Forsaken
Chapter 1
"You just don't want to do it because you're scared."
"No, Gasman, I don't want to do it because it's stupid."
"But, Max," he whined in a way only a boy his age could. "I wanna do it!"
"Then you do it."
"With you and Fang and Iggy and Nudge and Angel and Dylan and Total. Not alone."
"Why? Are you scared?"
"No!"
Here we were, in an island full of wonders and fun, but Gazzy still found time to bother me. Great.
"Max, I just think that it would be a good bonding thing for all of us."
Fang, who was sitting down in the sand next to me, glanced up from the piece of wood he was carving into. He thinks that he's good at whittling and I haven't found a way to tell him how horrible he is yet. I'm thinking…harshly?
"Bonding? No thanks, Gazzy. Now, Max, if you've ever considered that bondage we talked about before-"
"Fang."
"Can't hate a man for trying," he mumbled before going back to his wood. The Gasman made a face.
"Anyways, please? And you can make everyone else come too, huh?"
"Gazzy, I'm not-"
"Please? You never do anything for me anymore."
"Welcome to the club."
Fang got an elbow to the side.
"You know what, Gazzy? Sure. I'll get everybody up on the mountain at sundown, okay? Then we'll go on this zombie hunt-"
"Ghost, Max. Who believes in zombies anymore?"
"Right, whatever."
After he was gone, Fang said, "I think you'd make a hot zombie. A hot ghost too."
"What about a hot vampire?"
"Meh. Maybe with some red hair…Ow! No pinching, Max."
I just shook my head, looking out over my island. Fang and I were sitting on the beach, watching the waves. We were supposed to be hanging out alone, up in the caves, but Fang hadn't felt like flying up there. Now, thanks to him, we have to fly all the way up to the top of the mountain to go ghost hunting with the Gasman. Yeah.
"So…do you believe in ghosts?"
I glanced at Fang. "No. I'm not five. Why? Do you?"
"I'm not five, but you should know this."
"Five inches is more like it."
"You're a real jerk sometimes." Fang glanced at me. "You could have always told him no. He's not a little kid anymore, Max. He's what, twelve?"
"Still, Fang, he wanted to hangout with us. Who can say that?"
"Most any guy's little brother will want to hang out with him. He tries to get me to hangout with him and his friends all his time." Fang glanced at me. "I can't though, because I have to put so much time into dealing with you."
"Oh yeah, I'm definitely holding you back."
"Thank you for acknowledging that fact."
"Spell acknowledging."
"You first, babe."
"…Touché."
"Alright, Gasman, I got everyone here. Now what?"
He looked around, as if doing a head count. Dylan, Angel, Nudge, Nudge's boyfriend (who just had tag along, Max, how dumb could you be to think he would miss out on this?), Iggy, Total, Fang, me, and, as much as I hated it, my sister. Bleh. We had had a falling out a few weeks back and I still wasn't over it. In my defense though, any sister that flashes her boobs at your boyfriend isn't a sister at all. Yeah. Anyways…
"Okay, so we should start the with the island legend."
Iggy groaned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Gasman, I've told you, there is no legend about this dumb island."
"Okay, first off, my island is not dumb. Second off, Iggy, shut your mouth and let him play his little game," I said before nodding at Gasman. "Go on."
"It's not a game, Max. And I'm not playing. This island is haunted."
"The kid speaks the truth, man," Nudge's boyfriend, David, said, nodding his head. She just rolled her eyes. "Like this one time, when I was drunk, I was-"
"Okay, Gazzy, it's not a game. Just get on with this. Fang and I have plans tonight."
"Fine, but I doubt your plans will happen. You probably won't even be able to sleep tonight."
"Oh trust me, they won't be," Ella commented ryly.
"You know what, Ella? You can go f-"
"Alright, Max, calm down." Dylan, who had been standing next to Iggy, came closer, now taking his place between me and my sister.
