Adventures in Diviniand

by Nancy Olawale

  “And I immediately hate that annoying diveel thing.” Olivia looked at the angry creature and rolled her eyes at it.

  “Not all of them are so bad, you know, Olivia.”

  “I hope so. And to think that I wanted to keep one as a pet!” Jess laughed at Olivia’s comment, and Olivia smiled.

  “Do you think this place has magic?” she asked.

  “I don’t think so, Olivia,” Jess answered. “It could just be really advanced technology!”

  “I suppose so.” Jess could hear doubt in Olivia’s voice but decided to ignore it.

  “How are we going to find Harry?” she wondered.

  “Maybe the map could help, Jess,” Olivia suggested. “They probably went to the Diviniand Jail, so we should head there.”

  Jess took the map out of her bag, “Aww,” she complained, “I was kind of liking the Harry-free time!” Jess and Olivia both laughed, and then their concentration was back on the map.

  “I think I see the prison over there,” Jess said as she pointed to a street on the map. “If we head through there, we’ll be taking a shortcut through a construction site, but I think it’s worth the risk.”

  “Yeah, but what if it’s crowded?” Olivia panicked. “Like, really, really crowded?”

  “Olivia, we need to get Harry quickly, and that’s the only shortcut.”

  “Sure, then, but it doesn’t mean I like the idea. Actually, I hate the idea!” Olivia muttered.

  “Well, you made your point clear!”

  “I’m just thinking about being careful.”

  “Who said we weren’t being careful? We’re going to find disguises ASAP if we want to find Harry,” Jess said.

  “That was the one thing I hoped you weren’t going to say, but if it means seeing the look on Harry’s face when we save him…” Olivia thought for a moment and decided a few seconds later, “Fine, I’m in! Just make sure you get Harry a pink wig or something. Also, where do we go to get the costumes?”

  Olivia had a good point there since none of them knew if there was even a costume store. Jess decided that there would be no need to tell Olivia all those unimportant, minor details, which would make her more worried than she already was.

  “Stop being a worrier, Olivia. Let’s just go!” Olivia gave Jess a concerned look but nodded her head, and the two of them went through the bustling crowds of people. It took the two of them around half an hour to realise what had happened to them. They were successful in finding where the costume store was, but as Jess and Olivia worried, they didn’t have the appropriate currency for Diviniand. Instead, they had to just go looking like themselves to find Harry the long way, as no one wanted their crisps that they tried to sell.

  “Admit it, Jess. We’re lost.”

  They really were lost. Tall trees surrounded them. There were no footpaths but only mud and grass. Lots and lots of mud and grass.

  “Olivia, don’t worry! We’ve still got the—oh…” Jess started to take out the map and was startled to see that it was malfunctioning. Their only hope of finding Harry and home was gone. Olivia tried to find the right words, but all she could end up doing was shaking her head.

  “At least we know it’s technology and not magic,” Jess mumbled, trying her hardest not to cry.

  “Jess! This is no time to be making silly comments! We are lost with only three packets of crisps and no water!” Olivia took a deep breath and blurted out, “We have no beds or Diviniand’s currency! I’m not sure about yours, but my parents are going to be worried sick that I have been missing for two whole days, Jess! Two whole days.” She shook her head. “I have got two choices. Either die out here with you or use my brain and find Harry by myself.” Olivia looked as sad as she said it, but Jess knew that she thought it was the right thing to do.

  Fortunately for herself, Jess didn’t. She thought desperately of what she could say to a nearly leaving Olivia, but Olivia was already starting to go.

  “You are right, Olivia.” Olivia stopped walking and turned around.

  “There is an eighty percent chance of us dying here, but we need to stick together if we want to turn it to twenty percent,” Jess said. “If it weren’t for you, we would be either in prison, the Divinament’s hands or not even past the door. Think about it. Would you be able to do any of that by yourself? If not, then you might want to reconsider yourself leaving me.” Jess hoped that it was enough, and it seemed like it, as Olivia had a small smile on her face.

  “Okay, okay, Jess! You had me in when you said I was right!” Jess walked up to her and hugged her.

