heard the sound of waves crashing one after another.

The sound was coming from behind me.

I turned around.

What I saw was an endless ocean.

No ship.

No people.

Nothing.

I had never seen this place before.

“What the hell? Where am I?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, my hands began to shake. Whatever strength I had left seemed to disappear. I collapsed onto the sand again, trying to understand what was happening.

“Seems like I've ended up on some unknown island. Well, I can finally put all those Man vs. Wild videos to good use.”

I started thinking that maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

Then I heard footsteps approaching.

I tried to look toward the sound.

“Don't push yourself if you don't want to die.”

A man's voice.

He was walking toward me.

For a moment, I panicked. Maybe I'd ended up on one of those islands where people ate humans. I was about to beg him to let me live when he spoke again.

“You're lucky to be alive. Just stay there, boy. You'll be fine.”

I finally understood what he meant.

An old man in his sixties stood in front of me. He was wearing a white shirt covered in sunflower patterns.

As he picked me up in his arms, I managed to whisper, “Thank you.”

My eyes closed again.

Maybe I had been forcing myself to stay conscious, but after seeing him, I finally felt safe enough to relax.

When I came to, I was lying in a bed.

The foggy feeling in my head was gone. I tried to sit up, but a familiar voice stopped me.

“Don't move yet. You haven't fully recovered.”

It was the old man again.

He came over with a smile.

“So, how are you feeling now?”

I smiled back.

“Better.”

“What happened to my legs? Are they broken?”

“Don't worry. They're not. You must have been in the water for quite some time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your legs went numb. They've been like that for an entire day.”

“I'll be fine again, right?”

“Of course you will, kid. You just need some more rest.”

He paused for a moment before smiling.

“Oh, and welcome to Denviles.”

I looked at him curiously.

“Denviles? I've never heard of it before.”

“Of course you haven't. It's just a small island, not big enough to be known by everyone. Relax for now. We can continue our conversation after you've recovered.”

With that, he left the room.

I smiled and whispered to myself, “Okay.”

Then I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

After a full day of rest, I was finally able to walk again. I still had some difficulty, but overall, I felt much better.

This time, the old man finally introduced himself.

“Hello. I'm Henry Calloway.”

“Hello, I'm Alex Bennett. It's nice to meet you. And thank you again for saving my life.”

I spoke softly, still barely able to keep my eyes open.

“Ha-ha. Don't sweat it, kid. You're lucky to be alive.”

He smiled.

“Now, let's go. It's time.”

“Time for what?”

“Time to meet the chief. He's been waiting for you to get better."

I wanted to ask more about this chief, but I figured meeting him would answer most of my questions, so I followed Henry.

He took me to a mansion made of stone. It looked incredibly old—almost ancient.

“Is this where the chief lives?”

“Yes. And remember, when you go inside, be on your best behavior.”

“Okay,” I replied.

I was a little nervous.

When I walked inside, I saw a man in his fifties sitting in a wooden chair.

When we got close enough, Henry bowed his head.

“Good morning, Chief.”

“Good morning to you too, Henry.”

The chief smiled warmly.

“And you must be the boy Henry was talking about.”

His gaze turned toward me.

When our eyes met, I greeted him as well.

“I'm Alex, sir. Alex Bennett.”

The chief looked at Henry again.

“Give this lad a home where he can stay and teach him how things work on this island.”

“Yes, Chief.”

We turned and began walking out of the mansion.

“I was expecting more questions from the chief,” I said.

“Don't worry. With time, we'll both find out.”

“What do you mean?”

He simply smiled and kept walking.

I didn't understand what he meant.

“But…”

He interrupted me.

“Let's go. Today, I'll give you a tour of the island.”

First, we went to the coastline where I had been found.

I hadn't been able to see much of it when I'd washed ashore, but now that I was standing there, I realized how beautiful it was.

White and golden sand stretched along the coastline. Small, smooth rocks lined the shore, while deep-blue water rolled gently toward the beach. Small hidden coves were tucked between the rocks, and the rocky shore was dotted with tide pools filled with tiny sea creatures. Pieces of driftwood were scattered across the sand.

Henry watched me smile.

“If you think this is beautiful, wait until you see what's coming next.”

He sounded proud.

I immediately became excited.

“Henry, where are we going next?”

He smiled and started walking.

The farther we went, the more beautiful the island became.

Tall palm trees surrounded dense tropical forests. Vines hung from ancient trees, making the forest look even more mysterious. Bright flowers of different colors grew wild along the paths, while colorful tropical birds flew between the trees and butterflies danced around them.

Everywhere we went, the locals greeted us.

At one point, a man harvesting starfruit from a tree came over and handed one to each of us before returning to his work.

I took a bite.

It was ripe and incredibly juicy. I'd eaten starfruit a few times before, but never one this fresh.

One bite turned into another until I had eaten the entire thing.

Henry smiled as he watched me.

“You must have really liked it.”

“Yeah. It was really good.”

“Here. Have mine too.”

“Thank you, but I couldn't accept it. It's yours.”

“Don't put too much thought into it, kid. I'll eat more later. There are plenty of starfruit trees around here.”

I thanked him again before digging into the second one.

As the tour came to an end, I thought we were finally finished.

But Henry took me back toward the seashore.

“Didn't we already go there?”

“Yes, but when the sun sets, it becomes even more beautiful.”

I was intrigued.

When we reached the shore, I understood what he meant.

A golden sunset stretched across the horizon. Pink and orange clouds hung above the ocean, while sunlight sparkled across the water.

It was beautiful.

And for the first time, I wished I had my phone with me.

Henry showed me the house where I'd be staying before heading home. He told me to sleep early and stay inside.

His expression became serious when he said it.

Maybe he had noticed that I still wasn't completely recovered.

After Henry left, I decided to walk around the market for a while.

It was lively.

People were talking, children were running around, and shopkeepers were serving customers.

I strolled around for a little while.

Then, suddenly, everyone started closing their shutters.

“It's already six! I have to hurry!”

I heard one of the shopkeepers say.

Before I knew it, the entire market was closing.

Within thirty minutes, almost everyone had disappeared.

I didn't understand why they were in such a hurry.

I asked a man passing by, but he didn't answer. He simply kept walking.

The market became so empty that if I had arrived on the island at night, I might have believed nobody lived there.

“They really do sleep early. Maybe that's why Henry told me to go home.”

I started walking toward my house.

Every corner was empty.

Every house was closed.

Not even an animal was outside.

Something about it felt wrong.

“Looks like I'll have to ask Henry about this.”

As I reached my house, I noticed an old man in his sixties struggling to walk toward me.

“Young man, what's the time?” he asked hurriedly.

I checked my watch.

“It's 6:50.”

He let out a relieved breath.

“Finally. I'm home. I thought I wouldn't make it before seven.”

His voice trembled slightly.

Then he looked at me.

“Go home, boy. Before it's seven.”

His voice was firm.

I became curious.

“Why? What happens after seven?”

He didn't answer.

Instead, he grabbed my wrist tightly.

“Just go home before it's too late.”

I could hear the concern in his voice.

For some reason, I instinctively listened.

I went inside my new home and closed the door behind me.

But one thought wouldn't leave my mind.

Something isn't right about this place.