I Traveled to a Deserted Island in the North Pacific That Has a Terrifying Secret | Part 1
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$45 upfront payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three-month plan only. Taxes and fees extra. Speeds lower above 40 gigabytes. See details. This podcast brought to you by Ring. With Ring cameras, you can check on your pets to catch them in the act. Izzy, drop that. Or just keep them company. Home soon. Make sure they're okay while you're away. With Ring. Learn more at ring.com slash pets. It was supposed to be just me and Shay. Like a normal honeymoon is meant to be taken.

However, when Alice and David suggested a double couples retreat, me and my new wife thought it was a great idea. The pros did far outweigh the cons. We all got along well, and merging our expenses offered a slight financial relief. All in all, we agreed that if the gathering began feeling more like a crowd, there was always the option of escaping back to our own suites. The only problem was Russell.

We couldn't exclude our last friend and make him feel like even more of an outcast in the midst of his late bachelor stage. So, in the end, all five of us arrived at the harbor on that chilly Friday morning, ready to set sail on the cruise of a lifetime. Like filthy commoners amongst classy individuals, our bags were packed to the brim with alcohol and a variety of chips and candy.

Many reviews online warned about a costly snack bar with overly priced drinks, and we weren't seeking to accumulate unnecessary debts. It was already a lavish outing. There was no need to spend more to the excess. Our destination was along the coast of California, stretching beyond the channeling islands that most tourists seasonally flocked to. There was a designated route with a few scheduled stops on aisles around the Northern Pacific.

All of this fit into a trip duration of just over two weeks. We boarded the ship around noon, and I found the initial departure very peculiar, though I had never been on a cruise liner before, so I didn't really know what to expect. What surprised me was the fact that the Coastal Service escorted our vessel from the port onto the open waters. The crew told me it was for navigational purposes. It was smooth sailing from there on.

and the five of us watched in awe as land slowly faded from the horizon. Russell was ecstatic and immediately went astray when he spotted single ladies lounging around the pool deck. His delightful reaction immediately set me at ease because I was fearing that he might mope around as a double third wheel. David and Alice also went off on their own for the first few hours after boarding, while Shay and I got ourselves acquainted with the slot machines on the second floor of the ship.

Luckily, it was off-season, so in addition to being a large vessel, it also wasn't too crowded in any of the activity rooms. We all met back up the following morning over an all-inclusive breakfast in the dining hall. "There's a whole lot of shore excursions we could sign up for," Alice commented as she squeezed a lemon slice into her water. She gestured her head towards the reception area, indicating to a line of passengers supposedly waiting to enlist.

Then she slipped a brochure across the table. "I'm already pushing my phobia of the water to the max. Doubt it's going to allow for snorkeling adventures, but I'll be happy for an aerial tour." Shay flipped through the vertical pages before handing it off to me. "The aerial tour was only scheduled for the end of the week, when the ship was set to dock in the port of an unmarked island. Heights were a phobia of my own, but I wasn't going to deprive my wife of her adventure."

Thus, I made my way to the sign-up desk after receiving verification from everyone, and I put all of our names down for a helicopter tour around the remote island. The rest of the week went by in a haze. I was beyond impressed with the numerous events taking place around the ship at every hour. From karaoke nights to silly murder mystery games, every crew member and passenger alike had something fun to do at all times.

At every port stop, the ship offered a little destination seminar where they listed historical landmarks and other tourist attractions on the island. During the information dumps, they would hand out more brochures of local customs and cuisines. "My bag is basically full of these shitty pamphlets by now," Russell told us the night before our scheduled stop. We were sitting in the gallery, an expansive dining hall on the uppermost section of the ship.

He trashed a handful of papers into a bin before disappearing into the Lido deck across from us. Soon thereafter, an announcement came through detailing the time of our arrival at the next island. I could feel my nerves swell with the idea of our aerial tour, and that anxiety kept me up for the majority of the night. But I tried my best to shove aside any fears when the ship pulled into port early the next morning.

distinct from every other place we visited thus far. This one was beyond scenic. It was pure forest from the coast to the center, and it seemed like there was barely any civilization tainting the landscape. "This is amazing!" David fell into step beside me as we crossed the gangway onto solid land. I flashed him a smile in turn, adjusted the strap of my backpack across my shoulder, and observed the overhead sign welcoming us onto the island.

