The First Night

I walked through the forest on a small track the men from the first boat had made. The track was easily passable, although alot of the plants had to be pushed out of they way. It didn't bother me too much though. I was happy to feel a solid ground beneath my feet. I walked quite slowly, enjoying touching the leaves of the plants. I had seen these kinds of plants before. Year ago, when I stayed on another island. That time I was fairly young and inexperienced. I felt almost exactly the same as that time, happy and eager. Soon, I reached the camp. There were several tents already up and some more were being set up when I arrived. Three campfires had also been lit already, some of the men sitting around them, warming their hands. It was getting darker, you couldn't see the setting sun through the forest. Each tent fitted two men so I took a tent which wasn't occupied yet for me and Garlo. It was closest to the track from which I came into the camp. By the time I finished with my side of the tent, it was already dark. The light from the campfires barely reached our tent, something which I actually preferred. Don't need anyone watching what you are doing, that is the way I prefer it to be. I was finishing up with the tent, when Garlo arrived to the camp. He was horribly late and should have been there an hour ago. He saw me in front of the tent and rushed towards me. He quickly kneeled down and said with a voice that was not understandable. He had clearly been running the whole track from the beach to the camp. " Rolf, where is the captain?" I showed him the larger campfire where captaing was sitting with some of the officers. "What is it?" Garlo rose up, and started hurrying to captain, he quietly told me before he went that the ship was gone. I didn't understand what he meant by saying that and watched Garlo quickly walk towards the captain and then whispering something to the captains ears. Captain stood up and his face expressed amazement and disbelief. The officers next to the captain had a similar face. The captain said something to Garlo who nodded and then sat down again, staring at the fire and sometimes looking at the officers. Garlo was walking back towards me, many of other sailors looking at him, trying to figure out what he had said to the captain. Soon afterwards men from the fourth and also the fifth boat were arriving to the camp. All of them were quiet and didn't say a word. During the evening and the night no more men arrived to the camp. It wasn't something out of the ordinary. It was dark and there was still a storm on the sea. Thus it was problably too dangerous to have any more boats land on the beach. But it made me worry, especially because of the words Garlo had said.

Garlo sat down next to me. I had found a big enough trunk of a palm tree and dragged it to the front of our tent so we could sit. I also made a fireplace next to the trunk for the night. Garlo was very quiet during the evening. When the men arrived to the camp, Garlo rose up and whispered to them. I could barely hear them but I heard Garlo order them not to talk about what happened. When Garlo sat down again, I asked him what was going on and what did he mean by saying the ship is gone. Garlo only answered: "not now, Rolf". So we sat there next to our small fire, silently. Shortly after the men from the fifth boat arrived, captain and some officers and some of the sailors from the fourth boat went towards the beach. Just like me, many of the men looked at them unknowing of what had happened. Some of the groups were discussing but no-one knew. Some of the sailors went to the men from the fourth and fifth boat but none of them told anything and they returned with the same knowledge they had.

When the captain returned with his men, the captain ordered us to get some sleep, he set two soldiers to guard during the nightand entered his own tent. Garlo had already gone into our tent. I stayed infront of the tent, watching the fire fade slowly, thinking to myself. I was thinking about the reactions of the captain and the officers, men from the last boats, and what Garlo had said. "The ship is gone" These words haunted me throughout the night, I could sleep for only four hours that night. I kept thinking about the ship. Did it sink with the storm and if it did, what will we do then? The ship is the only way back home and without it we are trapped on this island. I also thought that on the ship most of the supplies, especially the food, was still onboard. With these thoughts I fell asleep.

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