Page 32 of Lost Paradise

The sounds of the night surround us, a symphony of nature that’s hauntingly beautiful in its intensity, reflecting the quiet turmoil I carry within. As the thick canopy blocks out the moonlight, it feels as though the jungle understands my inner darkness, offering a strange, comforting familiarity.

I press forward. Each step brings us closer to this destination. The others move in silence, their senses on high alert, scanning the shadows for any sign of danger. A sudden rustling in the underbrush ahead sends a ripple of tension through the group. We stop in our tracks, our torches held upward, ready to face whatever lurks in the darkness.

“This better not be a trap,” the athlete mutters a warning between his teeth ashe joins my side.

“Stop being a wanker,” I whisper back, this bloke is seriously grating on my nerves.

Mr. Coldwell steps forward and parts the foliage, revealing the moonlit clearing beyond. A collective sigh of relief sweeps through the group. There, nestled among the tall exotic trees, lay the site where I had discovered the skull.

With a sense of purpose, we move forward, combing through the undergrowth, our torches casting long shadows against the ground. We finally reach the ancient ruins of this temple, where walls are lined with the skeletal remains of countless souls.

“What the fuck?” someone gasps.

“Be careful, princess, there’s a large stone basin over there if that funny fruit you ate decides to make an appearance,” I point to the center of the open, roofless temple.

“You mug,” Byron mutters, and I’m surprised at his choice of insults for a brainiac like him. I would have expected more sophisticated words. “This is a sacrificial area, not a burial site. That basin is where they sacrificed people.”

“Despite the overgrowth of nature here and its seemingly abandoned state, these skulls remain remarkably well-preserved,” Mr. Coldwell remarks, intrigued by the ivory bones.

“Abandoned,” Zane enquires, “Does that mean there’s a chance the natives died out or left?”

“No, they’re here,” I confirm.

All five pairs of eyes stare at me.

“While you all spent the day gathering sticks and stones, I made my way around….” I begin to tell them my story. Although not every detail is true, I’ll glamorize most of it.

“…I ended up on the North side of the island. There, a group of naked tribal women found me. They took me in, fed me, cleaned me up, fucked me, and sent me on my way. Then I decided to explore the place and came across the blue lagoon on the south side; then saw you desperate gits decided to playLet's get Eve wet in her white cotton undies and watch her dark nips shine through. Just curious though, did you also have your pussy lasered?”

Slap. That hand comes hard across my face, and I swear my knob likes it because I’m suffering a stiffie from this woman’s partial leaning to using violence to express herself.

“You’re an asshole,” she sneers, and her athlete minion steps forward as if to intimidate me.

“We’ve already established that, back at camp, stop feeding into his needs,” Byronthe Brainfirmly says, and I swear he is really smart.

“How did you find this place?” Mr. Coldwell steps forward, and we both catch Jack by the stone basin, sniffing it like a dog.

What a weird chap.

“Jack?”

Then he surprises all of his as he whips out his tongue and licks it.

Fuck, the lad is seriously bonkers.

He looks up at all of us, staring at him in shock, and grins mischievously.

“This was used for humans but hasn’t been used in decades, judging from the overgrowth,” he says and gets up to pass his hand across the wall of human skulls as if his licking the stone was something normal.

“How do you know it was used for humans?” I ask, dying to hear his answer.

“Because I know what human tastes like,” he says in a serious manner, and I can't help but like this guy even more.

Suddenly, Eve makes a run back into the bushes and retches over again.

“And this is only just the beginning, darling,” I say and snigger. “Wait till you meet the real-life cannibals. They ain’t as friendly as one might think. Best stay on the south part of the island. For some reason, they don’t venture past this imaginary line, drawn straight across the island.”

“So you did see others?”

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