Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women

Stella’s voice was calm. "Then you stay. Separate. Alone. Slowly fading, while the island sings louder every day."

"You mean we die," Sophie said.

"No," Rose said. "You forget. You become empty. Lost."

The silence that followed was broken only by the fire.

Jude looked at Lucy. She looked back, eyes wide, uncertain.

Then Rose said, "You’ve already joined, Jude. The moment you let me kiss you."

His breath caught.

Lucy stepped between them. "He didn’t choose anything."

Rose smiled. "He didn’t have to. The island did."

And then she and Stella turned, and vanished into the trees.

The next day, everything was different.