  “I really hope our parents aren’t too worried, though,” Olivia said.

  “I think my parents will be worried,” Jess muttered, “but I bet they have a hunch that I’m here!” She looked at Olivia. “I’m sorry that I dragged you guys into this.”

  “Hey! I guess that’s what friends are for!”

  Jess gave a small smile. “Well then, how are we going to find Harry?”

  “Well, we could talk to that random diveel over there.” Olivia pointed to the creature.

  “Next stop, go to grumpy diveel and hope it can help us!” Jess commanded.

  Chapter 13

  The girls darted to the diveel, and strangely enough, it didn’t groan or moan at them like every other diveel they had met. Instead it said, “Oh my gosh! I am meeting people! Keep it cool, Neenee. No big deal. OMG! HOW AM I SAYING THAT? THIS IS AMAZING!”

  Jess leaned over to Olivia and whispered, “Well, we’ve got one overenthusiastic diveel over here.” She paused. “I honestly don’t know if we are lucky or unlucky.”

  “Me neither!” Olivia replied. She crouched down to the diveel and said, “Hello…”

  The diveel had a poppy stuck in its blonde, short hair. “It’s Neenee! I am talking to a human! Ack!”

  “Okay…Well, my name is Olivia, and this is Jess.”

  “Um, do you mind if I talk to Olivia?” Jess asked.

  “Sure! I’m guessing this is a human thing!” the diveel said.

  “Sure…whatever,” Jess muttered quickly. The two girls walked away to a nearby corner, and Jess looked behind them, just in case the diveel was listening. “Olivia, I know we need help, but how can we trust her? She is literally excited about a flower!”

  The diveel’s face suddenly fell. As if it had heard Jess…

  “Well, I would rather have help from a weird diveel than a malfunctioning map. Also, her flower, which I think is a daisy, is pretty cute!” said Olivia.

  “Fine,” Jess said, slightly annoyed, “We’ll get help from this crazy…thing. And her flower is clearly a poppy. Not a daisy.”

  Olivia looked at Jess with a nervous expression on her face.

  The two of them walked back to Neenee, and since Olivia was clearly more patient with it, she crouched down to the diveel’s size and asked, “So, Nenee—”

  “Oh, I think you got my name wrong!” the little diveel interrupted. “It’s Neenee, not Nenee! It’s pronounced as ‘knee-knee.’”

  “Oh, sorry, Neenee. Anyway, as I was saying, do you happen to know the way to, let’s say, the Diviniand Jail?”

  “Of course I do! Wait a second, everyone knows where the Diviniand Jail is! How come you need my help?” Then she looked down to the ground sadly. “Everyone thinks I’m as useless as a snail in an ice storm!”

  For once that day, Jess actually felt sorry for the diveel. She decided she should be honest with it. “Neenee, can you keep a secret?”

  Neenee looked up in surprise and looked like her normal energetic self. Meanwhile, Olivia looked like she was going to choke Jess to death and was making movements that very specifically meant to not tell Neenee, but Jess ignored her. “If I tell you this, do you promise not to tell your diveel friends or something?”

  “I don’t really have any friends, but I promise!”

  And then at the same time, Jess and, surprisingly, Neenee said, “You need help to find a friend called Harry from the Diviniand Jai
l.”

  Olivia looked like she had just seen a ghost, and Jess looked at the little creature with intense curiosity. “H-how did you know that?”

  Weirdly, Neenee started to laugh. “Oh, did nobody ever tell you that every few centuries, there comes a diveel with special powers? Powers like, for example, extraordinary hearing?”

  Chapter 14

  Jess thought she actually wasn’t breathing for a moment. She could be hearing her right now, right this moment. All her secrets and privacy would be gone if she knew this diveel…But then again, she could be useful…

  “That still doesn’t explain how you heard me—oh! You heard me think! Is that even possible?” Jess realised.

  “Well, I don’t really know. Sometimes I can, and sometimes I can’t,” the diveel admitted. “What I do know is that I am so excited to help!” Then she added, “I’d be a good help.”

  Jess turned to Olivia for her opinion.

