Encumbered

It was March 17th, 2016. I found myself sitting at the coast of a vermillion-shaded island, isolated presumably many miles from any other island it sat in the middle of, only being surrounded by a body of water. It were a remote island — I was the first person on that island, in fact. It was after my uncle had somehow bought the island, he bought it after his father had passed away at the age of just 86, who he took the inheritance money from. He claimed the papers only a week after he died, he was already rich enough, he didn't trust anyone else with this large sum of money, he didn't even let me have any of the money.
When he told me he bought an island, I was still living in a rickety and permeated household in the poorer and suburban areas in the Philippines. There were clothes scrambled everywhere, I didn't bother with packing any of it up, and as far as I can tell, I hadn't washed any of them. I didn't feel like going out, I knew I couldn't, I barely had any money to even afford a snack, rent was overdue two months, and I wasn't close to any relatives where I lived.
He insisted he'd pay for the travel expenses, they only costed around ₱1.1K ($20) anyway. My face lit up, and fervor had struck several cords in my brain. I had I chance, I knew I did. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this, he even said he'd bought a lodge there for me. I was bustling with joy, and squealed just loud enough before the tenants beside my room could complain about me to the land-lord.
What would I pack my clothes with... I'd remember I had a luggage somewhere in my apartment, didn't I hide it in one of the closets? I came out of the dark bedroom and into the foyer. The color of white had been stained in dirt, it engulfed the rest of the apartment, hell — every single crevice in the apartment was filled with dirt somewhere, let alone the lobby.
I sharply turned right and rushed into the living room. A torn couch sat at the left, on top, a window. To the right of the couch was an old wooden cabinet. I opened the cabinet and scrambled for my luggage. My eyes turned and shook as if I were looking for something that were to have inevitably decided my fate, it wasn't there though, where the hell was it?!
Then, as my hand rubbed against several plastic ridges, I realized and quickly pulled it out of the closet. It was a pink luggage, both faded and dented, I could buy another case, but I'm still trying to save up for a new apartment. There, I dashed back to my bedroom and stuffed as much clothes as I could, as well as my laptop, and two books. I didn't bother taking the rest of the clothes, I'm sure I wouldn't need that much anyway.
When I checked on all of the rooms, the kitchen, the foyer, the bathroom, to check if any electronics were on before I left. When I turned everything off, I set out of the apartment and stood closely at the sidewalk, waiting for a taxi to pick me up. I lived in the far north of the Philippines, knowing I wasn't that far from a beach that I knew had boats, I decided to take a taxi on my way there.
Raising my hand up, a taxi would stop in front of me, creaking slowly in front of me as I quickly entered the taxi. The driver was fairly old, wrinkles were all around his face, wearing nothing but a white polo and blue pants. I told him to take me to the nearest beach, the one east from where we were. So, before I could think, he would start driving towards the beach.
As I would look outside of the taxi, the shape of a figure stood at a bridge at a congruent distance from mine, staring at me from a far distance as he stood at the right parapet of the bridge. When I turned directly to him, however, he just disappeared. What was that? Hmm... must've been something in my eye.
Pushing myself to the other window, I would continue to look at the left. I could see it again in my peripheral, this time, sitting at the top of the tree, as he would stare down at me. He — no, "it" — would disappear when the taxi would blur its way forward, or if I were to quickly turn towards it, was it really something in my eye? That's strange. I don't remember seeing something like him before.
Regardless, I'd make it to the public beach I told him to.
After making it to the front of the beach, I would pay the rest of what I had in my pocket for the fees before quickly dashing out of the taxi. I took a quick glance at my sandals, my luggage in hand, and the sunglasses hung on the placket of my shirt, before going to the boats for the one my uncle had bought me.
It was at this point the sun would start slowly setting into dusk. I quickly squinted for the boat my uncle had described: a white V shaped boat, at the far right of the shore, with several initials painted onto the left of the boat. The man piloting the boat wore an orange shirt, and navy-blue shorts, he had a tattoo on his arm, climbing up his palm.
I searched for any V shaped boats on the shore, I only saw white bangka fishing boats rocking peacefully to the sea. Something about being there was strangely eerie, the quiet rumbling of the water against itself, the sand rattling under my feet as I made the most subtle movements, and the gawking of a singular spot-billed pelican flying past me.
