Chapter 2
Musical sounds of a songbird seemed strange as Cage opened his tired and heavy eyes. He looked up into a brilliant azure sky, wondering at is beauty. He lay on his back for several minutes till the fog of his mind began to clear and his eyesight to sharpen. Soft, cool grass felt as wonderful as a soft bed and a constant breeze was pleasant and brought with it the most freshest natural scents he’d ever come across.
Another minute past as he asked himself “Where am I and how did I get here?”
Then it came to him all at once.
He sat up suddenly, but stopped when he again saw the impossible. “Please don’t make this my first dream, it’ll be too cruel.” Tentatively he reached down to his twig-like legs that miraculously moved as he sat up. Neither had he been able to do for years, sit up without needing his arms or move his legs.
As he touched his hairless legs he began to cry happily.
“The constant pain is gone and I can feel touch again!” The caress of his fingers felt like rough sandpaper on the sensitive skin. “But how? How can this be?” He continued smiling as he did the same to the other leg as it too had sensations that could be felt and pain vanished as well.
Cage placed both hands to either side and focused on the once practically dead limbs. He focused on them and smiled as it took great effort, but he made them twitch by will. He laughed aloud from sheer and unexpected excitement. Then he managed to wiggle his toes and weakly stretched the legs straight and bent them. After three more movements he dropped back to the ground in exhaustion and pain in his legs as they were moved after so long.
“This isn’t a dream and I’m not dead!” he shouted. “My legs move again!” and he laughed so loud that if anyone were around they would have seen it as either hysterical or completely maddening.
He sat up again and also noticed he was as he had been born, naked to the world. Cage didn’t care, he felt whole again and kept working out the unused limbs even as they screamed in pain from being used. As he did so he spoke his thoughts aloud. “How can they move so easily after so long being dormant? Their strength is as I expect, but my last MRI showed part of my brain that controls walking had gone inactive. It should take weeks if not months to establish the control and effect they are revealing. Who fixed me? Modern spinal cord paralysis research and treatment couldn’t have come this far?” He then looked at his corded arms. “I haven’t been stationary as would happen if I were in a hospital while they gave treatment. Even then they wouldn’t just dump me out in the woods.”
Around where he sat he found himself on a small patch of grass, surrounded by large pines and deciduous trees. But as he looked at them he saw they were all budding as if spring had just arrived. The whole area was growing wild, as if nature knew just what he liked in a land. Squirrels, birds and all manner of insects were easily to spot. The forest was dark, but exquisite. A constant wind from the north kept bathing over him and brought many telltale scents that said he was in a place away from society. No fumes, smoke or anything that could be determined by scent alone indicated others were nearby. Patches of dirt, not sugar-sand, and stones littered the ground and he knew “I’m certainly not in Florida anymore.”
Cage continued thinking, only in his head this time. The nearby disturbances only came from me, but I just couldn’t fall from the sky. Wait… that light… I know I didn’t imagine it. Did I? No, it was real. As real as my legs are moving again. Did it do something to me? Did it bring me here? How could that be possible?
He began biting a fingernail.
First I fled. Next I’m engulfed in a strange, circular green light and I awake somewhere else and can sit up and move my legs again. What the hell kind of phenomenon could do such a thing?
He looked around again. “Looks like no one is around to give me any answers…” then he had a side thought and suddenly brought his hands to his lower back. “No way! The scar is gone and I can’t feel the metal plate.” that held my spine together. He thought the last part. Cage kept feeling the smooth skin and hard natural bone beneath. Before, he could always feel the outline of the plate that held the vertebrae together after the betrayal. He kept touching the familiar location that had been the source of his functionless legs. “The light must have healed me… wait… the light… it took me, not my clothes or chair. Could it have specifically only targeted living tissue? That could be why the plate and screws are no longer inside me and I no longer have a scar…” Then his eyes widened at another thought and his fingers went to his right shoulder just as his eyes shifted. A scar from an old bullet wound had also been fixed. It was a flesh wound, but it had left a nasty scar. Same for a few small scars on his face and chest that he earned through fighting. Lastly he checked the bones in his feet to find each bone straight as if nothing had happened.