There was no indication of a destination name, nor were there any seminars or basic info given about the place. We followed the rest of the passengers into the very miniature town that only consisted of a large storage facility and a family-owned diner. There really was nothing else to it. "The helicopter landing zone should be down that way." Shay nudged my shoulder as we approached the diner and headed to a dirt path leading into the forest.

There was a handwritten board signaling aerial tours, along with a skewed arrow pointing down the direction of an overgrown trail. Apart from that, there really didn't seem to be much to do on this nearly deserted island. Most of the time passengers rushed to the docks upon previous ports, but this time the majority of people didn't even bother getting off the ship.

Instead, most of them remained on board, enjoying the ship's activities while only a handful of people took the opportunity to stroll along the shoreline. "No helicopter rides today, I'm afraid. Our pilot is as sick as a dog." The local lady working the front counter of the diner quickly intercepted us when she overheard our conversation. I felt a heavy weight lift from my chest, relieved that I wouldn't have to face my fear of heights.

Though, I tried to look displeased in the face of my disappointed friends. "Damn it!" Russell mockingly exclaimed. Heights weren't exactly his thing either, and we all knew he would rather sit his ass on the beach while drinking away our alcohol supply. "You can hike that trail all the same, just follow the waymarks. There's still a beautiful waterfall and clear beaches to enjoy." The clerk continued to offer, as she fixed up our order of morning caffeine.

something we all desperately needed to soothe our pounding hangovers. I stole a glimpse at Shay from the corner of my eye in an attempt to gauge her reaction to the news. One thing she hated more than large bodies of water was crude nature. That was the whole reason we settled on a cruise trip, even though I would have much rather went on a safari somewhere in Africa. The reason for Shay's hatred for wilderness stemmed from her childhood.

Her parents were of Navajo descent and overly superstitious in their customs and beliefs. She once told me that during full moon nights, they would lock every door in the house, both exterior and interior. Her parents bolted the windows shut with the makeshift slabs of wood that were installed on the window frames and demanded silence from herself and her younger brother. If they dare make a sound, her parents would threaten them with mythical creatures originating from their traditional folklore.

Sometimes, Shay claims that they could actually hear footsteps prowling outside their bedroom windows. Oftentimes, the footsteps were accompanied by a sinister growl that sounded like a human imitating a beast. Though, she could never be sure if it was real or if it was just her parents putting in extra effort to scare them into respecting their outlandish ceremonies.

Beyond those basics, Shay never spoke much about them nor about her earlier childhood years. But she often expressed her desire to completely renounce her roots entirely. As any supporting partner would, I never interrogated her on a past she clearly wanted to forget about. However, I had a feeling she was nervous about hiking a route in an unknown forest due to this deeply embedded fear.

We don't have to do that. I subtly placed a comforting hand to her shoulder, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. The ship is docked for the day. Are we going to sit in the diner for the next twelve hours? Russell protested, and Alice concurred with his complaint. David didn't offer his vote on the matter, though that was simply in his character. He was always the nonchalant and stoic man of few words. A hike sounds fun, Shay shrugged.

and I was the only one to notice the underlying reluctance in her voice. I didn't object, and we strayed from the subject while finishing our coffee. By the time we gathered near the path's entrance, another woman approached us. It was a middle-aged lady donning her years with grace, and I assumed she was a fellow passenger. Her infant daughter was saddled on her right hip. "Mind if we join you guys?"

She directed the question to Russell, who evidently acquainted himself with just about every female on board the cruise ship. "Sure, the more the merrier," Shay was the one to answer, and we all echoed her welcoming demeanor by making quick introductions. "The island was so tiny that it wasn't even indicated on any of my paper maps. I also couldn't look it up on Google, because there was obviously no phone signal available out there.

With my extremely limited geographical knowledge, I figured it was likely situated between Hawaii and an island I recall seeing further down south, the name of which eluded me. Despite the isle seeming too insignificant to even be named, it was actually fairly large. The forest stretched for miles, and once we began walking, those miles only broadened.

