Nothingness. It was all around me. After being at sea for days with not a sight of land or another human I could no longer differentiate the sky from the water. The tumultuous waves rocked my small, weather-beaten fishing boat to and fro, pushing it forward only to then yank it in a completely different direction. As dark storm clouds began to cover the sky that had been a clear blue only a moment before the waves became increasingly turbulent. Large drops of rain poured down from the ominous clouds that then concealed the entire sky. Bright flashes of lightening followed by deafening cracks of thunder exploded from every side of me.
Weak from lack of nourishment, I attempted to stand in order to steer my ship out of the storm to safety. Just as I rose to my feet, the swaying of the boat knocked me back down. Again and again I tried to rise to my feet only to fall once more, powerless against the raging sea. A sigh of defeat escaped from my lips as I lay my head against the starboard, accepting it as fate that I would die there. A comforting darkness engulfed me and the world around me faded away.
Blinking my eyes free of a layer of crust that had accumulated there, I raised myself to a sitting position, wincing at the pain in my head. I sat on the sandy beach of what had to be an island. Without the instability I had previously felt, I stood up, also noting that the burning in my throat had ceased. Actually, I felt completely fine except for the throbbing pain in my head. Sadly, the same could not be said for my old boat. Pieces of it dotted the beach and the surrounding water.
Suddenly a voice interrupted my thoughts, "I'm so happy you're finally awake. I wasn't sure you were going to make it." A beautiful woman with hair as dark as the night sky approached me carrying a bowl filled with water and what appeared to be some sort of fruit. She handed both to me with a warm smile. I thanked her and took a sip of the water. The fruit had a bright orange flesh and tasted somewhat like a peach, although it was shaped significantly differently than a peach.
When I finished she spoke again, "My name is Helena by the way. May I know yours?" She had a sweet, silvery voice.
That name seemed oddly familiar. I remembered someone named Helena, but could not place who exactly it was. I shook off the feeling and replied, "It's Philip. Most people call me Phil though."
"Your ship crashed on the island yesterday during a storm. Everybody else thought you were going to die, but I had to try to help you. Come with me back to the village so we can figure out what to do." Helena took me by the hand and led me into the lush jungle that stood beyond the beach.