Cage felt reborn, but a new sense overtook his whirlwind of thoughts. Pressure became uncomfortable down in his lower extremity and it took a moment to realize he just felt a full bladder. He grinned as another happy tear escaped down his cheek. “It looks as if I gained more function than I ever hoped to believe. Now let’s try and do this the right way. What do you say legs? Wanna fulfill a promise I made to the old man and piss on a tree again?”
With a grunt of effort he made his legs come close, glad to keep doing therapy after he was released from the hospital to keep the joints loose and not become rigid. As he felt they were placed right, with knees bent towards the sky, he pushed hard with his hands and tried forcing his legs to extend and stand in an erect position for the first time in years.
It didn’t happen.
The muscles were still far too weak to do something like that and he fell forward. He caught himself by his arms and chuckled. “Knew it was too soon… Still, I had to try.”
Cage began looking around for a nearby tree with low hanging branches to get hold of and sighted one as it just had to be the one furthest tree in range. “Alright, let’s try a different approach.” This time he strained to his absolute limit to struggle and slide his knees under him. “Good!” He exclaimed in a huff as his breathing became heavily labored. Noting to himself again he said “Arms have plenty of…” he sucked in a deep breath. “endurance, but legs… don’t. Have to… work on that.”
Crawling on hands and knees was slow moving and didn’t last long as his muscles and joints protested to the point of collapse. Cage fell flat on his chest and breathed heavily till it evened out and the cool ground soothed the already burning muscles. He smiled at the thought of showing off the doctors his new miracle, but knew better than to have any association with anyone he knew. Then he began to figure out how to strengthen his lower extremities and that put a full grin on his face.
This time he could feel it would be useless to try and crawl on his hands and knees. Belly crawling would be the only way he knew would reach the first destination. Putting more emphasis into bending the knee and twisting the hips, Cage pulled with his right forearm and pushed with a leg. It worked and didn’t hurt much. The pain he now felt was a good burning kind from exercise, not blinding nerve damage. Over the past few years he gained a huge tolerance for pain and what his legs now made were inconsequential demands. He reached with his left arm and opposite leg and again pulled himself closer to the tree.
Ten minutes later about fifty feet were traveled.
Feeling like it’ll work, Cage reached up and grasped a sturdy branch and pulled himself up, half dragging his feet till he climbed up enough to force them right under him. Bones popped in his feet and knees, but didn’t break as more weight pressure was placed on them. Wobbly, Cage managed to stand up for the first time, but couldn’t release his firm hold on the thick branch. A stick poked his bare right butt cheek and forced him to make a small step to the side. He determined by his own body’s assessment it would be impossible to let go and still stand under his own power. Muscles in his legs weren’t the only things weakened from none-use. His lower back and abdominal muscles weren’t yet capable of supporting his trun
k. His upper body was extensively muscled from use of a chair and exercise, but wouldn’t do a thing to make him walk instantly.
“This will take time, but first…” he smiled as he held himself with one hand and grabbed his pride and joy with the other. He closed his eyes as the pressure released and he urinated on a tree next to the one that supported him. Relief made him sigh. “Ahh… no more catheters or urinary infections because of them. To pee without aid is a gift more important than moving my legs.” Seconds instead of minutes later it was all over and felt renewed once again.
Looking around, he knew priorities were needed since he was alone. “First I need to find water, then food and maybe shelter if possible. Now which way to go?” He didn’t know where to head so he chose west since the sun traveled in the same direction. Thankfully the trees were large and grew quite closely.
“Alright, here we go.” And took a difficult step with his right foot, then the left. Before becoming off balance he slightly swung and jumped till he grasped the next tree and hugged its trunk. Thankfully he was glad to be a tall man and could reach greater distances, otherwise moving would be even more difficult than it already is. Turning around and doing it again also ended in success, but the fifth try failed miserably and he fell face first into a bush and skinned his knees and the knuckles of his toes. Again he pulled himself up and continued progressing much faster than crawling.
As the hours passed, his walk became increasingly labored yet familiar. Sweat dripped freely off his body from the exertion, but still he continued since he could only rely on himself. Scrapes and cuts accumulated and made efforts that much more difficult. He felt like a baby learning to walk, stumbling away till they could move independently, but before any success is much effort and pain. It was looked forward to and he laughed internally since concentration is the only thing keeping him upright. The forest was so thick, nearly impossible to see further than a few yards the sunlight filtered through the overlapping canopy.
