12

"Who is who?" Jasmine asked, grinning as if this were a game. "There is no one here but you and I."

It's debatable as to whether or not Dwayne was satisfied with Jasmines reply, this mattered little however as further attempts of explanation were cut short as Dwayne Senior interrupted.
"Right, so now that we are all properly acquainted, we best be off."
Surprisingly Dwayne didn't ask questions. His expression suggested he had conceded control over the present situation and was willing to take a back seat for a while.

Dwayne Sen. led the way deeper into the cave, followed closely be Jasmine, Dwayne and Jasmine Sen. They had been walking for less than five minutes before the tunnel opened up onto a track lined on either side by a waist high box hedge that ran off into the distance. Dwayne took advantage of the wider track by surreptitiously sideling up beside Jasmine. His advances were cut short however as the track stopped abrubtly by the edge of a dark green pond, no bigger than one you would find in a common garden. Beautiful white stones held the almost thick green water in place.

Even Jasmine was surprised when Dwayne Sen. cupped his hands and drank a mouthful of the water. He indicated for us to do the same and with much hesitation we both sampled the stagnant puddle and were equally surprised by its sweet taste...or was it smell? it was hard to define. Somewhat puzzled by this whole experience, Dwayne inquired about our destination. Jasmine Sen. who had been relatively quiet so far, explained (with much the enthusiasm of her younger dopplinger) that we were headed to a place so dissimilar to that of anything he had ever experienced and would therefore waste no further time in trying to explain. He would simply have to find out when he gets there.

Dwayne was about to object when he noticed something strange in his peripheral. To be precise, it was the lack of peripheral that disturbed him. Everything seemed to blur a collidaescopic confusion of greens. The blurring continued like a cancer until it completely obscured his view. A voice behind him told him to relax and follow the path that was revealed to him. Confused, Dwayne stumbled about, clutching at anything he could hold on to.

Tag to Nick

11

Everything within Dwayne wanted to run. He's heart raised and his palms sweated. It remind him of the time that he stoned Mr Gracie's roof when he was younger... he tried to do the Barry-Bolt and fell out of his wheelchair... but not now. Dwayne could walk, hell even run, and there was no way this older version of himself could catch him.

"I have to move now..." Dwayne thought. He turned to run away.
"I remember thinking that," the old man said with bone-chilling warmth and calm, "don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you... after all, wouldn't that be just like hurting myself?"

Dwayne paused, slowly he turned around.
"Thats it boy," the old man said "...do it for our daughter. She needs you to stay."

Just as Dwayne was about to reply, he heard the familiar voice of his father.
"DWAYNE!"
Dwaynes father came running over the hill.
"Where have you been son? We've been looking everywhere for you..."
Dwayne decided to give the short answer "Oh I've been about."
"Well don't worry, the old mans told me everything."
Dwayne was horrified. "Everything?"
"About how you vandalised his boatshed. I'm going back to your mother and your going to help the old man fix it ok.
Dwayne looked at the old man, then at his father. He nodded, not really liking the lie the older him had told his dad.

As soon as his father was gone, Dwayne sat down by the old man. He noticed scars on the old mans legs from the surgery. The scars matched his own identically. The old man spoke again, "Our daughter... she needs you to stay, and I need you Dwayne, because if you leave this island then you'll end up back in our wheelchair and I will cease to be." Dwayne like the sound of that. The older version of himself kind of creeped him out.

"...but Rachel and Hannah both said I need to leave..."
The old man wound his fishing line in.
"...why do they want me to leave...?"
The old man sighed.
"I remember this. You want to soliloquize don't you? C'mon then, you still like fish don't you?"

The old man got up and walked towards the boatshed. Dwayne followed, feeling slightly girly for wishing that Rachel were with him. As he entered the boatshed the girliness became bravado as he saw Rachel sitting by a fire with an older lady. When she saw him she ran to him, kissed him and threw her arms around him.

