Late night random-ness. This story is something that I wanted to write for about 4 1/2 years after I finished playing Myst. It's the story of the player if Riven never happened. Read and enjoy. or run in horror.
this story is also posted at the Narayani Collective under the username Mysti Katran.
disclaimer: i do not own Myst. 'nuff said.
A day on Myst Island
Will I ever go home?
I have stopped asking myself that question years ago. It's worthless pondering .
It's morning once again and I step out of the log cabin that serves as my home. The morning air is fresh and it refreshes me but then again I feel a small pang of sadness as I recall the smell of food that greeted me each morning before I left.
Everything changed the day I found that book. I had been foolish back then, I had ignored my mother's words to burn that book. It's evil. No book can have pictures that moved. I smile as I recall my mother's voice, so gentle yet so strong. I find myself wondering how is she and how is the foodshop my family ran coping. I am an idiot for abandoning her. I mentally kick myself and shake my head to cleanse my mind of such thoughts. No use regreting, it's been 20 years since I first came here. Here to Myst island and the myriad of Ages.
I head for the small beach near the end of the island.
I am lucky today. The nets I have set up are full. I will have food for the next few days. Carefully, I pull each fish from the nets and hang them on wooden hooks for the trip back to my home. As I walk, I mentaly take stock of my food supplies. Fish I have many but fruit I have to gather more. A trip to Tag'tharn is in order.
Tag'tharn is the Age that Atrus wrote to ensure that he would have steady supply of food while living on Myst. Atrus had given me a Linking book to that Age after we realised that my going home was next to impossible.
After the messy task of cleaning the fish, I hang them on wooden hooks in the kitchen section of the cabin. Inspecting myself, I find that I have gotten fish blood and more on my clothes. Even my hands are stained. It seems that a swim around the island would be good.
I walk over to the dock and climb over the now-raised ship which I had dubbed the Titanic in a fit of pure boredem. Looking over the edge to check that it was safe to dive, I jump into the water feet first.
The cool water shock me for a moment but soon i recover. Lazily, I allow the water current to carry me along, paddling towards shore only when I am too far.
My swim takes up a good part of the morning and the early part the afternoon and by the time I climb out of the water, the sun is high in the sky. My stomach grumbles and I head back to the cabin in search of food.
I find a fist sized bun and some fruit. Enough to satisfy my hunger till I cook something. I select two fish and a good sized stick. Carrying these objects, I head back to the beach, where I have set up my cooking area.
The sun is low in the sky by the time I have cooked my day's meal and cleaned up. I place the other fish and a bun on a plate and head for the library. Atrus must be hungry.
I find the man sitting at a table in a corner of the library. He's been writing in that book of his for years. He never told me much about his work and I never felt the need to pry. There's no need to start now. I place the food next to the book and Atrus nods his thanks. I smile and return to the cabin.
Evening is upon the island. I stroll to the dock to watch the sunset as I have done for so many years prior.
As the sun sets and the light fades to darkness and so does a day spent on Myst Island end.