Passing a thick hedge came a most welcome sound, trickling water. Renewed strength blossomed within and he hurried to it as fast as he was able. It grew louder with each agonizing step. He figured he hobbled twenty feet before looking upon a babbling brook flowing from what he could tell to be north and south. Intentionally, he fell forward and crawled through the moist ground, grass and rock to reach the life giving elements. There he marveled the scene. The water looked so clear it was almost blue. Small, colorful fish and crustaceans called the stream home. The air seemed even fresher smelling than before. Not knowing the source or what creatures fouling it or even caring for so great was the thirst, he reached forth and cupped his hands together and brought the cool liquid to his mouth. Again came more relief. He continued cupping the water out of habit till his thirst became sated minutes later till it felt as if he’d burst.
He rolled onto his back to dull the brain freeze that resulted. Two minutes passed before he began looking around. Nearly instantly he found a delight growing on the opposite bank of the brook. “Watercress!” Watching the stream for a minute he figured he’d cross it and did so with little effort, but as soon as his body submerged into it the heat and pain made another sigh escape.
On the other side he began eating the peppery tasting watercress with gusto. As a vegetarian, Cage didn’t even want to consider the small river animals as a food source. The plant grew so abundantly that he lay in the stream to cool off and eat till full. He only got out an hour and a half later to urinate and after, drank and ate more. He stayed there for a little while longer till he realized how lax his observation of time had become.
The sun was beginning to set as he drug himself out and searched for dry tender and flint. Rock lay aplenty around the water, but it took time to collect the wood and already he felt the temperature dropping quickly. Again, another sign he wasn’t in the Sunshine State in summertime. Not knowing if he’d freeze here or what animals live in the area he knew fire would be essential.
Cage began bringing in the materials and did as taught on how to build the wood to catch fire quickly. He began striking the flint-rocks together and made few sparks. Not one to quit, Cage struck the stones together hundreds of times while the sun disappeared, but not all its light vanished yet. More and more he struggled, but no matter how much his impressive arms could exert, the wood didn’t catch.
Angered at his lack of progress he struck the stones while thinking what he wanted and yelled “Damn it! Ignite!”
A sudden tingling sensation on his back came as a large spark jumped into the tender and a huge wave of exhaustion overtook Cage as he saw black dots swimming before his eyes and darkness claimed him. He collapsed backwards.
Crackling and popping alerted Cage that he had passed out and groggily he opened his eyes. The sky still had some light, telling him he’d only been out of it for a few minutes. Strange orange colors flickered off the canopy and drew his attention down to a hungry flame not a foot away. He had to pull his legs back because the heat became too much. Cage sat up and winced as he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head and a gentle prodding revealed some blood from where he struck his skull on a rock, but more than that he felt more exhausted than he should be. Several times he felt this depleted, but he should feel better. “Maybe today’s workout took more out than expected. Hey! I made a fire!” he hooted and fully realized what sat before him.
Cage looked up and saw a clear sky and only hoped it would last for he was too exhausted to make even a large leaf sit atop his head to dodge the rain. “Whew, what a long and exciting day.”
Like he thought, the air did chill and he forced himself to stay awake for a reason. As night fell the forest’s noise grew intense, especially from insects. On occasion a bat would fly close, nearly startling him. Several hours into the noisy night he finally looked up into the sky.
“What the!” Cage struggled to get a better view from the stream’s bank to stare in wide eyed confusion.
Up above were twinkling stars where they weren’t supposed to be. Constellations varied on different parts of the world and Cage had seen many from different continents and governments. He would spend hours staring at them and learn wherever he went in the world he’d understand where he was. He tried changing how he looked, but nothing appeared recognizable. “No Orion’s Belt,
Big or Little Dipper or even the north star… Where the hell am I?”
The moon then arched over the trees and he needed to remember how to breathe. It was full, but completely different.
