The Earth's Secret - The Hidden Island - Book 1

Chapter 8 - The Betrayal

I dove straight from a ledge on the volcano into the water, my hair streaming behind me. I hit the water with barely a splash and then swam in a random direction. Gradually, I marked out an area, kind of between the beach where we had landed and the volcano, a few hundred feet down. With such clear water, the sun's ray reached all the way to where I was. This was where my palace would be.

I stood on the sand, observing the sunlit waters around me. I could sense life around me, fish and sea creatures. I raised my chin, straightened my shoulders, and called out.

I couldn't tell you what sound I made, what it sounded like if it was a word or not. But it came, and when I released it, the sound traveled through the water with amazing speed. I waited. Nothing happened. I did it again.

Then, a golden puffer fish swam up to me. It stared me in eyes, and I returned its gaze. After a moment, the fish was joined by a few more, all different types. The first one opened his mouth and spoke in the language of the sea creatures, which I realized I had spoken in to call them. I had said, "Come. I am your queen." Now, the pufferfish whispered, "It is her."

And then hundreds upon hundreds of creatures came from the depths- sharks, fish, octopi, and everything else. Thousands of merpeople swam to me, and I rose in the water so that I could see all of them. More continued to come. And I was meant to lead them.

I spoke, my words rippling out to every single one of them.

"I am the daughter of the goddess Haraka, come to lead the sea."

The first fish swam up to me and turned to the audience.

"It is her- the goddess has told us she would come. She is here. She is our queen. And we will build her a palace, just as the goddess told us we must."

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I drew up blueprints with Puffy, whose assistance became valuable beyond words. Merpeople came to me one at a time, and eagerly joined the army that Puffy had arranged. After a middle-aged merman Puffy assigned as a General came into play, the army became his responsibility. Whales pulled chunks of stone and marble from who knows where, and smaller fish, eels, and merpeople smoothened and carved them into breathtaking designs. The palace would be larger than any mortal castle- larger than several football fields. Puffy informed me that there was an ancient underwater palace that he had modeled this one after. Every article of magic from the ancient castle would be fused into mine.

In the bedroom, there was a talking picture which you could talk to anyone through the picture as long as that person had a talking picture. For now, there was only portraits of them in action- Charlie on fire, Laura flying, and Sarah raising gems. I touched each frame, and I felt a tingle in my fingers. The frames glowed softly before returning to normal. I turned to walk out of the room, but a commotion behind me made me turn. Charlie's portrait had disappeared, leaving a scene of the real one.

"Nicole, I knew you had this mirror in your palace! Laura and Sarah have them too! But Nicole you have to come right now." Charlie shouted.

I ran over. "What in the world is wrong?"

"I was looking out the window of my forge, and I saw a speck in the distance. I called Sarah, but she didn't know. Laura used her air vision, and I used my spyglass Xtreme, and Nicole-"

Charlie swallowed. "There is a ship."

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I swam out of the palace as fast as I could, forgetting that I could just use a portal to get to the forge. I guess that didn't matter because I could swim just about as fast as I could portal, perhaps faster. When I got to the volcano I climbed to the top as fast as I could, which wasn't really fast compared to how fast I swam. I had obviously surprised Charlie appearing from the side of the volcano. I guess he was expecting me to portal over. I quickly explained that I forgot about teleportation so I swam over and climbed the volcano. And Charlie was relatively normal!

"Laura and Sarah should be here shortly," said Charlie.

"I hope they get here soon because we need a meeting pronto." I replied. We peered at the distant speck until we heard the swish of wind. Then Laura flew down from the sky, and Sarah appeared out of a portal.

"I thought that I would try to portal over. It's harder than it looks. You had made it look so easy, Nicole," Sarah said, closing the portal.

"Well, that's because I had practiced teleporting. But anyway I am calling an emergency meeting right now. Sarah can you create some chairs for us?" I asked hurriedly. Sarah made the chairs and we all sat down.

Everyone had a panicked face and Laura was hyperventilating. I started the meeting off, trying to keep my voice steady. "Okay- I know everyone is panicked about the ship. I'm panicked too, but we need to calm down. Are we going to stay or are we going to go? I can get us to the ship easily- but- oh, guys, I can't do this. I have no one at home. I'm staying."

Silence followed. Laura and Sarah were whispering softly, but Charlie had gone stiff. I felt sad and relieved as soon as I said that, but I knew that it was my destiny. I spoke again.

"Yes, I know. You all can leave, and I know why. You have families to go back to. I have no one back there except for you guys, my new siblings. I am leaving the choice up to you. But I can't leave, and you know it- this is where I belong." I finished, my hands twisting in my lap.

"Nicole, I..." Sarah's voice broke as she faced the hardest decision. "I love my dad and... but... " Laura stayed silent until she said shakily, "I just need a few minutes, OK? Just to think-"

Charlie stood, and his chair exploded into flames. "A few minutes you do not have." His voice was Charlie's, but underneath, trying to break through, was another voice, a deep, terrifying tone. Charlie's eyes glinted red, and he spoke, but this time, the other voice receded.

"You all are my siblings, true," he said calmly, and his fingers started to smolder. "I knew as soon as we got to this island that the power here is immense- the home of a goddess? And we live here? But I have dug deeper, uncovered history beyond anything you could imagine..." Charlie laughed, but the sound sent shivers up my back. Sarah trembled, and our chairs disappeared as she lost control. Laura was kneeling, peering into Charlie's face as if trying to make him go back to what he used to be. I was collapsed on the ground, tears welling up and spilling out onto the volcanic rock. Charlie continued.

"I was waiting, learning, and watching and for a time that I could get us all onto my territory, and here we are." He spread his arms, which were roped with flames. "Long before Haraka chose this island to be sacred to her, the greatest source of evil dwelled in this very land. When Haraka came, unknowingly, the spirit dissipated into nothingness, traveling worldwide, convincing humankind to do terrible things. But now... it has returned. It showed me the true way, and to be powerful enough to put my plan into action, I need one of you to help me." He slammed his foot into the ground and the mountain trembled. "I am going to leave this island, to get ready. Which one of you will help me, be by my side?" Charlie smiled, trailing his eyes over us. As his eyes passed over me, his gaze rested on my eyes, and I saw a flicker of the old Charlie. His stance faltered, and I saw a... pleading gaze fall upon me. But then I felt something cold, a mist, almost, but freezing. Charlie's grin regained itself. "So, if none of you object, I will be leaving with YOU!"

He lunged towards Sarah, knowing that she was weak and losing control. I screamed and a wave emerged from the ocean all the way down the mountain, dosing Charlie and putting out his flames. Laura recovered and flew away, throwing her spear. It pinned Charlie to the mountain by his t-shirt, but he ripped it out. He stood there and glared at us.

"We will meet again when I defeat the goddess Haraka and take over!"

A column of flames engulfed him and when they cleared, he was gone.

I helped Sarah up, and we all stared at the smoky area where he had been.

Sarah asked, "Well, what now?"

I looked up at the sky and silently prayed for help.

"Now, we prepare for war. Charlie will be back."

"Will we be ready?" Laura said weakly.

I turned my gaze to the receding boat and knew- they wouldn't be leaving.

Not until the world was safe from Charlie.

I turned to them.

"We will be ready."

Word Count: 1540

Total Word Count: 12249