The Island of Ghosts

by

Gulnar Qurbanova

"The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of because words make them smaller. When they were in your head they were limitless; but when they come out they seem to be no bigger than normal things. But that's not all. The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried; they are clues that could guide your enemies to a prize they would love to steal. It's hard and painful for you to talk about these things...and then people just look at you strangely. They haven't understood what you've said at all, or why you almost cried while you were saying it."

             -Stephen King

Life is meaningless at all, but we tried to make our life interesting by doing different things and didn't know where these things would take us.

We were 4 friends, Denney, Bill, Tom, and me, Jim. I was the oldest. We used to spend time together by drinking, playing, doing dangerous things and were always scolded by our parents. This time our target was flying over the ocean by hot air balloon. From the balloon the view of the world looks different as if the world only consists of the ocean. There was a profound silence over the ocean. We were crying, yelling, didn't care what would happen at the end of our adventure, but it was brief happiness, it didn't last long. Instantly, the balloon began shaking. There was no storm in the ocean and they were wondering about why the balloon was shaking. The reason was unknown. Perhaps the gas was going to decrease. We threw ourselves in the ocean. Luckily, three of us were good swimmers, but one of us, Denney, couldn't swim. He was drowning. I grabbed him trying to save his life. He became unconscious with fright. It was very hard to carry an unconscious person in the water. We were swimming side by side. I got very tired, but didn't want to leave my friend in the ocean. I felt that I was out of strength and was drowning down towards the infinite depths of the ocean.

In 10 minutes we were on an island and we didn't know from where this island appeared. I put my head in my arms and drowned inside my sadness. The youngest member of our group, Tom, sat in this position the whole day rocking himself back and forth. He was talking to himself. We were all overcome with fright and sadness.

There was a deadly silence on the island. Only our whispers were filling that silence. We couldn't silence the voices speaking inside of us.

The next morning Tom was found lying on the bank dead. There was scratched "REVENGE" with big letters on the bank. We guessed that he had thrown himself into the ocean and the waves pulled him back to the bank. After Tom's death, we began to feel threatened and worried about our own survival. We had no way to escape from the island. We decided to have a look around the island. Fortunately, there were a lot of fruit trees. We couldn't find a shelter, so we spent the second night under the tree. It was a late night when we woke up with alarm.There was a strange voice around the island. We couldn't close eyes on that night. The next morning we decided to build a shelter for us. While walking we discovered footprints. We followed them. The island was big enough. We found a shipwreck on one side of the island. The ship had rust. Maybe this accident had happened many years ago. It was too late to return back so we slept near the ship, but this time the noises in the darkness were as loud as to make us deaf. Needless to say, the sounds came from the ship. The sleepless night made us more tired. Early in the morning when we saw each other we were afraid. We became older with white hair in one night. There was something strange on the island. If we couldn't find escape, definitely death would take our life from us. Suddenly I realized that I had heard about this island. It was called, "The Island of Ghosts" and no one could escape from this island. All of the people who were here had killed themselves. Now Tom's death was clear. The ghosts talked him into death. When I heard this story I hadn't believed this, but now I was inside this story. There were the ghosts of the people who died on the shipwreck. We didn't want to waste time. We rushed to do something for escaping. We made a raft and pushed it into the ocean, but we couldn't go far as if there was an invisible wall and our raft couldn't cross the wall. The ghosts were angry with us. They wanted one more sacrifice again. We had to return back. We were hopeless. I went to sleep when it was daybreak. When I woke up Bill wasn't beside me. I could hardly believe my eyes. He had choked himself from the branch of the tree.

There was a question in my mind. Why were the ghosts angry with us? Maybe they were not comfortable or were vengeful. I run towards the ship. Half of the ship was under the ocean. I wanted to check it. I tried twice, but couldn't hold my breath anymore under the water. Thrice I saw a figure under the water. I followed him and found the door of the ship easily. I picked up the bones of the dead people from the ship and buried them on the island. After finishing this work I thought it was time to go. I wasn't far from the bank when that figure who showed me the right way was standing on the bank gazing at me. It was the ghost of Denney who I couldn't save.

The Bad Game of the Tale

by

Xatire Aliyeva

My name is Xatire. I am 24. I live on an island. You can ask why. If it is interesting for you, I can retell my story for you.