"Yeah, babe. She's just jealous that she really will be sleeping tonight while we're-"
"If any of you can sleep," Gasman blurted in while Ella sent my boyfriend a glare. "Now, back to the legend. As you all know, Dr. Martinez and all her scientists friends discovered this island years ago now, but did you know what first took place on this island?"
"I'm guessing nothing nice," Nudge mumbled as she went over to a rock pile and sat down on one, her boyfriend following. We were on top of the mountain of the island, standing at the entrance of the cave. Inside, Gasman had already planned some sort of séance or something. Whatever.
Angel, who was standing in front of me, looked up at the sky. "I dunno, Gaz. The sky seems pretty clear tonight. Shouldn't we wait for a stormy night to do this? Or at least a full moon?"
"That has nothing to do with the legend, Angel, so why would we?"
"Because the legend if for babies. I want a real ghost."
"This is a real ghost!"
"No!"
"Yes, it is! You wouldn't know because you're just a big baby."
"You're a baby!"
"No!"
"Stop it," I finally said, patting Angel on her blonde head. The Gasman was standing in front of all of us, in the center of the semi circle we formed. "Either get on with this or don't do it at all, Gasman."
"It is the perfect night for this anyways, Angel. All the scientists are off the island and most of the older people went with them. So it's just us, a few other kids, and...the spirits."
"If you don't get on with it, you can't do it," I warned.
He let out a deep breath, blowing his too long hair out of his face. I had offered to cut it last week, but he knew I was still steaming about the Ella thing and wanted me nowhere near his hair.
"Alright, well, back in the 1800s, this island was used by pirates for a stopping ground. For the longest time, they never went any further than the caves which we live in now. One day though, some of the pirates decided to check out the rest of the island on one of their stops here. So, five of them headed up the mountain, to the very top. Along they way, they saw all sorts of weird things."
"Like what?" Nudge asked, though she was busy tying her shoe and actually seemed more interested in that.
"Like bones lying around, trees with their trunks painted in what looked like blood, all sort of weird designs on them."
"Because this is believable," Fang mumbled in my ear as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "So, babe, about tonight-"
"Shhh." I glanced up at him. "And no more calling me that."
"Well, babe-"
"Guys, listen to me!" Gasman sent the two of us a look as Fang's arm dropped back down to his side, defeated. "Anyways, it wasn't until they made it to the top of the mountain, this very spot, that they witness the worst sight of all."
"What?"
"Right here, where we're standing, was a group of people, all dressed in animals skin, feasting on meat."
"So?" Nudge glanced at David, rolling her eyes heavily.
"It wasn't just any meat, Nudge, it was human meat. They were eating one of their own, a sacrifice to the god of life and death."
"Who eats sacrifices?" Fang mumbled, but he just got elbowed again. "You're really getting on my nerves, babe."
"Stop that."
Gazzy cleared his throat. "So they were eating a guy-"
"Like, all of him?" Nudge asked. "All of him?"
"Oh, God, Nudge." I made a face at her.
"I was talking about the butt and organs, Max, thank you. What were you talking about?"
"Oh, we all know," Ella said, not looking at Fang or me.
"No. What?" David asked in complete honesty.
"Guys, can we just get on with this?" Dylan asked, scratching the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable. Welcome to my world, Dylan.
"For real. No one cares about what Max and Fang do or what Ella wants to do," Iggy commented with evident glum. He and my sister had broken up months ago now, but it was clear that he was still very upset with her. I glanced at Dylan when I thought that before shaking my head.
"Anyways," Gasman went on. "The pirates flipped out. I mean, yeah, they're pirates, but they don't eat people! There were human body parts just scattered around with evident teeth marks and everything. It had to have been gross. Cool, but gross."
Sighing, I leaned against Fang's arm. "So what does this have to do with this zombie?"
"Ghost."
"Whatever."