Dwayne held Rachel for a moment and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. All his life he had wanted a girlfriend. The closest he ever came was when he was younger and little Kellie Mac sat on his knee while he wheeled around. This felt liked that but with more hormones and an old couple watching from the corner. Dwayne decided to stay task focused-
"Who the hell is that?" he asked Rachel, pointing at the old lady.

10

Dwayne decided to skip the obvious yet possibaly inexplicable question of 'how', and fast tracked to the consequent question of what he should do.
Jasmine gave him a look as if to say, "isn't it obvious?"
After a pause, the girl spoke, directing her voice through Dwayne.
"I must not be born. If you leave the island it will be completely out of your hands.
"No it won't," Dwayne retorted, "all I need to do is maintain my virgin status till all this is cleared up."

"You don't understand. I have already been conceived. From the moment you stepped on this island your DNA has seeped into the earth, creating me. Every second of every day you were depositing parts of yourself into the soil. Hair, skin, fluid, everything. Your DNA is unique. The island itself acts as an egg for your DNA. If you leave the island now, you will have no control over my existance."

"Ok, first, why don't we want you to be born or created or whatever? and second, how do we stop it if its already begun?"

"I am the reason the hole opened up. I create an imbalance between nature and the spiritual world. If it weren't for me, those Malganites wouldn't have escaped and mutated as they have. Dad, if the rest of the world could freely view the spiritual realm as you have, there would be no such thing as ignorant bliss. The world would live in fear, forever. The only way to stop me is to go back to the boat shed and...soliloquize. Only you will know what to do."

It took Dwayne the majority of the return journey to understand the girls last sentences. After establishing the meaning of 'soliloquize', he soon realised that he had to talk to the old man. When he arrived, the old man was fishing. Three decent sized fish hung taught on a line strung up between two trees.

"I thought you would turn up soon." The old mans voice was similar to Dwaynes but more husky with a touch of foreboding. "How is she?"

Dwayne quickly realised he was refering to his daughter and promptly uttered, "Fine."

"I guesse it's time then."

Dwayne watched as the man reeled in his line and staggered towards the boat shed.

(tag to Nick)

9

Hannah just stared up at Jasmine with big blind eyes…directly at her. It was as though in her blindness she was somehow able to penetrate the darkness and the flesh and see into the hearts and minds of the two onlookers. Even with Jasmines prompting she took a while to respond to the question. The girls silence gave Dwayne the creeps if the eye whites and pale skin hadn’t already. Suddenly she giggled and pointed her small podgy fingers at Dwayne.
“Silly Jasmine, he’s right next to you…”

Dwayne felt the hairs stick up on the back of his neck. Was she talking about him? He turned around to check… he was the only one there. Dwayne looked at Jasmine for a response, he wanted to laugh but nothing in this place seemed funny. He wanted to run. The girl reached her arms out towards Dwayne, as any small blind girl who thinks she can see her father would. It was then he saw it, the child’s eyes were not the only thing peculiar. Her legs weren’t there, or if they were they buried at the base of the tree. She continued to reach upward toward Dwayne. “Dad,” the girl called out “it’s me, Hannah!”

Dwayne began to back away. Jasmine stopped him. The child began to cry.
“It’s okay Han,” she whispered “I haven’t told him yet…”
With that she lightly pushed Dwayne forward towards the freaky tree girl. He wanted to run but instead found himself lowering to the young girl’s level. As he came nearer to her Hannah’s tears subsided. Her frown was replaced by a beautiful smile.
“Dad” she said, reaching out and rubbing his face. She paused again, a little shocked.
“Oh Dad,” she said shocked, “…you’ve shaved…and what happened to your wrinkles?”

