“On the Beach”

I awake to find myself upon the beach. I recall that I saw this island from far overhead in a dream, just before the sound of the waves washing upon the shore and birds flying about the sky brought me to consciousness. Indeed, I feel as though I myself fell from the sky and landed here.

Or perhaps, it was this mysterious canister in front of me that has fallen from the sky and landed here. I do not know. In fact, I cannot even recall who I am.

I move toward the canister. It is a light gray metal. Seaweed clings to the bottom. The rounded top appears to have been blown off. There are overly large, deep footprints that leave from the bottom of the canister and lead to the rocky hills to my right.

I follow the footprints to my right. They end up ahead where a fresh flow of lava meets the sea, steam blowing across the rocks. It is too hot here. I must turn back.

As I head back to where I started, I see a large stone face carved into the side of the cliff. I had not noticed it behind me earlier. Its large mouth appears to be a portal to somewhere, but I am unable to coax it open.

I turn around and find myself back where I had started. On my left in the distance, a bird circles an unusual rocky outcropping. Near the top, the stone is smooth and conical. Are those steps I see? I turn to look more closely.

Those must be steps. There are many more which lead all the way from the beach to the top of the rock. But there, in front of the rock, someone is motioning to me.

She is a bright blue creature with large feet and almost no torso. Her matching blue mask reveals only her glowing yellow eyes. Her overall look is angular, almost mechanical. Behind her, a large green boat floats in the water.

She pleads to me, “Help! Help me! My village has been attacked!”

I ask, “Who are you?”

“My name is Maku, of Ga-Koro,” she replies. “Ga-Koro lies between the sea and Lake Naho, down the coast. It’s a great village of many Matoran, and our leader is the Turaga Nokama. I fear much of it has been destroyed by now!”

I ask, “What happened?”

Maku hesitates, unsure of where to start. “I — I was away when the Rahi attacked, and when I returned the monsters were everywhere, destroying everything in sight. Nokama and the others barricaded themselves into a hut to hide, but the Rahi broke the pump and the hut sank beneath the waves.”

Maku and her pleading bring me back to the here and now. “Please, there is no time. My people are in great danger. Will you help me?”

I do not know who I am or where I am going. I only know Maku needs my help. “Yes, I will help you.”

Maku directs me. “Go to Ga-Koro and find Nokama. She is very wise and might have a plan for escape! I will try to find Gali. If the Rahi are near the village, she is the only one who can defeat them. She’s on a great quest and may be very far away.

“The only way to get to Ga-Koro from here is by sea, so you must take my boat, and I will search for the Toa on foot. Good luck! And tell Nokama that I am safe!”

I take to my boat and bounce across the waves as I head to Ga-Koro.