Cage always thought, even as a child, that the moon looked like an alligator riding a bike and it looked the same wherever he found himself, but this moon looked to display a chicken jumping out of water while smaller craters mimicked what he associated with birdshot. But what he found equally fascinating were the different sizes. Earth’s moon looks similar to an outstretched dime, but this one looked slightly larger than a quarter but smaller than a fifty cent piece.
“That settles it! I’m no longer on Earth or I’ve went back in time… if I somehow died I wouldn’t be feeling pain.” His astonishment, unlike what others would be, turned into a full grin. “Sweet, a whole new world!”
He studied for only a few more minutes before exhaustion forced him back to the fire. He added more wood and hoped it would last for he dropped unconscious with little warning.
Cage awakened the most natural way, by the sounds of lovely birdcalls and a ray of sunlight. The fire had burned down to coals and he felt cold, but he knew its warmth had let him live through the night. He sat up and grimaced as yesterday’s pain had grown and he still felt tired, but not so much that it was like before. Both his ankles and knees were swollen. It became apparent he needed to expand on the plans of food and water. He needed to keep going, but needed a better method to travel and some kind of clothing to keep the elements at bay.
He smiled as he found two young, straight trees that would do nicely. He crawled over to them and began using a sharp rock to fell each. Without
a knife’s edge or a saw, it took longer to cut them down, but they did. Cage then pulled himself back to the brook with the two trees, tripling the effort.
Soon he eased himself into the stream to reduce swelling in the joints. He managed to sit in a gentle flowing section and sat up in the water while he broke off all the limbs and used a stone to flatten down all the sharp edges. For both, it took till midmorning to make them into reasonable crutches. He then used the coals to revive the fire. Since the young trees were so freshly cut they flexed more than he liked and would make them that much more dangerous should he fall. With a moderate fire he began fire-hardening both crutches till the water steamed out and turned them a blackish-brown. It took several hours to complete and he also ate, drank and succeeded on having a bowel movement without any suppositories, enemas or stimulation. He remained ecstatic to regain that function as well.
With the swelling reduced, he picked up his walking aids, but not before creating a survivors coal transporter by using a large mushroom growing on the bark of a tree trunk to allow the ember to continue smoldering while he moved. It took all he had to figure out how to hold the wood, pull with his arms and lift with weak legs. “Whoa!” he said, startled as he began falling backwards, but with a deft move of his arm he used the stick to keep him erect. “Time to begin scouting.” And leaned forward, taking a step, reducing the weight on them by leaning on the crutches. It became a skillful art, re-learning how to walk, use crutches to keep from falling while holding a large, smoldering mushroom. He began traveling downstream to see what he can about his surroundings and this new world.
Cage continued following the stream’s path and he found himself steadily traveling downhill. Nearly an hour later, four pauses to rest and cool the aching joints and muscles did a constant roaring of water get louder. The stream he followed bled into a large river with white-water rapids in certain areas, but as he reached the sight he found himself confirming he wasn’t in Florida. In the opposite direction of the river Cage saw a small mountain to the north. It had no snow at its peak, but thick clouds crowned above it. Not knowing how far the river traveled, for it could lead him on for days or he could rely on training and do what needed to be. “I’m not one to succumb to adversity.” And turned himself to began heading upstream. He made maybe a mile before he couldn’t walk anymore, but didn’t stop till he found a huge, dead tree leaning at an angle and checked it over to find it an adequate natural shelter.
He took the mushroom and more dry wood and used the ember from earlier to successfully start a fire without all of yesterday’s exhausting efforts. While the fire sustained itself, Cage set out on a short excursion to drink and find something to eat. With the amazingly clear water so close he easily found more watercress, but he also located an unexpected treat. Over in an area of open space and high grass grew a large patch of wild strawberries. “Score!” he said and picked at them for some time till the gnawing hunger and peppery watercress taste vanished. He marveled at the difference between wild and grocery store strawberries for these were tiny in comparison, but no less delightful.
But before the sun began to vanish for another day he went in search for cordage and easily came upon thin vines perfect for what he had in mind.
