By the third day, I was utterly bored.
Reading Dad's journals over and over wasn't going to help me find those elusive sea creatures. At some point, I knew I had to stop reading and start doing.
Building a raft seemed like the logical first step. After all, I wasn't going to find merpeople sitting on the porch drinking coconut water.
There was a forest just a few meters away from the house. It looked dense, dark, and exactly like the kind of place I'd spent my whole life avoiding. As a kid, I'd been terrified of forests. I remembered being bitten by a snake once. It wasn't poisonous, but the fear it left behind had stuck with me ever since.
Still, I ignored my fear and stepped past the treeline.
The forest floor was damp and covered with ferns and plants I couldn't name. On the way deeper in, I picked a few more coconuts, spotted a crab skittering across the ground, and even found a bunch of raw bananas hanging low from a small patch of trees.
For the first time since arriving here, I felt… alive. Like this might actually turn into an adventure worth remembering. I couldn't stop myself from thinking, I wish Dad was here. We could've had so much fun together. I regretted never visiting this place when he was still alive.
As I wandered farther, I noticed an entire patch of banana trees growing on the left side of the island, near the rocky beach. The rocks there were jagged and slick, making the shoreline far too dangerous to explore for now. But part of me was itching to go there soon.
I got to work cutting down the banana trees and dragging them out of the forest one by one.
It wasn't easy. It felt like a full-body workout but I was loving the burn in my arms.
I remembered the ruined fishing net I'd found in the basement the day before. It was torn in places, but I figured I could use it to tie the trunks together into a makeshift floating platform.
By the time I'd hauled all thirty trees to the sandy beach, my muscles were screaming by the time I was done.
It was well past lunchtime, and the crab and coconuts I'd collected sat in the bag, tempting me with every step. As if on cue, my stomach growled like a wild animal.
I headed back to the house and got to work. I made a simple crab soup with rice, chopped open two green coconuts, and drank the water straight from the shell.
I didn't know if it was the fresh air or the exhaustion, but coconut water had never tasted this sweet, and plain white rice had never felt this satisfying.
That night, the ocean was still. The wind had quieted, and the waves barely stirred.
When the sun went down, I changed into swim shorts and walked out onto the porch, staring at the calm, endless water.
For a second, I considered stripping down completely. No one was here. No one for miles and miles.
But something about being naked made me feel… vulnerable. Like I'd be giving up some invisible shield I wasn't ready to let go of yet.
So I kept the shorts on and slid into the water, sinking into its relative warmth.
I leaned back, my arms resting on the edge of the porch, my body floating lazily as I gazed up at the night sky. The stars were so clear I could almost trace the constellations if I squinted hard enough.
I stayed like that for a long time, letting the saltwater soak into my skin, breathing in the quiet.
It struck me then, people pay thousands for experiences like this. Luxury resorts, infinity pools, and ocean-view spas.
But I doubted any of them felt what I felt right now. This peace… this quiet… it couldn't be bought.
I closed my eyes, resting my head on the wooden deck, and hummed the soft tune Dad used to sing to me when I was little. The ocean's gentle rhythm was the only sound breaking the silence of the night.
Until something brushed against my toe.
My eyes flew open.
I shot out of the water so fast I nearly lost my footing, heart hammering in my chest. I leaned over, squinting into the dark.
Nothing.
Just black, bottomless water staring right back at me.
I ran a hand over my face, breathing hard. Sharks.
Yeah, great thought to have when you're waist-deep in the ocean.
I let out a short, breathless laugh and rubbed the back of my neck.
Get a grip, Kash. Paranoia wasn't going to get me anywhere.