Island Exploration

The next morning, Mo Hu checked his campsite and then the condition of the raft to ensure that his presence on the island remained concealed. As he gazed upon the sea, he noticed that it appeared to be a clear day, but he thought back to all the fog that was surrounding the island and rationalized through his experience that something was wrong. He remembered the temperature from yesterday and could estimate the humidity levels and realized that it should be impossible for that much fog to develop. He shelved thoughts about this mystery for now and began to prepare to explore the island, packing and hiding the campsite and replacing the leaves on his ghillie suit before starting the initial exploration of this mysterious island.

With stealth and caution Mo Hu move through the forest, his sense alert to the unfamiliar flora and fauna that surrounded him. Beautiful flowers appeared mostly in the tree top canopy and occasionally on the forest floor when sunlight broke through the foliage. Tree laden with fruits or nuts were regularly found during his search. He could hear the movements of birds and other smaller animals every few minutes, but he didn't find evidence of large creatures yet. The island held an abundance of plants that he couldn't identify, each one holding the potential for new discoveries. The few small animals he encountered resembled animals from Earth, but subtly displayed different adaptations unique to this environment. As the day was starting to wane, Mo Hu realized the enormity of the island's terrain and decided to use the rest of the day to find a safe place to establish a base while he performed his explorations. Returning to the beach where his initial campsite was located, he scoured the area for a more reliable location. As his gaze fell upon a cliff adjacent to the beach, a strange sensation pricked the back of his scalp, and his intuition urged him to investigate here further.

Mo Hu ventured over to the cliff and began to methodically search the area for the reason that he felt drawn here. After an hour or so, his eyes detected a pattern in the stone and using his tools, he began to dig and used water from the ocean to clean around the pattern until something resembling a doorway appeared in the rock. It was an inconspicuous entrance, hidden from casual view, and his curiosity started to compel him to knock. He gathered his courage and took a deep breath and firmly knocked on the "doorway" a few times and called out, "Hello, is anyone here? Sorry to disturb you but I got lost." After a few awkward minutes, he tried again but the result was the same. Mo Hu thought to himself, 'There are a few reasons why this could happen. The door is solid rock and perhaps anyone inside didn't hear me. The owner could simply be out, or this place has been abandoned and it is now empty.' Since he wasn't sure which reason was correct, he decided to be cautious and to watch the door for at least a week to observe the door for activity.

Mo Hu returned to his campsite and after a few hours of spear fishing, he sat down to a dinner of the two fish he caught and the fruits, herbs and vegetables he used to make a simple dish with. After he ate, he made himself comfortable and started his stakeout of the door. Approximately ten minutes after sitting down, his body was slowly warming up but the level of heat was becoming uncomfortable. Sweat was forming and covering his body and Mo Hu quickly disrobed to expel the heat building up inside. He made a mat from large flat leaves and sat down, trying to figure out why he suddenly felt like this. 'Did I poison myself?' Mo Hu questioned, 'No, I don't think so, I have suffered food poisoning before and it felt different than this.'

The heat inside his abdomen stayed at an uncomfortable level but never became outright painful to the point that he couldn't endure. This condition continued for enough time that Mo Hu began to worry about dehydration, so he grabbed on the water skins he filled recently when he explored the island earlier and drank. He would feel relief and a cycle of discomfort and relief continued for about six hours before the heat reduced back to his normal temperature. Sighing, he took a deep breath only to smell the most disgusting smell ever. He looked himself and saw his exposed skin covered in film of oily fluids and debris, so he went and jumped into the ocean to scrub himself clean. After cleansing himself, he went to a nearby freshwater stream and rinsed his body and robes, before getting dressed again and sitting down to watch the door.

'I wonder what caused that to happen?" he thought.

After maintaining a vigil for a week, Mo Hu's routine consisted of observing the door, eating, washing, and resting. He never strayed far from the hidden entrance, however, no one emerged, and he didn't see anyone enter. On the eighth day, his patience was at his limit, and decided that if the situation remained unchanged the following day, he would attempt to enter the door. His mind resolved, he laid down to rest, the mysteries of the island and hidden door and it's potential secrets swirling around his thoughts as he drifted into a deep sleep.