Around the fire he sat as the temperature began plummeting again, but the angled, overhead tree blocked quite a bit of the wild forces of nature, but he made sure it wouldn’t catch fire by the smaller blaze that offered warmth, light and protection. The vines were still healthy and worked just as hoped. He first made it weave into a small carrier for what remained of the mushroom for easier travel. It was overtaxing trying to hold a crutch, walk and carry it. Without clothes or the gift of pockets, he had to make due. That took maybe an hour to complete and he had more free time since he already overworked his newfound freedom.
Rampaging thoughts were impossible to follow and became a nuisance. He needed a distraction and smiled as an idea began to form. Around lay many sharp rocks. He began gathering a pile of the larger than fist size variety. While night began setting in, the nearby area became disturbed by the sounds of stones bashing against each other. Cage began striking moderately sized stones against the larger ones, working out an idea he hadn’t done since he was a kid. Over the hours, many rocks were decimated, but one began to take shape as he wished. He began turning a smooth river rock into a crude knife. It wouldn’t be finished completely for another night or two of work, but it had a deadly sharp tip and a respectable grip with which to hold. The blade would only reach five inches, but would work for the next idea.
Then from out of nowhere came a large sound far in the distance from some kind of animal dispute. The sound put him on edge, especially when he heard the howling of wolves. He was in no position to protect himself properly, but keeping the new blade near gave some level of comfort.
Cage smiled as he leaned back and watched the new stars and moon for some time before falling asleep.
The next night, after going upstream and gradually more uphill, did he spot glowing eyes glaring at him while he continued carefully chipping and sharpening one side of the blade. “Now I know I’m not alone.” He decided as he watched the four pairs of eyes hiding in the brush. One pair winked out and the hairs on the back of Cage’s neck stood. Very slowly he turned his head around to see a pair of glowing eyes stalking up from behind. “Not tonight.” He declared quietly and gripped the handle of the knife in his right hand and the end of a burning log with the other. Cage knew he wouldn’t be able to run from these animals in the current condition of his lower extremities so he crossed his legs beneath himself, overriding the awkward pain they made.
“I hope you put up a good fight for I’ll not go down so easily.” He grinned at fighting the wolves, especially since he felt the lovely jolt adrenaline fortifying him and making everything clearer than usual. He could even hear their breath trying to be quiet as they stalked.
Without warning, the one from behind charged when it felt close enough to its prey, but as it came within Cage’s long reach and upper body strength, the knife hand slit the wolf’s throat. When the first attacked, the other three charged in, but the first to feel Cage’s wrath was hit by the solid flaming log. It yelped, but the other two continued pressing the attack. Cage pierced the ribs and heart of one, but its momentum and body knocked Cage flat on his back. Taking advantage, the last wolf pounced and sunk its teeth into the victim’s left collar. Intense pain tried gaining all thought, but Cage had been through much worse and his great pain tolerance allowed him to throw the dead one off, remove the blade and sink the tip through the wolf’s ear that bit down. It jerked momentarily and released his shoulder before dropping dead.
Fearing another attack, Cage sat up to find only the three he had slain. “Must have scared him off.” He decided while surveying all directions, making absolutely sure he wasn’t attacked from behind again.
When none came again he checked the wounds. The four canines obviously broke the skin as blood poured down his chest and back, but all the other healing injuries were from walking.
Slowly, he regained control of his ragged breathing and looked at the three woodsy colored wolves. They weren’t quite as large as those he’d seen on long missions, but they were larger than most large breed dogs. Lean bodies made them perfect for the terrain of the forest and made it so they could have so easily snuck up without making a sound. He sighed, realizing just how close he came to being a full course meal. “I better get moving. Where there are predators, there will be more and when they smell all the blood they will come right here. Apparently they haven’t learned to fear humans.”
It was even harder to stand with a wounded shoulder and make it support weight, but he pulled the knife free from the wolf’s ear and hobbled over to wash himself and the crude blade. About now he wished for a needle, thread and antibiotics, not knowing what would infect the fresh wound. But he didn’t know many medicinal plants in the area and hadn’t found any of the kind so far. “I’
m going to have to wait, hope and see it doesn’t get infected.”
He returned to the fire, grabbed the vine and tied the knife to his hip and picked up a long branch afire, placed it between his teeth and used it to move away, but not before putting out what remained of the fire. Making sure to get away, Cage periodically turned around, but nothing followed from what he could tell. He moved upstream for another hour before building another fire.
