Escape from Dominatrix Island

Lying awake in panic, I tried to rationalize that the men coming to the island, the guests, this was their private business, and they would have no interest in any sort of rescue operation drawing unnecessary attention to them. They would simply instruct their pilots to ignore the signal. Besides, I had pressed the button early in the morning. Some other party must have intercepted the signal and be putting together a rescue crew. They might possibly show up tomorrow.

Several days passed. My body was getting badly sunburned and I tried to stay in what little shade I could find. I was starting to get low on water and had improvised a rain catchment system using the overcoat to funnel water from brief morning rains into one of the empty water jugs. The water tasted nasty, and I suspected it was the dried salt water from when I was smashed by the waves on my trek here. It would take a strong rain to rinse that out.

I had also taken to rationing the energy bars. My feet were healing pretty well and I felt amazingly strong. Perhaps later in the day I would go down the stairs to the base of the cliff and look for some fish or other creatures that got trapped behind some rocks when the tide went out.

Although the red button for what I thought was an emergency distress signal was still flashing, I wasn't sure it was doing anything else. I had no way of knowing how far the nearest mainland or inhabited island was that might send out someone to investigate.

There had been plenty of time to figure out a plan to sabotage the lighthouse. I had tried smashing the padlock on the gate with a large rock and had no luck. However, the bolts on the gate hinges were rusty and could be broken, after hours of pounding with a rock until my hands were raw. I knew that eventually I could get in, climb the light tower like a ladder and cover the beacon with the overcoat.

Late in the day I heard the low blast of an air horn from a boat, and it sounded close by. A rescue party had arrived at last! The air horn sounded a few more times and when I made it to the top of the stairs I saw a wide stubby boat slowly coming in towards the dock. It looked like a tug or small fishing boat without any nets, and I assumed it was the lighthouse tender coming in to check the emergency transponder.

Someone was standing in the shadows under the overhang of the wheelhouse roof, wearing a long dark coat and it looked as though they were scanning the top of the cliffs with a pair of binoculars.

I saw them give a hand signal and someone came out the side door of the wheelhouse to take the binoculars. Although I couldn't see their face clearly, I recognized their gleaming silver clothing and long blonde hair. Looking up at me through the binoculars was Loredana.

Thanks for reading.