The next day all started again. Walking around to find who knows what, looking for a place to spend the night, looking for water, food and wood. Eat without saying a word to each other. Go to sleep.
The next day, again the same routine. Just read the paragraph before and that's it.
The next day, you guess it, the same routine. (Hey I had to make some time in the story.) The only difference is that they started to talk at dinner. ACME talked about unexpected things during the cases. Then they started to talk about their funny and embarrassing moments. VILE started to talk about their almost certain death by the conference room. They all laughed and partied until late at night when they went to sleep.
The next day they all talked and cooperated with each other. It is a miracle VILE and ACME working together, it has finally come true again. They made mud fights in the swamps and water fights in the small lakes. They told stories at night over the fire, and told jokes. They made parodies of famous people and others.
"There is something that is not clear here," Ivy said.
"Yeah," Tatyanna already knew Ivy's plan. "Hey Lina come here for a moment."
"Yeah what do you want?" Lina said as she sat down between them.
"How did you got yourself in this mess? I mean, why are you following Carmen that desperately?" Ivy asked her.
"For revenge."
"Revenge, revenge for what?" asked Jasmine.
"For killing my father."
Everyone was shocked with the sudden news. All the mouths were open, a house fly sanctuary. They couldn't believe what they heard. Carmen a murderer.
"I didn't kill you father," Carmen's voice was heard.
"You may not have killed him, but you are responsible for his death."
"Do you have any prove for what are you saying?" Miguel asked.
"While my grandfather was at the hospital, he told me the story of the Winston Fire in which Carmen was involved."
"You need more than a story to go accusing someone of murder," Lee said.
"So I asked my grandmother and she told me that Carmen Sandiego was a very close friend of him, very, very close friend. She was with him that night and saw him getting killed and she did nothing. She told my grandmother this when she came to tell them of his death," Lina said looking all the time at Carmen.
"When you say very, very close, you mean what," Josha asked.
"My grandmother showed me a picture of Carmen and my father, Rocky, kissing in some kind of park."
Everyone's eyes turned to Carmen, unable to believe this.
"Is what this girl saying true Carmen?" Miguel stood up.
Hugo started to get up, but Carmen stopped him. She stood up and looked at him.
"I said that I didn't kill your father, but he died in my arms. I did saw who killed him, and I am still looking for that person," Carmen turned around and walked through a passage in the cave that lead to a smaller cave on the other side of the main cave.
They were shocked by this sudden confession. Carmen had been in the fire and had seen Lina's father die. Lina was near tears and she got up and ran from the cave. Charlie got up to fallow her but his mother stopped him, signaling to let her go for some time. "She knows better than to wander off in the middle of the night on this place. She will come back, she needs time."
They all went to sleep, tonight's events were too much to handle in one night. The last one to go to sleep was Ivy. She couldn't get off her mind the thought of Carmen and Rocky in that fire. 'What was she doing in that fire almost thirteen years ago? Wasn't she at ACME back then or not?' This and other thoughts like this one kept her awake. She resolved to go and see where Carmen was.
She found her on the other cave looking at the stars. Ivy entered and positions herself near the entrance and gazed at the stars too.
"You should tell her what really happen. She is a nice young girl and should be able to change from the life she has had to a new one if she knew the truth."
"Just lay off my back Ivy, I am not in the mood for chit chats."
"Fine," Ivy walked out. "She is out of the cave, I hope you have some sense of responsibility and have a look out before you go to bed."
SCENE 2
Lina walked a little later into the cave, and went to sleep between Zahyra and 'the should be sleeping' Carmen. She looked around but she didn't see Carmen. Lina looked around and gave up, she wanted to sleep and forget all about this night. As she settled down, she noticed a shadow at her back. Carmen was walking in, she gazed at the girl for a while and turned to walk toward the mouth of the cave. Carmen sat down at the entrance and started to glance at the sky. Lina continued to look at the woman, then she leaned down and tried to sleep. She found it sooner than she thought.