As he sat down he looked at the wound again and noticed how it hadn’t stopped bleeding and the traveling hadn’t helped. “This is going to suck!” he decided while grabbing a burning stick. He blew out the flames, put a branch between his teeth and clamped down hard before placing the red hot stick against the first wound. Cage went rigid, veins and muscles popping from strain, but he held it there till the wound was cauterized shut. Sweat already coated his body and all the exertion kept all feeling of cold away. He put the stick in the fire to get it hot again and proceeded sealing the other bite wounds.
By the time he finished he passed out, not caring and hoping the animals learned a lesson.
The next morning Cage proceeded upstream and noticed it became much easier to walk, but still needed to rely on the walking-aids for balance. He made slightly better time and each step brought him closer to the small mountain.
By the noon hour, Cage had to stop and marvel at what stood before him. A grand waterfall flowed into a small lake which fed the gradually shrinking river. A cliff looked to show a rainbow mosaic from the constant mist the waterfall created as it spewed from two hundred feet above. Beside the grand waterfall were smaller ones. Trees, vibrant flowers and all manner of diurnal animals made the scene faultless. The roar of falling water did little to discourage anything about it. Beneath the rippling lake water was so clear he could see everything beneath it. Colorful fish swam almost happily and it put a smile on his face to forget all his recent hardships. Cage always hated how humanity decimated land for the natural scene before him was more beautiful than anything humans have or could ever create. He felt like he had come home.
“Perfect.” Was the only justified word.
As he stood there and marveled, something nagged at him till it gained the attention it needed. His eyes were drawn to where the largest, central fall met the lake to find an anomaly. The water looked to be hitting a rock, but its perfectly domed shape didn’t seem right. If experience and feelings dictated something wasn’t right, it usually isn’t. But something about the oddity seemed to want to draw Cage closer to it, but another part felt as if he weren’t ready and since it felt stronger, it kept him from getting close. Though he couldn’t fully shake off the draw it held in his mind.
He decided to stay there for the night and find a way up or around the cliff. After a filling meal of edible flowers and the white heel of the base of a cattail plant, he went skinny dipping, just like he had done since arriving. He swam in the more placid areas of the lake and it made working out his legs much easier while also giving resistance. Swimming felt ideal to gain muscle strength and definition very quickly. The water felt like swimming in a spring, but so long as he continued exercising, he didn’t get chilled.
But as he stopped for the night he began his real project and found a long, thick piece of hard wood from an old oak. With his stone knife he began carefully whittling an object into being. It would take time to truly function properly, but he began roughly carving out the two separate pieces that were equal and slightly larger than his fist. Time flew by as his focus turned the piece into two egg-shaped opposite halves that will fit together later. The shavings of wood became less bold and more meticulous as the pieces progressed. By the time he called it quits he had the outline finalized.
Three more days passed as Cage found a way to climb the mountain. His feet and legs hurt almost all the time, but had rapidly progressed, all things considering. He only relied on one crutch now and his balance greatly improved. The twig-like look they had before wasn’t quite so severe and the pooch his stomach had from loss of abdominal muscles had begun to tighten. Even his lower back was able to make trunk support much more easier. And to make everything seem insignificant so far he was able to stand straight, without any support. He couldn’t take a step without falling, but he stood nonetheless, an obvious improvement from almost a week ago.
Every night he worked on his pet project, finalizing its rounded, egg shape and adding eight personalized holes to what would become the top section. He rubbed gritty sand on its surface and inside to sand out the crude tool marks and washed it off in the shrinking stream later. Earlier today he found the peak source from where the river originated, a natural spring bubbled out from the mountainous side.
Then, for the first time, he reached the peak, glad that the low clouds didn’t obscure his view. “You have got to be kidding!” He yelled to no one and looked in every direction. “I’m on an island! A pretty big one…” Cage rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, but he scanned the area from the highest vantage the island had and nothing obscured his view for as far as the eye could see. All around him sat brilliant blue water and a never ending breeze. Then he kept turning and saw a solid black line in the eastern direction.
