Triccity's Travels: Mystery Island

     “Sleeping in the bungalow with the ocean right outside our door is an incredible experience,” Charlotte said.

     “Listening to the ocean is so soothing,” Anna added.

     “That does sound nice. An airship is many things but its very design does not allow easy access to ambient noise beyond its confines,” I said.

     The sisters exchanged a look.

     “You’re welcome to stay with us for as long as we’re here,” Charlotte offered.

     “We’d love to have you!” Anna exclaimed.

     I was taken aback by their offer. “That’s very generous of you but I wouldn’t want to impose.”

     “You’re not imposing!” Charlotte assured.

     “We only met yesterday,” I said.

     “But it feels like we’ve known each other longer.”

     “You already know what Benny’s like,” Anna said with a small smile. “If you want a break from our baby brother, that’s understandable.”

     I shook my head. “It’s not that. I like Benny and the two of you. I feel quite fortunate to have met you all. But is it alright if I consider it?”

     “Of course,” Anna agreed at once. “The offer is open through the end of the week.”

     “Thank you.”

     Our meal drew to a close and we parted ways, I to take my tour and the sisters to rouse their brother from his bed.

     I walked to the end of the boardwalk to where I had seen the Tiki Tour sign. I quickly paid for the tour and took the in the rickshaw and the Coco guide.

     “May I take your picture?” I asked my guide.

     “You may take pictures of anything you like during the course of the tour,” my guide informed me.

     I quickly snapped my picture and then settled into the rickshaw. With a slight jerk, we were off. To my surprise, we went only a few feet before coming to a stop on the beach.

     “Some lovely natives,” my guide began. “The Mystery Island is a fantastic place to holiday. The natives are friendly and fun loving and the surfing is phenomenal! Here you can see the wonderful surf, the beach volleyball games, and the world famous tropical sunset,” my guide recited in a monotone.

     I blinked, sitting up to take a better look around the not-yet-crowded beach. “There are no beach volleyball players here and it's morning so there is no sunset, either,” I pointed out.

     My guide made no reply to my observations, merely moving on.

     “While on the Island you should take in the breathtaking scenery of the deepest jungle and the great Techo Mountain. The vegetation is unlike any found in Neopia Central,” my guide continued, voice never changing from his dull monotone.

     “Oh, I’m not from Neopia Central,” I said.

     Once more, my guide made no reply.

     I sat back in the rickshaw, a little put off. Was this really the tour my friends had raved about? I hadn’t seen any other tours offered. Pondering this, I barely noticed the ‘breathtaking scenery’. Not that there was much of that.

     The rickshaw moved along a dirt track, the jungle pressing close on every side.

     “A fun loving Kougra,” my guide said dully as we passed one in the undergrowth.

     We came to a stop on a small rise with a view of the volcano I had seen on my first flyover of the island.

     “The famous Techo Mountain,” my guide intoned. “Techo Mountain is one of the 16 wonders of Neopia. Its sheer size is amazing. Few people manage to climb all the way up its dizzy heights. It is rumoured to have secret passages built by the ancient Coco’s running through it.”

     The mountain was an indistinct lump in the distance and I was determined to get a better view of it from my airship at some point.

     “Sixteen wonders? What are the others?” I asked.

     Once more, no answer was forthcoming.

     I would have to do some research on that at some point. If I were going to travel Neopia, I would love to check off the other fifteen wonders along the way.

     We left the jungle behind and returned to the boardwalk.

     “There’s plenty to see and do,” my guide said, back in monotone. I wondered if this was his normal speaking voice. “On the Island you can do as much or as little as you want. There are many sporting events held all year round that are free to enter.”

     He slowed to a stop in front of the tour shack. “The beaches are amazing! If you have had enough sightseeing, then why not just take it easy for a while? There are hundreds of secluded covers where you can just lay back, take in the scenery and forget all your worries.”

     Taking the cue that the tour was over, I stepped down from the rickshaw at last.

     “Well, I hope you have enjoyed your little tour, do come back now and don’t forget to collect your free stuff from the reception desk on your way out,” my guide finished, monotone firmly in place.

      “Thank you,” I said.

     He made no further response, expression completely blank, only giving a little hop in place as if ready to speed off at a moment’s notice.

      I had seen automatons with more life than this guy, I thought with a rueful shake of my head as I walked over to the reception desk. I was given a Coco tour guide bobblehead (far more animated than the real thing), a magnet in the shape of a palm tree and a postcard of ‘Pets playing a volleyball game on the beach. I left the tour shack, complimentary items in hand, feeling less than satisfied with the experience. Yes, I had seen more of the island and learned new things but it had felt rushed and impersonal. I almost felt like I would have been better off on my own. I would certainly have to revisit certain areas for a better look.

     “Hey, Tris!”

     I turned to see my friends coming out of a nearby shop.

     “How was your tour?” Anna asked.

     “It was…fine,” I said, not wanting to criticise something they had enjoyed.

     “And this is a boardwalk, one of the most popular areas of the island with shopping, food and entertainment,” Benny said, flattening his expression and dulling his tone in imitation of the tour guide.

     The three of us girls laughed.

     Benny grinned, pleased with himself. “We’re taking a bus to the Lost City of Geraptiku. You wanna come?”

     “He finally talked us into it,” Anna said.

     “If it’s a lost city, how are we going to find it?” I asked.

     “It was lost and then rediscovered. Its basically an abandoned village,” Benny explained.

     Well, I had nothing else planned for that day and I needed something better than the letdown that was the tour I had just been on.

     “Alright, I’ll join you,” I said.

     We boarded a bus and took a rather bumpy ride along a poorly paved road. Thankfully, that lasted only about half an hour before we disembarked.

     Looking around was a little eerie. The village was a haphazard collection of rundown huts. The jungle closed in on every side, closing off the sun and keeping the village in perpetual gloom. Bones and feathers lay scattered around. Abandoned though it was, I had the distinct feeling of being watched.

     I could see Anna and Charlotte were similarly affected but Benny was not.

     The young Moehog darted ahead of us, peeking in at windows and doors or stopping to check out an interesting bit of rock formation.

     On the edge of the village was a large pyramidal structure. It appeared as rundown as the rest of the village, covered in vines and moss, the jungle closer to reclaiming this structure than the other buildings.

     “The Deserted Tomb!” Benny breathed. “They say there’s a treasure somewhere inside but its protected by a vicious spirit.” He turned excitedly to look at us. “Let’s go check it out!”

     Before we could stop him, he darted for the bottom step, intent on climbing it.

     “Benny, wait!” Anna called.

     His sisters immediately went after him.

     I was about to follow when I heard a strange noise from the nearby jungle. “Hello, is anyone there?”

     The noise sounded again and I stepped to the edge of the jungle.

     “Hello?”

     Recalling how lost I’d gotten the day before, I wasn’t keen to repeat the experience but if someone needed help…I plunged into the jungle. It almost immediately swallowed me. I couldn’t see the village or even tell what direction it was in. All I could do was keep moving forward, drawn on by the noise that had brought me here in the first place.

     Disoriented by the sameness of the jungle and the calls of strange Petpets, I soon enough lost track of the initial cry I had been following.

     “Well, this is pointless,” I said, half hoping Kaleo would randomly appear to help me. Of course, I knew how unlikely that was.

     I was on my own.

     “I won’t get anywhere if I don’t keep moving,” I said.

To be continued…