After hours of searching every nook and cranny of the island, Lady Bestie and I finally break through the thick, twisted treeline and step back out onto the open shore.
The moment my boots hit the beach, I sprint away from the trees, running onto the hot sand. I instantly start frantically shaking out my clothes and wiping my arms with my sleeves. "Ugh, so many insects! Oh my god!"
"Oh dear, why are you so disgusted by them?" Lady Bestie asks, walking out of the jungle with an effortless, regal grace. "They are just living their lives peacefully."
"No, it's not their fault, I know I'm the one who invaded their house!" I huff, shuddering one last time. "But I am never coming back to this island again!"
She smiles gently at my dramatic reaction. Then, with a simple blink of her glowing eyes, a familiar object materializes right out of thin air in front of me. My backpack thuds softly onto the sand.
"How about you get changed, then?" she suggests.
