The Island of Fear (complete)

Chapter 6) Status Reports and Fever

KateSeleneMelody3OCS

???'s POV: "Status Report." The voice over the phone ordered.

I nodded and turned on the surveillance footage. My eyes widened. "I don't believe it..." I murmured. "They're here. They're actually here, on the island!"

Deep laughter came from the other end. "I told you they would come, did I not? Now, I hope steps one thru four are ready?"

I tapped a few things on my touch screen computer. "Pressure activated trapdoors are unlocked. Venomous spiders are released. Pneumonia-inducing insect is released. Jabber Jays are released. Operation: Conquer or Die is in motion, sir," I reported.

More laughter. This time, the laughter was the cackle of insanity rather than the throaty chuckle from before. I sighed. How did I get into this mess? I was a successful man once, with a wife and a home, a job, a boss that wasn't insane. But he went crazy. And I worked for him still. It really wasn't worth the pay.

My boss stopped laughing on the other end. "Call me back. Let me know who survived." He said.

I sighed once more. "Yes Lupo."

isobeljones2000

Selene's POV: I raced after the Captain, my mind numb with terror. What if Kwazii and Kate were hurt? Anything could be on this island! Barnacles was yelling constantly, shouting his crewmates' names. We had been running for a few minutes and it didn't seem like the screams were getting much closer. As another cry from Kate sounded in my ears, I had a sudden memory, one that I had been trying to suppress for the last few weeks. It was one of my torture while in the hands of Damien and Lupo.

The thing was, the screams didn't sound like tortured screams, like mine had been. Kwazii's was garbled and it seemed to be repeating the same cry over and over again. Much as I disliked the cocky cat, I didn't enjoy listening to his screams. Kate's were more panicked and breathless, again not sounding quite real. And they lasted for too long, without a break that the cat would have surely needed to breathe.

The realization hit me and I smiled widely, tugging at the captains arm and bringing him to a halt.

KateSeleneMelody3OCS

Kate's POV: I tried to untangle myself from the rope with no luck. In fact, if anything, I was tangled up worse than before. I was hyperventilating, panicking. The walls were getting closer by the second! I would be crushed!

Unless Peso could somehow get to me, untangle me, and either stop the walls or find a way out of this death trap. The thought calmed me down slightly, and the walls slowed down slightly as well. My eyes widened, and I straightened myself. Bad idea. I had momentarily forgotten about my right paw and I cried out in pain. That was stupid of me.

"Calm down Kate..." I said to myself. "It'll be okay... Peso's coming." With each word, I grew calmer, and with each word, the walls slowed down. Of course I wasn't going to be totally calm. I was still in a small room, with walls that wanted to crush me to death. But I was a lot calmer than before.

I looked up and saw Peso, propelling down the chute in the ground. I gave a slight smile. He had made a rescue line out of bandages! He was so clever. One of the walls touched my back, and I panicked more.

Peso's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, the walls really are moving!" He exclaimed. He dropped down, untangled the rope, and I was able to move again.

"Come on! I don't think we can stop them entirely!" I exclaimed. Peso and I climbed the bandage rope, and we were out of that room just before the walls slammed together. Suddenly, the bandage rope snapped and we fell down. The walls created a new floor which we landed on, me of course landing on my bad paw. I cried out in pain once more.

Peso's eyes darted to my paw, and he bandaged it faster than Tweak could say 'bunch of munchy crunchy carrots.' He then looked at me with a slightly amused, slightly exasperated look in his eyes. "How do you get into these situations, Kate?" He asked me.

I laughed. "That's a mystery I've never been able to solve. Thank you for saving my life, Peso."

He smiled. "I've always wanted to be the knight in shining armor..." He admitted.

I smiled. "And I believe this is the part where the damsel in distress thanks the handsome knight with a kiss." I said, leaning in, unable to believe I was being this bold.

The small penguin was shocked when my lips touched his beak, but he accepted it. When we pulled away, he was blushing. "You're welcome." He breathed.

I then saw a tunnel darting off to one side of us. "Maybe the Vegimals are somewhere in the tunnels." I offered. Peso nodded, still looking dazed. We darted off into the gloomy tunnel, hand in hand.

isobeljones2000

Shellington's POV: I held Dashi close to me, trying to stop her shaking so hard. Her fur was glistening with beads of sweat and I was trying to cool her down. 

"You're all right. You're all right." I whispered in her ear, though it was evident she could no longer hear what I was saying. I had never seen Dashi like this before. Her eyes were dull and glazed and there was no recognition in them. I held her like this for a few minutes, scared suddenly out of my mind.

Suddenly Dashi jerked up, sat straight upright, and I fell back onto the ground. Her eyes were suddenly wide, but had a faraway look to them, like she still wasn't really in the world.

"Dashi..." I tried. She didn't look at me. She was silent for a moment, then...

"I'm so cold.... so so cold.... Mama, get me out of the cold ..."

Hallucinations, I thought. But Dashi's voice was younger, softer, childlike. She was whimpering now, her words quieter as Shellington strained to listen.

"Mama, cold... too cold... help! It's burning... cold...help me..." Her voice was rising in intensity and volume and ended with a garbled screech, a child's terror, anger and pain. Then Dashi fell back into my arms, curling into an unconscious ball and staying like that, shaking. 

I realized the truth.

Oh Dashi... those weren't hallucinations - those were memories!