22.

Being only twenty years old, Roland is quite a bit younger than either of his two new companions though his experiences on, and knowledge of, the island considerably outweighs the combined knowledge and experience of both of those companions. If trust was ever to be an issue, then it would be so for Dolph and Dara more so than for Roland as they would need him more than he would need them especially with the fact that the anger that once consumed Roland was most definitely beginning to make a return.

The anger and rage in Roland is something very different now than what it had been. It originally had no focus or perhaps too broad a focus for such a long time. He hated everything and anything to the point he only wanted to destroy. There is so much more now and the odd thing is that it is the island which taught him this difference.

At this point in time, it had been just over an hour since the three men had buried Al. They had been walking all the while since, with Dolph and Dara being a few steps behind Roland. To Dolph and Dara, the walking seemed to be a little aimless. That anger building within Roland would soon make itself known.

A slim and bearded man, a little under six feet tall, jumped out of a tree which Roland had come right up to. Being unaware of the two following men and not that it mattered, this man came down onto Roland's back causing Roland to drop to his knees. Generally, this is not a good thing to do unless you immediately take out the target you come down upon.

Yeah, Roland may be done with the island, he has had his fill of fighting, to a degree only. Anger will always be within him. Hope, despair, and loss are eating away at him, he is not up for taking it easy on any other newcomer, he is not up for explaining to them that he is done with all that the island is, instead he is just going to deal with this incident the best way he knows how.

Roland attempted to reach behind to grab his attacker though with the choke hold being placed around his own neck ... made that attempt all the more difficult. With a second attempt to reach behind, Roland managed to grab a good hold upon that fellow. With ease, Roland slammed his foe to the ground. Roland now had a much better opportunity to use the manoeuvre that he was so fond of. With little effort at all, Roland picked up the man in front of him before beginning to run, and ultimately ramming the bearded man back first into the tree had jumped from a moment or so earlier. Both Dolph and Dara cringed upon hearing the sound of a spine breaking.

A moment or so after he was done Roland looked over at the other two men and took another moment or so before he would speak. He hadn't wanted to take another life but the moment he had been in, simply got the better of him.

'I ... I ... apologize for that,' Roland raised his right arm and points to indicate a direction, 'there is a spot up over that hill where I have been before, I think it is where we need to go to end all this.'

Before the three men could get going again another man would soon arrive on the scene. He had been running and had come to a stop where he could only see Roland at first. He would soon see the other two men then notice a body lying close by Roland. This man all of a sudden would not fancy his chances so he began to make a dart for it.

'Wait' called out Roland, 'we mean you no harm, just want all this fighting and killing to come to an end.'

'Yeah right' shouted out that man as he kept on running.

'Can we trust him?' Dara asked Dolph referring to Roland.

'I can't even trust you; I don't even know you so how can either or both of us trust him? I did think it was a good thing to come here and now I know that, at this moment I want off this island. I want to live. With the rules of the show two of us have to die in order for the other to get off the island. If all this provides a better option, then I will go with it. I am in.'

With no grin on his face and with no spring in his step Roland began to move once more. Both Dolph and Dara would follow, and it wouldn't be long until they were to get up and over that hill. Roland was hoping to see once again something like what he had the last time he had gone there, and he would not be disappointed. Just as well too for with the way he had been feeling, if there had have been nothing there then who knows how he might have reacted.

It would be safe to say that Dolph and Dara were amazed at what they could see; they most definitely had not been expecting such a sight. For what was there was more than just a sight, it was a smell too, something they could touch, taste and feed upon. A feast fit for a small army lay outstretched before them on three long rectangular tables set out in a U shape.

All three men feasted until they could feast no more all the while Roland hardly spoke or even interacted with the other two as they themselves found it more than difficult to contain themselves and they each allowed excitement to get the better of them, as if they were two kids on Christmas morning.

'You knew that all of this would be here, didn't you?' asked Dolph.

