Ms. Montrose fumbled around her pocket and pulled out a black watch. She turned the watch three times, and the strangest thing began to happen. The dragon’s green eyes seemed to be on fire and the portrait burst into flames, creating a dark opening with a gentle breeze coming from it. “This is the portal that leads to the Adventure Island, where you will be trained to realize your true potential and find your parents,” said Ms. Montrose. “I will leave you children here, and when you get to the end of the portal, press the green button to your left.”
Before leaving, Sam mustered all his courage to ask Ms. Montrose his biggest concern. “Ms. Montrose, do you know where my parents are being held?” Ms. Montrose muttered, “I wish. That would make life a whole lot easier.” Then she said, “I am so sorry that this has happened to you. With time you will realize that everything happens for a reason.”
Suddenly there was a rumbling noise, loud footsteps were heard, and they could see men racing toward them with blue guns. Ms. Montrose pushed the children through the portal and said, “Run...” She hesitated, then added urgently, “You must go before they capture you. Press the green button to make the escape. I’ll hold them off.”
As Sam and Alana dashed through the black hole they heard heavy crashing noises. In their excitement to make an escape they had forgotten what Ms. Montrose had said. Sam asked Alana, “Is it the right or the left button? I think it’s the right one,” said Alana. Sam pressed the right button and as the portal started to spin he realized he had made a dreadful mistake. He should have pressed the button to the left. Where would this take them?
Meanwhile, Ms. Montrose was trying her best to stall their pursuers. She swiftly transformed into a gigantic Transmalian grizzly bear. She started grunting, spitting, and flailing her arms. She charged toward the men in fury. She growled and started biting the men on their necks and flung them to the floor. She swatted them with her claws. The men went flying and so did their blue guns.
They were no match for the grizzly, although they tried to shoot her. One man’s face was torn to pieces and blood dripped all over. Others ran for their lives trying to make an escape. Ms. Montrose chased the men out of the school. She watched them flee in disgust and let out a low, fierce growl. It seemed as if she was trying to say to the men, “I hope you never return... and if you do I will ensure you won’t leave this place alive.” Ms. Montrose then transformed into her original self. She immediately spoke with all the teachers regarding the day’s events. They agreed that since the WAR force had known that the Smith children had come to the school, it would no longer be safe for the other children to remain there. The teachers decided to build a powerful barricade around the school to protect the children.
Sam and Alana had their own worries to deal with. The portal finally stopped and they landed gently onto a deserted-looking street. Dazed, Sam and Alana wandered along the street, taking in their surroundings. The street was dirty and in need of repairs. It appeared as if they were in a remote town. Small, run-down shacks skirted the city, and broken down signs were nestled in the desolate-looking town. Dust and sand covered most of the ground, and all of the buildings around them seemed vacant. Then, Alana noticed a broken, unfinished sign in lettering that they did not recognize. Sam and Alana knew that this town was located in another country, since the signs were all in a different language that they could not read. The two children scavenged the town, looking for clues to determine their whereabouts.
After a while, Sam and Alana decided to separate to speed up the process. An hour or so had gone by when Sam heard Alana’s cry for help. He jumped up, startled, and ran toward her voice as fast as he could. Sam found a large hole where he’d last seen her. He slid inside, and to his surprise his body hurtled down the dark hole on what seemed to be a long and winding mud slide, propelling him downward at top speed. Sam’s body bumped from side to side, as he scraped his limbs along the coarse and rocky walls. He finally landed with a thud at the bottom of the slide after what seemed like a never-ending ride. In pain from the bumpy ride, Sam sat up thinking about what a mess they had gotten themselves into. He slowly stood up and scanned the area, taken aback by what he saw.
A massive elliptical cave had been created underground, one made with rocks, mud, and dirt. Hundreds of people were cramped in to corners of the cave, their bodies appearing wrinkled. They all seemed to be cowering in fear. All of a sudden, black figures began to move in the depths of the cave. A tall, black figure was walking toward Sam, holding Alana by the throat. Frightened, Sam took a step back. The tall man released his grip on Alana and watched her fall to the ground. He spoke to her in a fierce manner and asked, “Who are you? What do you want?”
