Chapter 10 - Spirit Island

After Amy was fully recovered from being sick, they all continued to walk where Sakra wanted to take them to. Tom was still convinced Amy had faked it and that Joe had become her personal slave. Which, of course, neither thoughts were true.

Joe refused to let Amy out of his sight. He wanted to keep an eye on her, just in case she became really sick again. There was no reason to take a chance again. Kristie walked with them, as well, scared that Tom might hurt her feelings again. Joe and Amy couldn't help but feel bad for Kristie.

After a little while of walking, they entered a village. It seemed to be very old and appeared abandoned. Although it looked like such a pretty village. Why would it have been abandoned?

“This village,” Sakra said, “Was once a very peaceful one. But that was a very long time ago. This is the only part of the village that is still standing. Let me show you the part with the most damage.”

They walked just a little bit farther until they saw this. Everything seemed to be crumbled to pieces. There even were elevated patches in the ground that looked like graves for whoever was killed by whatever happened there.

“This area suffered the most damage out of the whole village. The damage was caused by something that could have been so easily avoided. But the cause was discovered only a few years ago by myself and my friend, Takuta. This destruction is a danger the Creature Islands can very easily face again today. Our job is to stop the danger.”

“Why did you drag us into this?” Tom said. “Why should humans, who have absolutely nothing to do with the creatures, be dragged into a problem you have?”

“For one,” Sakra said, “this could very well affect you as well. If the danger succeeds in destroying our islands, it can very well destroy your lands as well. And I also knew that humans would be able to help us in a way.”

“Whatever,” Tom said. “Why won't you just send me home?”

“You'll change your mind later,” Sakra said.

Tom rolled his eyes.

“This could happen to all of the Creature Islands. But we would like your help. Believe it or not, you can help us a lot.”

Amy smiled and said, “Anything I can do to help!”

Sakra wouldn't tell them exactly what happened, and they couldn't help but wonder. But, maybe they would be told later.

“Now, it isn't safe to stay here for too long,” Sakra said. “The spirits of the dead villagers might be angry and try to force us out of here. We should go.”

Now that they thought about it, they did thought they saw kind of ghostly figures around the area, but they didn't look like how most people thought of them to look. Some appeared as different colors, almost like they were all completely different. Although, they were extremely transparent and it was kind of hard to see them.

They started to head back to where they stayed over night. After a little bit of walking, Amy and Joe spotted a pair of eyes hidden in the trees and stopped walking. Shimaki stopped with them and jumped in to find out what was hiding. He came back out, unharmed, with the creature following behind him.

“It’s only my brother, Shumeku,” Shimaki said. Then he whispered to Amy and Joe, “But you better still watch out because he isn’t a very polite creature.”
Shumeku started to talk. “So, this is the team that is supposed to kill Takuta? What a pathetic team. There’s a little girl, even! How do you think this team will be able to kill him?”

Sakra, Pensa, and Konso turned around and entered the conversation.

“Shumeku, it may not look like it, but these four will be able to help.” Sakra said. “We are not looking to kill him. He still has good in him; the evil just took him over.”

“Why did you let yourself believe that?” Shumeku said. “You’ve seen what he can do! How could there possibly be any good left in him?”

“The evil spirit took over his spirit,” Pensa said. “If we use the antidote, the evil spirit will leave him and the normal Takuta will come back.”

“I can’t believe this. You need to kill him! There is no good left in him! Look at this team. They will not be able to kill him no matter how much they are trained.”

“I agree with Shumeku,” Tom said. “I mean, look at us. A puny eight-year-old, a bratty princess, and her servant. Me, I’m just smart. Maybe I’ll be the most able to kill him, but I still won’t be able to. I don’t know why you chose this team. Maybe Amy and Joe will be able to help, but just look at Kristie!”

Kristie, who had been so confident up until now that she could help, ran off. Konso followed to make sure she wouldn't get hurt.

“I’m done here, now,” Shumeku said. “That one will explain to you how you will not be able to save our race.”

Amy was furious. “You know what, Tom? I’m already fed up with you! You only judge people by what they appear to be. You don’t even get to know them before you decide what kind of a person they are! I don’t know how you can even look yourself in a mirror. You are lucky that I believe that there is at least a little good in everyone no matter how bad they might seem or act. Otherwise I would completely shun you. Most of the time, when someone acts the way you do, they are manipulated, so I ask you; who manipulated you? Who was cruel enough to turn a boy who must be so kind and generous into a snotty brat of a teenager?”

Tom looked surprised. When he thought about it, Amy was actually very accurate. He forgot how he used to be. . . He manipulated himself. . . His parents were so strict; they wanted him to be perfect. They wanted him to be the smartest person ever. And Tom wanted to live up to his parents expectations. So he manipulated himself. He studied everything so he was really smart and no longer needed to study at all. Then he led himself to believe he was always like that; that he was the smartest person in the world. And he became so full of himself he actually became a very rude person. . . What had he done?

Tom’s eyes softened up. He ran to find Kristie without saying anything. Pensa knew he would find Kristie easily, so she didn’t even follow him.

“I think you got to the real Tom, Amy. Good job,” Pensa said.

Amy looked around. “I did? I was just angry. . .”

“But you were also extremely accurate,” Sakra said. “Tom manipulated himself to be so smart to live up to his parents expectations. He forgot he was even another person. You made him realize the monster he has been.”

Joe smiled. “You’re really good at making people different,” he said to Amy.

Amy looked over at Joe. “Thank you.” She smiled back at Joe.

Sakra smiled, too. She climbed on a rock so she was up to Amy's ear and whispered to her. “Why won’t you just kiss him?”

Amy couldn’t believe Sakra just said that. “What?!”

“Oh, come on, Amy,” Sakra whispered again. “You know you like him.”

Amy blushed. “Not true!”

“What are you two talking about that’s making Amy yell?” Joe asked.

Amy blushed worse. “Nothing,” she said really quickly.

“And I know he likes you,” Sakra continued. “If you saw the way he looks at you, you would too. Of course, you’re already probably able to tell by how he can’t stand to see you hurt or anything like that.”

This time Amy whispered. “Sakra, I highly doubt he likes me! And I don’t like him!”

Sakra spoke normally now. “Then why are you blushing so badly?”

Amy was silent for a few seconds. “. . . You love to torture me, don’t you?”

“Actually it is kind of fun to mess around with you,” Sakra laughed.

“Oh, I get it,” Joe said. “You two are talking about girl stuff. Probably about boys. . .”

“You betcha,” Sakra said.

Amy couldn’t believe Sakra was acting like this. Maybe it’s just how she is when she wants to have fun. “Sakra!” she said, even more astonished.
Sakra laughed harder.

Amy looked away, embarrassed. She saw Tom, Kristie, and Konso coming back and Kristie didn’t look sad anymore, and, for the first time ever since they had met Tom, Tom was smiling. And it wasn’t one of those evil-like smiles, either. It was a real smile.

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