Carmen turned her gaze at the sleeping girl. 'She mustn't get hurt, she mustn't be with me.' Soon the dreams gave in and Carmen found herself leaning between Lina and Ivy. She closed her eyes and sleep took over.
SCENE 3
The walk through the mountains was getting harder and harder by the days. They hoped to find some kind of signal at the north part of the island. It they can contact Chief, they could get out. Much to what Carmen had wanted.
They walked without saying anything until Zack changed this. He slipped over a mossy rock and a giant frog landed on his head. The group laughed and relaxed by this. Paige started to talk to Tatyanna, Jasmine and Lee united later. In no time everyone was talking to each other, including Lina. They sang, and played all day long.
They got along just fine, but the skies revealed another thought. Black clouds along the horizon gave a big impression.
"Looks like another storm is coming our way," Armando pointed at the horizon.
"We must get food and shelter before it strikes," Josha said.
The storm was settling fast. The thunder could be heard and the lightning seen. It was still far away and growing in intensity. Now, not only were some clouds in a spot over the horizon, it was the whole horizon that was black.
"The air is to still," Carmen stopped and noticed the air. She also noticed that there were no more birds singing. "This is a bad sign."
"This may not be a small storm after all," Miguel stood beside her. They stared at the small terror.
"Why is that," Lina was curious. Obviously she had put aside the little discussion the other night
Carmen looked at her. "Every survivor of many storms in the wild knows that the longer and still the calm before a storm hits, its bound to be big." Carmen explained to her.
"So you are saying it is not a storm it is well nearing a hurricane," Ivy said.
"Well, sis, it is mid August, and the hurricane season for the Atlantic is between June and November. Especially during the months of August, September, and October," Zack said.
"Then we must be prepared, lets find a deep cave, first. Then lets split up to look for our essentials," Jasmine said.
Everyone agreed on that, but time would prove that was an impossible plan. By late noon, the skies clouded and some breeze was felt. In the afternoon the breeze picked up. Branches fell off trees, and some rain fell.
"We need to find shelter very soon, the wind is coming hard," Tatyanna shouted at Zack.
"She is right, forget about looking for food," Zack shouted at the group. "We must be the only living thing that's out today.
"Lets continue to the mountains, it is our only possible shelter left," Zahyra shouted.
They all walked, nearly dragging themselves sometimes, towards the mountains. The wind was strong and the trees were collapsing merciless to it. The rain was so cold it hitted like knifes the skin.
Lightning and thunder were making their splendor show. One of them struck a nearby tree, it went down in flames and splitted the group. Josha and Paige were trapped behind its intense flames.
"Hurry, lets get them out of there," Ivy shouted.
The rain fell hard and started to extinguish the flames over the end of the tree.
"Push!" Hugo started to move the big tree. In a matter of minutes, Paige and Josha were free from their infernal prison.
"Forget about the mountains, we must find shelter and quick," said Lee signaling to a nearby trail.
"Lets hurry, this weather will not be compassionate with us," Paige said grabbing a tree.
They started to walk on the mysteriously trail towards the mountains. But where could this mysteriously trail go? It came out of nowhere? Carmen thought.
"Wait, wait, stop!" Ivy shouted and tried to stop some of the group.
"What are you doing, we have to get out of here," Sara stomped the ground.
"Think for a sec, this is supposedly an abandoned island, without any means of radio signals, right?"
"Right," the group said.
"So how does a trail can exist on this abandoned island? How?"
"How?" the group said.
"I mean, this island is not on the maps, you know."
"You know," the group said.
"Look, this island did not sprung out of a volcano yesterday, I mean, this is a pretty old island and it is very suspicious that it is not mapped. What do you think?"
"What do you think?" The group said.
"So this means exactly what?" Charlie said starting to think. "Hmm…hmm…hmm…? Aaarrrggghh I don't know."
"You moron," Lina started to choke him. "You never think anything through," she started to move him back and forth. "You idiot, you never know what is happening so why start now."
"Do we have a choice," Hannah said.
"Is this way or the highway," Moe said.