Just to make sure he wasn’t turned around or lost his bearings he used the Shadow Stick Method to determine direction since he didn’t have a needle or thin metal. Placing his lone crutch down, he marked the first shadow with a rock and waited a half hour to place another and determined he wasn’t wrong where land lay far to the east, but within sight.
While he waited for the sun to move the shadow, Cage surveyed where he now resided, taking everything in. Almost the entire island was covered in dense forest and certain parts were being rained on as the sea’s breeze pushed clouds across the land. He paid interest to everything, especially finding himself completely alone for there were no signs of fire or wide clearings from habitation. “I wonder if there are any people?” He wondered. Knowing it would get increasingly cold, but needing to stay here to keep an ideal vantage, he went around and collected enough to keep an ample fire going.
Then as night fell he felt hope as he watched the eastern shore for on the opposite bank came a faint, tiny orange flicker. Signs that there were either lights or a fire that meant habitation. He didn’t bother yelling for his voice wouldn’t carry so far, but he did add more fuel to build the flame into a bonfire. He hoped someone would see it soon.
Later he found lights sailing far in the west, but either they didn’t care to investigate or they didn’t see it. “It wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen lately.”
Cage stayed atop the mountain for another day and began to notice something he missed yesterday. The currents around the entire island were a deathtrap and knew if anyone could see his signal they wouldn’t dare attempt it by risking their lives or a boat. The currents spiraled in unpredictable patterns and crashed into jagged rocks and reefs. Cage knew it would be suicide to attempt anything and the longer he watched the more he realized just how dangerous it is. He might spend the rest of his life here. “It won’t be the first time I’ve had to rely only on myself.” He decided with a shrug.
Later he saw another ship. It was a sail boat, but like the old movie kind with three masts, white sails and made of wood. He hoped it was just a piece of living history someone kept for posterity or to teach children, but he had a feeling it was the best way to sail here. Their path also didn’t veer anywhere near the island.
He decided it would be best to get a better view by the bank and began the long trip down the mountain, using the winding stream as a guide towards the sea.
A week later Cage arrived at the beach without the aid of the crutch, but used a small cane for emergencies. Every day he got stronger, but after years of being unused Cage had no alternative but to make sandals out of sanded wood and vine for soft feet. Still he gained more and more endurance to move further each and every day. Most of his original wounds had healed, but accidents happened and n
ew ones always seemed to appear. Covering his pride and backside were large leaves from banana leaves for he got tired of branches and other things feeling him up. Tied at his hip were the trusty stone knife that hadn’t been needed since the last attack and his new ocarina.
His project finished as he found pine resin and used it as a glue to seal both halves, creating an ocarina that calmed the mind. He had been forced to leave the one the old man gave him behind. It took time to get the holes just right, but after some fine tuning he played a soft tune of his own making, almost singing to all that surrounded him. The ocarina was the only instrument he believed is as unique as he felt around others and would be as different and mesmerizing to be remembered. Its flutelike sounds were utterly exceptional and rare among any other commonly known wind instruments. The eight holes allowed for an almost infinite amount of sounds. But without modern equipment it was difficult to get it exactly right. Although it made wonderful melodies, it didn’t have the same clarity his old one had. Still, it occupied his nights without fail.
During the week he spotted more wildlife as he became more familiar with the new surroundings. There were plentiful songbirds, seagulls and an ecological sustainable amount of hawks to keep them in check. Deer, boar and other animals also called the place home. He found large cat prints several times, but the wolves had grown even more reclusive. After they saw Cage as a rival predator they kept away, only looking from afar when he spotted the glow in their eyes from the nightly fire.
Twice it rained, forcing him to take shelter in the stream and keep the fire alive by burying coals in a green banana tree leaf till it passed. The stream was exceptionally cold, but not nearly as much as being rained on and get chilled to the bone by wind.
Now came the roar of the sea to his ears as the waves crashed in sets. Salty sweet air assaulted and consumed all smells. White sand covered nearly everything with pieces of driftwood and vegetation lining the beach. “It’s even more violent than I remember. But I had given up hope to see the ocean like this. My chair wouldn’t ever allow me to do this.” And he reached down to take off the sandals and wiggle his toes in the sugary sand.
Cage sat down and wrapped his arms around his knees and sat there for a few hours, just enjoying and taking in the scene.