Russell gathered up a discarded tree branch and plunged the end of it into the ground with every step he took. "This is the most underwhelming stop yet. I wonder if there's anything to see other than a waterfall. If not, we can just enjoy the beach," David offered. It was looking to be a promising day, regardless of it being overly uneventful. Russell led the way, with me and David following in tow.

Shay and Alice trailed behind while cooing over the mother who introduced herself as Roxanna, and her toddler named Isabella. Each time I looked back, her baby was shifted into a different pair of arms, first cradled in Shay's grasp, then passed on to Alice, who playfully bounced the toddler into the air. It was a pleasant day and everyone, apart from Russell perhaps, was enjoying the hike.

Within no time, we reached the disappointing waterfall, if it could even be called such. It was merely a river with a slightly elevated rock formation, giving the illusion of a very nanoscopic cliff. We all silently basked in the sight of the water that pathetically drizzled down into a gentle stream. Amazing, Russell was the first to comment. So, the nearest beach is probably that way.

He pointed his makeshift walking stick into a random direction before setting off. We all followed in mutual disapproval of the supposed waterfall. I can't recall how long we walked for, but it was probably a good hour before we reached a picturesque cove surrounded by large rocky mountains. The area was partially dunes that converged with the forest outskirts.

After all the beaches we had visited, I don't think any of us appreciated just how truly that little nook was. Undoubtedly a masterpiece carved by nature. David quickly started setting up umbrellas and towels, all the while checking his watch for the time in between every task. The ship leaves at nine, so we've got to get back around six just to be safe.

"It's only a quarter to ten in the morning now. Don't be so paranoid." Russell settled back onto a towel with his cooler at hand before he uncorked a beer, the first of many more which followed. His skin was already overly tanned after only a week at sea, and his dusty blonde hair seemed bleached by the sunlight.

The women kept mostly to themselves under the shade David had set up for them, although I noticed Shay glancing towards the surrounding tree lines with a hint of angst reflecting in her gaze. "Anyone keen for a cider?" Russell offered shortly after he finished his drink, which gave a good inclination to how the day was going to go down. All of us indulged ourselves, except for Shay and Roxanna. David never acted out.

I've always known him as a stoic and rather stiff guy, even from childhood. I had only ever seen Alice evoke genuine laughter from him because he was just that withdrawn and composed. Yet, about an hour into our little fiasco, I barely recognized the man in front of me. He stumbled after Alice into the water, both of them laughing erratically as the tide washed over their ankles, and the two of them proceeded to dance to music that only they seemed to hear.

Russell snorted back his own laughter when he noticed me watching after them with a dumbfounded expression. Then he leaned forward and whispered, "'Promise you won't tell on me.' Those words could only mean something bad. "'What did you do?' The question barely left my lips before he tossed me the container of snacks David and Alice had been nibbling on. There was a torn open bag of gummy bears that gave off an oddly uncharacteristic and sickly sweet smell. "'We're supposed to be having fun, right?'

Russell popped one of the jellies into his mouth and washed it down with a shot of vodka. That's absolutely not okay. I shook my head in disgust and threw the bag of candy back at him. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to drug people like that. Well, they should have known better than to snack for my stash. Russell tucked his lunchbox into his backpack and pulled himself to his feet. I need to take a leak.

He proceeded to walk back into the forest, and Shay quickly claimed his vacant spot next to me. She had the young toddler in her arms and wiggled her eyebrows at me playfully. "Pineus, I want one of these." I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Roxanne seemed fast asleep on the layers of towels placed a few feet from us, and I could only hope she didn't eat anything offered by Russell.

I considered how strange it was for a single mother to be so comfortable with strangers babysitting her daughter while she stole a quick nap. But I suppose she saw us around the ship and formed a decent enough impression of us all. Shay and Alice were acting protective on the hike there, also that likely cemented a sense of trust. "Maybe one day," I promised my wife and gave the baby's tiny hand a gentle squeeze. Everything leading up to that moment felt perfect.

My two best friends were dancing in the ocean waves, high off their rocks, but joyous all the same. I had this beautiful woman beside me, and I still couldn't comprehend the fact that she was now my wife. Our lives were mirrored in that split second, settled down happily with a promising future ahead of us. I should have known that nothing ever remains so eminently blissful.

