Avery was the first to speak. “I am so glad that you arrived here safely. We were all worried sick about you,” she said. Iyesha frowned and pointed her finger at Alana and said, “You can never trust anyone without confirming their identity.”
Alana smirked and said softly, “Then how do we trust you?” Iyesha rolled up her sleeve. A green, star-shaped mark adorned the center of her arm. “My birthmark,” she said. “You will know if a person is a true Transmalian once you see their birthmark.” Alana raised her eyebrows and scoffed, “Where’s Ms. Montrose?” Iyesha rolled her eyes and said, “Ms. Montrose is not allowed on this island. Only the special ones are.” Sam looked puzzled. “Who is a special one?” he asked. Iyesha was mysterious as she gave Sam an answer. “You will find out when you need to,” she whispered. Avery, who hadn’t been talking for a while, raised her voice.
“You should have tried to arrive here earlier, and without causing as much destruction as you did. Everyone knows about what happened in South Africa. Now, the WAR force knows who you are and where you are.” Sam felt his face getting hot. He was infuriated. After all the trouble that he had taken for the past few weeks, this is how he was being treated? He was tired. Tired of waiting for someone to tell him what to do, tired of running, hiding from one place to another, not to mention the fact that he had no clue about his parents’ whereabouts.
He was tired of all the secrets, the lies, the mysteries, the unanswered questions. Sam had never felt this angry in his life. He was used to knowing everything, having everything, and seeing everything clearly. He could not take it anymore. His face began to burn, and his mouth felt dry. Two sharp horns sprouted from his head. His hands became hard and rocky. He began to grow taller and larger. His breaths became deeper, and suddenly it happened. He felt himself lift off the ground.
Wings had sprouted from his back. He could not describe the feeling that went through his body, but he was experiencing exhilaration. His wings carried him higher and higher, and he soared through the sky. As he looked below him, he saw Avery, Iyesha, and Alana staring at him in amazement. Sam breathed deeply, the fresh air flowing into his lungs and rejuvenating him. He slowly descended toward the ground, noticing that the park was beautiful and secluded. He almost felt as if he were trapped on a tiny island. He hovered a few feet above the land, and seconds later he planted his feet firmly on the ground. Sam slowly felt his wings disappear, and the burning sensation within him dissipated.
Alana ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck. “Take me for a ride!” she yelled, like a little child. Sam was shocked. “I don’t even know how I did it!” he shouted. Iyesha and Avery ran up to him and thumped him on the back. “Congratulations!” they both squealed. “You did it! Now you can begin your actual training.” Sam began to realize that he had morphed into his Transmalian form. One thing still bothered him, though. “How did the WAR force know where we were, back at the cave, I mean? And how did you know that, Iyesha?” Avery began to laugh. “It’s simple, really. They must have marked you with their insignia, the blue serpent. And Ms. Montrose knew where you were through her video tracker. As soon as she saw that you were at this park, she sent us.”
Sam said, “Well, Cecilian had warned me that I was tagged and I had to stay on guard. Is there any way I can get rid of this insignia?” Sam asked. Iyesha answered, “I don’t think so, Sam.” Sam hadn’t noticed that both Iyesha and Avery were carrying clunky suitcases. Sam and Alana carried only the locket with them, which was entrusted in their care, and the red backpack that Ms. Montrose had given them, moments after the attack. Their concerns were allayed when Iyesha told them that they wouldn’t need anything. Sam was still confused as to where they were going and where they currently were, but decided not to say anything. Iyesha and Avery began rummaging through their suitcases frantically, till Avery pulled out a small gray box and screamed with glee. Avery ran around in circles, till Iyesha finally calmed her down.
Iyesha beckoned to Sam, Alana, and Avery that they follow her. She led them through a forest of spindly trees, past flowers and herbs of all sorts, to a small beach. The beach was a narrow strip of sand with small shells. Huge waves of water rose up and down on to the golden brown shore and dragged grains of sand into the sea. The water was a magnificent emerald green. Alana gazed at the sea, watching the waves splash up and down.
