Jeremy steps through the door and onto the white sand. The sun-baked sand burns his bare soles but since he misses the sensation so much he just stomps his feet into it instead.
"I'm back...I'm back!"
He exclaims to no one, still blinking in disbelief. He had suddenly woken up in a factory breeding humans, then he tried to run away from there, and somehow gets himself back home with the help of a dapper gentleman-like monster... It was such an odd, fairytale-like story. But Jeremy thinks, what luck.
"I'm back, I'm back!"
Jeremy is screaming with so much excitement as he runs along the shoreline. But not for long because that familiar stinging pain shoots up his udders.
"Heugk!"
He comes to a halt and cringes. He cups and squeezes his breasts for a moment to lessen the pain. It indeed hurts but it is also proof that everything he'd been through is not a mere dream. Even the barcode tattoo still stands out clearly on his lower belly, hidden beneath the white fabric.
Still, it is nice to be happy.
Huff...
Jeremy lets out a deep breath to calm his excitement down and slows his pace on the sandy beach. The waves crashing in and out on his feet feel pleasant, they foam and break as the sea breeze blows gently. Everything is real. Overjoyed, the middle-aged man bent down and dips his hand into the water. The cool waves lap at the back of his hand and then push away.
"..."
Just standing alone on the beach has made Jeremy feel unnecessarily emotional. It somehow brings out a sense of hope. It washes over him as though he can forget all the traumatic events at the factory and start living well again.
"Eh...?"
His joy, however, is short-lived. He realizes something is wrong. The fine sand is not like the Nawatuwa's as he remembers: there are no living crabs or shells. Jeremy gets up and continues his stroll along the beach. Soon, he also realizes that the wind is not accompanied by the cries of seagulls.
"Why is it so quiet?"
He mutters in confusion.
Jeremy turns left to leave the beach and sees a bunch of cars parked in rows on the side road, but not a single tourist is in sight. Even the shops on the other side of the road are empty.
"..."
This is so weird. Somehow, the beautiful scenery gives off a vibe like a computer graphic.
It's like...
That one graphic program ad that can erase people with only a single click he remembers. Jeremy is instantly creeped out.
"No...that can't be."
Feeling uneasy, he rushes forward, ignoring the burdensome jolt shooting up his bouncing chest with each step he takes. The soles of his feet are cooked once he starts to run on the hot asphalt. None of that matters now.
Jeremy Rogers runs around the island like a man chased by a monster. Throughout the road, not a single car or motorcycle passes him, even as he run over the center line in the middle of the road. Every car, motorcycle, and bicycle is just silently parked on the side of the road or in front of a store.
"Huff...huff...is anyone out there?"
The sweaty man shouts out into the street. Silent. The space is completely devoid of any human-created noise.
"Is anyone out there!?"
Is anyone out there, is anyone out there... Only his voice echoes in the open air. No replies. Still no sound. And soon, the silence makes him even more anxious.
"...Oh God."
The question of whether or not Max is a real person has gone out the window. Because not only him, it seems like this entire island is empty with no people. A literal ghost town. There are beaches, roads, shops, markets, man-made structures, but there is not a single person is seen living here.
"...This is ridiculous."
There are even no dogs or chickens roaming the beach. So with that, Jeremy is now convinced that he is the only living being on the island. The empty landscape is not at all welcoming. It frightens him. Hope quickly turns into despair and starts to gnaw at his sanity.
"Shit...shit."
Reaching his supposed-to-be knick-knack shop, Jeremy nervously opens the door. The shop looks exactly as he remembers it. Various wood carvings line on the shelves, a slightly cluttered counter, and a picture of him and Max adorning one of the shelves.
"...Max."
Luckily, the photo is still there. And the beaming Max in the photo is the first human form Jeremy has encountered on the island.
"Maximus...what am I supposed to do now?"
Jeremy mutters pathetically at Max in the photo, his face contorting like he is about to burst with tears. As happy as he is to be back on the island, he is upset and sad; he thought he was finally in a safe place, but now it feels like he is facing another giant wall. A rush of exhaustion washes over.
"I don't know, I-I..."
So does a sense of betrayal that starts to rise in his chest. He remembers the jackal and his gratefulness toward him now turns completely into resentment. He is clearly the devil here. Otherwise, Jeremy wonders, what good can come of this nasty trick?
Why are you doing this to me, what have I done wrong?
What have I done?
His frustration quickly turns to anger.
"Son of a b*tch! Yeah, no way he'd grant my wish for free."
Jeremy clenches his fists tightly to try to calm himself down. He can't understand why anyone would throw a person into this kind of absurd situation. Is it to torment him? Does it please him that much to see Jeremy getting frustrated here? Oh God, he'd rather be milked in that insane factory than be here on an empty island with not even a single ant in sight. Jeremy is furious.
So, losing his cool, he storms out of the shop, chisels in hand, and shouts at the air.
"Hey you! I don't want this...! Send me back to Earth!"
But there is no sound, not even the appearance of that demonic black monster. Jeremy keeps shouting for while. Until he gets frustrated and gives up. He sighs, running a hand down his face. The sun at the end of the sea is seen slowly setting. It is a stunning scenery that shouldn't be skipped while you are in Nawatuwa, but right now, even the spectacular view doesn't interest Jeremy.
He had yet absurdly escape the world of monsters. This place is not Earth, not home. Jeremy is slumped and doesn't have any ideas about what to do next. All he can see is a horizon of blue water.
"Please send me to..."
No one is listening. Jeremy's voice becomes weaker like a wounded man.
Soon, once the sun sinks over the horizon, darkness descends. The street lights start to flicker on and replace the sun to illuminate the road. Jeremy crouches still in front of the store. He feels lonely and scared. The dark doesn't help him. The realization of being abandoned in the middle of nowhere hits him even harder.
"Ugh..."
He feels tainted by the precious memories he holds dearly in his heart, his only hope. He feels furious, then desperate, then helpless.
'No, no, no. It's times like these that I need to get my shit together.'
Determined to pull himself together, Jeremy drums his fingers together.
'Maybe I should get something to eat, he thinks. He considers going to a diner despite his thinking there will be no one to take his order. But realizing that the absence of people shouldn't be his worry now, he chuckles.'
'Maybe I should head home first.'
So he gets up. However—
"Auh...!"