Over the Ocean, Over the Sea. Y. Yoshi

think that I’m a pirate?”

      The stranger hummed in amusement. Cocking his head to one side, he brushed his long dark hair over his shoulder and said, “That brand on the inside of your wrist is telling enough.”

      Sho subconsciously shifted his right hand away, keeping his expression impassive as he kept his eyes on the stranger. As pleasing as he looked to his eyes, something didn’t feel quite right.

      “Don’t be so uptight,” the stranger coaxed, stretching his legs out, lounging. As the fabric of his long robe shifted, Sho noticed that it shone with an iridescence as it flowed over the stranger’s form, an odd trait for cloth, if that’s what it was made out of.

      “Who are you?” Sho asked, his tone level.

      “Does it matter?” The stranger smirked at him.

      “If you’re going to come into where I dwell, I might as well get to know you,” Sho said, trying to convince the stranger to give up his name.

      “You don’t need to know my name to get to know me,” the stranger said, leaning forward with a wider smile. “Besides, I don’t have a name.”

      “That’s not possible.”

      “Perhaps,” the stranger said. “Perhaps I had one. But if I ever did, I don’t remember anymore.”

      Sho continued to stare at him, unsure of what to make of it.

      “You, though.” The stranger pointed a slender finger at Sho. “You have a name, don’t you? Tell me?”

      “No,” Sho answered. “If I’m not addressing you by name, you won’t address me by name either. There isn’t anyone else to get mixed up with on this island after all.”

      The stranger burst out laughing. “How sure are you that we’re the only two people here?”

      Sho grew tense. “Are we not…?”

      “It’s alright,” the stranger said, waving a hand as his laughter subsided. “You’re right. There is no one else here.”

      The stranger’s confirmation didn’t offer much comfort to Sho. He wasn’t even sure that he could trust this person.

      “You really won’t share your name with me?” the stranger asked.

      Sho shook his head.

      A grin appeared on the stranger’s face. His teeth were particularly white. “Afraid I’ll steal your name?” he teased.

      Sho shook his head again. “Just so that we’re on equal grounds.”

      The stranger’s grin turned into a smirk. “If you say so,” he said, sounding unconvinced as he turned to look out of the entrance of the house, towards the sea.

      “Were you the one who left the food outside the house yesterday?” Sho asked. The question had been nagging at him for over a day.

      The stranger’s eyes slid toward Sho. Looking at Sho out of the corner of his eyes, the stranger replied, “Of course, who else could it be? Did you enjoy it?”

      Cautiously, Sho nodded. “There’s… still a lot I haven’t eaten, actually,” he said. “But thank you.” After a pause, he added, “Still… why would you…?”

      “It’s been a while since I had someone else with me here,” said the stranger. He went back to staring at the sea. “Since you were so bad at spearing fish, I thought you’d starve without help,” he continued, smirking. “Also,” he added, “take it as a thank you for not taking anything from the cave.”

      Sho grew tense again, reminded of the hostility he felt when he entered the cave.

      “I would appreciate it if you never went back in there,” the stranger said, standing up. Sho remained silent as he began to walk out of the house. Stopping by the barrel of apples, the stranger paused and looked at it intently.

      “You can help yourself to them if you want,” Sho offered. “I haven’t figured out how I’m supposed to finish them all anyway. They might just end up going to waste.”

      The stranger’s eyes lit up and he picked up an apple. Flashing Sho a smile and a wink, he muttered a soft “thank you” and left, a delighted smile on his face.

      Journal

       Day 9

       I’ve been meaning to ask the man with the strange robes if there were any boats left on this island, but he hasn’t returned since the first time he showed up in here. Then again, it’s only been a couple of days. But when I ran out of fish last night, more appeared outside the house this morning again. He’s obviously still watching me. I haven’t decided if it’s a good or bad thing.

       His warning about entering the cave… it’s odd. I wonder what’s in there that he doesn’t want me seeing. There was definitely a path that led deeper in. I’m worried that I might get lost in there though. Perhaps I could use the rope to mark my path if I were to ever explore the cave

       Anyway, I finally opened the chest. Got a sizeable rock from the beach and broke the lock with it. There was a map in there. I don’t know where I am, so that’s not very helpful at the moment. There were more writing materials too, along with some of the Captain’s journals. There was also a bundle of candles, a telescope, a watch, a dagger, and promissory notes. Those notes will be useful when I leave this place. If ever.

       I guess I can time when the tides come in and out now with the watch though. Once I have that down I can plan for a trip into the cave. Don’t want to get stuck in there when the tide washes in.

       I think I didn’t write about this in previous entries but there’s a bath area in this house. But it seems like there’s an issue with the pipes. I can’t get any water flowing. It’ll be nice to get it to work and finally get a hot bath. I can’t remember the last time I had one.

       Day 11

       I’m getting better at spearing for fish. As nice as it is to have someone providing me with food, I don’t really want to rely on him. I’d be left helpless if he decided to disappear or stop feeding me. That’s far too risky for my liking.

       Though, thanks to the things he’s brought so far, I could figure out what’s edible and what’s not in the rock pools. But it would be nice if he was with me though. I could just ask him.

       He hasn’t reappeared yet. I’m still waiting.

       I don’t know why but I’m looking forward to it. I wonder if it’s the loneliness getting to me. Maybe that’s what draws me to him. I wonder where he lives. It doesn’t seem like he uses any of the other houses in the settlement. He’s a strange one.

       I got the pipes in the bath area working. I checked around the back and apparently, they were just disconnected. Maybe I’ll go get firewood tomorrow morning then try and take a look around in the cave again.

       Glad to note that no dead bodies have washed up. They’ve either all survived, or gotten eaten up. Which it is, I don't really know.

      3

      Sho stood at the entrance to the cave, peering into the darkness. He was told not to go back in but that only piqued his curiosity more. Using a piece of the sails’ sheets, Sho wrapped a few apples in it and brought it with him to leave in the cave. He remembered the stranger’s delight with a mere apple. Hopefully, this would be enough to appease him if he got upset over Sho’s defiance.

      Why it mattered to Sho, he did not know.

      What Sho did know, though, was that he was going into the cave no matter what.

      Tightening his fist around the bundle