Dwayne stared into the girl’s blind eyes, and the branches that seemed to do her bidding. He examined her perfectly pale skin and a wave of familiarity came over the moment. A memory of the future perhaps? Who was this girl who seemed to give life to the island above? What was this mysterious island that brought healing to Dwayne’s paralysis? Jasmine put her hand on Dwayne’s shoulder. “I wanted you to meet your daughter Hannah before I told you who the old man was…”

Dwayne didn’t debate what he knew to be true but he did ask how it could happen.
“How can I have a daughter? I’m a virgin and a crippled one at that…”
“You were a crippled one.” Jasmine explained, not expecting him to understand. “Did the old man tell you his name, Dwayne? Did you wonder why he looked so familiar or how he knew everything about you?”
Dwayne, turned to face Jasmine and stumbled, still getting used to the healing and newly acquired mobility. Jasmines rhetorical questions confounded him, yet it was her unspoken answers that haunted him. Then she dropped the bombshell…

“The old man knows about your healing Dwayne, because he remembers it.” Dwayne trembled as she spoke. “The old man is you Dwayne, this girls father, and is trying to stop you because he knows what will happen if you ever leave this island.”

(Tag to Jake)

8

If either Dwayne or Jasmine were able to keep track of time, they would be startled to know that they had spent no more than two hours in the warren like network of caves before reaching the tree, for their journey had been for the most part eventless and the monotous surroudings seemed to slow time. The tree itself was much the same as Jasmine remembered it and as such arroused no knew interest to her, however, to Dwayne who had never seen nor heard of such a phenomonon was rendered speechless in its presence. Perhaps in Britain or Germany beside a small river, a weeping willow would have been merely aesthetically pleasing but hidden away in a stone cavern possibly hunderds of meters from the sunlight, it became a majestic monument.

Jasmine pulled a torch from her belt and stepped towards the willow. Beneath its long sinewy tentacles sat a child. He or she (for it was impossible to decipher) was fixated with three long vine like branches which it plaited with an almost elegant ease. Although the pool of light, lay squarely around and on the child, it did not move.
"Hello Hannah, its me...Jasmine."
Hannah stood with an energetic clumsiness which almost made Dwayne laugh. It was a good thing he hadn't, for he immediately realised that she was blind.
"Who is with you?" Hannah asked.
"He's a friend. Dwayne. We were hoping your dad was home..." Jasmine waited for a response then prompted "...is he?"
(Tag to Nick)

7

“Gee Jasmine; I’m not sure I want to do that.”
Dwayne floated stand-offishly as Jasmine swam over towards the bubble. Suddenly, what could have only been a missile or small projectile hit the boat, blowing it to smithereens. Dwayne now knew what the wisps of smokes were, and why Jasmine was eager to get off the boat. Jasmines eyes were desperately barking orders at Dwayne throughout this time. “If you wanna end up like that boat then keep hesitating and asking questions...” Jasmine said with persuasive support from the smoldering remains of the boat, “...however if you want to live long enough to hear some answers then you better save the questions for later and do exactly what I say when I say.” She pushed the large bubble towards Dwayne.

Dwayne reached out and touched the bubble, “Glass? This bubble is glass?”
“Perspex actually...” Jasmine seemed to be waiting for another one. “Get in it Dwayne!”
“How the hell to I get in a perspex bubble?” Dwayne wasn’t really very surprised at her request, or at her response to his question- “I said no bloody questions, just work it out boy scout!”
Dwayne toyed with the bubble, feeling it, knocking on it, even talking to it. He felt like he had tried every possible way to enter the bubble when suddenly another one floated to the top, right in the exact spot that Jasmine had positioned herself. He watched her as she held her breathe and dived under the water resurfacing inside the perspex bubble closest to her. She indicated for him to do the same, a request to which he willingly complied as another small rocket hit the water nearby.

Dwayne had only just resurfaced in his perspex bubble when the hole which allowed him to enter closed in around his waist as though somehow alive. Both Jasmine and Dwayne bobbed awkwardly in the water for what seemed like hours, Jasmine appeared to enjoy her perspex bubble suit so after a while Dwayne began to relax and enjoy it too. She smiled at him from across the waves. Every now and then another bubble would float to the surface of the water only to be hit by a rocket. This made Dwayne nervous, but he tried to hide it in front of Jasmine. After a while a luminous grey bubble a little smaller than the others rose to the surface, hovering (it seemed to Dwayne) inches above the water level. Jasmine bobbed over to it, hitting her bubble violently against the new luminous one.

