"FOR PASSING THE TRIAL, YOU ARE AWARDED A MINI-PRIZE. THIS TIME, I HAVE ALSO MADE IT THEMATIC TO THE CHALLENGE YOU JUST COMPLETED."

              The usual podium with a mini-prize on top appeared from the ground.

              "Oh cool, a magnifying glass," Paula said picking up the item, "I can burn things with this!"

              "Say, is there an order you use to determine the mini-prize for each round? It feels like these prizes are pretty random."

              "I USE A RANDOM ITEM GENERATOR."

              "What? Even if that were true, how do you make all the items?"

              "MAGIC."

              "Ahhhh of course."

              "In any case, let's get out of here," Melanie said stepping back towards the door, "this mannequin is starting to freak me out."

              "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE THE NEXT TRIAL THEN IF THAT'S THE CASE."

              "And what would that be?"

              "YOU'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO FIND OUT. THERE'S ALWAYS A CUTSCENE BETWEEN THE TRIALS IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED BY NOW."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, "I'm pretty sure that's not how this wo…"

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              "Wow check it out, I'm basically a god smiting these crabs right now."

              It was around noon the next day after our 4th trial. Fiona was out exploring the other parts of the island while Melanie, Paula, and I were all sitting by the beach. Just as she stated she would the day before, Paula had taken the magnifying glass Ned have given us and begun using the sunlight to create a heat ray burning the various crabs and other shell creatures on the beach.

              "We can eat these tonight!"

              "What the hell, how did you aim the sunlight to hit exactly where they were going?"

              "And that's why you're the survival assistant Xavier!" Melanie responded instead, "if you were a survival extraordinaire, you'd know that crabs have a land speed of about 1 foot per second, and can usually only move right to left. This particular crab that Paula just fried is called a stone crab, and is only native to this region of the world."

              "Okay I expected this from you, but how would Paula know that as well?"

              "She used to watch nature documentaries with me."

              "Yeah dipshit, unlike you I prepare myself for any situation. Especially places where there aren't any law enforcement officials in sight."

              The small wooden boat that Paula had come in was still there docked onto the beach. On quite a few occasions, we had rowed it into the sea. Unfortunately, the waves were usually too strong and we never made it far before it came crashing back to shore. The only thing we were able to do with it was catch a few larger fish with our harpoon gun. For some reason, likely due to the fact that we were in some sort of pocket dimension, it didn't matter which part of the island we were on, the waves continuously only crashed inward towards the island.

              "Say, do you think what Ned said was right and the ocean only extends 20 miles? I mean it looks like its further out when we look at the horizon right?"

              "Hell if I care. We should stay here forever away from the law where I can have my dragon."

              "I mean sure but like… I don't know, doesn't it bother you guys how supernatural everything is?"

              "I can tell you about the show Supernatural if you want me too!"

              "That's okay Melanie…"

              I sighed looking out in the distance. There were now 25 marks on the stone. Almost a full month since Melanie and I had first been cast out onto this island. And as I looked at Melanie happily reading her book, and Paula quietly burning sea critters with her magnifying glass, I thought to myself,

              "Ehhhh honestly it's not so bad."