Julie and the Monkey Witch

Chapter 8

Julie angrily stared Unaki down as the Paea woman did the same. Julie was never sure if she was in denial about Unaki's true nature, but the fact that it came like a bolt out from the blue with no foreshadowing whatsoever, other than the abusive life she lived under—

Oh, Spirits.

Julie gasped as she remembered what she learned in one of her college courses at UCLA: that abuse can warp a person inside, and leave them cold, uncaring, and unable to deal with healthy relationships, among other things. Unaki had been treated horribly by Oranta, and whatever that did to her, Julie couldn't possibly imagine.

"Unaki," she said, trying to reason with Unaki, "I am so, SO sorry for what happened to you—"

"Quiet, Huli," Unaki said, smacking Julie's hand away. "Who do you think you are?"

"I just want to apologize!" Julie replied.

"For what?"

"For what your aunt did to you."

"Do you blame me for her abuse?"

"What? No, that's not—no, that's not what I meant."

"What did you mean?"

"I'm so sorry I didn't try to get you more help."

"Help?" Unaki scoffed.

"Help break the cycle of abuse."

"A lot of talk for a haole."

"I thought I could help you escape what Oranta did to you. Did she turn you evil?"

"You know nothing about me."

"Damn," Julie whispered. Part of her wanted to start singing Les Mis, but the situation was too dangerous to make light of with musical shout-outs. "Why'd you do it, Unaki?"

"I have my reasons," she said. "And I will NOT indulge them here."

"You're no fun," said Julie.

"Then you will be disappointed that P'li and I must be going now," said Unaki.

"GET HER!" Manti shouted. The warriors lunged to grab P'li, only for smack them aside with his large paws, as he had now fully transformed into a simian monster.

P'li roared and picked Unaki up in much the same way that Kainak carried Julie from time to time. P'li effortless knocked the other warriors out of the way and bounded off with Unaki in his arms. Other warriors threw their spears or released their arrows at P'li. He protected Unaki, and it was clear he literally had thick skin, what with all the spears and projectiles bouncing off of him.

But Kainak ran up and like a combination of Roman Reigns and one of the Blue Bombers, tackled the P'li monster. Though Kainak knew it likely wouldn't matter much, it was better to try and slow P'li down than to let him get away easily. Even when P'li effortlessly shoved him off and picked Unaki back up before bounding out of the village.

"DAMN!" Julie hissed, surveying the damage caused to the village. Several huts were destroyed, people knocked about, and in the distance, trees falling and crashing. Forget subtlety.

She walked over to Kainak and helped lift him up. It had all happened so fast, the tribe still hadn't fully processed what happened, and it's pretty sure the reader has not either, since it took less than a page for this to happen. Heck, Kainak and Julie really had no idea what the hell had just happened.

She grabbed her hair, cursing herself for not recognizing what, in hindsight, was obvious; that it was Unaki. But hindsight is always 20/20. And with Kainak protectively holding her close, she sighed and relaxed, touching his bare chest in a perverted and not-perverted way, just thankful that he was still alive.