The Island of Fear (complete)

Chapter 7) Screams and Vegimal Hunger

KateSeleneMelody3OCS

Captain Barnacles POV: I felt Selene grab my arm and pull me to a halt. "Captain, wait!" she said. I skidded to a halt.

"What is it, Selene?" I asked.

A look of understanding showed in her chestnut-colored eyes. "Those aren't real screams!" she said. "Kwazii's is too garbled, Kate's is too breathless, and neither of them have stopped for breath," she explained.

I listened closer as "Kwazii" screamed again. She was right! It sounded more like a record repeating itself than him screaming over and over again.

"You're right." I said. "But then, if they aren't real screams, what are they?"

A bird landed on a nearby branch. It was unlike any bird I had seen before. Sort of like a blue jay, but it had streaks of purple and gold in its feathers as well. It opened its beak, but instead of chirping or twittering like one would expect, it cried out for help. In Kate's voice.

Selene's eyes widened. "I-I think I know what kind of bird that is..." she murmured.

Another one of the birds landed on the branch. "Hello, Captain Barnacles Bear. I've heard so much about you. Do you like my pets? Interesting birds, Jabber Jays. They can mimic sounds of anything, including laughter, conversations, and even screams." The bird said in a deep masculine voice, then chuckled.

"Who are you?" I demanded. "What have you done with my crew?"

The first bird flew away, and another jay took its place on the branch. "Who I am is not important. As for your crew... well, you'll find out. They'll tell you, I imagine... If they survive the horrors on this island." More laughter unfolded.

My eyes widened. "Tell me what I can do to help them!" I demanded, fear consuming my thoughts.

Another bird came and landed on the branch. It laughed more in that deep, cold tone. "Oh, Captain..." The voice said in mock sympathy. "I'm afraid there is nothing you can do!" More laughter came from all around us, until Selene and I were surrounded by the cursed birds.

isobeljones2000

Tunip's POV: It was dark down here, even darker than the bigforest had been. Codish pressed close to me, whimpering softly. 

"It's scary down here, Tunip," he whispered quietly to me. I smiled at the youngest member of the group sympathetically, saying back to him in our own language: "I know. But we'll find a way out of this. The Octonauts will find us. They always do." Codish looked slightly reassured and scuttled over to Barrot. I wished I could use the radio to call the Octonauts for help, but Tweak was still in the process of designing a radio small enough for me to wear that still worked properly. So for now, we were on our own.

We had searched for the ball for a few moments then got hopelessly lost in the bigforest. Then Codish had startled at a rustling and bolted away, ending up running into a tunnel leading underground which we all had to follow. Now we were lost underground instead. I tried not be angry at Codish when we found him cowering in a dark corner because it wasn't really his fault. We had been wandering round these tunnels ever since. Grouber startled me by coming up next to me and shouting in the odd way of his: "When are we stopping for lunch break?"

I sighed. "Grouber, we don't have any food with us," I reprimanded. He looked like he couldn't quite comprehend this. Back at the Octopod we always had plenty of food, never really going hungry. With Grouber and his fifty snacks a day habit, I could see why this situation would be odd to him. 

"Fish biscuits?" 

"No. No food. Tunip has no food," I tell him slowly. Grouber is actually the oldest of all of us, and the one who's developed the large bulky look. But I'm the leader here.

"Lets sing," I suggest, and slowly start to hum our favourite Vegimal song. Reluctantly, the other Vegimals start to join in, their voices full of fear. The sound is melancholy and quite haunting.

KateSeleneMelody3OCS

Kwazii's POV: Tweak's lips pressed against mine, and I saw fireworks. She was kissing me! She liked me back! I couldn't believe it. I had hoped she did, but it had seemed impossible.

After a few moments, we pulled away. "You like idiots?" I said cheekily.

Tweak laughed. "Apparently." I laughed as well, feeling happier than I ever could have believed.

A bird perched on a nearby branch. "You idiot." It said, in Tweak's voice.

"Hey!" I protested. Tweak started laughing, and soon, I joined in again. It felt good to laugh at myself.

Tweak calmed down, stopping to catch her breath. "I guess we should continue looking for the Vegimals." She said, slightly rueful.

I sighed. "Yeah, matey, we probably should. They might be in the tunnels here."

We got to out feet, and walked together side by side. A sudden thought struck me. "How will the others feel about us dating?" I wondered aloud.

Tweak glanced at me, an amused look in her eyes. "We're dating?" She asked.

I smirked. "Well, matey, you did kiss me. So you like me. And I like you. So you're mine, me hearty!" I explained triumphantly.

Tweak laughed. I laughed as well for the third time, unable to stop now.

"Well, I'm not yours yet, Kwaz. You've gotta catch me first!" She said in that playful voice of hers before dashing off. I laughed and ran after her. I loved how I could be myself around her.

isobeljones2000

Shellington's POV: I held the shaking Dashi in my arms for what seemed like forever, holding her close and whispering calming words in her ear like she could hear them. She was in a fever, and I didn't know how to stop it. I was losing my grasp on her, slowly... 

My radio beeped and I eagerly pressed the button to receive, needing any kind of advice right now.

"Hello? Shellington?" It was the familiar voice of Peso.

"Peso? Is Kate all right?"

"Yes! She's fine! I rescued her! I went down and stopped her from being crushed!"

Any annoyance at the penguin went away in that instant as I was instantly relieved. Kate was part of the family now. But so was Dashi.

"Listen, Peso. Dashi's got a fever. Just now, she started hallucinating and saying something about cold and talking to her mum. She's shaking so much.... I ... don't know what to do, Peso." My voice shook at the end and I realized then how much I cared about the dog lying in my lap. There was a silence, then Peso spoke. His voice was quiet yet calm. His medic mode.

"How long has she been like this?"

"Just after we left all the others she started shaking and saying it was cold."

"And is it?"

"Not really..." I answer. There's a slight chill in the air but I'm not freezing cold. It's not like I'm getting -

"Pneumonia." Peso said the words just about to leave my mind and I froze.

"What?"

"Dashi has had pneumonia, when she was very young. It's in her medical files. I read every medical file to make sure I can help. It sounds like she's having flashbacks to that moment in her past for whatever reason. But I've never heard of the symptoms coming with it. Dashi should not have a fever right now."

"What do we do?" My speech was hurried, Dashi in my lap was moaning in pain.

Pesos voice was hesitant. "There's a cure, a way to stop the symptoms of a pneumonia fever. And I think I know where it could be..."

"Tell me. I'll get it. I have to save her."

"It only grows on very high ground, where the air is thinnest. On mountains."