The Adventurers: a daring duo consisting of Ayaan and Aayra, felt it necessary for a tropical getaway. As recommended by their friend Daring Dante, they decided to spend a week or two in paradise: Hawaii.
Checking into a resort that overlooked the beach, they spent their days lounging around lazily, making trips to the seaside. It was four days into the trip that Dante sent them a letter.
“Open it, Ayaan.” said Aayra, as Ayaan smiled, and pulled open the envelope. He immediately recognized Dante’s messy handwriting, and chuckled.
But the letter was full of secrets, as Dante revealed that he had met many locals in Hawaii in his past vacations, who had mentioned about a seemingly magical island off the beach. They’d spoken about the island being home to great treasures and mysteries.
Dante himself had attempted to reach the island, but he had never succeeded in locating it. However, he mentioned in the letter his great faith in the Adventurers, wishing them luck on their adventure.
“I was getting a bit bored without a good adventure anyway.” said Ayaan, smiling. “Think we can rent a boat?”
Aayra smiled, as the duo got to their feet, and walked towards the beach.
An old, gray-bearded man stood in a small shop overlooking the seaside, with a few surfboards lined up behind him. Instinctively, Ayaan and Aayra felt he was the right person to ask.
“Do you know where we can rent a boat?” questioned Ayaan.
The man ruffled his beard. “Over on that side.” He pointed towards a few stalls lined up one after another towards a side. “But mind the currents. They can be a bit bumpy.”
“Good to know that.” said Ayaan, with a smile. “Say, have you heard about that legendary island?”
“You mean the one that disappears and re-appears as well?” asked the old man. Ayaan and Aayra’ faces lit up. So, that was why Dante hadn’t located it. They nodded vigorously. “I have something for you.”
He rummaged in his desk of collectibles, as the duo patiently waited. Before long, he pulled out a scrappy piece of paper, with handwritten red lines drawn upon it.
“You should keep this. It will come in handy.”
Ayaan and Aayra examined the parchment, which looked like a map. But instead of the general ‘X’ it led towards a patch of wide open ocean.
“If you two are seasoned adventurers, you’ll probably know what the map indicates.” said the man. “I hope you are. This island is shrouded in mystery. Nobody has located it. Few have not even returned.”
“The island’s position keeps changing at regular intervals.” said Ayaan, deciphering the map. “So there can’t be a specific location point, but an area.”
“Exactly.” said the old man. “A few weeks back, two adventurers like you came hunting for information. Don’t recall their names. They didn’t fare well. I hope you fare better.”
After graciously thanking the man for all his help, they walked down the wet sand towards the shops. A man with a necklace of pearls was present, with many rowing boats behind him.
“By any chance, do you rent other boats as well?” asked Aayra. She knew rowing was not the most ideal situation for dangerous waters. “Like something with an engine?”
“Certainly.” said the man. He walked towards the back, and dragged out an old speedboat. With the help of the Adventurers, they pulled it into the water.
“Remember, you need to pull the engine cord twice to be in control. Do it only once and it’ll go haywire.” said the man, as Ayaan handed him a wad of notes.
As the man with the necklace walked back towards his stall, Ayaan pulled the cord twice and the engine roared to life. The duo got in, and Ayaan took the wheels.
He pressed the accelerator and the speedboat churned through the waters like a wrecking ball. The early going featured waves of water drenching them from head to toe. The cool water splashed over them, as they laughed.
Aayra opened the folded map, and examined it. They were going on the right route, but the island was still far off.
Suddenly, they saw a fin sticking out of the water, as a dolphin jumped out. Aayra pulled out her camera, and took a photo just as it leapt up again.
The duo knew they were close to the island, because the route ahead was shrouded in deep fog. Ayaan pulled straight ahead.
Aayra realized the map’s work had ended, and folded it again. Navigating through the fog was difficult. And anyways, their only hope at locating the island would be wandering aimlessly till they reached it.
Ayaan pulled the speedboat to the left. Immediately, there was a crash, as the duo fell off. But instead of the ice-cold water, they found themselves on sand.
Looking up, they saw that the fog had disappeared. Aayra dusted herself, and marveled at the surroundings. Ayaan gasped.
“It’s enchanted, Aayra!” shouted Ayaan. “Only those on the island can see it, but outsiders can only see fog. Magical!”