She almost seemed tranquilized, with her mouth hanging open, her eyes drooping, and her head sagging. Iyesha ran up to Alana and stared coldly into her eyes. Iyesha snapped her fingers twice, but Alana did not wake up from her daze. Iyesha, who was in a crunch for time, signaled to Avery. Avery once again rummaged through her suitcase and pulled out an orange tube. She tossed the tube to Iyesha, who caught it. Iyesha pulled out a yellow capsule and popped it into Alana’s open mouth. Alana stayed still for a few moments and then began to move again. “What did I miss?” she asked. No one had time to answer her question. Instead, they began fumbling with the gray box that Avery was carrying. Once they had opened the box, a long plastic sheet was taken out. Avery pulled a red cord that was on the side of the sheet and it inflated, turning into a raft.
With no trouble at all, Iyesha and Avery pushed the raft into the water and ushered Sam and Alana to get in. They both got in, carrying their red backpacks with them. Then, Iyesha and Avery tossed their own suitcases in and jumped into the raft. However, this was no ordinary raft, it was audio controlled. It would move based on the directions a person gave to it. Avery gave the raft instructions regarding their destination, but over the roaring noise the waves were making, her voice was inaudible to Sam.
The raft immediately began propelling them forward through the rough waves. Sam began to relax in the raft, directing his gaze to the sea. Iyesha immediately told him not to, for the sea enchants those who stare at it. Sam heeded her advice and stopped gazing at the sea. The ride was smooth, and Sam thought it was going well, but he was clearly wrong. Soon the raft began to sway back and forth in the sea, tilting them side to side and sometimes bobbing up and down. They all knew the source of the problem. The suitcases! They caused the weight to be unevenly distributed in the raft. Iyesha and Avery hoisted the suitcases up with great difficulty and threw them overboard, but much to their disappointment it made very little difference.
Even more troubling, the raft had a puncture in it, causing the air to leak. Sam felt the raft collapsing as the air was draining out. Sam’s instincts told him to dive into the sea, but he wanted to follow the instructions of the group. Iyesha and Avery quickly explained what was going to happen and gave instructions to follow them. Sam, and the others jumped straight into the water.
The water was ice cold and Sam felt his body feel numb from the frigid water. He kept his mouth closed and clamped his hand over his nose tightly. The water was sending chills through his body. A few more seconds in the water and Sam knew he would freeze and die from hypothermia. Luckily, Avery and Alana, who had joined them in the water came to the rescue. Avery turned into her Transmalian snake form and swam around Alana and the others in a circle, draping them with snakeskin, creating a bubble around their heads and enabling them to breathe freely. Now, they were all able to swim underwater comfortably.
Sam felt snug and cozy with the snakeskin protecting his body. The bubble around his head was fantastic, almost surreal. It was a clear shield from the dangers of the sea. Through the bubble he could see the rich, deep green water around him and watch the sea animals. Small fish swam in zigzag patterns, their fins beating hard in the water. A burst of color was created as more fish splashed around in the water. Small plants grew at the bottom of the sea, forming a little home for the critters of the land. Sam was excited at all the life that existed in the placid and mysterious sea. He was relieved to see that Iyesha, Alana, and Avery were not far behind him. His underwater swimming felt like scuba diving.
He continued to observe the sea, puzzled by its many wonders. He dove down a little further, and as the sea became darker, so did h
is thoughts. He tried to push them out of his mind, but wondered what would become of him. What was his purpose in life? What was he supposed to do? What was he meant to do? As hazy as everything seemed, Sam knew that he had to push himself forward, no matter how much others pulled him back.
The WAR force could try to ruin his life, his family, and everything that he had, but he would not give up without a fight. Sam had made it clear to himself; he would not give up. No matter what he had to do, he would not give up. He was aware that he had much ahead of him, and decided that he would embrace it. Alana had decided the same thing as well. Sam looked above him and noticed that the other three had begun to swim to the surface. He pushed himself upwards, swimming incredibly fast. As he left behind the sea, he left behind his worries. He would no longer question himself. If there was one thing he had learned from being a Transmalian, it was to go with the flow.