  “She’s got a good point. She could hear people coming from a mile away!” Olivia pointed out.

  “Fine, then, Neenee. As long as you help us find Harry, I guess we could use your help,” Jess said.

  “Yes, yes, yes, yes! THANKS SO MUCH!”

  “You’re welcome… I think.”

  “Neenee, can you happen to hear where Harry is? We really need to get him,” Olivia asked.

  “I don’t know…My hearing doesn’t stretch that far.”

  “Please try, Neenee.” Jess thought of an idea. “Here! Wear my necklace! Maybe it’ll boost your hearing!” Before Jess took it off, she remembered her parents saying to never to take it off. “Sorry, Mom and Dad,” she muttered before she gave it to Neenee.

  “Whoa! This is awesome! I can hear everything!”

  Jess couldn’t help but smile. Her theory had worked.

  “Is he called Harry Termite?” Neenee asked.

  “Um, no,” Jess replied, “he’s called Harry Goodwin.”

  “Ironically,” Olivia muttered.

  “Oops,” Neenee giggled. “Oh, I think I’ve found him! Like you thought, he’s in the prison, and at the moment, it’s not guarded. I think I could lead you there.”

  “Well, lead the way, Neenee!” Olivia said. Smiling, Neenee went in front and beckoned for them to follow her.

  “We need to head this way!” Neenee pointed to where Jess and Olivia originally got lost.

  “Are you sure, Neenee? I mean, the last time we went there, it didn’t end up so well…”

  “Are you seriously going to doubt someone with super awesome hearing?” Neenee asked.

  “Okay, okay! I hope you know what you’re doing!” Jess said. They let the diveel lead the way, but very quickly, Jess and Olivia ended up going in front of it. Jess remembered her backpack and checked if it was empty. Fortunately, there was nothing in it apart from the key that got them into this mess and no crisps since Jess and Olivia had finished all of the snacks.

  “Neenee, maybe you could ride in this and point where we need to go because, no offence, if we keep on going like this, we’ll probably get there in a month!” Jess said.

  “Great idea, Jess! If we start now, we’ll be able to get Harry by tonight, and we’ll probably say goodbye to this place by tomorrow!” Olivia squealed.

  “Calm down, Olivia! We still don’t know where the gateways are!” Jess said whilst gently putting the cute diveel in her backpack.

  “Well, we’re probably going to get there in a year if you two keep talking!” the diveel teased and then got serious. “Seriously! I’m losing Harry! We need to go. NOW!”

  “Okay, Neenee! Lead the way!” Olivia answered.

  Chapter 15

  The diveel pointed north, and soon, the two friends realised where they were. It was where they left the door.

  “Do you know where to go now, Neenee?” Olivia asked.

  “Um, no. I lost where he was just now, but the last place I heard him was here.”

  “But how could he be here when Neenee said he was at the jail?” Jess asked suspiciously.

  “Maybe because she wanted to lead us to them,” Olivia muttered as she pointed to the Diviniand police. One of them was holding Harry tightly around his neck. Olivia winced when she thought they were holding him so tightly that it looked like he was choking. Suddenly Jess realised why there were guards everywhere. Clearly, Neenee had betrayed the girls.

  “Let me get this straight, Neenee! You led us here so we could get caught by these people? What else are you lying about?”

  “No, I promise it wasn’t me! I didn’t know they were here!”

  “And I thought you had supersonic hearing or something!” Jess retorted as she grabbed back her necklace from the crying diveel.

  “Oh no, you little child,” said the guard they had seen earlier called Axel, “the diveel is right. She didn’t intend for us to be here. All we did was put a tracker on her, and strange enough, it led straight to you. Thanks to the information we received that the diveel was travelling with you.” Axel actually looked kind of bored as he talked. “We knew this particular diveel had extraordinary hearing powers, so we made technology that could cancel out her unnatural problems. We put the tracker on her to know her whereabouts at all times so she wouldn’t cause any more trouble.” The man walked so close to Jess that she could smell his disgusting breath. “For example, that time she ran—”

  “No one needs to know that, Axel…” Neenee said quietly. Jess looked at her strangely.

