Why did I ever run off on my own?

Although Alice may have found out what laid beyond the swamp, Shun was clueless about where he was. On the other side of the swamp was a completely different place, without any sign of civilization. Beyond the forests was a stretch of beach, covered with semi-fine pale sand and odd pebbles.

I don't see what's so special about this place other than it being an abandoned beach. Why did she sound so secretive in the poem? Even if she wants to keep this place a secret, at least don't make it sound like people want to interest themselves in it.

Or was it all set up just for me?

Nevertheless, he made his way carefully down the slope onto the sand and trudged through the entire beach, still unable to find any signs of human life. Now I know why Alice loves this place. There's not a single other person in sight.

Then a blue sailboat approaching the shore not too far away caught his attention.

Or not.

Another mile later, Shun arrived at a log cabin, a beach boardwalk, and a pier. The blue sailboat parked by the boardwalk, next to other rowboats. A young blond boy stepped off and onto the wooden planks. "Hello there! Are you looking for something?"

"Someone, actually. Can you—"

"Let me help you over to the pier first." Shun and the blond grabbed each other's wrists and walked through the sand. "I'm Marucho. I've been here quite a while trying to fix these old boats. What's your name?"

"Shun."

"You're Shun?" Marucho went inside and took out a framed photo of himself standing next to a tall redhead. "Then you must know Alice. She stumbled here looking for shelter. I offered her a temporary place to stay, and we became friends. She always mentioned your name."

Shun grabbed the photo and observed it. This is probably the most recent photo Alice took with anyone. She looks the same in the photograph with Mira, but something about those eyes doesn't seem right, even if I'm looking at an old photograph. "She's the nicest person ever. When was the last time you saw her?"

"A long time ago. Honestly, my butler and I stranded here and haven't seen another person in a long time. Alice changed everything."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Luckily, Alice managed to stash some food in her jacket and ate that for the evening. "Just...a...few...more...steps...ugh..."

Although the sand didn't get insider her boots, Alice struggled to walk through the loose sand. She saw a tree and held onto it to rest. "Why do I have to end up like this? What wrong did I do to others? What does Shadow want?"

She shook her head and kept walking. "As Shun said, looks can be deceiving. Shadow's killing people close to me off so he can be close to me." But Alice was too tired from the long hours, and her personal food supply ran out. She passed out on the ground, the last item she saw being the jade koi in her hand.

"Shun...help me. What do I do? What should I do?"

Her eyes closed just when a thin, gray-haired man opened the door of his cabin and found her.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"And that was how you found her?"

"Exactly. We haven't seen another person in a long time. Come inside."

Shun wiped his feet and walked inside a large room that Marucho occupied with his belongings. Then came a smaller room with the door concealed by a curtain. "Who lives in there? And why are the saw and hammer on your wall of tools crooked?"

"It used to be Kato's room. He was my butler." Marucho walked over to the wall of tools and wanted to fix the crooked tools but didn't. "Shortly after saving Alice, she borrowed this saw and hammer saying she had to fix something. She also asked Kato how to assemble a boardwalk. I didn't know what she was doing, but when she returned them, she placed them crookedly like this. In addition to the picture, it's the only other way for me to remember Alice was ever here."

Saw and hammer? Fix something? Boardwalk? She probably ruined the swamp boardwalk on purpose so people won't find her or this place. "What happened to your butler?"

Marucho was very uneasy with his answer and occasionally looked at the covered door. "Before she left, my butler was still with us. Alice saved me from a terrible accident that unfortunately killed my butler. I would've been gone if it weren't for her."

Even Shadow found a way here to a place that neither girl knew about. "Before all that happened, did she ever talk about someone named Shadow who might have been a threat to her?"

The blond wrinkled his forehead. "Sort of. She said there was this guy who really want to be with her. She didn't agree, so he got rid of all her reliable people until there's no one left. No name was mentioned, but she did say this person doesn't like her still remembering you."

"Oh." Shun looked at the tools and then out the window. "I think Alice used the tools to cut off the path that got her here. Luckily, I know how to jump around obstacles. Did she ask Kato a favor? Like maybe a way out of here and back into the city?"

"When we got here, our ship broke into pieces, but Kato wanted to fix it. Later, Alice asked us if we could take her back with her on the ship. A storm later hit, and the accident followed. Alice saved my life, so I promised her about some provisions and a rowboat. She wasn't leaving the shore, though." Marucho led Shun out to the pier and pointed to a fuzzy figure in the distance. "She headed to that island."

