*Chapter 6: Mystery Man - Printable Version +- International Simulation Football League (https://forums.sim-football.com) +-- Forum: Community (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=5) +--- Forum: Media (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=37) +---- Forum: Graded Articles (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=38) +---- Thread: *Chapter 6: Mystery Man (/showthread.php?tid=51151)

*Chapter 6: Mystery Man - lock180 - 05-08-2024 Catch up on Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Graders: 60/40 Split for @lock180/@homercrates The Book of Zen Chapter 6: The Mystery Man ILLUSTRATED BY: Thor Dangerson As the man grew closer more and more details of his appearance came into view and with Zenzeroni completely stuck between the man and the ocean he had a lot of time to take in the approaching figure. Zenzeroni says and I quote “Not to stereotype here, but he looked like the most piratey man to ever pirate”. Zenzeroni says he was wearing a soft tweed hat with a very mismatched old captain’s uniform. In his left hand was an old fashioned lantern that flickered with the wind. In his other hand intermittently was a pipe that he would take a puff from before blowing it out into the increasingly cold air. What stood out most about this man was not his clothing, but rather his face. It was clear this man had been out in the elements for some time as his weathered face showed obvious age along with his gray and black scraggly beard. But what stood out to Zenzeroni even above that was the eyepatch that adorned his left eye with an unknown symbol engraved into the center. Zenzeroni looks down at the man’s feet to see if he has a peg leg as well because if he did then he would know he’s going crazy. But under the man’s weathered and torn pants were a pair of black work boots that looked like they had been out in the elements for hundreds of years. At this point the man was nearly on top of Zenzeorni and in fear Zenzeroni grabbed a small pebble and held it in what he thought was a menacing way. The mysterious figure was unfazed by this and walked straight up to Zenzeroni and took a long draw from the pipe and blew it out straight into Zenzeroni’s face. “Drop the water bottle.” Zenzeroni grips the water bottle tighter. “I said drop the goddamn water bottle” the man says with a gruff voice. Zenzeroni stands frozen, too afraid to move and the man puts the pipe in his mouth takes one step, and swats the bottle out of Zenzeroni’s hand. “Don’t go drinking saltwater. Are you trying to get yourself killed out here or what?” “No sir. I was thirsty.” “You’re better off drinking your own piss than drinking the water out there.” The man gestures toward the ocean. “I suppose I can give it a try….” “You will do no such thing”. “But you said–” “I say a lot of things. That don’t mean you gotta listen to every goddamn word I say. What the fuck are you doing on this island anyway? And if you say you are another one of those TikTok kids making a “Stranded For 24 Hours” video I swear I will chop off both your han—” The man notices Zenzeroni’s lack of hands and raises an eyebrow. “Well, I’ll be damned. There’s something you don’t see every day.” The man says in disbelief. “I’m not a Tik Toker I came here from a plane. I parachuted in.” “Ah, so not a Tik Toker but a daredevil now are we? And what was your plan to get off this fucking island you little shit?” “No, uh, sir, you don’t understand–” “No, YOU don’t understand”. The man says poking Zenzeroni in the chest. “Ever since the internet we’ve had clowns like you running up and down this island thinking it is so cute going to an island called “Disappointment Island”. This is OUR island, not yours or theirs do you understand me?!” “Yes sir. I have no ill intentions you see my father pushed me from the plane with nothing but a parachute and I happened to land here. I’m lost, and hungry, and thirsty, and confused.” Zenzeorni says with his last breath before putting his hands in his hands and crying his eyes out. The man takes Zenzeroni in for a minute. The young boy looked worse for wear with pants and shoes caked in mud, and sweat seeping through his shirt. The man quickly realized Zenzeroni was telling the truth. So he walks over to Zenzeroni and awkwardly pats him on the back. “There there…..There there”. The man looks out across the water as if remembering a distant memory until Zenzeroni lifts his head back up. “You said we are on Disappointment Island?” “That’s right.” “No wonder my dad dropped me here. I’m nothing but a disappointment” Zenzeroni says as he begins to cry again. The man clearly not having any idea on how to deal with this awkwardly pats his head. “Yeah, uh….how about those birds?” Zenzeroni lifts his head and watches a few hundred mollymawks streak across the setting sun. “So how do I go home?”. Zenzeroni says wiping away his runny nose. “I’m afraid you are stuck here until the next resupply ship comes in about 3 months. This island is uninhabited, at least according to the general public. The rest of the world doesn’t know that I still live here you see.” “So I’m stuck on an island alone for 3 months?!” Zenzeroni begins to get delirious at the thought of being on this tiny island with nothing to do for 3 months. “Now hold your lucky sea stars young man. This island has more secrets hidden on it than the rest of the world knows. Here let me show you.” The man pulls Zenzeroni up and begins walking away not turning around to see if Zenzeroni is coming. Zenzeroni looks at the man and then back at the water bottle that the man had hit out of his hand. He quickly scoops up the water bottle and only manages one step when, without turning around the man says “Drop it.” Zenzeroni obliges and runs to catch up with the man. While slow the man had a clear direction in mind and headed straight for a large rock jutting straight out of the ground. The man looks around as if making sure no one is looking and presses on the rock. There is a moment of stillness when all of a sudden the rock moves to the left revealing a secret staircase below the ground. “After you” The man says holding the lantern to the staircase descending into the island's underbelly. RE: Chapter 6: Mystery Man - jreed12 - 05-08-2024 Oh no! This could be a trap! Is he friend or foe???