"What? That can't be this is…" Carmen was examining the impressions. She couldn't believe her eyes. "So this means that this here is…"
"The NIMH island," Ivy finished.
"The one Rock was looking so hard for," Zack said.
"But this can't be. But it is, it definitely is," Carmen's eyes brightened up. She then stood up and said: "this means we are in big trouble."
"Trouble, what do you mean by trouble, Carmen?" Ivy questioned her. "This is your time for revenge."
"But… but …I lost myself a long time ago. I don't even quite remember what revenge felt like."
"Don't you get it. Your will power was lost when you gave up the most important thing in your life." Zack analyzed.
"Lina is why you must get revenge."
"Then I can't do much," Carmen started to walk back to the opening.
"Why?"
"Look at her, look at her now. She has her own life, her own destiny, her own vision. I am not part of them any more. How can I reclaim something that I lost so long ago?"
"But there is something we must do about this?" Zack asked.
"Yeah, run like hell from this place," Carmen went to the main cave.
"We must help those two find each other."
"Leave it sis, destiny has its own ways of arranging things."
SCENE 2
"Everyone wake up," Ivy shouted. "Wake up I said."
"IIIICCCCEEEEE CCCCRRRREEEEEAAAAAMMMMM!" Zack shouted.
"What the hell," "What is going on," "Is breakfast served," "Yeah, your waiter will come shortly."
"That wasn't necessary," Carmen was clearing her ears after that shout.
"Hey they are awake," Zack smiled.
"What's the matter you guys," Miguel retorted.
"We must get out of here fast," Ivy explained. "This is NIMH."
"What is NIMH," Tatyanna said.
"It's the National Institution of Mental Health," Carmen explained.
"The what?" Joshua got up.
"This is a secret agency and the only purpose is to make experiments with people," Ivy was yanking Lee and Armando.
"You mean they make cloning experiments, they do brain transplants, they make chimeras and golems, they experiment with radiation, toxic and gravity failures on animals and humans?" Sara's eyes where filled with stars.
"And many more horrible experi…." Zack's mouth was covered by Carmen's and Ivy's hands, but it was too late, Sara had heard.
"THIS IS MY HEAVEN!" She got up and went running for the exit. She was caught by Lars and Moe. "Hey, let me go. My family awaits."
"Calm down you dirty hag."
"Hey, shut up everyone," Miguel stood up. "Is this is true, we must find this installation at once and close it down."
"Yeah, no body does those things to humans nor animals nor to plants," Paige said.
"This is violating the rights of living things," Tatyanna backed her.
"Lets go and inform the world about this horrors," Lee stretched his hand to everyone.
"Yeah!" Everyone including the VILE people joined hands to clear this enemy off. (Now you know how desperate this people were).
"Are you guys insane," Carmen said. "Those people will capture us, if we don't get out of here as soon as possible."
"But why get out of here?" Josha asked. "We must find if this is true. And if it is, we must close this down."
"This illegal practice on living things must stop.," Armando said.
"We are going to be the living things if we don't get out of here," Carmen answered them. "Do you think they'll let you come near their facilities without warning. They'll attack you, maybe kill you or capture you, to make their experiments. No one will ever see you again if you stay here."
"And what makes you the expert on this theme, Carmen?" asked Jasmine.
"Because…because… if have been on a similar situation with this people," Carmen said. "I have seen how much pain they can cause. I know how they move, work, and communicate. We must find a way to communicate with Chief to get out of here. We must do so in a single try, if their high-tech equipment catches our signal they'll come after us and we will be doomed for sure."
"That is all well and dandy, buuuuttt…." Zahyra said pointing at the entrance of the cave. "The hurricane has started again. It will be well into tomorrow when it goes completely away. Then we must wait for all the interference it causes to communicate with Chief. Until then we must stay low and watch our backs"
The group agreed on that, right now there is nothing they can do about it. So they all settled down to sleep. Ivy was mad at Carmen, she hadn't expected that reaction from her. Ivy though that there was possibly anything that Carmen wasn't afraid of. But she fell to asleep besides her brother. Carmen was restless with the situation so she went back to the other cave. Lina was a little confused, was Carmen talking about the days, she and her father used to live. She couldn't sleep and waited for a movement from Carmen.
And a movement from Carmen she got. Carmen had slipped out of the cave without warning. This inspired curiosity on Lina. It was during the storm, what could Carmen want in this weather? So she followed the thief.