Eventually hunger got the better of him and he found a nearby coconut, peeled it on a tree spike and cracked it open to enjoy a delicious meal. But with all the exertion and muscle-gain, his appetite increased and six more tough coconuts later he found his fill and washed his mouth out with the milk.
To drink cleaner water, he dug a hole beside the river that flowed into the sea and allowed the sand to filter it and drank as the void filled. It was always tasty.
As the sun began to set for the day and he started another fire he declared for himself “Time to try something long overdue.” and stood without the cane.
Cage leaned forward and began to run. He made it only five steps before tumbling into the soft sand. He laughed “Faster than I’ve moved in years!” and pushed himself up to try again. This time he made six steps before making a mistake.
All night he ran back and forth, always near the fire so he could see.
Exhausted, he decided to push one more time and ran nearly a hundred steps as hard as he could, but suddenly tripped and saw he was about to be skewered by a piece of driftwood. All he could shout in time was “Turn!” and imagined the sharp piece of wood shift aside.
Like the time before, when he saw the large spark that started the first fire when he arrived, Cage felt the tingling sensation between his shoulders and watched as the stick shifted away by some unseen force.
Cage landed painfully and fought to keep conscious as he felt a wave of exhaustion double what he already felt. He barely managed to remain awake and breathed slowly to clear his blotchy vision. Alright, what just happened? He thought. How did the stick change direction away from the direction of the blowing wind. He felt his abdomen, where he landed somewhat safely on the driftwood. Did I do that? What other reason could there be? And what was that sensation… Cage shook his head to stay awake. “Too tired to think.”
And he half crawled back to the fire to lose the fight to remain lucid.
This time when Cage awoke he rose almost with half a day gone past. He hadn’t slept in once since being forced at the hospital, not wanting to miss a single day till his vengeance was complete. “Wha…” Then he began to remember what happened and sat up. He went through what happened dozens of times, but it all seemed impossible. He was missing some fact. “Of that I’m sure… That tingle…”
Cage reached behind to touch between his shoulder blades to feel nothing amiss, but he had felt it. “I need some mirrors…” thought about what he’d do with them and suddenly Cage felt the sensation between his shoulders again, but this time he saw someone’s face suddenly appear. The man had wild brown hair, black eyes, a straight nose and a thin beard, but his expression changed into shock. “Yah!” He yelled in surprise and out of reflex he jumped and punched the figure.
Just as suddenly it vanished and his fist passed through nothing but air. And as his arm returned he became tired again, as if he had traveled all day, but he didn’t see spots this time. He still dropped down and breathed heavily till he felt better.
There has to be a logical explanation as to what just happened. He thought. Who was that and how did he appear out of thin air? And the more he thought about the figure the more he recognized him. “Wait! That was me! Or more correctly, my reflection…” Cage rubbed his scruffy jaw and then wondered how he done it.
“I want a mirror?” he asked, but nothing happened.
Then he tried thinking of a mirror and asked again. Tingling reoccurred and an image of a head appeared. “I did it!” and the mirror image mimicked the movements in silence just like an actual mirror. The image began to grin as instantly as he did. Cage reached up to touch his face and it was a true mirror reflection, hanging in thin air. Then Cage noticed an oddity in the reflection’s left corner and spun around to meet an up close, face to face, image of himself, but he didn’t jump this time. He wanted to see what that tingling sensation on his back came from and turned back around quickly as he began to feel weaker and more light headed by the second. He moved and twisted around the stationary mirrors and opened his eyes in surprise for on his back was what looked to be a tattoo, but he never allowed ink to touch his flesh so he didn’t know where it came from.
The tattoo looked just like a sideways eight, the infinity symbol.
Dots began floating before his eyes and he said “How do I stop this?” as he felt faint. As he began thinking how to do it the mirrors simply vanished and he leaned forward to put his head between his knees, close his eyes and sit in the shade while he tried to recover. It took nearly a half hour before he opened his eyes, but a mild headache lingered. “Alright, how did I do that? It must have something to do with that tattoo on my back. But how did I see an image hanging in midair?”
After a day of sedentary speculation only one thing seemed to fit.
“Magic?”