• The island was small, small enough for a man to see in one day that it was empty but for the cows that grazed there. It lay in the middle of a wide sea, azure waters lapping up the white sands which, in turn were overgrown by wide fields. On the first day, Edward Jacob Marsfeld was washed up on the beach. He dragged himself up the sand to the edge of the grass and slept all day and all night in the lush field, surrounded by lowing cattle.

    On the second day, he woke, refreshed by his slumber, but still fatigued in spirit. This was much eased by his examination of the fields of the island. There was one part of the island however, which he did not explore that day, a part of the island not visible from the shore. The secluded valley was formed by the surrounding ridges, an encircling barrier surrounding the grove. Edward Marsfield found the glen during his tracing of the river, a clear stream that rippled and bubbled down its ancient path to the shore. The water was transparent, and he could see down to the bottom, paved with round river stones, worn smooth by the caress of the currents. That night he slept on the river bank, lulled by the trickling waters.

    On the third day he entered the valley. The sun was eclipsed by an emerald canopy, bathing him in verdant light. The ancient oak trees surrounded him as he was drawn to the centre of the copse. At last he found himself before a stone shrine, carved with the words “Traveller, know that this island is sacred to the Great Goddess, and whomsoever harms a creature of this isle invokes the wrath of the Goddess, and relinquishes their soul to Her mercy.” Edward by this point was greatly hungry, and this knowledge caused him great dismay. However he found a bounty of acorns on the floor of the grove, and as these did not violate the word of the Goddess, he ate them with great rapidity. That night he slept underneath the trees that filled the glen.

    Unbeknownst to Edward, another was stranded on the isle. On the first day, Jacob Milliner, too, was washed up on the beach, and he, too spent his first day and night asleep on the island. On the second day, Jacob Milliner found the valley. He did not see it with eyes of wonder, however, but with eyes of doubt. Although unnerved by the atmosphere in the shrine, he did not hesitate to eat the acorns, and took a large number of them with him to the ridge surrounding the grove. The ridge overlooked the whole island, which Jacob found greatly to his liking. That night he slept on the ridge. On the third day, Jacob traversed the fields of the little isle, finding them rich and lush, and populated by a great herd of magnificent white cows. He also discovered the stream, full of bright, silver-flickering fish. He returned to his ridge early, to create tools with which to catch fish, but his ordeal of few days past caught up with him, and he slept early and deeply.

    On the fourth day, Jacob was surprised to see the figure of another human being from atop his ridge. He hurried to the beach to meet the stranger, and thus met Edward. The two were pleased to find company in their isolation, and conversed all day, talking of their adventures, the events that brought them to the island, and what had happened there. When they both became hungry, they ate acorns, and continued amiably, although Edward was concerned by Jacob's impiety, and Jacob inwardly scoffed at Edwards gullibility. At dusk they parted, as Jacob returned to his ridge and Edward to the outskirts of the sacred grove.

    On the fifth day, Jacob approached Edward for help. His plan was to kill one of the cattle and cook it, thus providing food for a great while, and to continue doing so until they were rescued or they died. Edward was appalled. Had Jacob not read the inscription on the shrine? Did he think himself invulnerable? Did he have no respect for the gods? Jacob, in turn, was infuriated. Was Edward really that superstitious? Would he prefer to starve than to eat? Did he want to die? The two argued all the day, and only ceased their battle when the stars rose. That night, they stumbled to their resting places, and slept fitfully, disturbed by troublesome dreams.

    On the sixth day, Edward rose before sunrise, and as he watched the ocean burn with the flame of the heavens, he made his decision. He would go to the shrine, and meditate, and there await his death in peace. Although his hunger was a great pit yawing inside him, his mind was lit by the memory of that glorious sunrise, and he knew he had made his choice.

    Jacob also awoke before sunrise, and saw the fat cattle sleeping in the pre-dawn light. He too, made his decision. He would break a branch off one of the oak trees and club one of the cows to death. He would cook it as best he could on a fire on the beach, and eat what he needed and keep what he did not. By dusk, Jacob had made good on his plans, and with forgiving intentions, went in search of Edward. He went to his ridge to see if he could see him, but found nothing. Concluding he must be in the valley, he entered the grove. This time the grove was not bathed in emerald light, but cloaked with suffocating darkness, and although he searched for a long time, Jacob found no sign of Edward. Disoriented, and discomforted, he found his way to the beach. He made a fire close to the water and slept there, to keep nightmares at bay.

    On the seventh day, The sun rose on an island empty of human presence. The cattle were grazing, the fish flitting through the stream, and the oak trees stood tall in the glen. All that remained of Jacob's fire was a patch of sooty sand that bled down the beach where the tide had come in.