"Well, when the pirates flipped out, the people saw them. They weren't equipped to attack these newcomers and the pirates very quickly squelched any chance of a rebellion. Of course, in the process, they had to kill many of the cannibal tribe. A few escaped into the caves, right here, this very cave, and ran for protection. One unlucky pirate went after them."
"What happened to him?" Nudge asked.
"They don't know. All the other four heard were his screams. They were so freaked already by the cannibalism that they fled back down the mountain, never looking back." Gasman stood up straighter. "Now we're gonna go into the cave and investigate."
David raised his hand which only pleased the twelve year old more. When Gasman called on him, Nudge's boyfriend, just for now I hope, asked, "So what was it that Max was eating?"
"Dude, you're about to-"
"Calm down, Fang, he's just a stupid kid." I squeezed his hand, making Dylan roll his eyes. "Come on then, Gasman. Are you ready to go into the cave or is there more?"
"Nope." He turned around to face the cave behind him. "Let's go."
It was then that I realized how quiet Total had been. When I looked over at him though, I found it was because he had fallen asleep beneath Nudge and David's feet. Well then. Someone doesn't get to go on the super fun ghost adventure. Stupid dog.
Gazzy seemed kind of disappointed when I made Angel leave Total outside and let him sleep, but quickly recovered as we moved to the cave.
"Everybody stay close together," he said, which made Fang reclaim his arm's place over my shoulders.
"Got you."
"No babe?"
"You said you hate it. But I do have you…babe."
I saw Iggy gag and Ella cut her eyes, but I just stared up at Fang and smiled. Then I looked forward, trying to find Gasman, but he had run off ahead of all of us.
"Gasman, don't get hurt, okay?" I called after him.
"What? You honestly believe in the ghost?" Nudge asked from behind me.
"No, but it so dark in here. I don't want him running into- Iggy, that's not funny. You totally knew that rock was there. Stop it before you hurt yourself."
"Gee, Max, blame the blind guy for running into something."
"You only did it to be funny."
"Yes, because hurting the disabled is funny. You're lucky this isn't a democracy, because you say so many bad things, you'd have been voted out by now."
"Yeah, yeah."
Angel, who was walking in front of me, asked, "Hey, Max?"
"What?"
"How come we have to do this?"
"Because it'll please your brother."
She made a face. "He's stupid then."
"Just be nice, okay? He does a lot of stuff for you."
"Like what?"
"…Don't put me on the spot like this, Angel. And besides, Angel," I went on. "We're all bonding."
Everyone but her looked to Fang. Finally, David asked, "No bondage joke?"
"Trust me, he's already made one," I mumbled, blushing in the darkness. It was very dark in there, I'll give Gasman that. Even with my night vision I was having trouble.
"Guys, are you coming?" Gazzy called out, his voice echoing through out the cave. If there is a spirit in here, he's more than awakened it. He's probably broken its eardrums.
"Yes, God," Nudge complained, taking David's hand and hurrying along. Dylan sighed as he went over to Iggy and put his hand on his shoulder, guiding him along. Not one to be left behind, Ella hurried to catch up, Angel right behind her.
"You know we could cut and run right now," Fang offered.
"Then you won't get what I promised you when this is all over."
"You mean-"
"You know what I mean."
Smiling brightly, he squeezed my shoulder. "Coming, Gasman!" To me, he added, "You better keep up your end of the deal."
I just smiled as he hurried me along. When we got to where the others were, I could see better if only because the Gasman had lit candles all around. Everyone was seated in a circle, waiting for us. There wasn't room for Fang and me to sit together, so I sent him to go sit between Angel and her brother, in case they decided to fight again. I took my place next to Dylan and Iggy, just thankful that I didn't have to sit next to Ella. Or David for that matter.
"Do we all really have to hold hands?" Nudge asked Gasman, frowning at Ella. When she got an eye roll, she said, "Maybe I was complaining about David."
Her boyfriend nodded. "I only bathe twice a week."
