After the shipwreck, I woke up by the shore. Hearing the wind passing through the foliage of palm trees along the beach, I realized that I had ended up stranded on an isolated island. There were no signs of human presence or modern civilization. I was confused and a bit panicked. However, having watched many episodes of Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls, I felt only slightly concerned.
"First, I need to observing my surroundings." I thought.
I saw a lot of leftovers and scraps from the ship, but strangely, I didn't find any people. It was likely that I was the only person who survived after the disaster.
Water was the first priority, followed by food and shelter. I had to track down some water and food from the remaining supplies — packages and luggage from other passengers. After searching, I found nine bottles of water and ten packs of energy bars and crackers. With this, I could survive for four to five days.
Not worrying too much about water and food for now, I continued searching and found more wooden planks and branches to build a small cottage near some palm trees. I also found a small kitchen knife, which made it easier for me to survive and collect items.
Using some branches to build the frame, I placed palm leaves on top to make the roof. Not wanting to lie on the ground, I used four sticks attached to the frame to make a simple base for a bed. Then, I tied vines that I collected nearby around two opposite sticks that were longer than the others so that I could have a fairly comfortable place to rest my back.
My basic survival needs were now ensured. Then I realized, "This food and water are only temporary. I need to find more permanent sources of water and food on this island."
I started to explore the island. It was enormous — I could even see a chain of mountains far away, and the forest was so dense.
I thought going through the forest would be dangerous, so I decided to walk along the beach instead. As I was searching for additional resources, I spotted something unusual — a sign of human presence. About three kilometers away, I noticed a tall mossy stone building. Thinking carefully, I decided to approach it.
After 30 minutes of walking through the forest, I saw a large structure decorated with many exotic patterns, including symbols that seemed to represent water or the sea. It was a tall, prism-shaped building with a door frame in the center of the first floor but no doors. I didn't know whether I should enter this temple-like structure.
After some consideration, I decided not to go inside because I hadn't secured my basic needs yet. Looking at the carved patterns, I thought they might indicate the presence of water nearby. Walking for 10 more minutes, I found a stream. I followed the direction the stream flowed, and after another 15 minutes, I came across a big river.
Theoretically, there should be human settlements near the river.
Indeed, after walking for more than 30 minutes, I noticed some traces of human civilization — old structures covered in moss. It seemed that this ancient city had collapsed long ago. Many of the houses were destroyed, but a few of them remained partly intact. I discovered a small house with just two rooms. Inside, there was no furniture left, but I found a chamber with a bookshelf. I approached it and looked through the books.
The language was strange — I had never seen anything like it before. It was unlike any language in the world.
One book placed alone on the top of the shelf caught my attention. I picked it up, opened it, and found some pictures of human anatomy — blood vessels, nerves, and muscles. But the book also seemed to explain a breathing technique that could help someone gain mythical power. Seeing how valuable it might be, I put it in my bag. Since it was going to get dark soon, I decided to return to my base.
After two hours, I finally made it back.
I had to prepare everything for the night because the sky was already dim, and I could barely see any sunlight left. I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to make a campfire. It was so cold. After trying for hours to light one, I gave up. Wrapping myself in a blanket, collected from a package, I lay down on my crude bed.
The next morning, I woke up early, mainly because of the discomfort of the bed and the unfamiliar situation. But that didn't stop me from searching for more food sources, like fruits and berries. The island was tropical, and I managed to find a variety of fruit-bearing plants. While exploring the forest near my cottage, I also discovered new types of herbs and a small group of banana-like trees. The "bananas" weren't ripe yet, but they were still edible and contained lots of carbohydrates. (We will call this fruit "bananas," okay?) Picking some bunches of bananas, I returned home, extracted seeds from them, and planted them in the ground near my cottage.
Now that all the basic needs were sufficient, I needed to find a way to escape this hellish island. I thought, "I don't know how far the nearest continent is, so I must build a ship."
To make that possible, I first had to craft tools such as axes. The knife was too worn, and I needed an axe — the most versatile tool. Using a stick, vines, and a sharpened stone (I carved it with another stone), I finally made my first stone axe. I had never imagined that the knowledge I learned from TV could save me one day.
I tested the sharpness of the axe by cutting down a nearby palm tree. Inside its trunk was solid wood — quite different from what I had imagined. I thought I could make a simple raft from these palms, but building a big ship was uncertain. That said, a larger log could be used to make a small boat, which would help me explore the river.
A lot of ideas sprang to my mind, but I was still worried about my unpredictable future.