Ten years ago one summer day I went sightseeing with my family by ship. It was a sunny and wonderful day. The weather was very good. Our ship sailed on the sea, we sat on the deck and was looking around. We were enjoying it, but suddenly everything changed. The storm began at the sea. It was very strong. We didn't know what to do. We were in the middle of the sea in such stormy weather. It was very terrible.

At that moment, I fell into the sea. I couldn't swim. I began to struggle against death. I didn't want to die so. I was unconscience, I didn't know what happened. I can't remember. I don't know how much time passed, but suddenly I came around and saw that I am on the bank of the sea. First I didn't understand what happened. Where am I? Where is here? Then I understood everything. When I was under the sea, a strong wind brought me here. I don't know how long I was unconscious. Then I don't know where is my family, how was their tale. It seems that I will never know. It is terrible for me because I am alone. There is nobody here. There are many plants, trees, birds, and animals, but there are no people. Only I.

I made a little home from the trees. It was very little and uncomfortable, but I have no other way. I am obliged.

Every day I woke up, eat fruits, and go for a walk on the island. Then if I want, I go fishing because fish is my main food. It is my life on an island. It is not interesting, opposite it is very boring, but I got accustomed. I don't know how long I will stay here, I'll find an escape. I am waiting patiently for that day. If that day will ever come. 

The Kindness of Maria

by

Xatire Aliyeva

Today Maria woke up and she felt very happy because today international women's day and she had a present for her mother. She washed up her hands and face then went to do breakfast. She saw her mother and said, "Good morning mother, happy holiday my dear. I wish you happy and healthy days with us." Then she gave her present. Mother said, "Oh my dear, you are very polite. Thank you, my lovely baby. I love you very much."

Then the telephone rang. It was Maria's grandmother. She asked to Maria to come to see her. Maria agreed and she went to her grandmother.

On the way, she saw her cousin. She said, "Hi Maria, I am going to the market. Please go with me." Mariya answered, "I would like, but I must go to my grandmother. She is waiting for me." Her cousin said, "It will not take you a long time." Maria agreed and they went to the market together.

In the evening when it was 8 o'clock, Maria's mother was very anxious because she did not come back from her grandmother. Mother called to her and asked about Maria, but grandmother said that Maria hasn't come to me. I thought she was at home. At that moment, mother didn't know what to do, how to look for Maria. She wanted to call the police.

Now, there was a knock at the door. Mother opened the door and saw Maria. She embraced her and asked, "Oh my daughter, where have you been since afternoon?" Maria began to tell her story: "Mother, when I was going to grandma, I saw Jane on the way. She was going to the market and asked me to go with her. When we were going we saw an old woman. She had many paper bags in her hand. They were very heavy and she couldn't carry them. We came up to her and helped to carry bags. Then we reached her home. We decided to stay and help her with housework. She was very happy because she lives alone, no one helps her do housework. She thanked us and we returned home. All day we were busy there."

Mother also thanked her daughter. When Maria was sleeping at night she was very glad because during holiday she made an old, lonely woman happy.

The Boat

The Boat

by

Gulnar Gurbanova

(This Story is Told by the Boat)

The sea was quiet and the gentle breeze was blowing. From behind the sea the sun was peering out from the distant horizon. I was not far from the sea. The wind was splashing water on me, but the sea seemed weird to me on that day as if it was threatening with its little waves. I had been made by an old fisherman and that fisherman was my owner. Most of our journeys were successful. My owner pushed me toward the sea. My journey today was about to begin. In 10 minutes we were far from the bank. My owner began to fish. I felt that the anger of the sea was growing as if it didn't want someone to touch the life contained within its waters. In a few minutes the weather changed and a terrible storm began in the sea. During my two years I hadn't seen such terrible weather. Huge waves began to shake me and tried to turn me on one end as if the sea wanted to engulf us for satisfying its hunger. It lasted about half an hour. When I came around I was far from the bank. It was silence, there was no storm, no waves. A huge wave had hit me to the cliff and I didn't know how long I stayed unconscious. I was seriously injured. Whats worse, I was alone in the middle of the sea. I blamed myself for not being able to save my owner's life. I began to grieve and drift away lost in my solitude. Suddenly, a loud voice of a flock of seagulls above the sea destroyed the silence of the sea, but one of them was a long way behind the flock. It didn't fly properly. There was something wrong with its wings. It was about to fall down, but this time I didn't fail. The seagull found itself in the boat. It was very weak and ill. Although I was injured as well, I had already forgotten my pains because I wasn't alone in the sea. I was very talkative, but the seagull kept speaking a little and sometimes pretended to sleep. Apparently, I wasn't interesting for the seagull. The seagull was very selfish. It was thinking only about itself and knew that the end of the boat's life was coming. So the seagull had to do something for reviving. The boat knew that the seagull needed the food. He had an idea. For getting the food, the seagull had to make a hole in one corner of the boat. The seagull was very weak and didn't want to put herself in suffering, but it had no way and began picking the boats one side. It was a terrible, aching feeling so the boat clenched it's wooden teeth trying not to cry. When the seagull finished it's work, the water began to run into the boat through the hole. A few fish appeared in the boat and the seagull ate them greedily, but it wasn't enough for its recovering. She needed more. This time the seagull's suggestion was more dangerous for the boat. The boat had to bend its one side into the water so more water would run into the boat and the seagull could catch more fish. The boat knew that it was the end of its life. The boat bent its one side into the water and the water began to run into the boat quickly. The seagull tried to catch more fish and fly away. The seagull got its strength and in one attempt it was in the sky. Only the top of the boat was seeing. It had a few seconds to watch the seagull flying in the sky, but the seagull didn't look back. It had already forgotten the boat.