Sam reached the top of the water within a few seconds and met the others there as well. They were only a few hundred feet away from shore, and began swimming there. The water became shallower and shallower, and Sam could almost feel his feet scraping against the rocks at the bottom of the sea. Sam also felt a drastic rise in temperature. They continued swimming for quite a while, and Iyesha and Avery told them that they were reaching their destination. At first, all Sam saw was the horizon, and slowly, as he drew closer, a large island standing out against the sky. From what Sam could see, it looked like a tropical paradise. They kept swimming through the sea, and by the time they reached the island, they were all thoroughly exhausted.
As soon as Alana reached the shore, she scrambled out of the water and threw herself onto the sand. She lay there, panting for a few moments, and once she had caught her breath, got up. Sam did the same, as did Avery and Iyesha. “Are we safe now?” asked Alana. Avery smiled. “Yes, we are.”
SECRET
What Sam couldn’t understand was why the WAR force had let them escape. “Why did they let us?” he asked. Neither Iyesha nor Avery could answer Sam’s question. The words hung limply in the air, as no one spoke. Sam assumed they did not want to speak about it, or that he would find out, all in good time.
Iyesha and Avery led them on, and as they walked across the beach, Sam tried to imagine the future and wished that he could bring his life back to normal. Once they had covered the expanse of the beach, they were led through a forest, where nothing much could be seen. Sam was paying little attention, and Alana drew herself through the marshy grounds. They both forgot about keeping alert.
The troop of children kept marching on until finally Avery ordered them to stop. A large, ominous metal gate barred them from going any further, and guards were standing all around the entrance. “Hands up,” they said in unison. Sam, Alana, Iyesha, and Avery all put their hands up. Red beams shot out from either side of the gate and scanned their hands. The gate beeped, and an electronic screen popped up. The screen was green and read, “Welcome, new transfers. Your identity has been confirmed.” The gate slowly opened, and the guards stepped aside. The four children began to enter calmly, and then Alana asked, “Where are we?” “The Adventure Island,” replied Iyesha.
The children took a great look at the magnificent island that loomed before them. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before. The island was modern yet rustic, with sleek white apartments stacked one on top of the other along the outskirts, and jungle cabins nestled high among the trees. Tall skyscrapers shot up from the middle of the island, covered in flashing lights. A colorful neon sign read, “Island City.” A pier led out to the east side of the ocean, decorated with small boats and rafts. Small shops skirted the edges of the island, and various restaurants were scattered throughout the city.
Alana had no words to express her excitement. She had been told a lot about the Adventure Island, and was relieved that she had finally made it there. As she walked through the gate, Alana wondered what the Adventure Island looked like. For the next several hours, they had to go through a long process of filling out forms, answering questions, and giving information to island officials, who recorded everything for security reasons. The officials spoke in crisp English, and not their Transmalian tongue. Sam was surprised, as he was not expecting the communication process with the island folk to be so simple.
Once the tiresome process was done, Sam, Alana, Iyesha, and Avery were directed to the cottages they would be staying in at the island. Sam and Alana would be sharing one cottage, and Iyesha and Avery would be sharing another. Sam was enthusiastic about living on the island for a few weeks. Alana was happy, but the happiness within her was bittersweet. She knew what they had come there to do, and this began to cause her anxiety. Also, she hadn’t morphed into her Transmalian form. This caused her to feel odd amongst all the other people living on the island. All of them had transformed, except for her. As she kept obsessing over these thoughts, the more miserable she became.
On top of everything, she missed her parents, and she was extremely worried about them. Negative thoughts began to fill her mind. She tried to block them out but they kept recurring. Sam was worried about Alana too. She seemed to lack the enthusiasm that she always had. She was usually a cheerful, bubbly person and took great interest in traveling and exploring. Something just didn’t feel right about the island, and they had to find out.