Carmen knew that with all the lightning and the winds bending the trees she could see were the mountains were. But that was proven to be a little difficult. The storms greatest force is on the tail of it, were they currently were. But she needed to get out of here, she needed to get the others out of here, she needed to get Lina out of here. She couldn't let anyone else she cared about get hurt. She had promised that.
In all her thoughts she didn't heard Lina crawling nearer. Carmen was embracing her coat because the winds wanted to get it off her, ducking the fallen branches that had become sharp projectiles in this wind. The trees were all giving away from the winds. A big branch broke down and was carried by the winds and rafts of winds that reached the 180mph, heading right for Carmen. 'What mother nature is challenging me now. I like this game.' Carmen thought. She jumped over the big branch and watched were the big beast was headed. 'It is headed towards Lina, good.' She turned away. 'LINA.'
"LINA, WATCH OUT!"
Lina cursed to the air. 'How the hell did she found out I was here?' She looked up to see what was Carmen saying. "What the hell is that!" The branch was headed her way, oh well it's time to use my artistic talents. She jumped the in coming parts of the branch with skill. She jumped the other parts of the branch with grace. Side note: Wow!
"Ah, what a prima Dona," Lina said in a ballet pose and blushing.
"What are you doing, get down!, Lina heard Carmen say as she was pulled down by her. Another giant branch almost hitted Lina's head.
"That could have been a shocker," Lina said with a smile.
"What in the world are you doing out here?" Carmen grabbed Lina's arm.
"That is what I ask you."
"It is not of your concern."
"Oh, really I'm deeply concern of your health."
"Look it is not normal but I need your help," Carmen said letting go of Lina's arm.
"Yeah, on what?"
"I need to look for the mountains."
"Now you are wicked."
"No, no, on the mountains is were we can get a better signal of radiowaves. We could contact Chief from the highest mountain in this island. Although they won't be that high, due to the size of it," Carmen started to walk towards the ceiling of their cave, and she turned back: "Well, aren't you coming on this adventure? I promise you it is going to be the ride of a life time."
Lina didn't knew why was she excited. She wanted to go with that woman, but she was responsible for her father's death. How could she be nice to her, at least it was for the best of the group. 'Oh, what the heck.' She ran to catch up with Carmen. Carmen too liked the girl to come with her, she had once longed to be doing something alongside her daughter. So the thieves continued on their journey.
SCENE 3
"Wow! What a view!" Lina yelled back at Carmen.
"Stop admiring it and look for the mountains!" Carmen yelled back.
The storm was impressing form the top of the cave. The winds moved the trees and the clouds were dancing above their heads. It was cold, very cold and no rain in sight at least for the moment. Lightning clashed above and the light was reflected upon some rugged surface.
"Look over there," Carmen signaled. Another lightning flashed that way and there it was…
"THE MOUNTAINS!" They cried in unison.
"Great, now tomorrow we will head in that direction. Lets make a mark on this rock to remember the way." Carmen said taking out a pocket knife. (Hey, practically everyone carries a Swiss Army Knife.) She cutted a small arrow on the rock.
"Shall we get going then, it is very cold out here and I believe that is not fog at all."
"Of course, but can you tell me if this NIMH thing is the same as the NIMH thing my father was after."
Carmen looked at her surprised. "Who told you about that."
"Grandma who else. She also told me about my uncle, is it true NIMH killed him?"
"Yes, at least that is why you are here now," Carmen grasped her mouth after she said that.
"What does that mean?" Lina gave a strange look at her.
"Um, nothing, ha, ha," Carmen started to crawl down. "Nothing at all. Ha, ha. Lets go back now and get some sleep, it is going to be a long day."
SCENE 4
The next day was a day to remember. All was destroyed, a great desolation populated the area. How can wind and rain cause this to the land? How can a tree with so much experience be killed by such weak elements. The rivers were overflowing with mucky waters that carried debbre from up the terrains. The trees looked like they had been burned out. Not a single one could be seen intact. They had no branches nor leaves. All was gone.
"This is so terrible," Lina said in an impressed voice. "How can mother nature be this cruel?"
"It is called the cycle of life," Carmen said standing by her side at the cave's entrance.
"This was all so beautiful, wasn't it Carmen?"
"Nature will always make things beautiful."
"So, where should we gooo….oooossshhh," Ivy said behind them. "Look at this, it is a complete ruin."
"What is a complete ruin?" Zack was walking towards them along with Charlie.
"Just look guys."
"Wow, this is a great loss," Charlie say admiring the view.
"How are we going to know where to go now?" Zack was helping Tatyanna and Jasmine get out of the cave. "It is all unrecognizable now."
