Hell is a Post-Apocalyptic World

Chapter 3: Longing for Home

Daniel woke up. as soon as he opens his eyes, the sight of Beatrice's beautiful face greeted his gaze. 

"Good morning sweetie!" Beatrice cheerfully greeted. 

Daniel smiled before giving a sweet kiss on Beatrice's lips. Everything was fine. A glimmer of light makes their surroundings a bit blurry. Everything feels happy, until he woke up again on the same island. No matter how happy his dreams are, he's still trapped in that place. 

"I really have to get out of here."

Daniel gets up. He immediately head at the shore to see if he could run into someone that would bring him home. As expected, there's nothing to see except for the vast body of water. Several minutes later Alcharon approached him. 

"Hey boy!" Alcharon greeted. 

"Hey." Daniel greeted back. 

"Did you find something?" Alcharon asked. 

Daniel shook his head. "All I can see is this endless pool of salt water." He replied. 

"I can see that too." Alcharon agreed. 

The scene remained silent for a couple of minutes. Nothing can be heard except for the sound of the crashing waves. Alcharon inhaled deeply. 

"The sea  breeze is refreshing isn't it?" Alcharon said, breaking the silence. 

"I hate it now."  Daniel replied. 

"You'll learn to love it again, eventually." Alcharon assumed.  

Both of them chuckled.  

"Do you think I'll be able to get out of this place?" Daniel asked. 

"I've already told you, there's always a way out ." Alcharon replied. 

"I think I'm just gonna stay here and wait for a ship." Daniel said. 

"Suite yourself." Alcharon replied. 

"Do ships travel here?" Daniel asked. 

Alcharon did not respond. Instead he just walked away and head back to his cabin. Daniel just stood by the shore and looked into the horizon. 

That old  man is hospitable but  unreliable as fuck. This sea is weird. I can't see any island or  even mountains at the other end. It seems like this shit has no end just the like the time I need to spend here. I need to go back home. I need to see Beatrice again. 

Meanwhile back  at Miami,  

Yeltsa just got back from his little trip. He checked in on a first class hotel. His encounter at the party cruise is still fresh in his mind. He can't seem to forget the look on Daniel's face before he threw him off the ship. What made it worst is the fact that Daniel left an ominous warning before being plunged into the water. 

He sat at the bed while a female staff is assisting him in sorting out his stuffs. 

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Yeltsa asked the staff. 

"I think their existence is possible sir." The staff replied. 

Yeltsa remained silent upon hearing the staff's reply 

"Why did you ask sir?" The staff asked. 

"I'm just curious. Pay it no mind." Yeltsa replied dismissing the lady.  

The lady left the room, Yeltsa was left alone. He went to the bathroom and took a quick bath. While showering he looked at the mirror only to find out that his reflection is showing him the bloody face of Daniel. His eyes widened and his entire body trembled. Urinal discharge went out from his genitals warming up the cold tap water coming out from the shower.  He felt pain on his chest. He felt like something is restraining him from breathing. Daniel's face on the mirror smiled ominously and said the exact words that he said before being kicked out of the ship. Moments later Yeltsa collapsed on the floor. The beating of his heart spontaneously stopped. Hours later, his body was found by the staff that assisted him earlier. 

Back at the island, 

Daniel went to the woods bringing the axe he borrowed from Alcharon earlier. He began cutting off lower  branches of the strange trees. He used all of his force to cut them off. Sweat trickled down from his face as he swings his axe through the concrete wood. Upon retrieving enough materials he can carry,  he walked back into the shore. he was greeted by Alcharon who patiently waits for him. 

"That's an enormous amount of material." Alcharon complimented, sarcastically.  

"I'm going back for more." Says Daniel. 

"Let me help you." Alcharon offered. 

"I can handle it on my own." Daniel rejected. 

Alcharon dejectedly frowns. "If you say so!" he says. 

Daniel heads back to the woods. He just repeated what he did earlier. He went back to the shore even more tired. 

"With that exhaustion do you think you'll be able to set up your camp?" Alcharon questioned. 

Daniel gasped. "Of course! Of course I can!" he replied. 

"Let me assist you." Alcharon offered. 

"I already told you. I can handle it." Daniel replied. 

With that being said, he started working on his temporary settlement. He chopped off the branches into sticks. After that he planted four sticks onto the sand. He checked it twice to see if the sand can hold up the sticks. They served as the foundation.  The next thing he did is he tied up another four sticks on the upper part of the foundation. He tied it firmly so that it won't fall off. He borrowed pieces of cloth from Alcharon and used them as his roof and wall. Just like that he finished setting up his tent.  While he's doing his hard work, Alcharon just stood by his side observing him.  

"You did a great job!" Alcharon complimented. 

"Thanks" Daniel gasped dueto exhaustion.

"What are you planning to do now?" Alcharon asked. 

"I guess I'll just stay here and wait for a boat. Someone might look for me you know!" Daniel replied. 

"Whatever floats your boat." Alcharon chuckled. "See what I did there? Boat." He joked. 

Daniel chuckled forcibly. Both of them remained silent for several minutes. 

"I'm sorry if I can't stay with you here. " Daniel apologized. 

