CHAPTER SEVEN

Saul had an arm full of clothes and his bucket, as he headed towards the spring. He hated this chore almost as much as he hated washing dishes. Seeing as he was yet to discover any kinds of dishes, this was now his most hated chore. He was also puzzled on how he would manage to clean his clothes, or himself very well without any soap. His clothes had reached the point that he needed to try something to kill the smell. After ding the best that he could he laid out the clothes out on the porch over the railings and decided he would go for a swim. This time he would be a lot more cautious of his surroundings. The ocean on this day was crystal clear. Saul took some time to explore a shallow water reef. He enjoyed his relaxing swim and went back up to the hut. There was a refreshing tropical breeze that was blowing off the ocean, so he decided to grab the phonograph and a stack of records and set himself up on the porch.

Saul automatically went to the back o the record box. Sure, enough there was a new record there, so he put it on first.

“Your progress has been much to slow. You have found fresh water, and a limited amount of fresh fruit. You need to exert more effort in finding and making use of resources around you, and much less time doing essentially nothing!” The record told him in almost a scolding tone.

“These recordings are designed to help you, but will not give you step by step instructions, nor will they continue to be provided to you indefinitely. In order for you to survive you must begin to figure out things on your own. That being said I will give you a few tips. Some of the vegetation on this island is good for food or can enhance the flavor of food. There are also other animals here that can serve as meat, besides what you can catch in the ocean. There are also plants and other items that can serve as soaps or ointments. You just have to experiment a bit and use some common sense. It is time to roll up your sleeves and go to work.”

Saul took the record off quite quickly and had to show great restraint in not smashing it on the floor.

“You jerk me out of my normal life, through me out on some island in the middle of who knows where, Basically controlling everything I do, yet you are not happy on how I am going about it? “‘Your progress has been much to slow.’” Saul mocked.

“’You need to make more of an effort,’” he mocked again.

He now stood up and shouted towards the ocean.

“Look whoever or whatever you are, I am not going to be told when, where and how to do things! You put me out here, and you want me to live? Well then you are just going to have to adjust to my time table. If I am moving to slow for you, then you are just going to have to deal!”

When he finished his rant, he drew a deep breath. He selected a few songs that would put him in a better mood. After about an hour he went out to the fire pit he had built and grabbed a thin piece of chard wood, and a square piece of clean wood. He carried them back onto the porch and started to write.

1)    Dry fruit

2)    Fresh game

3)    Vegetation good for food, herbs, ointments, and soaps.

4)    Woods and other materials to be made into useful tools as well as entertainment.

Saul studied his list for a bit.

“Alright you control freaks! I have some knowledge on how to dry fruit. Granted, I will have to invent a few new methods to compensate for lack of modern equipment. I am also interested in trying to make some tools and instruments out of raw materials. However, when it comes to discovering which plants are good for food, herbs, ointments, and soaps, well that is going to be very interesting, and I do not mean that in a good way.”

Saul listened to a couples of more upbeat songs before he grabbed to baskets and headed down the trail to the fresh water stream. As Saul walked along, he took his time carefully looking, touching, smelling, and on occasion tasting some of the plants that were close by the trail. He also took note of some of the birds, and other small animals that were nearby. Saul also broadened his search around where he had discovered the wild berry bushes. As he explored, he found more wild berries as well as an apple, peach, and pear tree. With his baskets loaded down he headed back to the hut, It was a good thing he did, because he no sooner set down the baskets then a tremendous storm blew in., he scrambled to get his clothes in the hut before they were soaked again. Huddled away from the door, he waited for the storm to pass. Later that day he went out and used his spear to get a few fish and after cleaning them made a fire to cook them along with a few of his new “vegetable vines, and herbs.” Very full and happy, he decided to take several of his torches down to the beach. He picked up a stick to draw in the sand. There Saul let his imagination run wild on sorts of different designs. He drew out everything from furniture to instruments, to games, and other forms of entertainment that all could be constructed with the materials available on the island. This exercise brought him great joy and excitement. However, as was his regular practice, before he went to bed his marked a line for yet another day he was stuck here. He was concerned that his family would be worried about him, but what bothered him more was why he had been put in this situation, and by whom. As he laid in bed, he resolved to himself to find some answers.

The next morning Saul took care of all the necessary things, including practicing the art of making ointments, and he started on a few of the designs he had drawn in the sand. However, instead of his normal swims and enjoying the waves, he began a project to find out what was really going on.

“I am not sure, but it is almost like whatever, or whoever put me here, knew that this would be the place I would enjoy…almost to the point of not wanting to leave. I have to admit this is the life for me, but I did not choose, or earn the right to be hear. I have those that I am sure are worried about me, and I worked too hard to get where I was, just to be tossed into some sort of, of, of whatever this is!”

Saul took a minute to calm down.

“Okay the key to solving any problem is to start with what you know.”

Each morning Saul would replay in his head what he could remember from the night they left the bar. Slowly little bits a pieces that he had not remembered before would start to come back to him. He also started making longer exploration trips around his island. He always would pick up bits of items along the way just in case someone was watching him. At first there did not seem to be anything odd. It wasn’t until he started exploring at night that he began to discover that something didn’t seem right. He could not put his finger on it, but something was indeed off.

Saul, because of having so many things going on in his mind, put off that thought until about a month later when he had finished constructing a boat. His plan was to be able to not only get a little further out in the ocean to fish, but also to see actually how big his island was, or if indeed it was an island. To his great surprise, the newest record that night was the first one that was harsh and critical.

“You have wasted a lot of time and materials on this boat project. There is plenty of fish in the shallows near your hut. The deeper waters are filled with a lot more dangers!”

The record continued to list off several other warnings about using the boat, and strongly recommended the he dismantle it and use the materials for a more beneficial purpose.

Saul did not take any of that message well. He rose to his feet and started shouting.

“What are you afraid of? Are you afraid I will find you? Maybe your afraid I can figure out how to get away from you. Let me make one thing clear, I have played by your rules up until now. I am not one to be kept in a cage for someone’s entertainment!”

He took the record off the phonograph and used it like a frisbee, slinging it into the ocean. He then finished a few things in the hut before going to bed. Early the next morning he was awaken by a violent storm. When he looked out the door of his hut his newly constructed boat was a wreck. After two other attempts to rebuild the boat, and again have it destroyed by storm, he knew he was on to something.

“Okay, so you are afraid. Well, I am by no means a person that gives up. I will just have to figure out another way, “ he mumbled to himself.

The next several weeks he went about his routines, but on each trip, he paid a lot more attention to everything around him. He also started to collect items that he figured could help him construct a simple magnifying scope. He was hoping that those watching him would believe that he was simply constructing an instrument to get a closer look at the wild life around him. This was exactly what was assumed. They also did not believe that what he built would work nearly as good as it did. As a matter of fact, Saul was amazed at the clarity and magnification he was able to get from the materials he used. Now armed with his scope, he began to figure out how to put it to better use.