Dog Dreams

Dog Dreams

by

Gulnar Gurbanova

He was wide awake when the clock struck 10. Sike couldn't sleep the whole night. Yesterday he made a plan and it was time to make it well. Sike was a clumsy, undersized for his age. He had a different character and usually shut himself in his room thinking his own world. He hated dogs. His new plan was about dogs. When he saw dogs he hurt them. Suddenly, he felt strange. Sike touched his ears, nose, and mouth. They were different. He tried to cry, but he couldn't. Instead of crying, he barked and howled. Then appeared a tail on his back. He ran towards the mirror and when he saw himself in the mirror he was in shock. Sike couldn't believe his own eyes. He became a dog. Sike left home. He didn't want his parents to see him in the shape of a dog. He roamed around the streets. He felt hungry, but Sike couldn't find food. He watched other dogs. They were fighting for the food. Sike thought that if he didn't join them he would die. But Sike was inexperienced in that he never been a dog and he had never felt like a dog. But he had to struggle for staying alive. He got the food at the same time he broke his leg. His leg was aching terribly. The night was falling, he had to find shelter for himself. He stood up and began to pull his back leg from under him. He found a shelter, it was a comfortable place for resting. As he sat there, he heard other dogs barking. He understood that this place belonged to other dogs. He left the shelter with desperation. He decided to go back home. Suddenly Sike met a gang of boys on his way home. They wanted to catch him. They carried a bottle and club with themselves. He knew that if they catch him they will hurt him. He was gasping, trembling because of terror. His heart was beating loudly. His own voice awakened him. It was a dream. That dream destroyed his plans and changed his mind. He understood that he must not hurt dogs.

An Eagle's View

An Eagle's View

by

Leo Morano

If I had a choice to be transformed into any animal I would choose to be an eagle. The reason why I want it is that eagles have some opportunities which if I had them they would definitely bring some important changes to my life. For me being a eagle first of all would mean living a free life. Also then I would make one of my biggest wish come true: travelling around the world. And probably doing it by using no means of transport, but my own wings would make me live on the edge of independence. I would enjoy the infinite freedom of travelling and learning about all countries and cultures. And doing it as a bird would have another extra positive aspect: to have strong eyes as eagles have. To look down upon the Earth from high above and see all details on it. Looking at something with a birds eye view helps you learn it better and enjoy it more. Moreover, as we know, having flying  skills is something human beings can't identify with. Thats why practicing this feeling for the first time would excite me. Thus I am sure as an eagle I would be more intelligent and interesting being. 

A Happy Dolphin

A Happy Dolphin

by

Konul Ismayilova

When I was a girl I wanted to become a television reporter, but I came across some obstacles. My family didn't give me permission and that is why my dreams remained as a dream. I couldn't realize it. Thats why I complained every time and I decided to implore God to transform me into a dolphin. Very soon I had been transformed into a dolphin by God and finally my dreams came true. Now I live in the ocean and I swim everywhere I want. Sometimes I swim near the beach where people came to rest and swim. I entertained children who came there. Sometimes I rescued people who is drowning. Thats why I am very happy. I prefer to be a dolphin than a man.