"That's so cool," Gazzy said, easily deterred as always. "Max-"
"No. Now hurry up." I kind of wanted to do what I promised Fang anyways. Well, more than I wanted to do this at least. "Please."
He took a deep breath before grasping Fang and David's hands. Fang stared into my eyes and I read how much he hated this from that one glance. I didn't feel all that bad about it, seeing as how I was going to repay him tonight anyways.
"Everyone close their eyes," Gasman said, staring upward. Angel glanced up there before doing so, though she kept peeking her eyes open.
"Come on, Max," Dylan whispered to me, giving me a wink as he slipped his warm hand into mine. "This could be fun."
Yeah, that's what this is. Fun. Sigh. At least the Gasman was having fun.
"All spirits, the dearly departed," he was saying as I finally shut my eyes. "Come to us. Come to us now."
Iggy slipped his hand from mine to put it to his head. "Twelve, Max. Twelve."
"Gazzy, don't get in trouble," I warned, though I was quickly shushed. Well then.
"Are you there spirits? Come if you- Ow, Fang," he complained as the older boy squeezed his hand.
"Then knock it off."
"I'm contacting the spirits, thank you very much."
"Leave the boy to it," David said. "He's the wise one in this."
Nudge giggled, but I'm almost sure that David was serious. God, I swear if she stays with him more than another week, I'm going to blow my brains out…
"I'm bored," Angel complained. "When do the spirits come? Huh?"
"We have to conjure them," her brother told her. "If Max and Fang would chill, I could do that."
"Use the word come inappropriately again and you won't be conjuring anything," Fang warned, making Angel frown.
"Huh?"
"Nothing," I said, shooting Fang a look as Ella giggled. Rolling my eyes, I told Gasman that if he stopped one more time, none of us would play his little game.
"Alright, alright, cool your tits."
"Gazzy-"
"Ooh, spirits," he began again. "Spirits of the great beyond. Are you there? Spirits? Demons? I allow you entrance into the body of Max-"
"That's it," Fang started, pulling his hand from Gazzy's hand as the twelve year old smiled. "You little-"
"Fang-" Dylan started, but he too was cut off, only it wasn't by a person. What silenced him was a swift wind that came in, blowing out each candle.
"The spirit's here," Gasman said excitedly, grabbing Fang's hand once more. "Spirit, we are interested in learning your ways. Show us, spirit, what you did to that pirate, all those years ago."
"I have to fart," Iggy whispered to me.
"If you do next to me, I will break your knee caps," I mumbled back.
"Point taken."
"Shhh," my sister shushed, which just got her the evil eye. Then I closed my eyes again, trying hard to concentrate on the 'spirit' Gasman had somehow conjured. As long as nothing enters my body though, I'm good.
"Spirit, what is it you wish for us to know? What can you tell us of that night?"
Peeking my eyes open, I tried to figure out who exactly it was that this 'spirit' had gone into. I expected one of the boys to start making a funny voice to fool Gasman, but none of them seemed to be saying anything, instead concentrated on the ghost. Oh, please, they can't honestly think that there's such a thing as ghosts…can they?
I was still looking around while listen to Gasman talk to the 'spirit' when I noticed this stone next to Fang wobbling a little bit. Frowning, I opened my eyes completely, staring hard at it.
"Spirit? Can you hear me?" Gazzy was yelling know. "Show me! Show yourself!"
As he yelled that, the rock suddenly became airborne. Fang, what with his six sense about these kind of things, dodged it. I, unfortunately, had a hard enough time mastering my five senses, and wasn't as lucky.
"Max," I heard one of them scream over Gasman's excited gasp, clearly enjoying the fact I had been hit by the rock. Then I blacked out.
I know it's only been, like, a week since Island Time, but it feels like a lot longer. I've been so bored. Like, out of my mind bored. So I woke up this morning and this is what came of it. FYI though, I plan for characters deaths. I'm not sure who yet, but I want a lot of people to die in this one, to make up for the lack of them in Island Time. You've been forewarned.