"That's an odd choice." Shun looked at the photo again. I thought Alice finally found a way out, but it only got worse. It must've hurt for you to lose that smile after hearing all the terrible news. He ran his fingers over the edge and noticed discoloration in the background. Is this like the picture with Mira? He pulled the backing out and removed the photo. "Just as I thought."

"What?"

"Another drawing, cleverly hidden in this picture." This drawing had a pier drawn with a chair and tackle box set up. Dark clouds, presumably a storm, covered the sky, and an elderly man was trapped in a fishing net that sunk and stayed below the water surface. "I guess Alice was waiting for the right time to show this to me."

"She said she learned it from you."

Shun glanced at Marucho suspiciously. "Why does everyone say that?"

"Well, Alice told me more than just her learning from you. Shun, I support her decision in running away from this Shadow who's threatening her, but if she gets hurt, then that wouldn't be very smart. She really wants you find her."

"But the problem is that your butler died because of this. Many people Alice met before coming here who helped her keep Shadow away ended up dead. There was a patient, church manager, some caring parents, friend's sister, even her grandfather. This is no coincidence. Marucho, I need to borrow a boat to go to that island."

"But...who knows what's on that island?"

"I don't care. Marucho, you've been very helpful to Alice. I'm hoping you'll continue to be very helpful to her by lending me a boat. Please?"

Marucho's heart beat faster and faster, especially with Shun grabbing onto his shoulders. "Okay!" He removed a key from his key chain and gave it to Shun. "Get yourself a bag of supplies and oars from the shed but leave the keys in the lock."

"What about you?"

"I'm almost finished fixing what Kato started."

Shun shook hands with Marucho firmly. "Thanks for letting me take the boat. Good luck." He ran outside to the shed and retrieved the necessary items. Shun approached the nearest rowboat, placed his items, untied the ropes, and boarded. Before he started, a message in a corked bottle floating by him caught his attention. "Not another poem..."

I'm tired of vain attempts of escaping this chase.

Time to carry out my plan's final phase.

To the isle in the distance ocean, hidden by the fog.

The end will begin when as someone sleeps like a log.

"No...you're not serious. Don't tell me...Alice, you can't just..."

Shun brushed aside the scary thought and proceeded toward the island.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Thanks for letting me borrow your tools, Marucho." Alice lifted her fishing rod up and threw it forward. "I might've placed them crookedly, though."

"No worries." Marucho peeked into the tin bucket next to Alice. "You're an expert fisherwoman. Did Shun teach you that?"

"No, I taught him that. Ironically, there was a koi pond in the backyard of his dojo, and yet he never bothered to fish them."

"Now that's cheating. Hey, I caught something!" Marucho's line tugged, but he was too small to pull it up on his own.

"Miss Alice, the ship is ready. Master Marucho, do you need help?"

"Thanks, Mr. Kato!"

"No thanks, Kato! We got it!"

"Wait! There's a storm approaching. You should hurry and pack up." Kato then warned.

"Kato, can you do that? We're this close to reeling it in!"

"I understand, Master Marucho."

Eventually, Alice and Marucho hauled the item in, baffled to see an old boot on the other end. "That's odd." Alice removed the boot and pulled an item out of it. It was another rolled piece of paper, and Alice was shocked to see the inside picture. "Marucho, Kato. We need to—"

"Help me!" Kato accidentally caught himself in a large fishing net and fell into the water. A wave hit the pier, and Marucho was washed into the water, too. "Master Marucho!"

"Got you!" Alice pulled Marucho out of the water easily because he was lighter, but Kato was heavier and stuck in a net. The kids tried to haul him out, but waves splashed in and washed Kato away. "I don't believe it. Kato's gone, and the ship's broken." Not even Alice could get away from the troubles while hiding in a deserted place. "Marucho, I need a rowboat."

"In this weather?!"

"Just get me one! I'm leaving to that island in the distance once the storm clears."

"But Alice, that's not the way back if you want to see Shun again."

"But you've seen what happened! I told you, he doesn't want me to see Shun." She knelt and held Marucho's hands tightly. "Please! I saved your life out there. Think of it as returning the favor."

Marucho sighed and handed Alice a key. "Pack your stuff. Leave the key in the lock and be ready when the storm clears."

Tears rolled down Alice's face and she hugged the young blond warmly. "Thanks, Marucho. You're my last hope, and I'm glad it hasn't failed on me yet."