SEVEN
Landing on the mysterious island, Tris and Nana stopped to survey the area. Their tour guide anchored the boat a few distance from the island while they rowed onshore in a yellow raft. Everywhere they stared the island is filled with dense vegetation and lush foliage. Birds could be heard chirping away above the tree tops while bushes and leaves sway side to side with the breeze. Surveying the beach both can sense a calming tranquil quality about the island. They stick closely together as they moved a little inland towards the jungle beginning their adventure. Tris had instructed Nana to have her camera ready at all times making sure to capture anything important and critical. As they came closer to the jungle edge, they notice a trail leading further inland. It's obviously man mad as the trail is cleared of all vegetation on both sides and the ground is leveled smoothly.
Their journey inland following the trail led them past a beautiful waterfall and into a village close to the center of the island. Both stopped at the edge of the village staring in disbelief. The village is large, aligned, and segmented in quadrants of four forming a circle. Each quadrant is spaced symmetrically as two huts form the tip and end in five. In the middle of the village lay a round large alter with a pillar erecting from the center. Reflecting sunlight from its base to its tip, the pair can't help but stare at this odd edifice pointing towards the sky. It's smooth and dark, almost black in nature similar to marble. The structure is warm to the touch due to absorbing the warmth from the sunlight while beautiful flowers blanket its base in a rainbow of yellow, pink, and violets. The juxtaposition of dark and bright colors leaves the pair staring in awe of this strange object lying in the middle of the round village.
Walking around the surrounding village Tris begins searching for the natives while Nana quickly takes pictures of the surrounding area. She follows one of the paths across some of the huts to find a large area with rows of wooden frame structures. There are four rows lined together about four feet apart. Above each frame structure are clothes lines, but there are no clothes. Nana stares in amazement as beautiful, lustrous, and shiny woven silk hangs from each row. They glimmer and almost illuminate in the sunlight.
Walking through the huts in the village, Tris is surprised to find them empty. He approaches each hut carefully and respectively. First he knocks, when there isn't an answer he peaks his head slowly into the window before stepping into the entrance. The interior of each hut is decorated in the same fashion. Hammocks are strung near the back end, stone stoves are built into the corner, and earthen pots are on shelves made of bamboo. He can also see beautifully textured pattern clothes, fabrics, and blankets on the bamboo shelves. He continues his search with each of the huts around the village.
"Nana, come over here," Tris yells from the opposite side of the trail.
Nana takes a couple more pictures before heading to the direction of Tris's voice.
"Did you find something?" she asks.
"Yes, look, it's another path and it leads deeper into the jungle. Maybe we'll be able to find the natives."
The path they are following is leading further into the center of the island and away from the village. It's not a long path compared to the previous and it leads them to a cave. With their flash lights, they are ready to plunge inside. Continuing their path inward, they reached the end of the cave to find it disturbed.
Tris and Nana are staring at a large opening in the back of the cave. They can see remnants of glyphs, reliefs, and petroglyphs. The drawings are scratched, chiseled, and broken. There are large gashes across some of the glyphs on the cave wall while the reliefs seem to be broken and shattered. The alter that was previously there has been smashed to pieces strewn about. Dirt and rubble litter the ground, results of the damage caused by the marks.
"What happened?" Nana asked.
"I don't know?"
"Do you think the natives did this?"
"I'm not sure, but if you look closely, these marks are fresh," Tris replies.
"Nana, take as many pictures as you can, especially the ones that aren't ruined. "
Returning from the cave, they spent a little more time in the village making sure they didn't miss anything. Venturing away from the trails and village was out of the question as the chance of getting lost is assured. They double check all the photos and data they have from the village before deciding to return to their boat.
