Isles of Calamity

Chapter 1

I didnt want to spend my day collecting bug butts. Rummaging through bushes, climbing trees, I was searching everywhere, but I only found 5 bugs. I was sent out to collect ingredients for the elders traditions tonight, because tonight was a full moon.

Aha! I shout excitedly when I find another one, these little critters are called Bark ants, they symbolize community, strength, and perseverance. They camouflage with sticks, twigs, and trees.

Theyre very common if you know where to look.

The only other ingredients the elders need are grasshoppers, which symbolizes good fortune, confidence and development.

And they also need dragonflies which symbolizes positivity, adaptability, and flexibility. Its a celebration we do every month where we sit around the fire at camp, wherever we set up, and we listen to the elders tell tales about outside the island.

These stories we have were passes down from their elders, who were passed down from their elders and so on until the very beginning.

Thankfully our way of life has helped us duck under the radars of surrounding threats, and Im not talking about predatory animals, but while they act like them, theyre our very own species. I scan my surroundings seeing if anything or anyone heard my shout of joy, slight rustle of leaves from the wind but other than that, nothing.

I collect the ant in my jar and weave through the bushes on my way to camp, somehow, I got out of collecting the grasshoppers and dragonflies.

Well, I wouldnt say somehow, in reality, a 10-year-old boy went through the food supplies and mad a mess.

Sad because our trappers worked hard to find the food that is so scarce, but thankfully most of it is just a dead animal that is raw so once we cook it, it will be okay.

I was set on an animal path that has been forged by a herd of deer that walked through here.

I pushed through more leaves and sticks, almost tripped over roots and such, all with trying to make as little sound as possible.

I see the mound of rock that I call home, well, temporary home at least.

I enter the cave to see darkness, no sign of life or light anywhere. Its me, Amaya. I call out quietly and a torch lights up, then another and another. Amaya! Imogen, an elder calls. Oh sweetie, did you get the ants I sent you to retrieve? she asks politely. Yes, I did. I say as I hold up the jar of bark ants.

oh, thats perfect, thank you so much youngun she thanks me.

Your welcome, its really no problem. Say, theres a lot of light left in the day do you need anything else?

Oh no, Im fine here, but you should eat something, you havent eaten breakfast. She insists.

No, no, you guys need it more than I do. i push.

oh, you are such a sweet girl, but I honestly think you should eat. We dont want to starve you, please, eat some berries and rabbit. We just cooked a fresh batch. She says as she drags me over to the back of the cave and sits me down.

Okay Imogen, I will.

Good girl. And with that she grabs a plate made from bark and fills it with food, more food than I honestly think I could eat.

I thank her again as I grab the plate and when she leaves, I eat 4 blueberries and set the plate back down where the rest of the food was, someone else can have it. I think as I make my way to the entrance of the cave.

I look out to the entrance of the cave and breath in the fresh air.

The wind blows through my hair, unfortunately it was not in any form of elegance and instead blew my hair forward, in my face, tangling up my already messy long red hair more.

Its alright, Ill brush it out later.

That was one of my crafts that I do sometimes for my family, I collect porcupine quills and stitch them together in a form of clump with tendons from animals, so that when I finish everything the tendon are dry, sand it holds together.

I Exit the cave announcing where Im going and went to the top of the cave.

Now, its a little tricky climbing a steep rocky hill with no experience, but thankfully I have experience.

After a few slips and pokes of the rock underneath of me crumbles under my weight and pressure I heave myself onto the top of the cave.

Now, if you try this on any cave you find, or a certain spot on any cave really, then you WILL fall because of the weak spots, so do not try this without practice.

I look around where we had to patch up the roof of the cave inwardly cringing at the damage.

I said I was experienced, not skilled.

I face the way that the winds coming, despite it being strong enough for me to need to squint my eyes, as long as its better than my hair whipping in my face, I guess.

I look at the surrounding landscape, thick jungles surrounded our location.

If you look in the distance you can see the water whipping unusually like a rhythm against the cliffsides.

The sky was clear and without a cloud in sight. The sun was warm and bright, shining down on us.

To anyone else, this would be a paradise, to anyone who lives here, its a fight for survival, a nightmare.

Because this place, we call it many things. Hell, Nightmare Coast, but the original name, the name that everybody knows, is the name that we dont dare speak.

The Isles of Calamity.