Waves crash on a forgotten shore. A man peels his face from the pebbled sand and laughs at his unbelievable fortune. He is alive. The last thing he remembers is the rain, and the punching swells against the hull. Then darkness. 

The man rises to his feet. He shades his eyes and surveys the land. Beyond the beach, there is a jungle. Tall, lush canopied trees rise into the distance and he feels some relief. He scours the shoreline looking for wreckage and any supplies from the boat, but he finds nothing.  

Thankfully, his knife sheath is still attached to his waist. He’s not sure how long he was laying like a corpse in the sun, but he knows it’s time to find food and fresh water. 

Grasping the worn leather handle of his knife, he trudges into the jungle. The forest is thick and seems to breathe like a single organism. He peers up at the twisted, gargantuan tree trunks looking for fruits, but finds none. He moves quietly through the jungle, hoping to hear an animal he can hunt, but the only sound he hears is the crashing waves in the distance. After a few hours, he returns to the beach, sits at the tree line, and gazes into the vast blue nothingness. He prays for a passing boat, but the horizon remains empty. 

Two days pass without food, water, or rescue. The man can barely stand. He knows he will die. With his last ounce of strength, he breaks off a loose piece of wood from a tree and carves it with his knife. Remembering a story his mother told him as a child about the She-Camel who was sent by god to save their village from drought, he carves, with precision, the perfect camel. When he’s done, the man lay in the sand clutching the wooden camel, praying for a miracle to save him. 

***

“Wake up, sleepyhead. It’s time to eat.” 

The man stirs. He’s not dead, but he’s not quite alive either. 

“I said wake up sleepyhead. You need to get some food in you, pronto.” 

The man jolts awake, and can’t believe the sight before him. The camel he carved is alive. 

“So are you just going to sit there and gawk or are you going to tell me your name?” says the camel. 

“Am I dead?” asks the man. 

“Not yet, but unless you get something to eat, you will be. Look at yourself, you’re skin and bone.” 

“What are you? Some sort of spirit?” 

“Something like that. I’m Leela.”  

“And you’re alive?” 

“You know what? It might be better to show you how this island really works. Grab another piece of wood from the forest and carve me an apple.” 

The man does as instructed. He finds a broken tree stump and cuts out a knot. He rounds the edges into the shape of an apple and shows it to Leela. 

“Give it a second or two,” she says. 

The man stares at the carving, then something miraculous happens. The ashen wood turns a golden red, and in the palm of his hand, he is holding a real apple. 

“Go on,” says Leela. “Give it a nibble.” 

The man bites into the apple, letting its sweet juice trickle down his throat. It’s the most delicious fruit he’s ever tasted. “How is this possible?” he asks. 

“The trees on this island are special. Anything you make from their trunks and branches will become reality. They can save your life.” 

The man smiles devilishly and eats the rest of the apple before carving another. “Leon,” he says to Leela. “My name is Leon.” 

***

Years pass and Leon becomes industrious. He carves better tools and machinery, which allows him to transform the trees into objects he desires. He builds a large home and furnishes it with opulent chairs, tables, and beds. He sets aside an area of trees for food production. Leela becomes his constant companion, guide and best friend. Leon never thinks of carving a boat and leaving the island. As long as trees stand, you will have all you need, Leela tells him. 

But Leon misses the closeness that can only be experienced by being with other people. It takes many more years and several attempts before he finishes hand-carving his perfect wife. When she comes to life, Leon names her Venus. 

Leon teaches Venus how to carve, and together they carve a daughter named Delilah. Delilah is mischievous, and after learning to carve from her father, she makes many animals and toys to play with. More than she would ever need. Leela warns Leon to be careful as more and more trees are disappearing. 

“Nonsense,” he says. “We have enough trees to last our entire life.” 

Wanting the company of others, Leon and Venus carve friends to enjoy the pleasures of the island with. Their friends carve their own homes and children. More carving machines are made. The island transforms. More homes are constructed and streets are built to connect them.  

Leela pleads with Leon and the residents to stop carving, but no one listens to her. The residents carve a zoo and stick Leela in a cage. 

The island turns into a city swarming with carved creations: a stadium, theaters, amusement parks, and disco clubs. 

It does not take long before the island’s inhabitants realize there are more people than trees. The residents hoard their own trees and carve guns to stop anyone who tries to take them. Chaos and violence ensue. Larger and more destructive weapons are carved. Leon pleads for order. His neighbor kills him and his family for the few reaming trees in his garden. The island consumes itself in war. 

***

All that remains on the island are the skeletons of the dead, and the monuments they carved. An entire civilization lost to its own avarice. Inside her cage, Leela laments for never telling Leon to carve a single seed. 

[Stephen James is an emerging author and engineer who lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In addition to writing stories, he is also a musician who plays guitar and writes original songs with his wife when they are not busy chasing around their two young boys. Stephen is also a winner of Calgary’s Alexandra Writers Center Society Many Voices writing contest. Instagram account: @the.short.word]