All Alana wanted to do was to go to bed. She was tired, and she needed rest to think over things and all the strange happenings. But, it was too early in the day to do so. The sun painted the sky with color, and its rays spread throughout the island. Sam tried to comfort Alana, telling her that they would know what to do as soon as they began their formal training, and then everything would be right again. Alana was reassured but still not comfortable. She had so many questions, so many fears, and no knowledge of what would happen to them.
Sam and Alana strolled to their island cottage and were pleasantly surprised. It was not too shabby and was located in the most popular area of the island. Although they did not know this, they were in the balcony section of the island, meant only for important people. From the balcony section, they could view the whole island. Sam and Alana were astounded with the view the balcony offered. There were thousands of people who were walking around the island, participating in activities and doing normal, everyday things, such as dining out, or going to a movie. The two children realized they were temporarily in a safe haven, and the place would also train them to become who they were destined to be.
The island looked like a diorama. Sam and Alana felt as if they were almost able to reach out from their window and touch each part of it. They were intrigued by the island’s mystique and its many locations. There were four main arenas that stretched out across the island. They looked like ancient ruins but had rows of seats that were filled with multiple people. There were two major pools, filled with light green liquid. Children and adults of all ages were playing in the pools, and they seemed to be having a great time. A large volcano separated the two pools and loomed high above them. A few people were at the top of the volcano, standing at the edge of its mouth. In addition to the volcano, was a set of mountain ranges, and on those mountain ranges were small bungee domes. Sam and Alana squinted in their direction, and were thrilled to see that small children were in those domes, practicing stunts. Next to the main bungee domes were ropes courses that sloped downwards to the base of the mountain ranges.
Small rivers ran through the bases of the mountains, and next to the rivers were small stations. Across from the mountain ranges was a small shopping complex, with a movie theater, restaurants, a mall, and multiple other stores. In the middle of the shopping complex was an enormous dome-shaped building, which Sam and Alana assumed was the main training center. After taking a look at the great Adventure Island, the two children had no doubt that they would have fun. They were not capable of seeing the part of the island that was behind them, but they didn’t need to. The front of the island was mainly for security checks, new Transmalian transfers, and gove
rnment headquarters.
Intrigued by the island, Sam and Alana pressed their eyes to the window, wanting to see more. Unfortunately they were unable to, because Iyesha and Avery decided to visit them. In fact, Sam and Alana hadn’t even looked at their room or settled in. As soon as they arrived at their cottage, they rushed to the window. Now that Iyesha and Avery were here, they both turned around and were relieved at the sight that met their eyes. Two king-sized beds sat at one side of the room, appearing untouched. A small table was in the middle of the room, and four chairs were cluttered around the table. On the other side of the room was a small kitchen area, with a minifridge, a microwave, and a blender. Next to the kitchen area was a small dresser. Not much else was in the room, so it was not too cramped.
“Isn’t it great?” asked Avery. “Just as it always was,” she added quietly. Alana was puzzled. “Wait, you’ve been here before?” she asked in disbelief. Avery looked sheepish as she stumbled over words to answer the question. “Well, you see...ummmmmm, yes,” she said. Iyesha stepped in, pushing Avery aside, and said firmly, “That was in the past, when things were as out of hand as they ever could be. Those times were less safe, less controlled. But, let’s not worry about it.” Alana was furious as she met Iyesha’s eyes. “I want an answer!” she yelled. “I want to know why you lied to us! I want to know what this is all about!!” Iyesha crumpled to the ground and began sobbing. Alana didn’t expect this type of reaction from her, and was greatly taken aback.
Avery knelt on the ground next to Iyesha and gave Alana a dirty look. Alana didn’t understand what she had done. Iyesha slowly got up, anger burning in her eyes. “You want to know why we’ve been here before?” she asked harshly. “Well, I’ll tell you!” she screamed. “We were here three years ago, and were training here. That one day, it all fell apart. That one day, it happened, and....” Iyesha was unable to complete her sentence. Alana stepped forward, apologetic and regretful.
The Transmalians Page 7