After a couple of knocks the luminous grey bubble popped and a giant whirlpool began to form, sucking Jasmine and Dwayne downwards. Dwayne had learned from reading The Tasmanian Scout Water Survival Manual years earlier that if you ever find yourself pulled underwater for any reason you should go with the currents, because fighting them will only wear you out. Not wanting to go against his scout training, Dwayne went with the current (not that his perspex bubble suit gave him a choice). As they allowed the current to take them, Jasmine waved at Dwayne, clearly enjoying the ride and clearly having done this many times before. Dwayne looked around at the fish, plants and creatures swimming past, very much a blur because of the speed of the current. Very quickly Dwayne and Jasmine were both swept into a dark hole in the rocky bottom, a tunnel which ended in a large cavern of light.

As they resurfaced Dwayne sensed he was in an underwater cavern of sorts. He put his feet down and walked out of the water and onto a sandy beach. The sand was damp and very cold, just as you might expect in an underwater cavern. His vision was skewed from his perspex bubble suit, but he could faintly make out the rocky walls and roof. As far as he could tell Dwayne was in a perfect cave, which begged the question of where the light was coming from. Dwayne struggled to get his suit off, but couldn’t.

Jasmine, who was already out of her suit, came over to assist Dwayne with his. She smashed it off with a rock. Large and small pieces of perspex fizzed when they hit the sand, turning a luminous grey colour. They were alive! The pieces joined together forming semi-opaque grey things which hovered for a moment. Dwayne recognized them as the same things he had seen the night before at the boat shed. They hovered around his head for a second and then flew to the ceiling of the cavern, joining with the thousands of grey things that made up the source of the light. Dwayne was captivated by the cavern, the grey things and the marvelous light which reflected of the crystal walls. Jasmine had seen it all before. She grabbed Dwayne by the hand and began to walk him down one of many tunnels that were carved into the walls.

(TAG TO JAKE)

6

The sea barely made a noise as it caressed the hull of the fishing boat. The sails were limp. Everything was quiet. Dwayne stirred. After a few seconds of hellish disorientation, he scrambled to his feet. Jasmine was still asleep. Her back rose and fell slightly with her breath. Dwayne watched. A perfect rhythm. She froze in the middle of exhaling; her soft rounded shoulders became angular as she tensed her muscles. Dwayne stood. The boat moved slightly in the moment of imbalance. A knife appeared at Dwayne’s throat. A few seconds of stunned silence was ended with a short apology from Jasmine. Dwayne was about to reply when he saw something. He pointed behind Jasmine who promptly turned then, after a split second’s thought, crouched beside the water barrel.

Shapes stuck out on the horizon. Like wisps of coal smoke only somehow linear, flickering between the sea and sky. Dwayne had never seen anything like it but the look in Jasmines eye’s told him she knew only too well and the prospect wasn’t good. The objects seemed to be getting larger...or closer, Dwayne wasn’t sure which.

Jasmine scanned the lifeless sails and quickly realised the boat wasn’t moving anytime soon. She took her only other option quickly, quietly lowering herself into the water. She made no attempt to swim; she just floated with one hand on the hull. Dwayne made a considerably less quiet entry into the ocean and parked himself next to Jasmine.

“What is it?”
Jasmine didn’t answer; she was preoccupied with something else.
“Jaz...what are we...?”
He paused, noticing the earnest concentration on Jasmines face.
“What are you doing?”
A large bubble surfaced next to Dwayne from under the hull and Jasmine smiled.
“Follow me.”
(Tag to Nick)

5

Unfortunately, Jasmine didn’t talk in her sleep. Otherwise, Dwayne may have been able to gain insight into her thoughts. Her eyes fluttered as though dreaming of something. Dwayne would have given just about anything to be able to know what she was thinking of. Where had she been? Where were they going? What was she doing saving his life again? Dwayne hadn’t seen Jasmine since the day an accident had taken away his ability walk two years ago. She was a hero that day but nobody else knew that. Jasmine had disappeared.

