Chapter Two- 'The Sacrifice Squad'
by Ennon
Disclaimers: Same as Chapter One.
"Where are you taking us?" J.T. asked as Spinner half-carried/half-dragged him and Toby.
"You'll see," Spinner grunted.
At that moment, the cloud lifted and the 'sandbar' was revealed to be a tiny spit jutting out from a much larger island- dominated by a very tall mountain in the center.
"Whoa! That volcano must be at least 2 kilometers tall! Is it still active?" Toby asked.
" Wouldn't you like to know, dude! Heh!Heh!Heh!" Spinner laughed while baring his teeth at his two captives.
"Emma! Wake up!" Manny awoke then called as they were floating in their waterlogged boat.
"I'll wash the dishes tomorrow, Mom," Emma groaned.
"No! It's morning and we're coming to an island!" Manny squealed.
" Where's J.T. and Toby?" Emma asked.
" I think they got tossed overboard but I'm sure they're okay. Maybe they've made it to this island Come on, the storm's over and maybe we can get those two girls to help us!" Manny insisted.
"Look, Ashley! A boat! I can see my Mum again!" Terri MacGregor called out as she waved towards the boat and Ashley were on the beach putting clamshells into a large wooden homemade wheelbarrow. Each were wearing grass skirts, shirts and straw and cloth espadrilles but Ashley's were all in black while Terri's were in color.
"No, you can't," Ashley Kerwin quietly sighed.
"I'm sorry. I keep forgetting," Terri sniffed.
"It's OK! We're your family now!" Ashley insisted as she grabbed Terri's hand.
"But they could help us," Terri insisted.
"Go back! Turn around!" Ashley called out to Emma and Manny.
"Can you hear what they're saying?" Manny asked.
"I think they're welcoming us!" Emma insisted as she frantically paddled towards the shore.
"Terri! Let's make a run for it! Now!" Ashley insisted as the two ran back towards the trackless jungle behind the beach.
"Where did they go?" Manny asked.
"We're too close to shore to turn back now- and I'm sick of ocean! Let's put her aground!" Emma insisted as they did so then tried to follow Ashley and Terri.
"This mountain sure is steep! How much further, Spinner?" J.T. asked- as Spinner growled.
"We're coming to a clearing! Look!" Toby insisted.
Perched on a ledge was a clearing complete orange and apple trees, banana plants, a few rows of corn and gourd plants a wooden barn with a fenced pigpen (containing several sows and large boar) , cow stalls and a chicken coop. Inside all this was a group of wooden and straw huts that encircled a large plaza complete with a bamboo gazebo that had two whicker. .. thrones in the center.
About a dozen or so pairs of eyes of teens who were working the fields and livestock as Spinner led the friends to the stage.
"What's going on, Spin?" Jimmy Brooks asked as he emerged from the back of the gazebo-wearing a Hawaiian shirt, slacks, espadrilles.. and a bamboo crown.
"Oh, Kahuna Jimmy. Benevolent King of Degrassi Island, I give you these captives, dude!" Spinner insisted as he bowed while pulling down J.T and Toby then kicking them in the backs of their knees to force them to bow while tying them together.
"You know we must have the full Assembly!" Jimmy insisted- as he walked towards the conch shell hanging from one of the gazebo rafters
"Hey, can I give the call?" Spinner asked as Jimmy was about to put the conch shell to his mouth.
"No, Spin. You know what happens. .." Jimmy groaned.
"But these are my captives," Spinner insisted.
"Alright, but try not to. .. ." Jimmy sighed as Spinner sounded the conch shell exactly like. .
"That sounds like the world's biggest fart!" J. T. gasped in astonishment.
"Cool, huh?" Spinner laughed.
"Silence until the Assembly's all here!" Jimmy insisted.
"Spinner's got the conch! We'd better hurry!" Terri gulped to Ashley while Emma and Manny pursued.
"Wait!" Emma pleaded.
"Just let us go! We'll pretend we never saw this place. Help us find Emma and Manny," Toby pleaded.
"Girls, eh?" Spinner smiled.
"Er… he meant Emmet and Manfred!"J.T. gulped.
"Hey. I've already got mine and. ." Spinner growled.
"Just let us go! There's no reason for us to stay here," J.T. gulped
"Spinner! Haze and I were in the middle of painting our nails! This better be important," