Teens in the Jungle

Kate

James returned looking all pale. He didn't seem to know what he was saying, he described Mori's pets, and then he said something about a warning. We had to be off this island in 3 moons time, or there would be consequences. What did that give us? Three days?
I was the first one to break the silence:
"Is she insane? What are we supposed to DO to get off the island?! This does not depend on us, we don't like being hee anymore than she does!!!"
Everyone stood silent wondering what to do. Meave finally said:
"We need to warn Star and Comet. I'm sure the warnng is meant for them, too. We need them here. There's no way we'll get off the island..."
Alexis cut in:
"They said there would be consequences if we didn't...can we fight them off?"
A couple of people looked pale already. No one wanted to fight off gigantic lizards.
"I don't see another way out of this." Someone said.

Chris
"Let's get to Ms. Midori's camp, we can talk to her...figure out what to do next." I said.
Everyone seemed to agree, so we went on our way, quietly talking among eachother, until we finally got to the camp, where Ms. Midori and Lindy were both waiting for us. We all sat around the food, and told her what had happened. We needed a plan.

James

I explained to Ms. Midori about Mori. She didn't say anything, she only had a look of great concentration on her face.

"We have three days." I finished.

Ms. Midori nodded, but still didn't speak.

"How can we get off this island in three days?!" Kate said for nearly the fifth time. "That's nearly impossible!"

I was getting tired of this. "You didn't see her and her 'pets'. If we don't get off this island in three days, we're never getting off." I growled.

Kate shrunk back. I didn't feel bad for my tone though. This was serious and everyone needed to take it that way.

"Don't talk to her like that." Luis said sternly.

"I'll talk however I can to get this through eveyrone's heads! This is serious! We could all die here!" I yelled at him.

"Shut up, the both of you!" Maeve yelled. "This is no way to formulate a plan!"

Luis glared at me but didn't continue our arguement.

"What's the use." Alexis stated. "We won't be able to even prepare to get off this island in three days."

"I need to think." Ms. Midori interrupted. She stood and walked away from the camp. Lindy looked after her like she didn't know what to do with all of us here.

"We need a plan is what we need." I mumbled.

Iniyuki

I walked near the rock formations few hundred meters off from my camp. I had heard to what James had said abnout Mori. I guess my fears had finally came true. I looked at the ocean before me. If it was possible to make a raft big enough for all of us to fit in. But i doubt it. It would take more than three days to be fully prepared if we were to survive in the open ocean.

However i have thought of another idea and that would be fighting them instead. Despite the outlook of that idea and the fear that Mori's pets may be an army size, it would be better enough. Teach Mori a few lessons on what we are capable of and on the way, i could train them.

I doubt again. There is no way three days is possible to make them to defend themselves fully. How about a treaty or something. I lay gently on the sands trying to ponder...

i know...how about search for their base and try to...no, that would be a disaster. I sighed and waited for my brain to answer... other than that, i would ponder on something...

whether Mori herself is the leader of the pack or she herself was possess in order for her to do this?

Kate

No one did anything. No one said anything. Everyone just sat there staring at nothing in particular. It was the longest, heaviest silence ever. Dread of wwhat was comig was lurking in the air. We wouldn't be able to get off this island in thre days. We had to fight or die. We didn't even know what exactly we're up against. How many of them, exactly? Two? It was insane. And we still hadn't found Star or Comet. Not that anyone had attempted to look for them in the first place. I needed to get out of here. I might do something helpful.
"I'll be right back." I said.

"Are you sure it's safe to walk off on your own?" Someone, I think it was Meave asked.

"We're safe...for the next three days anyway." I said, as I got up.

I needed to be alone. I didn't want to hurt anyone in my attempts to master my powers. They could help. Maybe.
I walked off, a good distance from Ms. Midori's camp and its horrible silence. I looked around making sure I was alone. Then I felt akward, I wasn't sure what to do exactly.
"
I need help." I said. Nothing happened. I concentrated as I lay flat on the ground, I
wondered what I could do. I pressed my palm against the dirt and waited... soon, I could see a stem forming and coming out, with large flowers that were opening up, right next to my palm. Suddenly the stem started entangling my hand and I could not break free. I stopped my energy flowing into the dirt, by removing my palm. Instantly the flower I had created died. That's how I got an idea that might just help us trap those lizards. I walked back to the camp, sort of dazed, and took my place. Thankfully by now people were actually talking to eachother,even though they sounded paniced. I knw what I had to do, even if I dreaded doing it.

Chris:

We were discussing what we could possibly do.
"Building a raft would be insane, we're too far away, we don't have enough provisions, and...let's face it, it's highly unlikely any of us will even survive." Alexis said.

"Well ,we can't fight them off. They're these huge lizards! What are we supposed to do, exactly? James said.

"We have to try talking to Mori." Meave suggested, "Maybe, if we explain our situation to her she would understand, and try helping us out instead of attacking us."

" She's nuts, she hangs out with lizards do you really think talking to her will do any good?" Someone asked.

"STOP IT! If we panic now, we won't be able to do ANYTHING to face those lizards." Luis said.

" I don't know what to do..."

"We're doomed"

"I don't want to die"

Everyone seemed freaked out. That's when Kate came back and sat next to Luis, she looked sort of dazed, but determined in a way. She did not look as scared as she was before.

"We need to all fight using whatever powers and resources we have." She said.

"We can't fight, we'll all just die." James said, shaking his head.

"Yes we can." Then she put her hands on the dirt, and weird green plants started entangling our feet and bodies, making it impossible for any of us to move. Everyone looked around paniced. She removed her hands and the green plants instantly died away, and so did the panic.

"We all have our little talents, all we have to do is use them. Meave you control fire, I am a witch... " Everyone stared at her. "I'm sure you people can help out in some way, too.

It looked like I was the only human here. Meave was a fire fairy, Alexis was part wolf, and now Kate was a witch. This was the weirdest place ever.

~Star~

"We're half cat." Everyone jumped ten feet in the air when I stepped from the shadows of the trees. My hat was off and my cat ears were twitching in the humid breeze. I was getting stared at the most probably because you could actually see that I wasn't fully human...or normal at all. "Whatever you do, count us in."

"How long have you been there?"

"Ever since James came back. We saw the...things." I didn't shudder. I've seen plenty of horrible things in my lifetime, much like the creatures. "Comet followed them and is keeping an eye on them now. He'll tell us if that chick scratches herself in a wrong way. If they really make a wrong move, he'll do his best to slow them so we can get prepared." That was the part I hated. He was risking way too much here.

Everyone was looking skeptical and seemed about two hairs away from panicking. Panic would be bad; no one can think clearly when they're panicking. Your fear takes a hold of you and either you run screaming or you can't move. Death is a result of panic.

"And how will we know?" I looked at Luis, "How are we going to know? Comet can't possibly run here to tell us and keep them away."

"Me and my brother have a telepathic connection. We always know what the other is thinking. And we have incredible physical abilities; we can run up to 70 miles per hour, we're stronger than most, we can see perfectly in the dark, we can smell and hear better than humans and better stamina. And we have claws like a cat's."

"That's useful." Chris remarked, probably deciding if he should believe all of this or if he should check himself into the loony bin.

"By the way, if you tell another soul about us...we won't hesitate to kill you." That ruined the mood. Threatened twice in one day. They were having the time of their lives. "We've been chased all over the world--we won't be put in another cage. We've killed for freedom before, we'll do it again. We don't actually want to but..." I trailed off, letting them decide what they would. Comet was getting edgy with all of our secrets being handed to them on a platter.

They won't get any of this. They haven't lived it. He thought.

They should know that we could help save them.

Luis

Lizard creatures…lizard creatures. He frowned to himself, trying to remember where he’d heard them mentioned before. It had to have been some conversation with his family, an idle mention from his father or great-grandfather. ‘In my travels and gatherings, I have seen some strange things’ or some such passing remark.

Kate was showing her abilities, making vines grow out of the ground and entangle them all. It was looking more and more as though they were going to have to fight Mori’s ‘pets’.
Star seemed to appear from nowhere, explaining to them that she and Comet had things as much under control as they could be. He listened carefully, then expressed some scepticism at what Comet was doing.

In truth, he was impressed. Of the twins, he would have picked Star as the one to stick her neck out for the rest of them like that. For Comet to do that, despite the fact that they’d driven him off – not matter how unintentionally – that same morning. That took a lot. Luis was beginning to realise that there was a lot more to the half-cat twins that met the eye.

“We’ve killed for freedom before,” Star said, “And we’ll do it again. We don’t actually want to, but…”

Luis held up a hand, “I don’t think any of us is in a position to dob you in, Star.” He spread his arms, “We’d all be weapons in the eyes of whoever’s after you, there’s no benefit in us for going to them.”

“What’re you then, Luis?” Chris said, very cautiously. Any one of them could see that he was having a lot of trouble coming to terms with this. Then again, it all would be very alarming, he imagined.

Kate answered for him, “He’s Death’s son.”

“Then what’ve we got to worry about from the lizards? Luis, why don’t you just have your dad cart them off, or just do it yourself?” Someone said.

Luis cringed a little, “It’s not that simple. I’ve never killed anything, so I’m really sketchy with that side of my powers. I can heal people just fine, move them away from the afterlife and all that, but moving them towards it is harder. You’ve got to have the intent to do it, or else they’ve already got to be dead. I can help, but I’m not a solution to all this. Best case scenario, I could hurt, maybe even kill, a couple of lizards. Worst case, it’d just spread out over the entire area.” He stood up, “But I just need some time to myself. I think I’ve heard of the lizards before.”