Sam explained to the man that he and his sister had been teleported to this town. While searching the town for clues to their whereabouts, his sister had fallen down a hole that led them to the underground cave. The man seemed relieved after hearing Sam’s story. “Ah, it seems as if you were teleported from the Nightfire School to this town.”
“In that case,” he said, “we shall tell you our story.” As soon as the man said this, the bodies that had been crouching in the cave began to stir. They all rose and surrounded the tall man. He stepped forward. A small amount of light shone on his face. Sam and Alana could now see him clearly. The man had a dark complexion, a flat nose, dark brown eyes, and curly brown hair. The rest of the people standing next to him resembled him as well. He stepped back and sat on the ground. Sam and Alana joined him, as did the many others who were in the back of the cave. “My name,” he said, “is Cecilian Malia. I am the guardian of the refugees, protector of the helpless, and soldier against the WAR force.” He took a deep breath and said, “My grandparents were one of the unfortunate, one of those who could not be saved, but my parents survived, with great scars.”
“So,” said Sam, “is this where the Adventure Island is?” The tall man laughed and then said, “Of course not! Are you crazy?” “Oh,” said Sam, feeling quite disappointed. “Well, let us tell you about ourselves.” He and Alana proceeded to tell them their story. When they had finished, Cecilian smiled and said, “My group, or should I say tribe, is one of those that has been in hiding for about fifty years.” “Where are we?” asked Alana.
“You are in the South African town of Lost Secrets. It used to be one of the most prosperous cities of the olden times, until the WAR force came in and wrecked it.” Hence the name, since a lot of the history, handicrafts, monuments, and riches were lost and never to be found. He continued to speak about how his tribe of Transmalians had survived multiple attacks and went on to tell them about all their great adventures. Cecilian seemed to be living an exciting life, full of action and bravery. He told the children about his life at the Nightfire School, and how he eventually got transferred to the AL to aid the Transmalian knights in missions throughout the world. He explained to them that the Transmalian knights were people who fought for the Transmalians and safeguarded the tribe hideouts all over the world, as well as established new ones. After a long conversation with Cecilian, the two children were given a tour of the tribe hideout.
Sam and Alana were amazed by the cave. Although it was constructed with mud and rocks, the cave was beautiful. There were markings with native languages all over the walls. Small pictures were drawn next to the markings, and colorful inks were used to light up the cave. The common sleeping room was a large opening in the cave and beds made out of grass, leaves, and plants were laid next to each other. The cave seemed like quite a fascinating place to live in.
Cecilian led Sam and Alana to the guest room, which surprisingly was quite elegant. Two stone beds lay side by side, adorned with fuchsia rose petals and Madagascar orchids. A stone pool with a waterfall and miniature stream at the far end of the room offered a breathtaking view. Sam and Alana stood watching the crystal clear water rush gently into the pool and splash over the sides of the rocks and into the stream. The pool was quite aesthetic, with colored rocks of different shapes a
nd sizes. At the other end of the room was a stone dresser with different slabs jutting out of each of the sides. Sam and Alana realized that they had left their suitcases behind, but they would no longer need their belongings here. All they needed was the locket, which Alana kept safely hidden in her pocket since she had been entrusted with its care.
Sam and Alana stared in awe at the amazing sight before them. South Africa was much more beautiful than they had ever imagined it to be. They could not wait to try the traditional food and get accustomed to the culture. It was time to have dinner soon, and the two were eager to dive right in. They were served African gumbo, consisting of brown rice, onions, okra, tomatoes, chicken, and lemon juice. The interesting part was that the meal was served on plantain leaves, and the utensils were hand-crafted. To top it off, dessert was a bowl of South African home-churned guava ice cream, which both Sam and Alana found delightful. The flavor was a mixture of sweet and tangy, and surprisingly incorporated the feel and taste of a guava. After the delicious meal, Sam and Alana were exhausted and wanted to get in to bed right away.