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I was the first one to wake when the horn of the ship echoed through the night sky, signaling its departure. "Russell!" I called out in a drowsy haze. "Russell, you fucking idiot!" I fought the fatigue that clung to every muscle of my body. It was like my mind was on high alert and aware of our urgent predicament. Yet my limbs refused the commands from my brain. There was no precise indication of time,

but it was dark and without a doubt far past the boarding hour. The cheerful daylight was replaced by an evening ambience, with the most prominent sound being the waves crashing against the shore. I couldn't recall at what point I fell asleep, nor could I remember even feeling tired. I figured it must have been the drinks, or I unknowingly ate something infused with cannabis. The possibility infuriated me, and I squinted my eyes in search of Russell,

Yet my memory failed me again. I couldn't remember him returning from his piss in the forest. With a colossal, pounding ache in my head, I struggled to pull myself upright. The heaviness confirmed that it was no ordinary hangover. Shay roused from her slumber beside me, and I frantically called her name. "Shay! We have to get back! We're going to miss the ship!" My voice was trembling with sheer panic as I tried to gather up our bags.

Shay immediately responded by demonstrating her swift ability to sit up straight, but she appeared equally groggy. I suppose she got the lesser dose of Russell's spiked picnic. I scanned around the area, my vision guided by only the dim moonlight. Russell was definitely nowhere in sight. Alice and David were passed out cold next to Roxanne, and her baby was gone. "Russell! Isabella!" David's voice echoed through the forest.

He braved the darkness alone, equipped with only a tiny keychain flashlight while the rest of us were still scattered near the shore. I stood on the forest border and repeated a call after him. "Russell!" The evening was barely moonlit. The faint illumination only reached the enclave. And even with the aid of the glowing night sky, the surrounding cliffs still shrouded our cove in an eerie shadow.

The darkest shade of black covered the heavens. There was not even a star in sight, despite our remote location. Past the trees, the shadows seemed impenetrable. Merely a step into the encircled forest rendered me completely disoriented, and for that reason, I thought it was wiser to stay with the women. With my poor eyesight unwilling to cooperate in the poor lighting, I had little choice but to place all faith in David to scout the surrounding woodland.

"It's alright. Russell probably has her and they went back to port," Shay tried to comfort the wailing mother. Roxanne freaked out and wanted nothing more than to rush into the forest unattended, but we had to stop her to avoid another one of us getting lost. Alice completely succumbed to the sudden chaos that her trip had erupted into, for she sat on the beach clutching her towels in the fetal position.

Moments earlier, she kept asking if we were stranded and when nobody could answer accordingly, she had a momentary meltdown. Though, her tears dried up quickly and she settled into a mute, zombie-like state. The heedless panic was only augmented by the two lost members of our group. "It's going to be alright. Russell has probably passed out somewhere from the alcohol and weed," I tried to offer, but my attempt was pitiful.

Then I remembered the missing toddler and quickly rephrased my speculation. "Or it's also possible that Russell wasn't thinking straight and went back to town with Isabella. Maybe they're on the ship right now. Let's just try and stay calm." Despite my effort, my theories were distressing and I rightfully should have just shut my mouth. There were no words to bring solace to the situation. A foreboding atmosphere clung to the air and it weighed down on my chest.

I was sure the others felt the same way. Nothing but the distant sounds of crashing waves accompanied our voices, and I attempted to at least call my own inner turmoil by thinking of the busy docks. We weren't stranded. Ships came by all the time. Nor could Russell and the baby be missing. Surely the island was small enough to allow their discovery in no time.

David stumbled back onto the beach and quickly pulled me aside. Sweat glistened on his face as he spoke up in a loud whisper. "I say we all head back and get some real help. I think we should stay here just in case." I suggested with an unspoken agreement to his plan, and David only stared at me in response. He parted his lips to speak, but nothing came of it. If David's confidence was dwindling and the only unruffled person in our group was starting to worry,

Then that confirmed how dire the situation truly was. "Are you sure?" David finally asked, and I nodded my head in resolution. It made sense at the time. If Russell was passed out in a bush somewhere, then he would likely thread back to our spot. It would only have caused needless diversion to not have someone waiting here. "I think this ship has already left," I admitted under my breath. "Get the women to the diner and bring back anyone willing to help search."

