By Frampton Jones
When an exciting new island, complete with trees appeared just a short distance from our own island a few days ago, most of us ignored it. Being relatively new here, Emerson Kasak had not acquired the levels of disinterest that preserve life. Curiosity kills. In fairness, apathy and disinterest also kill, but they tend to kill someone else and many of us are less troubled by this.
Emerson took a small boat and went to visit the new island, no doubt excited by the mystery and romance of it all. There were of course a fair few onlookers. It’s one thing being too apathetic to act, quite another to pass up a few hours of entertainment. And so, as is often the way of it, a sizeable crowd formed and several members of the Chevin family ran books on what would kill our intrepid adventurer first.
Emerson reached the island unscathed, and wandered around its small circumference. I placed a bet on the island itself being a sea beast that would dive beneath the waters. We all watched, and waited. Emerson climbed back into the small boat, still unharmed, and started rowing. We were then able to observe the dory going round and round the tiny island, unable to break away from it. Eventually exhausted by rowing, Emerson allowed the boat to drift – and still it would not leave this tiny piece of land. When twilight set in, we onlookers went home.
Returning the following morning, I observed that the dory remained, but Emerson Kasak had vanished without a trace. It occurred to me that there might be an extra tree on the island, but I had not counted them before and could not be certain.