'Are you ready for whatever is planned for today?'

Alek smiles at the incoming message from the number. He enjoyed talking to the man more than he expected and felt bad that he had to cut it short last night.

He texts back. 'Ready as I'll ever be. You?'

Alek doesn't know what activity is planned for today, unsure if he'll enjoy it. He's nervous at the thought of having to do something that will be outside of his comfort zone, but he's willing to try.

His phone vibrates with a new message. 'I'm excited. I hope today is the aerial obstacle course. They wouldn't let me on it when I first explored the island. I'm dying for something to do.'

Alek chuckles at that. While the idea that this guy is his soulmate is a little far-fetched, he will admit that he's fun.

Alek continues texting while getting ready, checking the clock and leaving so that he can get to the lobby at the time they were told to meet.

When he steps out of his room, he sees a couple of other people leaving the hallway as well, relieved that he left at the right time. He didn't want to be the first one there but didn't want to be the last.

He follows some of the others down to the lobby so that they can be taken to their first activity. Heading downstairs, he sees that almost everyone is already down there, and he settles himself into the crowd.

Kathryn checks her watch and Alek sees her doing a headcount. "Alright, it seems that almost everyone is here, and it is time to get started. So I'm going to go ahead and get started, and we'll see if they'll trickle on in.

"Today is your first activity and I am so excited for you guys. Jim is already at your first activity helping get set up so I will give you the low down about what is happening today.

"Today we are doing the aerial obstacle course." Alek smiles to himself, his stranger will get his wish. "There are harnesses that you will be connected to at all times since you will be up in the air, hence the name. There are different types of activities where you'll have to make your way around, including a zip line."

He sees a couple of people begin making their way back to their rooms, which prompts Kathryn's next sentence. "Now remember, you can always opt out of these activities, but we encourage you to step out of your comfort zone."

Alek himself freezes at that sentence. He wasn't planning on going on the aerial obstacle course when he got here, he saw the picture in the brochure, and he was sure that was the one thing he wouldn't be doing.

But knowing that the guy he's talking to is doing it, and is excited about it, makes him stay where he's standing.

Not many of the group left the room, and so once Kathryn is sure that everyone is ready she begins leading them over in the direction of the forest.

Alek can't help on his way there to scan the crowd, wondering which one could possibly be the one for him.

He takes out his phone to see if there's a new text, and when there isn't one, he figures that the other is too distracted.

One of Alek's main reserves about this entire trip that he can't seem to let go of is that he isn't sure he can make the decision to be with someone over the course of the week. Once again, when he explained this to Emilie, she said that it would be great as he constantly overthinks things.

A week just doesn't seem like enough time to know someone, but Alek wants to change that. He wants to make an effort, and he really wants to be sure that he can make the decision by the end of the week. Alek sends a text to the guy, not knowing when he'll see it, but it's no matter.

'I really want to get to know you over the course of these couple of days so we can make the decision if we want to be together or not. I hope you don't mind if we start getting into the deep stuff.'

After rewriting the text over and over before they reach the obstacle course, Alek is as satisfied as he can be. He's taking a leap by assuming the other man even wants to be with him, as well as the fact that he'll have to admit things from his own past.

Texting the man is fun, but it's simple texting, and nothing is really being said. Alek places his fate in the other by sending that text.

Alek turns off his phone and puts it away, wanting to worry about one impending disaster at a time, sweating enough as it is as they rapidly approach the trees.

When they get to the area, Jim approaches Kathryn and begins explaining the safety gear to the group as it's being put on them by some of the staff. They get into lines, and Alek places himself last because he doesn't want to hold up the line.

Jim is at the front of the line, demonstrating how everything works as the line works its way along, while Kathryn stays within the line, encouraging everyone.

Alek's heart is pounding but he isn't dead yet. The course starts out with smaller obstacles before working its way up to bigger ones.

It isn't until they're halfway through that Alek starts to really be challenged.

The bridges they've been crossing have been getting narrower, and the zip lines have been getting longer, but now Alek is faced with a rope he's supposed to swing off of.

They want him to hang onto that.

It doesn't help that Kathryn is next to him, throwing encouraging words his way. This is why he's at the back of the line.

He grips onto the rope, squeezing his eyes tight before he jumps.

Niel swings off his third rope swing yet, eyes wide open and whooping loudly. This obstacle course is better than he can imagine, and he'll probably go on it at least two more times before he's done for the day if the hosts let him.

The only thing he's missing is that he can't talk to his stranger, if he could share this day with him it would be perfect.

Niel's only complaint about this island is that they should meet the people beforehand, although he knows that blows the whole purpose of anonymity. He misses the human interaction side of things.

Niel left his phone behind in his room, not wanting it to get lost while here, and he wonders if his stranger has texted him at all.

Niel was the one at the beginning of the line, and so he's the first to finish. When he asks Jim if he could go on again, he's declined, saying it's best that he bonds with his partner instead.

This is disappointing to Niel, but he accepts it as Jim helps him out of his equipment.

He watches as some of the others went through the obstacle course, a couple not enjoying it as much as Niel did. Mainly the one last in line, Niel notes.