"We could all just go. It won't take long. We'll fetch some locals to help and get better equipment," David gestured to his pathetic little torch. He was right, of course. We came out there prepared for a day in the sun, not an overnight camping trip in the wilderness. Then again, we also weren't the cast of a horror movie. I saw no reason for us not to split up, especially considering that our friend was likely unconscious nearby. "I'll stay.

"Okay," David submitted, and shoved a pocket knife into my hand. Then he warned me with a stern look. "Do not go into the forest, okay? We won't be long." Without wasting any more time, we gathered up the women and relayed the plan, to which Shay immediately objected. "If you stay, then I'll stay too." "No, Shay. Just go with David. You can come back with help. I just have to stay put in case Russell drags his sorry ass back here."

Shay scouted me while David thinned his lips and gave me a look that betrayed his undisclosed apprehension. There was some more back and forth, but the plan ultimately stayed the same. Soon enough, the four of them started the hike back and I found myself abruptly besieged by silence. Upon their departure, the air instantly shifted. Even the ocean waves no longer made any noise, but I attributed it to my mind adjusting to the fact that I was now alone.

"Russell!" I called out loud, both contributing to the objective and attempting to combat the unsettling stillness. I paced up and down a few times, trying to calculate how long it would actually take David and the ladies to reach the harbor. A noise disrupted my assessment. It took a second for me to discern what I was hearing, and the realization stripped away every ounce of precaution I avowed to. I bolted straight into the forest blindly, pursuing the sound of a baby crying.

As the noise became more prominent, I ventured even deeper into the forest against my better judgment. It was so dark, I could scarcely make out my own hand in front of my face, but I suppose my eyes adjusted well enough to distinguish any obstacles in my path. I checked the bed of every tree, guided by pure instinct, until I reached a small clearing and the crying instantly ceased. The silence that resumed forced a painful shiver down my spine.

There was a section of forest straight ahead of me, occupied by an odd-looking silhouette. I squinted my eyes, straining but able to make out the shape of a man sitting on the ground, his head bowed and his limbs drawn into his torso. "Russell," I whispered, feeling oddly nervous about infiltrating the dominant silence. At first, there was no reaction, then the man glared up at me with deep red eyes.

The sinister gaze bore into me and carried an ancient wisdom: the man wasn't my friend. In fact, it was hardly a man. The lips of the nude individual cracked open to reveal crooked, chipped teeth. Even though I saw this person right in front of me, I had the sense of being watched from every other direction, paralyzed by fear. I slowly forced my legs to step back just as the man emitted a spine-chilling screech that pierced through my eardrums.

The sound distorted and morphed into that of a baby crying. The creature lunged backward and darted away on all four legs, disappearing before I could even properly see what it was. The crying persisted as I found my senses and I sprinted into the direction I came from. During my escape, another jarring and unfamiliar voice yelled out by calling my name. Then there were three people calling out and trying to lure me to them. The reverberating echoes dissipated into the night.

"Peteus!" "Peteus!"

I contemplated responding, especially considering what I had just witnessed. The choice was made for me when I heard my name called again, and this time I noticed something very off about it. The cry was accompanied by a strange reiteration, like the growl of an animal intertwined with Russell's voice. Whoever or whatever I encountered was trying to imitate both vocals from Russell and the baby.

I've always been a skeptic, but some sense arised in the concept of spiritual ideologies. I thought of Shay and her devoutly traditional parents. I never asked any questions, but I did do some digging on the matter. The Navajo people had some pretty terrifying creatures embedded in their folklore, and what I saw reminded me of the pictures that came up on one of my Google searches, although we weren't on or near any native lands.

"Phineas!" That cry sounded like Shay, which affirmed that the entity was probably mocking me. I sunk down into a seated position and cupped my hands over my ears. My mind fought back against the absurdity of what I'd seen, and I came to the conclusion that I had to be dreaming. That was until I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

With reflexes I didn't know I possessed, I pulled David's pocket knife from my trousers and lashed out to the shadow of a man hovering over me. "Fucking hell, Phineas!" David jumped back, but the blade already connected with his flesh and slashed a deep cut into his forearm. The three women stood back, gaping at me like I was some kind of wild animal. "I'm so sorry!" I pulled back, feeling terrible for lashing out while Shay slowly came up to me.