Luis left the camp, venturing out to part of the forest. He cleared his throat, knowing there was a possibility that someone was watching him, but it wouldn’t really make much difference now. “Camille. Can you hear me?”

His cousin was there in an instant, leaning against a tree. Below the bottom of her mask, her mouth was twisted downwards in a highly disapproving frown, “You told them.”

He sighed, “Can we go through that when I’m off this place? I’ve got bigger problems at the moment. Like a bunch of lizard things under the command of a madwoman who says she’ll kill us if we don’t leave in three nights.”

Camille’s face softened, “Lizard things…? Give me a few hours, Luis. I know what you’re asking.” She vanished that same instant, obviously off to find whoever had told them in the first place.

Kate

Why did I just blurt it out? I kept it to myself, when I revealed what I could do, but then I thought he was having trouble...what was I thinking? He had gone off to "think"... well I wasn't going to bother him, if he never spoke to me after what I had said, I would understand it completely. Why did I always go ahead an ruin everything? But had he seemed mad... I shook my head. There was a life threatening danger coming and all I could think of was whether some boy was mad at me or not,and okay may be he wasn't "some boy" but... I tried to clear my head and think about what we would do next. Star and Comet had turned out to be very powerful, it looked a little like we had some hope after all. I suddenly felt very sleepy... it was surprising how quickly I drifted into a dream...of my great grandma.

"Grandma, what on EARTH are you doing, messing around in my head, wake me up, right now, before I mess things up even more than I already have." I siad, as I stared at her bewildered.

She looked at me, her expression unreadable.

"Kate, what you're up against... I don't know if you'll be able to cope...this is just a tiny fraction of what's coming..."

I looked at her.
"You know what;s going on!!! Gran tell me! We nee dto know."

She shook her head, sadly.
"I can't tell you. Just use the energy you have within you. You can do anything if you use it properly."

"Grandma, you know what's going on, you know why we're here, please..." I pleaded. She just shook her head.

"I can't tell you, all I can tell you is that... you won't be getting of this island soon. There is a reason why you're all there." I tried to say something, but I woke up.

Chris

It was just too much. Gigantic lizards, witches, half cats, werewolves, fairies, death's sons, where had I ended up in? Was I already crazy, was I living in a world in my head, while everything around me was happeining the way it always did? Yes, seemed to be the only rational answer, ut I couldn't believe that someone like Alexis was just a hallucination.

"So, now that there's a faint glimspe of hope that we will survive, how do we plan this?" Someone asked. Everyone seemed to pay attention to the speaker, anyone but Kate, who seemed to be asleep.


Chris

Alexis

The subject had seemed to change from what we were to how we were going to fight. I thought about what I was still, though. I had never been completely sure what exactly I was, I just knew I was a wolf and a lot stronger in wolf form that human.

"I'm half wolf." I blurted out.

Everyone stared at me. They didn't seem surprised, just annoyed that I had distracted the conversation.

"Sure you are, Alexis." someone said.

"I really am!" I argued. How could anyone think I would lie about this?

"She is." Chris added quietly, as if he was worried I wouldn't want his back up.

"Prove it." someone else said.

I looked around. "I...can't."

"Like I thought."

"It's not like you think." I explained. "I could hurt someone, make someone like I am."

Confused glances passed around the group. I sighed, I would have to explain.

I remembered the day my life was changed forever. "When I was seven I went trick or treating in the neighborhood my foster family had lived in then. I had cut through the woods to get home quicker and there was a pack of wolves. Only they weren't all wolves, they kept changing from human to wolf. I was terrified and I ran. They chased me. One but my leg as I was running. I got away alive but now I'm like them." I told my whole story for the first time.

"That," Kate interrupted. "is an asset."

I stared at Kate like she was insane. "How is that an asset?"

"You can make any one of us like you." she stated.

"No way!" I yelled.

Chris put an arm around me. "Kate, stop."

"Fine, I was just saying."

I hid my face against Chris. I wouldn't bring this upon anyone else.

Maeve

Our situation was looking brighter. We had all sorts of insane powers on our side now. I wondered if Chris and James had any similar tricks up their sleeves.

~Star~

So she'd been the wolf we'd smelled. It was making sense, though I didn't like it--I knew how much it hurt to be so different from anyone. I wouldn't wish what me and my brother had been through on anyone. Memories flashed through my mind and I winced--it was the kind of stuff you saw in movies...or nightmares.

"It's alright, Alexis. I completley understand."

They've stopped.

I stiffened suddenly.

"That's not a good sign." James muttered.

"They've stopped. Comet thinks it's their hideout."

Get back here now. There might be more of them than you can handle.[i]

[i]We've defeated men with machine guns; these'll be no problem.