For two years Dwayne had been living a lie, taking the credit for the heroic acts of the girl who he presumed had died in the fire. She had not died though; the girl who saved Dwayne’s life was very much alive and laying asleep in front of him. Dwayne had a lot of questions to ask her but decided to let her sleep. She deserved that, after all this was the second time in two years that she had helped him... and besides, Dwayne wanted time to think.

Once he had cleared his mind of the grey things, his parents, the hole and the familiar old man, Dwayne began to look around the boat. He found a first aid kit in the small storage cabin of the yacht, which he intended to use to help mend Jasmine’s bleeding. As he carefully investigated her perfectly tanned back he expected to see a wound, a fresh bullet hole or something else bloody. However, underneath the t-shirt he saw that there was not a scratch on her, not even scars from that terrible fire two years ago; the blood on her clothes was someone else’s. He checked himself and saw that he too was covered with blood but with no visible wounds. Had he been wounded? Dwayne couldn’t remember being wounded while on the island but he couldn’t say for sure, it wouldn’t be the first time that he had experienced a miraculous healing lately. Dwayne was beyond being confused or even surprised at the events that were unfolding. He just added the blood to the list of strange occurrences.

Dwayne had many questions to ask when the time was ripe... but for now he determined to try for some sleep too. One thing the girl had said was that he was going to need sleep. Dwayne didn’t know what she meant by that but it sounded like there were trials ahead. Trials meant adventure and when you’ve been in a wheelchair for as long as Dwayne then any adventure is a good one. Still, Dwayne couldn’t help feeling a little uncomfortable as he looked around for somewhere to sleep.

There wasn’t much room on the tiny little yacht. Dwayne wriggled around. He stared out to sea; he was surrounded by water now. He found a pillow in the crest of Jasmine’s back and looked up at the stars. Being a scout for so many years, Dwayne wanted to know where they were. The position of the moon and the stars told him one thing- he was completely and utterly lost. Dwayne hoped Jasmine would be able to tell him where they were when she woke up. He nestled his head cozily into place and smiled. Not only were his legs completely healed, but Jasmine was okay. It was as though there had been an accident.

As Dwayne contemplated these things for a few moments he began to feel tired. Slowly the combination of the boat rocking and Jasmines breathing put into a deep sleep. Perhaps the best sleep he’d had in years...

TAG TO: JAKE

4

"It's too late. They know. We have to leave."
Although it was as if she were stating the obvious, the words cut deep as he began to comprehend the extent to which things had already progressed. He knew these things were inevitable but he could not have predicted its speed.
“Where? Where can we go? The hole?”
“No, the hole is too dangerous now. They will be all over it.”
“Then where?”
Both stood rigid as they heard someone approaching. With Dwayne’s father close in tow, the old man trudged up the path, his flash light scanning the low foliage around him.
She spoke once more. Softer now. “Follow me.”

The shadows of the boat shed enveloped them. A small yacht bobbed silently in the dock. Sails down. She hesitated momentarily before unsheathing a blade. In the darkness Dwayne went red as he mentally compared the blade with his pocket knife. A thought entering Dwayne’s mind around this point would have looked something like, ‘Since when did they start issuing those to scouts?’ or maybe, ‘Damn, she looks fine.’ Either way he had no time to contemplate such things as the pier came alive. He froze. Most people have two reactions to a threatening situation which they choose from instantaneously. Fight or flight. Dwayne had neither. A stunned mullet on the jetty.

He stayed like that well into the night, even once they were a good distance off shore. When he tried to apologies, she just shrugged. “You’re gonna have to start thinking quicker if you want to stay alive?
A bead of red seeped through the back of her shirt.
“Sleep.”
“What?” He stammered, still looking at her back.
“Sleep, you’re gonna need it.”
She placed a rig in the water then lay on her front with a finger under the nylon line and slept.
(Tag To Nick)

3

3

…recognize Dwayne’s age, if he had of done perhaps Dwayne would be toasting marshmallows right now with his father indoors.