They saw that the speedboat had collided with a few rocks, but other than a dent or two, it was in good shape. The Adventurers were eager to uncover the island’s secrets.
Just then, their eyes fell on a dense forest in front of them. There was the sound of feet, and shuffling. The duo was taken aback, as two figures emerged from the wilderness, and…
“Mack? Vik?” questioned Ayaan, shocked. “What happened to you?”
“Take a guess, genius.” sneered Vik, in her usual bitter tone. “Our boat shattered. And now we’re trapped on this island. Welcome to the club.”
“Actually, our boat is still in perfect condition.” said Aayra. Vik groaned, because although this was good news, she hated being bested by the Adventurers. But Mack sighed in relief.
“Thank goodness.” said Mack. “I thought we were never going to escape. Or find the treasure.”
“If you’ve been stuck here for so many weeks, how come you haven’t stumbled upon the treasure?” questioned Ayaan, stating the obvious.
“We found cave paintings of a treasure on the opposite coast.” explained Mack. “But the jungle is full of tricks and traps. Vik got snared in a net. It took hours to entangle her. Not to mention the poisonous creatures.”
“Yet, we have a boat.” said Aayra. “We can simply go around the island through the water to the other side, instead of through the forest. What do you say we team up?”
Although the Adventurers and the Evil Explorers: Mack and Vik, were arch-enemies in general, they both were united by their hunt for the treasure. Plus, they couldn’t leave Mack and Vik in such a condition.
The four got back into the boat, as Ayaan pulled the engine cord twice, and the boat roared to life, before chugging on. In an instant, the fog returned.
After a lot of boating in the fog, Ayaan pulled a sharp left and the boat once more came to a halt. The four got off.
The island returned into view. They saw in front of them the other side of the coast, with the forest in the rear-view mirror.
As they walked through the beach, Ayaan looked around for the treasure. Vik sighed in exasperation.
“According to those ridiculous paintings, it should be over here.”
“I saw another painting as well, Vik.” said Mack. “And the treasure seems to be on a tree.”
As there was only one tree clearly visible, the four ran across to it. It was a magnificent coconut tree that towered over the forest. Vik saw nothing special, though.
“What a waste of time!” she cried out. “We’ve been sent on a useless wild goose chase. Curse those locals!”
“Hold on to your horses, Vik.” said Aayra, having noticed an important detail. “Take a closer look at that coconut.”
Eight pairs of eyes stared at the beautiful coconut, and gasped. Because instead of the brown, rough exterior, it was a smooth, golden dazzle.
“A golden coconut…” said Ayaan. “That must be worth millions.”
“What are you waiting for?” questioned Vik, impatiently. “Go up and get it.”
Ayaan complied. He had no idea whether or not Mack and Vik were good at climbing, but he was certain Aayra required improvement. He grabbed onto the shards of wood sticking out of the tree, and climbed as if he was a monkey.
Once he reached the top, he grabbed the coconut, which came free in an instant, and flung it down in Aayra’s waiting arms.
What happened next was so fast few could comprehend it. Vik shoved Aayra and grabbed the coconut. Ayaan leapt down, but Mack slammed him into the tree. Then, the Evil Explorers bolted for the boat.
“We’ve been double-crossed!” shouted Ayaan, helping Aayra to her feet. “After them!”
But Mack and Vik had too much a head-start, and were already in the speedboat, cackling evilly. They pulled the engine cord, as the boat pulled away.
But it was Ayaan and Aayra who had the last laugh. Since Mack and Vik had no idea that you have to pull the cord twice, the boat gave a huge jerk as they went flying into the water. The Adventurers laughed as they got the boat back to normal, and also confiscated the coconut, which had floated back to shore.
They pulled away, but decided to let Mack and Vik on anyway. The frustrated duo got on the boat, soaking, as the boat pulled away from the coast and into the waters.
A few days later, Ayaan was in the hotel, and penned a letter to Dante about their hunt for the coconut. And when Daring Dante opened the letter, he found a surprise. Because there was not only a note, but the coconut itself as well.
The note read: This belongs to you. Dante smiled, and folded the note. He then lifted the coconut and put it on his desk. He could have sold it and made money, but a treasure like this was too precious to sell. It would remain there forever…