Then, someone called out from me. I veered to my right, there were someone with a tattoo on his arm waving at me bluntly. Realizing this was the person, I would quickly trot towards him. Did he have the same boat? V shaped... far right... initials — this is the one, alright, but he isn't wearing the same clothes like he mentioned... Whatever, you can't wear the same thing for a week without smelling like bird crap anyway.
I hopped on the boat with the guy, the boat was completely engulfed in the scent of water, as well as the man's, and two crates sat at the other side of the boat with me. He would hop on the controls without saying a word, before going off into sea. I didn't think it was this easy to get on a boat like this — I still don't think it is — but I digress with the fact.
The gawking of the pelican had faded out with the island, it had faded out of my sight, as nothing but blue had surrounded the boat. I took a look under the water, gripping myself at the gunwale, as I gazed loiteringly under the water. It was black. When I turned up, everything was a dark black. Looking at the interface where the captain would sit, no one was there. 
What the hell? Where am I? Was it something in the water? 
I was clearly panicking. I scrambled around, several streams of sweat had poured under me, a confused version of me was clear in sight, trembling to myself as I sat again. 
Then and there, I found myself at the coast of an island, right beside the shore where the boat was parked. I looked at the interface again, he was gone. The boat rocked quietly to the sound of the sea, that was all of what was in my mind. I came down the boat, I looked around once again, taking in where I was, before checking for my luggage. 
Thankfully, unlike the captain, it didn't disappear. A sigh of relief had released in me, as I gripped the gunwale, taking my breath before grabbing my luggage. What I didn't know, however, was how terrible things would turn out from this point onward, as my completely oblivious self would stroll off to the lodge. 
I would find myself surrounded by spruce trees, darkly standing high above me as they were gracefully brushed by the wind. The eerie feeling was still there, it felt as if these trees were so meticulously placed, being at a parallel distance from each other — not to mention the quincunx placements — it was suspiciously spaced apart from each other. 
Digressing forward, I would see the sight of a wooden house a few trees away from where I had stood. It had a nice wood exterior, a veranda with a table and two chairs, and a lamp that stood at the roofing of the left of the porch. I was roused by the sight of the house and quickly trotted towards it. It was the lodge, did they build it before I got here? Odd. 
I entered the lodge after placing my luggage at the doorstep. A glass table sat at the living room, in front of two couches. Looking forward was a kitchen with a counter decorated with granite. Looking to the left was a balcony, overlooking the rest of the island. And looking to the far left, was a restroom, with a black figure standing inside... 
Wait — a black figure? 
Realizing there was someone there, I jumped back, scrambling outside once again, falling on my ass as my head faced the doorstep. Then, a loud screech. I thought I was going to be killed. I got up quickly and grabbed at the luggage, stumbling my way down the porch as I went around the left. There were a bathroom window from the left, I took a quick gaze to my right and saw nothing through the window. 
At this point — on my first three minutes on the island — I knew I wasn't alone, and hated the lingering feeling of thinking about the fact. Everything up until this point were nothing unnerving or nothing to worry about. Now, knowing someone else was here with me, I was completely and utterly screwed. 
To take my mind off of whatever had just happened at that moment, I took a stroll to the shore where the boat was before. It was at this point that a vermillion-orange tint had shaded the island. I decided to sit at the shore, to watch the nice sunset. It was at this point that I figured out that I could erase that "thing" if I just turned away really fast. I'm surprised it took me this long to figure that out. 
There I was, staring at the endless horizon of the sea. The vermillion had faded into the dusk, settling into the air as night had conquered the sky. The breeze had calmed me, almost too much. Then, a hand had landed on my shoulder. 
A cold shudder had zapped me at the thing's touch, I couldn't move at all. A groan had rung directly in my ears, I could feel the saliva drip onto my shoulders as the figure stared deeply into me with his eyes. He was in my peripheral though, I know I could just erase him out of my view if I turned quickly at it, but he's too close. 
With mere seconds of life left, I turned quickly to the right. There it was. 
 
Category:Mental Illness