She placed her hands on my cheeks and turned my face towards the moonlight, examining my expression. Her own face was stained with tear lines. "We can't find the way back. We can't even find the waterfall route," she reported and stepped aside, still watching me with a hint of unease. Was I imagining it? Or was her wariness towards me? David weighed in on her words, speaking in between audible recoils as Alice tended to his wound by tying a face cloth around his arm.

"I know the waterfall is the halfway mark, but in the dark, the entire hiking trail is shifted like a confusing maze." Roxanne whimpered frantically in the background. Her nerves obviously depleted. "What are we gonna do? Are we just going to wait here?" Nobody answered her. Nobody had the heart to. It was cruel and completely immutable. "What else could we do?"

split off into the forest and just end up lost as well. What kind of help would that have been to Isabella or Russell? "How well do you know your friend? What if this is all some kind of sick prank of his? If he was feeding you spiked food without your knowledge, then I wouldn't put it past him." Roxanne was getting angry now, and I understood her argument. Russell didn't make the best first impression, but he wouldn't have played a joke so dangerous and then prolonged it for hours.

Alice began explaining just as much, consistently seeking to keep Roxanne at relative ease. "David!" I beckoned him over after Alice was done nursing his injury. Understandably, he wavered before following me a distance away from the women. "I saw something. I don't know what to do, but we can't stay here." I couldn't decipher his reaction to my statement, and he couldn't even look at me as I spoke.

After tugging on his makeshift bandage, he approached me and retrieved the pocket knife still clutched in my hand. I let go of the knife, but I would be lying if I claimed not to have been offended. Had he simply asked for it, I would have handed the weapon back to him, like the others. He was looking at me like I had lost my damn mind. Worse yet, at that point I hadn't even told them of what I saw. "'What did you see?' David asked as he folded the knife into his shirt pocket."

A heavy sigh escaped my lips. I didn't want to think back on the image of that man, but I formulated the description nonetheless. "A man in the forest. He was acting really weird, crawling on his hands and feet like a feral dog. And his eyes… You went into the forest? Were you calling after us?" David interrupted me. The accusation in his tone was palpable. That thing must have been toying with them as well by mimicking my voice.

"No, David. That was the man thing. He did the same to me." After the words left my mouth, I finally regained some perception. There was no denying that I acted and sounded completely insane. But all things considered, David actually didn't seem to be in disbelief of my story. "We're gonna have to wait here. I can't navigate the way back while it's so dark, but I'll keep searching the surrounding forest." He blatantly changed the subject by setting out his plan, and I shook my head rapidly.

I was just about to protest by reminding him of what I saw when a yell sounded off from the tree lines. My gaze immediately darted to the women, who also remained frozen after hearing the unnerving howl. Then it came again in the form of a low and almost inaudible. The whole ambience on the beach went silent in accordance with the disembodied yell, just like everything had gone quiet when I was alone and heard the baby crying. David, help!

It sounded like Russell, but much like before, there was something terribly wrong with his tone. It seemed we all noticed the discrepancy, because nobody answered his call. I turned to look at David and could distinguish even in the pitch dark that his face was suddenly devoid of color. I eventually caved and began moving towards the mouth of the forest, stopping just short of entering. The cries continued on, reaching our ears in a haunting whisper.

It was hard to tell, but from where I stood, it sounded like the voice came from behind a tree directly in front of me. With great difficulty, I stifled my nerves and stepped closer, trying to steal a peek past the trunk. The air was tense, the darkness foreboding, and I felt everyone behind me hold their breath in sheer anticipation. At one point, the cries for help faded away, but I couldn't remember exactly when they did.

That's one major thing I struggled with for years afterward. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't remember if the voice went silent before or after I spotted Russell. It possibly persisted long after my eyes landed on him. The moon seemed to spotlight on him, as if to cruelly emphasize on the discovery by giving me a clear view of only the spot on which he laid.

His body was covered in dirt, his eyes were sunken into his skull, and maggots swarmed from his mouth, gaping wide open.