'I had a feeling but didn't know for sure.'

'Well, that is some feeling' spoke Dara, 'I wouldn't mind having a few feelings like that every once in a while. Anyway, so what now? What happens next?'

'We sit and wait it out?' replied Roland.

'Doesn't sound like much of a plan.'

'It is quite simple really, we don't fight there is no show, with no show they will come to us?'

'They who?'

The three men sat together facing away from each other allowing for a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the surroundings between the three. and silence would control at least the next hour or so. A few hours passed, another runner would arrive, and his eyes would open wide with the sight bestowed upon him. That feast, even though it had already been delved into, there was plenty more laying in wait for everyone and anyone to consume.

This new arrival to this feasting area was the same man who had briefly encountered Roland and the others during the tree incident moment. He would spend almost a minute feeding himself before he would notice those three sitting not all that far away. He had been watched the whole time since his arrival and when he did notice those three men, he would be met by greeting waves from each of them.

Having dropped what food, he was holding and had been munching into, this man was ready to bolt once more when Roland would actually make an attempt to prevent anyone from going anywhere.

'Now just hold on there for just a minute or so, I understand you may fear us, but you aren't too chicken to have a conversation with us are you?' asked Roland of the man standing not all that far away.

This had been met by silence, a silence which also had been met with a lack of movement as well as a look of 'what the hell is going on?

'Don't worry' continued Roland, 'we are not looking to hurt you, only want you to join us, that's all.'

'We have had enough; we are done and want off this island. Now you can join us and sit with us here or you continue on and take your chances out there.'

'And you will definitely not harm me, right?' asked the new arrival.

'Right, well only if you want us to ...'

'I would have no problem taking on anyone, but I do not fancy my chances in a three on one situation.'

'As I said already don't worry, sit with us and you are safe.'

The longer the day went on the bigger the group got as one by one other combatants arrived to the area, they would be convinced to sit in on what could be called a protest. Word even spread as to what was going on so in the early hours of the morning the group had grown to include thirty-three people.

'Do you think that's it? Everyone left alive being here right now? And will it be enough to get us all off the island?' asked Dara.

'I don't know' responded Roland, 'I guess we just have to wait and see.'

'If we are to be returned to the real world, what will we be returned to? I have been in prison more than I have been out of prison, so am I to be returned to one or will I be a free man?'

Roland looked over at Dolph and for a moment a smile had returned to Roland's face. Despite the size of the group things went very quiet. A silver canister came flying through the nighttime sky and landed only feet in front of Roland. Questions of 'what the hell?' soon broke the silence and Roland would smile again for he had seen something like this before. Many more canisters would come flying through the air and surround the gathered group.

'We are going home lads' spoke Rolland as he stood up, 'we are going home.'

The canisters could easily be filled with poison as they could be with a knockout gas, though Roland would be confident he knew which it would be. Three times in three years on the island, all he has been through here, all he has been through prior to his first visit, didn't he now deserve a regular life? Or at least as regular a life he could possibly have? If this wee not the case, the the world seriously lacks justice.

***

Dolph returned to a new life which had been set up for him, a life outside of prison, and a life which included accommodation, work, and a job. How long would he manage to stay out of trouble? Well, that would be completely up to him. Dara returned to where had lived to find he had a new dojo, well-furnished, staffed, and complete with many new students who would come to know him as sensei.

As for Roland? Well Roland is Roland, there are many possibilities for where he might go and what he might do for he is indeed a very different guy to the one who came to the island not long after his eighteenth birthday. He has all the time in the world to figure out who he now is or wants to become.

There is one lady, however, it would take some time though she eventually would introduce herself to Roland. Yeah, she had been on the island, she's as tall and strong as they come. Is there to be something in this meeting. Only they might know ...

And the island? Despite its sit in protest, it would continue on as would the show which takes place there each and every year. It would be as big and as bad and as popular as ever before but would become something more ... legal ... and just as entertaining ...