The two children made their way back to the guest room, following the colors, streaked across the walls, that guided them. They were both extremely tired and retired early for the night. Even though it was only about seven o clock in the evening, Sam and Alana had no problem falling asleep. After all, they were inside a cleverly hidden cave and they were beginning to feel safe. However, an uneasy feeling rose within their hearts, the feeling that they would soon have to leave.
JOURNEY
Sam was abruptly awoken by Cecilian, who warned them that they were under attack. Sam could hear by the people screaming, and knew from the shouts and commotion, that they had been caught off guard. “Where’s Alana?” Sam asked worriedly. “She was lucky. I led her to safety a few moments ago. She is standing at the entrance,” said Cecilian. “What?” asked Sam in shock. “You’re going to let her go straight into battle?” “No,” replied Cecilian calmly. “She is at the entrance of the emergency exit.”
In an instant, Cecilian grabbed Sam by the arm and pulled him across the room. Sam insisted that he stay and help Cecilian and his tribe. But, Cecilian disagreed, telling him that he was not trained for combat. It was true. Cecilian held a finger to his mouth. “Follow me quietly,” he whispered. They tiptoed across the cave floor quickly.
A strange whirring noise startled Sam and he looked back, just in time to see a strange blue hoop hurtling toward Cecilian. Sam jumped up and whacked it with his hand hard enough to prevent it from crashing into Cecilian. Sam and Cecilian then ran as fast as they could to escape their pursuers. Cecilian grabbed Sam and pushed him into a dark recess of the wall.
It was only when Sam got a moment to catch his breath that he realized that his wrist was burning. To his alarm a blue line was seared into his wrist and electric currents pulsed through it. “What’s this?” Sam asked. “It’s a tracking device,” Cecilian replied. “You need to always be on guard.” Sam understood that he had been tagged by the WAR association, and now they would follow him wherever he went. No matter where he escaped to, they’d be able to find him. He had little time to worry about it, and pushed the thought out of his mind.
Cecilian then pressed his hands against the largest ridge in the recess of the rock wall, and began to push with all his might. Amid all the commotion, he became more stressed and frantic. People seemed to be drawing closer to the room that they were in. “Help me push,” said Cecilian in a choked voice. Sam put his hands on the ridge and began pushing.
The ridge was hard and sharp, but Sam continued to exert all his effort. His hands began bleeding, but he had no time to quit pushing. The ceiling of the room began to crumble with rocks falling down. The WAR force was destroying the cave. They seemed determined to take down the tribe hideout. Sam thought to himself ruefully that the WAR force had successfully managed to tag him. What measures would they go to find him and Alana? Where would they go next? The destruction that they were trying to cause brought great pain to Sam, as he had a feeling that everything wasn’t over. There was always a battle, always someone who would lose and someone who would win. Who would it be? While Sam was pondering everything, Cecilian had been doing a great deal of labor.
Miraculously, the ridge began moving forward, and Sam was able to slip through the hole that it created. Cecilian, however, was not as lucky. As Sam began to push the ridge farther inwards, to enable Cecilian to crawl through, he heard footsteps approaching, and they weren’t friendly footsteps. Cecilian signaled to Sam frantically and pushed the ridge the other way. Cecilian managed to push the ridge back in fully. Sam felt terrible.
He had left Cecilian behind, and who knew what would happen to him. What should he do next? He pressed his ear against the ridge, trying to hear what was going on. The voices on the other side were muffled, but understandable. “Ah, Cecilian. Long time since we’ve seen you. Looks like the boss will be happy today. We’ve got you, and the whole tribe. You’re all done for.” Sam pushed on the ridge harder, trying to hear what else the WAR force men were saying. To his dismay, the ridge began leaning forward, and apparently the men on the other side could tell. “Hey, the wall is moving. Cecilian is hiding something!” they all shouted with glee. Sam was horrified. It was too late. He would not be able to save Cecilian, and as things were going now, he would not even be able to save himself.