"I understand! You're home is not on this place." Alcharon replied. 

"My home is with my wife. If I go back from where I came from I hope I could still find her." Says Daniel. 

"I'm pretty sure you'll see her again someday." The old man responded, trying to cheer up Daniel. "Speaking of your wife, can you tell me something about her?" Alcharon asked. 

"She's a beautiful woman. She's brave , she's smart and wise, but most importantly she's full of love. " Daniel replied. 

"How did the two of you meet?"  Alcharon asked.  

The question prompted Daniel to remember his first encounter with the love of his life, Beatrice.  

It was the fourth of September, year Two Thousand and Seven, around nine years prior.  Daniel just started his  first year on college. He was forced to come at a party by his room mate. Daniel was a guy who often hides his face with a book that is either related to law or crime. That night he arrived the party wearing a plain blue shirt tucked inside his  shaggy gray pants.  As soon as he steps in he was greeted by his roommate. He didn't say a single word, he just smiled awkwardly. The sound of the stereo echoes throughout the house. It's banging like the heartbeat of an introverted kid who has to speak in public. Daniel sat on a couch while reading a book. He sighed out of boredom. Moments later a girl walked into the room. She has a long curly black hair with  full bangs. Her eyes are roundish almond in shape and it has a dazzling  brown color. She has a lips which is heavy at the upper part and a pointed nose. All of this features are inside her round face. She was wearing a yellow sweater and a short skimpy blue jeans that exposes most of her legs.  Daniel caught her attention so she approached him. She sat besides him. 

"You don't seem to enjoy this party." She said to Daniel.  

"I'm a social hermit. I'm not supposed to enjoy social gatherings." Daniel joked before showing a naughty smirk. 

"I don't enjoy this party  either." the girl replied. "By the way I'm Beatrice." She offered her hands to Daniel. 

"Daniel. " They shook each other's hands. 

"Are you from the university?" Beatrice asked. 

"Yes." Daniel replied. 

"Are you enjoying your college life?" Beatrice asked again. 

"Not so much. My classes are tedious." Daniel replied. "How about you?" He asked. 

"I don't enjoy the university either." Beatrice replied. 

Both of them remained silent for a couple of minute. They just sat at the couch . Daniel continues to read his book while Beatrice just stares at center table in front of them.  

"What if we sneak out?" Beatrice asked. 

Daniel stared straight at Beatrice's shimmering eyes. "Sounds like a good idea to me." he replied. 

Both of them sneaked out of the party. They slowly walked out of the mansion. They walked past couples French kissing each other at the hallway. They walked past people dancing to  upbeat music.  It took them around two minutes just to get out of the house.  

After getting out they immediately head to the nearest play ground. They sat on two empty swings and stared at the twinkling stars.  They get to know each other that day. They found out their similarities, like their shared love towards the animated series "Scooby-Doo Where are you" and their negative outlook about life. It feels like they are two constellations with similar patterns of stars. 

Back at the shore, after Daniel narrated his first encounter with Beatrice, Alcharon tapped his shoulders. Daniel looked towards him, 

"I'm pretty sure that the both of you are really destined to be together for eternity." He showed his brightest smile to Daniel.  

"I have to see her again." says Daniel. 

"I am certain that the two of you will cross paths again. " Alcharon replied. 

"Why are you so confident about things?" Daniel asked. 

"Because I can see foresee things." Alcharon replied. 

"So you're claiming that you're a prophet?" Daniel questioned. 

"No. I'm not saying that I'm a prophet. What I mean is I'm old enough to understand the pattern of events thus making me able to foresee what will happen in the future." Alcharon replied. 

"Makes sense." Daniel remarked. 

Both of them looked into the horizon. The sky is getting darker again. The stars and the moon are beginning to appear again. Alcharon heads back to the cabin while Daniel stayed at his tent. He looked into the vast body of water, hoping a ship shows up. He waited for hours. He kept his eyes open. He kept himself entertained by drawing random stuffs on the sand. He whistles random tunes just to break the melancholic silence. 

Back at the Cabin, 

Alcharon and his pet cat are sitting on a long wooden chair,  feasting over the remains of the  roasted pork they've been eating since yesterday. 

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" Alcharon asked his cat. 

Virgil meowed as a response. 

"You have a point." Alcharon pointed a finger towards his cat.

The scene remained silent. Alcharon took a deep breath. 

"If Father is with us, maybe he'll know what to do." Alcharon stood up. He walked into the dirty kitchen and left his dirty bowl at the sink. After that, he went back to the living room. 

"I will tell him what to do tomorrow. I hope you can guide him." Alcharon told his cat. 

Virgil meowed in a questioning tone. 

"Don't worry about me. I can handle things here." Alcharon replied. "What's important is we help that man. We have to get him to a place where he belongs." he followed up. 

The cat meowed in agreement. 

Back at the shore, 

Daniel eagerly fought his urge to sleep, keeping himself alert. He kept his sight towards the sea. He just sat at the floor of his tent hoping for someone to get him out of the island. 

"I'm getting bored. Should I rest now? Maybe they'll wake me up once they find me." 

Daniel yawned then he closed his eyes. The night goes on but the vast body of water remained empty.