"Yeah, and I don't see any highway around here so, I am going this way," Lars started to walk the trail. He was followed by Paige, Moe, Sara, and Hugo, then Miguel, Zahyra and Lee started to walk behind them.
"It is our only option," Armando said. He followed the others.
"Maybe there is sometype of refuge someone left behind, maybe not but that is a chance we must take," Josha said extending a hand to Ivy.
"Come on lets go, sis," Zack urged her.
Carmen was struggling to separate the two teens. They all struggled in one part of the forest. Lina choking Charlie, Charlie struggling to breath for Carmen's sake, and Carmen yanking both of them apart.
"Will you three stop it already, you look like a family during baseball season fighting for the remote control," Tatyanna said.
They all looked at each other, back at Tatyanna, at each other and then back at Tatyanna.
"Eeeeeyyyyyyyykkkkkkk," they said keeping apart.
SCENE 4
"That roar is getting louder by the minute," Zahyra said.
"Oh my God!, Simba is coming to eat us all," Paige began to ran away. "Hakuna Matata for all," she ran past Carmen.
"Go get her, please Hugo," Carmen put a hand over her face. "I'm surrounded by idiots."
"It is not only intensifying it is right in out path, look," Sara pointed to a nearby clearing.
"It is a river," Jasmine gasped.
"A big river," Sara cleared.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current," Lee said.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death," Tatyanna said.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge," said Moe.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge, at an unlucky time," said Hannah.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge, at an unlucky time, with a mysteriously tighten rope," said Lars.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge, at an unlucky time, with a mysteriously tighten rope, that is bravely fighting against the storm," said Zack.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge, at an unlucky time, with a mysteriously tighten rope, that is bravely fighting against the storm, by an unknown source of strength," Josha said.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge, at an unlucky time, with a mysteriously tighten rope, that is bravely fighting against the storm, by an unknown source of strength, in a forgotten island," Ivy said.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge, at an unlucky time, with a mysteriously tighten rope, that is bravely fighting against the storm, by an unknown source of strength, in a forgotten island, in a forgotten time," Armando said.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge, at an unlucky time, with a mysteriously tighten rope, that is bravely fighting against the storm, by an unknown source of strength, in a forgotten island, in a forgotten time, in the vast blue sea," Zahyra said.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge, at an unlucky time, with a mysteriously tighten rope, that is bravely fighting against the storm, by an unknown source of strength, in a forgotten island, in a forgotten time, in the vast blue sea, of this magical world," Miguel said.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge, at an unlucky time, with a mysteriously tighten rope, that is bravely fighting against the storm, by an unknown source of strength, in a forgotten island, in a forgotten time, in the vast blue sea, of this magical world, hanged there by someone with a mysterious past," Lina said.
"It is a river, a big river, with a very fierce current that leads you into your eminent death, and a spooky bridge, at an unlucky time, with a mysteriously tighten rope, that is bravely fighting against the storm, by an unknown source of strength, in a forgotten island, in a forgotten time, in the vast blue sea, of this magical world, hanged there by someone with a mysterious past, with the difficulty of a lifetime," Carmen finished.
"Aahh? What are you guys saying?" Charlie said scratching his head. "It is only a bridge over a waterfall."
Everyone looked at him, with frustration in their eyes.
"Can I choke him again, Zahyra?" Lina asked.
"Certainly, just leave me some of him for later."
"If he doesn't die in ten minutes, Carmen, go and get me."
"Absolutely, my watch stopped working a long time ago."
SCENE 5
"YES," Ivy shouted.
"YEAH," "ALRIGHT?," "THAT WAS GREAT," the group cheered for the first intrepid of them to cross the bridge.
"Come on you guys, it is rather safe," she shouted back.
Miguel went first, followed close by Zahyra. Tatyanna slipped but was caught by Zack. Zack slipped and made Armando and Lee stumble. Josha and Jasmine chuckled but helped them. Moe, Lars and Sara stuck together afraid of death. Hugo, well he just walked over it like a child's game. Paige, hopscotch through it (imagine that). Charlie stopped in the middle to admire the view. His eyes cough a glimpse of the approaching Lina and a chill ran down his spine. So he had no choice but to move on.
