The Island

(I don’t have a photo for this prompt due to potential copyright issues. Apologies.)

“Hey, I thought you said that island is uninhabited,”

Shelly said, clutching her tea against the cold morning air.

“It is,” Jason said, closing the sliding door and joining her on the deck of his family’s vacation cabin. “Why do you ask?”

“There’s a rowboat over there. See? Under that tree? It was there when we drove up yesterday, but in the evening, it was gone.”

“Huh. well, I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, and I was always told no one is allowed there. The Island’s a nature preserve or something.”

Jason sat in one of the cushioned Adirondacks and fiddled with the knob on the patio heater until the grate glowed a pleasant orange. Shelly continued to stare across the lake as the sun crested the distant trees.

“Well, someone didn’t get the memo.”

“The lake has lots of rental properties. Probably some kids who didn’t know better. Finish your tea and we’ll take the boat over and tell them.”

That was enough to take her mind off it for the moment, but once they finished their tea, she reminded Jason of his promise. Five minutes later, they were easing up next to the rowboat.

“There’s a little path.” Shelly pointed.

They got off the boat and followed the trail a short way. “For a nature preserve, it sure is quiet,” Shelly said.

Cresting a hill, they saw a small valley before them. Six-foot-high stakes were evenly spaced across the whole valley, decorated with animal skulls and splashes of blood.

“Not a nature preserve,” Shelly whispered.

“We should go,” Jason said.

They turned to find an old man in sleeveless flannel and straw hat just behind them. “Where you goin’?” he asked with a toothless grin. Two dogs stepped out from behind him, reeking of the grave.

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