Niel asks if he can head back to his room then if he can't go on the obstacle course again, and this time Jim agrees, as long as he can find his way back. So Niel begins the walk back to his room, eager to get back to his phone and see if there's anything new on it.

His phone is still sitting on his bed, right where he left it. Niel picks it up, seeing that there are two notifications on it. He sees the first message is a continuation of their original conversation, but the second one is what catches his eye.

Niel smiles at the fact that the man wants to learn more about him, and is willing to give this a try. He wasn't sure how to get the conversation going in a different direction to more serious things, but his stranger has done it for him.

Niel knows that they only have a couple of days to decide whether they want to meet each other, and he agrees with what the stranger says, that they should be able to make the decision easily.

Niel takes a breath while he makes his next decision.

'Why don't we call each other?'

He bites his lip, knowing that he probably won't get a response for a while, seeing as he was the first one done with the obstacle course, but a voice in his head insists that his stranger will find him weird. Maybe he's moving too fast, but that's the whole point of this escapade.

To distract himself, he begins getting out his painting supplies to begin painting the view outside of his window. While it isn't the typical scenery he likes to do, he wants some memories of this place, and he isn't the type of person to take pictures on his phone.

He immerses himself into his painting, but a part of his mind is completely focused on his phone. When it vibrates, Niel stops what he's doing immediately to look at it.

'Are we allowed?'

'I don't see any rules against it.' Niel types. 'As long as we don't say personal information.'

The stranger doesn't respond to that, maybe the idea of a phone call was a bad one. That maybe him asking if it was allowed was a hint that he didn't want to call.

That is until the contact listed as My Stranger pops up on his entire screen, the option to accept or decline the call present.

Niel accepts it. "Hello?"

A raspy chuckle follows. "Hi."

Oh, he likes his voice. Niel notices a slight accent to it. "I wasn't expecting you to call."

"You asked to call, so I figured I would."

"Yeah..." Niel is regretting it, seeing as he can barely keep the conversation going.

"So, what do you want to talk about? I know I said that I wanted to go deeper, but I'm not sure where to really go from there."

Niel isn't expecting the butterflies raging in his stomach. He's usually more confident in situations like these. Confident, not nervous. Why is this different.

"Ahh, I'm not sure either. Is there anything you want to know about me?"

"Did you have a relationship before?"

Niel knew it would come up eventually, but so soon? He supposes the question makes sense considering they're thinking about getting into one themselves. "Yeah. I actually just got out of the only one I've ever had."

"Oh? How long?"

"Um, about...eleven years?"

"Eleven years?" Niel can hear the shock in his voice.

"Yeah... we were high school sweethearts. But we just weren't meant to be."

"You two weren't soulmates?"

"No, and we were fine with that at first, but Sarah, my ex, wanted to meet hers. I was still fine with it, but then I heard the advertisement for this island and, I dunno..."

"No, I get it. My friend heard this advertisement and she instantly started signing me up for it, saying I was too depressed. How are these activities supposed to help heal us anyway? I nearly died off that rope swing."

"I hear that most of the healing is done by us talking out our problems with each other. But who knows. And that rope swing was amazing."

His stranger laughs. "I'm sure you were one of the ones at the front of the line."

Yes, Niel wants to say, he was the one in the front of the line. That was him.

But he knows he can't say that. "Anyway, have you had any past relationships?"

"No, I'm just a lonely drunkard."

"Drunkard?"

"Yeah um..." Niel hears him clear his throat on the other end. "I have a bit of an alcohol and drug problem. But, I do plan on getting help for it when I get back. I know I shouldn't be doing that to myself. I just..." Niel can tell that he needs to get something off his chest. "Nevermind."

"You can tell me anything. You know that right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Niel nods his head, even though he knows the other can't see him. "Alright, so what's your family like? Any siblings?"

Niel tried to switch the topic to a brighter one, but by the resulting sigh on the other end of the phone, that isn't the case. "I didn't have a very good relationship with my family. My mother died when I was young from giving birth to my sister. We lived with my father."

He can hear that his stranger has removed himself from his words, not wanting to get emotional. "What's your sister's name?"

"Her name was Nadia."

"That's a pretty name."

"She... she was killed by our father. I promised to keep her safe, and I couldn't do that. It's my fault."

"It's not your fault. You can't save everyone. You can't keep a promise like that."

"Can... can we end the call? I think I need to go to bed."

"Yes, of course. But, I'm always here if you need to talk."

Niel hears the click of the call ending.

Alek didn't know what he was doing when he said what he did on that phone call. There are tears running down his face as he thinks about his little sister. Alek doesn't want to believe the stranger's words, as he's already heard them from countless therapists.

Alek was twelve when it happened, his father returning home drunk once again. This time, however, Alek didn't stick to his normal schedule. He stayed with his friends for a little longer than he normally would.

Long enough for what happened to occur, and Alek wasn't there to stop it.

He lays himself on his bed, although he still feels a heavy weight, it feels a little lighter after finally telling someone after all these years, carrying it himself.