Lina started to walk on the bridge, when lightning struck a nearby tree. It fell aver the raging river and splashed some big waves towards Lina and Charlie. She almost fell and Charlie was pushed to the other end.
"Wow, now that is what I call a wave," she called.
But the three struck the bridge and it started to give away. Miguel grabbed on to one of the ropes, Hugo the other one and Charlie went for her. He mounted on the tree trunk but couldn't grab on to her hand. The bridge started to give up and Charlie lost his balance. He fell off the tree trunk over to the standing side of the bridge. He looked atonished as the tree slided past him taking Lina with it well over the end of the waterfall.
The water roared and fell below Lina, she couldn't to see were it landed. Lightning and thunder bashed the skies. She was frightened, she wanted someone near her. She wanted her father, she wanted her mother. 'Where in the world is my mother?'
The tree gave a loud crack and started to break apart. Lina screamed as she felt the end of her life coming near. It was a loud, piercing scream. So piercing that it cracked fear itself.
More by instinct than by reasoning, Carmen leaped to the tree and threw one of the broken ropes of the bridge at Lina. Not knowing how, Lina grabbed the rope in the nick of time. The tree gave away and rushed past Lina, nearly missing her. Carmen pulled the trembling girl up to the bridge. Lina became conscious of who was saving her and grabbed the ledge of the bridge and pulled herself over.
She wanted to cry, but she wouldn't, not here, not now. There was something that hurted her, inside. A feeling of depression mixed with disappointment that she couldn't understand.
The bridge's middle section was lost, Carmen and Lina were trapped on the other side.
"Jump, we'll catch you," Zack urged them. The gap wasn't that… that… humongous.
Carmen was the first to jump, she landed safely on the other side without help. (Considering she still had those hightops, it was pretty amazing.) Lina needed a little more time, finally she jumped. She too landed safely on the other side.
"HA, HA, HA, ha, ha!"
"YEAH!"
"Scared, scaredy cat."
"Are you alright dear?" Zahyra gabbed Lina and started to check her.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Thank you Carmen," Zahyra looked at her. "Right Lina?"
Lina just looked at Carmen. Lina had a look of hatred towards Carmen, and Carmen a look of unpleasantness towards Lina.
"That was great Carmen," Ivy interrupted this uncomfortable time slip. "You really saved the day."
"Don't count on it," Carmen started to walk the trail again followed by the rest of the group.
Ivy noticed something goldish that fell from Carmen's pocket. She picked it up and examined it. It was a broken heart medal or, to put it in simpler words, a half of a heart. It said "My heart will"- and it was cut there. On the back part, it said "go on in you." What a beautiful thought. (It sounds just like Titanic.) She looked at a distance at Carmen, who stayed behind as usual. She had to know why Carmen had this medal. It is not like Carmen to wear any jewelry of this kind. She put it on her pocket and waited for the right moment to return it.
Ivy walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "I think you are hiding more than you have ever had Carmen. Do you mind talking about it?"
"No, I don't want to talk about it."
"You know, that girl really hates you. You should talk to her."
"Do you think you can just come to me and tell me how to live my life."
"No, but because of you, that little girl will ruin her life."
"I don't want to talk, nor hear about it."
"You think that everyone must suffer orphancy like you."
Carmen quickly grabbed Ivy's arm and gave her a turn. Ivy fell to the ground on a big puddle of water. She was stunned by this fast and sudden reaction of Carmen. Carmen grabbed her by the collar ready to finish the job, but she let it go.
"You don't even know half of who I am," Carmen retired to fallow the group.
Ivy was left on a puddle still shocked. Carmen, however, was a little concern of some of the trees around there. Some were marked in vivid red letters like the ones on the bridge. She had seen those before, but where? What they meant? She knew they meant trouble for sure, that was what her instincts told her.
The signs read N.I.M.H..
End of Chapter 5