  Axel beckoned a guard to come forward. The guard grabbed Olivia as she struggled to break free. Luckily, Neenee was still in Jess’s backpack, so she didn’t think the Divinament would dare look in there, even though they had heard and possibly seen her. Jess cautiously backed away.

  “So here’s the deal, kid. You give me that cute little necklace of yours and I’ll let your friends free.” With a snap of Axel’s fingers, the two guards released Harry and Olivia, but they were too shocked to run away. “But if you, let’s say, don’t give me the necklace, I think we have a bit of a problem.” Again, the guards held her two friends tightly around their necks.

  “Why do you want my necklace?” Jess said, breathing very quickly. Harry wanted to say something. His voice was muffled, but she could make out some words: “It’s a trick! They want necklace—you—prison! Won’t give back us or…RUN!”

  Jess definitely liked that word more than ever. She used Harry’s advice and ran as fast as she could. She couldn’t help but worry about her friends. So instead of going to the other side of Diviniand, she hid behind a bush but picked the diveel out of her bag. She left her blue backpack on the ground (she picked out the key and placed it in her pocket), so they thought she went the opposite way she was going. Surprisingly, it worked perfectly. She heard Axel telling two guards to go that way because of the bag but obviously left two guards with Olivia and Harry. Jess looked at where they were going with Neenee in her palm. The two guards turned left and went to what looked like a dark alley, and then like magic, the guards disappeared. She figured that Harry meant that she wouldn’t be given her necklace back and they wouldn’t stop hunting her and Neenee down until they were found. Suddenly, she remembered that she wanted to ask Neenee something. “Neenee, I’m really sorry I accused you, but can you hear those guards and where they went?”

  The diveel replied in a voice she had never heard her speak in before, “How could I? They said that I can’t hear them.” Her voice was as cold as frostbite. Jess realised that before, she was much brighter and more colourful than a normal diveel, but now, the colour seemed to be draining out of her. She’s starting to look like a normal diveel! Jess thought. She needed to do something fast, but the flower on Neenee’s head was already starting to shrivel up.

  “No, Neenee, you can do it! You don’t need to believe those colour-sucking guards! Just because they say that you can’t do it doesn’t mean that you actually can’t.” Jess paused. “You do want to save Harry and Olivia, right?” she asked.

  “Of co
urse I do!” the diveel said as she started to go back to her normal colourful self.

  “Then prove you do by helping me hear where those guards and Harry and Olivia are!”

  “Okay! I can do it.” The diveel’s determination filled her up like water filling a bottle, and she was back to the Neenee that Jess knew. I’m really doing well at inspiring people this week! First Olivia, then Neenee! I wonder if I’ll inspire Harry. Jess laughed. Yeah, that is so not going to happen!

  She didn’t realise that Neenee was listening intently until the diveel shouted, “I’ve found them!”

  Jess knew that the three of them would be at home, safe and sound with no crazy government chasing them, soon.

  Chapter 16

  “Do you know how we can get inside this wall, Neenee?” Jess and Neenee were in the suspicious alley where they saw the two guards go. “I mean, there must be a button or switch somewhere! Right?”

  “Knowing Diviniand,” Neenee answered, “it’s probably a secret door.”

  “Why does this place love doors so much?” Jess groaned. Neenee shrugged. They spent the next few minutes searching the place for where a door could be. Neenee used her hearing to see where the most noise was coming from, occasionally jumping off Jess’s hand to search on her own. Since Jess didn’t have any powers like Neenee, she felt the walls, hoping to find at least a handle. At last, Jess found something bulky at the exact place where Neenee could hear the guards the loudest.

  “I think we’ve found the door, Jess,” said the little diveel as she climbed back on Jess’s hand. “We just need to know how to get in.”

  For a moment, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop until Neenee had an idea.

  “Jess, what if we use me as bait? Then you would be able to see for sure how you could get in,” said Neenee.

  “No, Neenee. There must be another way!” Jess said firmly. Again, there was an uneasy silence for a few minutes. Finally, Jess knew that the only way in would be with Neenee’s idea. She would have to risk her only company and friend.