Now. If you get yourself unconsious, we both know I'll go beserk and hurt a lot of people. That would suck.

Yeah, yeah. I'm coming.

"So now what?" James asked again. That was where I was drawing a blank. I wasn't very good with strategy; we always were winging it. Planning ahead wasn't an option when something could change in a split second.

Everyone fell silent, thinking.

Maeve

I thought for a while. I was still curious about Chris' and James' skills. They had been particularly quiet about themselves.

"Well what about Chris and James." I decided to voice my thoughts. "What sort of skills do those two have?"

"I'm completely human." James said. He seemed almost upset with this. "I'm only good at breaking rules."

I looked to Chris. He seemed pretty human, but so had everyone else.

iniyuki

when i came back no one noticed me.
I saw everyone huddled in a circle engaging ina conversation. Lindy stood aside. I felt sorry for her.

"I expect all of you to be human but i guess i was wrong." i said as i sat with the rest.

"So what are you, Ms. Midori?" Meave asked me just after she asked James.

"I'm completely human. There is nothing special about me." I lied

"except for the good hunting skills." James added. "So where did you went off to, Ms. Midori?"

"JUst by the rock formations? I've heard all what you had said on my way back. I've thinking of a strategy. I've learned this from my danna. What you want all to do is to hide any of your plans. Let Mori think you have nothing to fend for yourselves thus lessening her suspiscion of a rebellion."

"What are you talking about?" someone muttered.

"HEre is what i am saying. Before the actual fight, i want you guys to trick Mori that you'll defenceless when she invades this camp. At the same time during her invasion, a few of us we'll go to the base without her knowing it.
So there are two groups. One to fend off the invasion while the other to destroy the base. What do you think?"

"So you are saying that a few of us will die trying to defend while you guys go a kill Mori." Kate argued.

"No one is dying except the creatures. We'll make traps. Hundreds of them all across the beach."

Luis

He heard nothing of the plans while he sat waiting for his cousin's return. When she did, a good two hours later, she looked terrified. "Luis..." she said quietly, "We're all so sorry."

A fearful shiver ran up his spine. Camille didn't get afraid of anything. How could she possibly look like this? He had her picked as his father's successor. "What did he say."

She slid off her mask - the first time he'd seen her without it in years, and sat down opposite him. "The dog lizards you described...they're only the first of what's to come. This Amamori girl is a minor player. She's no closer to the head of her species than you are."

"What species is it?" He prompted.

"They're dragons." She whispered. That explained her fear for him, for all of them. Dragons were, by nature, long lived creatures. Which meant against more powerful ones, Luis would need more time if he was to have any way of dealing with them. And the more time a beginner like him spent channeling, the more unstable things became. She was afraid that he'd get forced into harvesting souls for a century, because surely he couldn't kill them.

"The ones your friend was attacked by are only distant relations. They can't breathe fire or fly or heal themselves or anything, but they're savage and dangerous. Amamori's probably descended from some powerful dragon - probably stronger Han her pets, that is. Your dad, Luis, says that there's something special about this place. But it's got a barrier. He can't touch it, nor can anyone who is particularly powerful. Otherwise," she chuckled, "He said our whole extended family would be swarming over this place. That's the same reason why Amamori's family don't have anyone stronger than her. He said that the main reason you're here is to keep control of the island away from people like her. Others will be coming as the barrier weakens further - it fluctuates slowly. But for now, Luis, Amamori has to die." She gave him another apologetic look, "Goodbye Luis. Id wish you luck, but you need more than that now."

She vanished, leaving Luis to go back to the others with his new information.

Chris:

" Well, I'm human, too." I said.

That;s when Ms.Midori showed up and started discussing various ideas. I hated it, I couldn't help out in anyway, they all had these powers and talents, and I was just human, all I could do is be the bait.

"If we need to trick them into thinking that we're defensless, I think me and James should stay behind, because we're the only humans around...well the only humans without any special powers." I volunteered.

Kate:

"I don't know whether it'll be more helpful if I stayed behind or went ahead to the base, what do you people think?"
I knew I could help out, but I wasn't sure where I should go, and where I could be of more help, and right now, we needed all the help we could get.

Lindy

I heard what Chris and Kate had said and i felt the same thing. I was useless here. I envy Ms. Midori for being so skillful and all. I just can't helped to ask if i am good enough for anyone.

"I'll be joining with Chris and Kate." i said just wanting to be in this conversation.

Kate

I looked at Lindy, slightly confused: "But I don't know where I'll be going yet."
"Oh ok. " She seemed sort of dazed. I ignored her, and looked over at the direction where Luis had walked towards. Surprisingly, I saw him coming back. Well it had been two hours. He looked worried, more worried than anyone else. I knew that he had news, and I knew the news weren't good.
"What is it?" I asked unwillingly, as he got close enough. I wasn't sure any of us wanted to know, even though we all needed to.