"That is easy, Carmen made a mark of where the mountains are," Lina resounded.
"How is that possible?" Zahyra asked her.
"Well, last…," Lina started to say but Carmen covered her mouth with her hand.
"Just trust me on this Zahyra, trust me."
"Now that is a dangerous though," said a very sarcastic Miguel.
"You got that right," Lee creeped out of the cave.
"So, lets get to the mark and get going already," Josha was the first to jump out of the cave and climb to the ceiling.
SCENE 5
They were already in motion towards the mountains, at least trying not to get entangled by the fallen branches and trees. By now the clouds of the tail of the hurricane were moving fast, it looked like the lion spotted another victim. From time to time showers of heavy rain came and went. They came to a clearing, I mean now to a place were there were no trees before, and cough a glimpse of the mountains. They weren't that far away and they weren't that tall either, in fact they were on one of them right then. (This looks hopeless to me.)
"Zack, why are we going to the mountains anyway?" Tatyanna asked in a low voice.
"It's because on the mountains we could receive a better signal to call Chief."
"Is it alright to trust Carmen on this," Josha asked Ivy in a low voice. "I mean, is she really that exited to get to Chief."
"I don't trust Carmen, I am trusting Lina on this," Ivy answered back. "I have a feeling she could become a great person."
They were now deep into the mountain range of that small island and the view of the horizon was breathtaking. The group had discovered more paths in the mountain. What a strange causality, more and more sign of N.I.M.H. were marked on the trees or what was left of them. The group was getting concerned about this NIMH thing, but Carmen was as silent as a tomb.
In that silence Carmen's keen sense of hearing cough a rustle from the bushes. As soon as Carmen stopped Ivy heard it too and stopped beside the woman. Miguel and Hugo turned to look towards were they were looking. The bushes moved a little and the group kept silent.
From the bushes came a loud whistle. Our group was confused by this, what the hell could that whistle mean. Carmen knew, it was N.I.M.H.'s way of saying hello. In a matter of seconds they were surrounded by black clothed and heavily armed creatures. They were very tall and very furry like big morphed dogs. They growled charged at them.
"What are this things?" Ivy asked to no one in particular while she dodged over one of the creatures delivering a kick to another.
"They are chimeras that….," Carmen was throwing a big one of them over her shoulder. "are created by N.I.M.H."
"Hey, no one ever told me they made chimeras here," Lee said.
Fortunately the chimeras were not that brilliant as they were supposed to be. They were all down unconscious in a matter of minutes. Although one of them started running away.
"Hey, wait!" Carmen screamed and she began to fallow the creature.
"Carmen stop there!" Zack ran after the thief and the group followed him.
Carmen grabbed a loose vain and started to rotate it along her side. She secured one end of it to her wrist and the other end she twirled it along her wild chase. Carmen twirled the vain very fast and she let it go towards the elusive runner. The vein wrapped tightly around the monster's body, but he continued to run as fast as he could.
"Oh, no, not this time," Carmen ran faster than the monster and she used that for a brilliant trick. She ran past the thing and ran around a big tree just to the side of the path. At which point she gave it a strong pull and the beast was yanked from his feet to land with his back against a tree. The beast was left pretty much unconscious, for not to say, nearly dead.
"Carmen, why did you did that for?" Lina asked her. "They were already defeated."
"Yeah, now who is going to tell those idiots we won over their goons," Charlie came second.
"There is a difference between letting your enemy know where you won and letting your enemy know where you are," Carmen replied.
"But if they send this things they must know where we are," Armando was tying the beast.
"Of course they know we are here," Carmen gave them a bad look. "What they don't know is our exact location."
"Those beast are something scary," Lars said looking at Moe.
"Yes, we must get out of here fast," Moe's legs were shaking.
"The good thing is we spotted where is the tallest mountain," Josha came running towards them.
"Yes, and it is right in our path come on everyone," Ivy ran past the group following Josha. Everyone else did the same, except Paige.
"Aaahhh, what a cute little puppy you are," Paige patted the mutant wolfs.
"Come on, are you crazy. In some parts of the world it is considered of bad luck to touch dead animals," Hannah pushed her out of the way.
Over them on the trees, a figure, a black figure was looking and hearing everything the group did. It recognized a familiar woman in red. It liked it a lot that she was under its grasp. It also noticed a little girl that looked a lot like its rival and the woman in red. It liked it even more, now it could completely wipe out this powerful heritage once and for all.
End of Chapter 8