Dwayne figured that there was no way the old man knew about his age... or about the miraculous healing that had taken place two days ago. There is a great amount of curiosity that comes with being a nineteen year old who hasn’t walked in two years. If the old man knew about such things would he have told Dwayne about the boat shed? Who knows? Maybe he did know! Whether or not the old man recognized his age was probably irrelevant, old men do what old men do and he did seem pretty keen to get Dwayne alone. Maybe he knew all too well... Dwayne thought about the way the old mans eyes lit up when Dwayne’s mother mentioned the photograph of the boy in the wheelchair. “Could the old man have received a similar healing experience as the one Dwayne received?” Dwayne shook his head and focused on the running... it was no time to fantasize; he had to tell his parents before the old man spoke to them.

Dwayne wondered what his parents would say when he arrived. Would they be mad? Probably not, they’d probably be in bed. They were exhausted and rightfully so; it’s not everyday your oldest child receives a miraculous healing. If they thought the media attention surrounding Dwayne’s accident at scout-camp was emotionally draining, it would be nothing compared to the hundreds of Aussie reporters wanting the first interview with Tassie’s favorite hero.

Dwayne laughed “...hero...” It was hard to do while running but he couldn’t help it. Dwayne didn’t see himself as a hero, not after the last two years in a wheelchair, two years reflecting on what really happened that night. And did this healing make him a hero? All Dwayne had done was opened a bloody letter...! He could see why his mum and dad wanted to get away for a holiday though; it really was all a little hard to process. Still, even his parents probably didn’t foresee what sort of “holiday” they were in for; otherwise the reporters might have been appealing. Dwayne hoped they were resting… if they were he would not interrupt them.

As he came up the pathway that led from the boat-shed to the shack Dwayne hoped that the old mans bicycle would not be present, that he would run up to the house and every light would be turned off, just as he left it. No such luck though! The old mans bike was not only present, but the old man and Dwayne’s father were engaged in a very long conversation outside, no doubt the one that Dwayne was hoping they would never have. He watched them converse as his father put his shoes on, they both had flashlights. This did not look good from Dwayne’s point of view, so he ducked behind a tree to catch his breath.

As Dwayne crouched behind the tree, he wondered what the old man had told his father. He also wondered what he would have told his father had he have been the first one home. Dwayne was confused, who was this old man anyway and why did he seem so interested in Dwayne? Dwayne shut his eyes and began to give up. No sooner had Dwayne shut his eyes though, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. Dwayne looked up and couldn’t believe what he saw. There, on this strange island, standing in front of Dwayne, was the last person Dwayne expected to ever see again.

She looked at him knowingly, like an old man knows a dog. She was drenched and muddy but Dwayne recognized her. After all they both shared a secret. Only they knew who the real hero was two years ago and she was standing there in front of Dwayne. “Where had she been?” Dwayne wondered. A better question might have been “...what was she doing there now?” Dwayne fumbled for words but she beat him to the punch. She spoke quickly, but with authority...

TAG TO: JAKE

2

…he tried to identify where it all began. The strange thing was, it didn’t start with these ethereal insects, hell, it probably didn’t even start with the boat. The first odd occurrences began shortly after he used his fathers Chinese letter opener to pierce the fleshy white envelope he had found in the attic addressed to himself. It was less than 48 hours ago yet the memory had become hazy. All he remembered was the nothingness that plagued the starch white paper. The noise. Then the sensation returning to his fingers. He would later liken the experience to that of dropping a sledgehammer on his toe. At first he yelped, then, once the initial shock had subsided, he marveled in this strange phenomenon he had not felt for two years. The blackened tips regained colour and soon he was able to individually wriggle each finger. The noise had gone unheard up until this point but it was not about to give up. It had captured the attention of countless people in the past and it wasn't about to fail now.

