Forgotten Isles

I woke up to a salty breeze and stormy clouds swirling above me in the sky. I squinted and searched for the missing sunshine in that gloomy sky. Alas, how could I expect the eyes to find what the heart had failed to in years? Sailors wailed in the distance: the ship of humanity was sinking! Maps that charted out for a course of action were scattered across the deck in disarray. It is no wonder why humans lost their way!

The moral compass malfunctioned, and the radar of sensibility failed us at our worst. How foolish were we who set out for Atlantis? The myths, lies, and fairy tales were the ones we told ourselves to keep the hope alive. We always looked to venture out but never sought to fix the broken parts that rot inside.

Isn’t it ironic how humans search for the things they lose and fail to keep the things they have left?

I guess that’s why we were always a lost cause, always hoping for Noah’s ark to save us from ourselves. Thus, I lay castaway at sea, with nothing but water surrounding me. I wasn’t afraid to drown at sea, for I had drowned years ago on solid ground. The depths of the blue abyss couldn’t possibly do any worse than my own fears and insecurities. I closed my eyes and embraced the fate that awaited me.

Destiny had other plans for me as I found myself washed up on the shores of an Island. The stormy clouds were replaced by a starry night sky. I explored the Isle to find it uninhabited. My curiosity was aroused when I saw footprints in the sand. I followed the trail and retraced the steps to find myself facing a pond situated at the heart of the Island.

The pond glistened under the starlight and made it almost magical. I came closer to the water and peered into the pond. A reflection of me stared back and almost startled me. For it was a version of me that I had abandoned years ago — the child who had been led astray. A child that looked out of the window of his room on a rainy day. The child who hoped and the child who dreamed. The child that saw the rainbows in the clouds. The child that was brave. That child was the one that the world needed now.

Oh, how had I forgotten the promises made to that child?

As I walked back to the beach, I couldn’t help but think about how I had shushed the voices of my heart in hopes to have myself heard? All I needed was a second chance, and I could finally leave the world a little better than I had found it. Was it a naïve quest for higher meaning? Honestly, I didn’t know.

A rescue plane landed the next morning. As the plane took off, I peered out of the window and saw it covered with raindrops. I reminded myself of the broken man who had passed by my window 21 years ago on a rainy day. That man’s eyes searched for answers. Years later, his questions would lead me to Atlantis and would lead him to the Fountain of Youth. My childhood was my Forgotten Isle! I smiled to myself and swore never to let history repeat itself.

This piece was written in collaboration with Eragon.