Looking around he guessed that he must be in the emergency exit room. It was pitch dark in the room, and as he was deciding to move forward, a clammy hand clapped his mouth shut. Sam tried to shout in fear but to his great relief, it was only Alana. She beckoned him to follow her across the room. His legs scraped against rocks, and he had many abrasions on his body while crawling with his sister in the narrow space, brushing past wild bushes, thorns, and thick ivy. Sam felt faint, sleep deprived, and dehydrated.
He forced himself to follow Alana, suffering as his body encountered sharp and hurtful objects. Finally, they arrived at a tunnel. They could see a small stream of light at the other end of the tunnel. Sam paused to take a break, but immediately regretted his decision. The floor began to rumble, and cracks appeared in the ridges of the wall. Soldiers began storming in from every direction. Sam and Alana crawled through the tunnel hurriedly. The tunnel was cold and uncomfortable. Sharp rocks jutted out of the ground, and mud caused them to slip and slide. Sam’s arms pounded furiously against the cold and mucky ground, becoming more and more slippery. The two children hastily scrambled through the tunnel and emerged covered in mud and gravel, with several bruises and scrapes.
On the other side of the tunnel sat a small chamber. Sam and Alana had no time to spare. They immediately rushed into the chamber without even looking at anything else in the room. As soon as they stepped into the chamber, it made a loud whirring noise and began to shake. The room tilted from side to side and back and forth multiple times. Then, everything was left in complete darkness. Sam and Alana could see nothing around them, unsure of what was happening. The chamber lurched to a complete halt after what seemed to be a good hour. Sam opened the door and stepped out, relieved to see that Alana followed him close behind.
The two took a moment to look around, and were surprised. They did not know why they had been sent to this particular location. A small sign read, “The John Adventure Lost Circus.” The circus was run down, almost in shambles. Sam had heard many interesting stories about the circus from his parents and knew how amazing it once used to be. He walked around the vicinity, admiring each treasured masterpiece.
First, he saw a circular arena, where he presumed elephants once walked. A narrow strip of land, which may have been a street, contained many lost secrets. The feet of thousands of people must have touched the ground, and so many memories were gained and lost here. Small shops lined the center street, each having signs indicating the goods sold in the store. Sam walked up to the entrance booth. Alana followed him, puzzled by his sudden interest in these ruins. When Sam walked up to the booth h
e saw a red button. He did not entirely know the purpose of the button, but was excited at the thought of pressing it.
He pushed the red button and instantly two mechanical hands popped out of the button and lifted Sam and Alana by their shirts. The button began to flash, and a screen popped up. Words began to appear on the screen. Sam and Alana were told to hold their hands straight up in the air, so that the button’s sensors could analyze them. Once the button finished scanning Sam and Alana’s hands, it turned green, and made small pinging noises. Seconds later, Sam and Alana were released by the mechanical hands. They fell to the ground softly. They landed in the middle of a park.
The park had lush, green grass, multiple flower beds, several bushes, and tall spindly trees, which stretched outwards toward the sky. As Sam and Alana stared at the thick canopy, they could see small, clear patches of blue. Sun shone in through the tiny cracks in the canopy. Alana noticed a few small evergreen trees and the light rays reflected off these trees, spreading warmth everywhere. Sam and Alana felt safe and protected in the park, not knowing where they actually were. After they had enjoyed a few moments of tranquility in the small park, they looked up once again, and saw that two other people had joined them. These people were no strangers to Sam and Alana. These two people were girls from the Nightfire School, Iyesha and Avery. Iyesha, tall and lanky, bounded over toward them, her curly, dark brown hair bouncing with each stride. Avery waved at them, her thin lips opening up into a broad smile. Both girls looked relieved and glad to see the twins. Sam and Alana were very surprised to see them. Were they following them?
The Transmalians Page 6