Secluded Confessions

Chapter 1

I woke up on the sandy floors of a cavren.

My body felt sore. I didn't know where I was. My memories were scattered. All I understood was that I had been sent here to be treated, to be "cured."

I got up from the ground, brushing sand off my body. Letting my feet guide me, I followed the light exiting from the caves. I found myself being blinded by the bright sun.

I was on an island, many miles away from any sign of society.

There was a path not far from the caves. I followed it, unsure where I was. Eventually, I reached a dock with a small crowd of people. They all appeared to be in a similar situation to me; scattered memories and unsure where they had ended up.

I let the warm rays of the sunlight soak against my body. I watched waves from the ocean roll over as I breathed in the salty air.

After many minutes, a boat landed at the edge of the dock. Donning colorful sails that resembled a rainbow, a man submerged inside the water was pushing it. He guided the boat towards the crowd and shouted at us to get on.

I stepped onto the planks with unease. Finding an empty seat, I settled myself against the edge of the boat. Not long after the rest of the group had taken their seats, the man began to push us towards the unknown. The people around me spoke in hushed voices, unsure of what exactly was going on.

Time passed, and soon, the boat hitched itself against wood. We had arrived at a new island. Getting off the boat, my feet landed on the dark wood that made up the dock of this island.

This island was much bigger than the one I had woken up at originally. Tall cliffs snaked throughout the land, with trees dotting the terrain. Some areas had large branches rooted from the edge of the cliffs, bearing green fruit. It was breathtaking to look at.

Not long after I had gotten off the boat, I found myself following the rest of the crowd. For some reason, I felt like I was being drawn towards something. It seemed like this was the case for the rest of the group as well; we all were heading in the same direction.

I continued, crossing a large bridge. It had some gaps in it, and as a result, I was very careful walking over them. I walked through a small village, taking in the view of the various buildings. Despite the elegant architecture and many homes, it appeared the village was completely devoid of any sign of life.

I walked for many minutes. My intuition told me where to go, but I had no idea what time of day it was; the sun was my only guide to time. Looking upwards, it appeared to be just past noon.

After what felt like many hours, I found myself in front of a grand building. It was immaculate in design, with polished walls and many windows. A sign donning large, bolded letters read "De Pride Isle Sanatorium."

Walking inside the entrance, the building was buzzing with activity. I was guided towards a room by an elegantly dressed nurse; there, I put on a new set of silk robes. It felt much nicer compared to my old clothes, which were tattered and dirty.

Following the nurse, I stood amid a large group of people. Other nurses directed us towards long rows of seats, commanding us to sit. I found an empty seat towards the back and watched as they distributed jars containing what appeared to a cross and some sort of liquid.