Obviously, he wasn’t to know this at the time, but if he had of been a bit worse for hearing, none of this would have happened. The hole would never have opened, the crew would still be onboard and his family would not be playing hopscotch on death’s door. In fact, if it wasn’t for Dwayne, a very different scenario may have taken place. A scenario involving a girl. A girl who had once been a scout like Dwayne but had since left for “bigger things”. Dwayne had only met her once but she knew him like an old man knows his dog. I suspect she also knew why he had been chosen over her. They knew, she knew, the only person who didn't know was Dwayne. I assume he knew very little at this point as to his purpose on the island. He was most likely still under the impression that this was a well earned holiday. The reasoning behind my assumptions are founded in the fact that he has made no attempt on his life as a well informed man might do in his situation. No, he probably won't know till it's to late and even then he won't fully understand. Its a pitty the old man didn't… (**Tag to Nick**)

1.

1.

The grey things kept coming at his head...

Dwayne felt sure that if he blinked they would leave in a second, just as they seemed to come out of nowhere the second he blinked. He blinked... Nope, it didn’t work- the grey things were still hovering. Dwayne didn’t even have a name for them.

Dwayne, the highest ranking squad leader in Tasmania knew every single creature and plant in the “Tasmanian Creature and Plant Manual”. Of course, it didn’t help much that Dwayne had left his manual at home... or that it was eleven at night... or that Dwayne was far from Tasmania and far, far away from home. He should never have come with his family to this strange island, even if it was for a vacation. Now Dwayne had strange, luminous, semi-opaque grey things with no name hovering around his head and no way of being able to out run the flamin’ things. If only he had listened to the old man and not been so damned curious...

“What was it the old man had said?” Duane tried to remember as he ducked for cover. “Something about not being ignorant of the spiritual realm... something about the old boat shed being haunted!” Duane shook his head; he didn’t believe in ghosts. He picked up a stick and waved it in the air. He picked up rocks to throw at the grey things but just like at school playing cricket he would miss with every throw. The grey things swooped towards his stick. “I may not believe in ghosts, but right now they seem to believe in me!” Duane hit one with his stick and it fell to the ground; that would show the old man. Duane ran over to pick it up, but to his horror he found that the grey thing had become little more than a fine grey dusty substance and if there was one thing that Dwayne had learned from the battery acid incident and that was never to pick up anything with your bare hands unless you are 100% sure you know what it is. He looked around. The grey things had gone. Dwayne ran back to where he came from, back to tell his parents before the old man did.

As Dwayne sprinted he couldn’t help but to think back over what had already been a crazy holiday. How he came to be on this strange island was beyond him... but of course Dwayne knew very well, and he knew that it was his fault. But could he have avoided what had happened over the last few days? Dwayne began to reflect...

(**TAG TO JAKE**)

Hey Jake... do we need rules?

Hey Jake,

I am really looking forward to beginning this storytelling exercise/experiment with you. Such a good idea of yours!

I'm thinking that before we begin we need to lay down some rules. Here are some that I suggest (add some if you like and then we'll make a official set of rules):

Rule #1
We must take turns of adding to the story, and may not pass when we are tagged.

Rule #2
We must notify the other person when they are tagged, either by message, myspace, email or sms. They then have 5 days* to add their contribution and tag us back

(*note- this 5 day period doesn't count if one of us are away on holiday or for other reasons)

Rule #3
We must totally work with anything new that the other person brings into the story. This means no blocking direction, character additions etc. If we want to change the plot direction it must flow creatively and if we want to get rid of a character it must be done organically and line up with the plot.

Rule #4
We will decide who starts next time we see each other by flipping a coin. This person will be given a list of 5-6 random words chosen by the other person that they must include in the first two or three paragraphs. From there our story-tag is underway.


What do you think? Are they good rules? Is there any others you can think of?

First part of story will commence once we work out where to start.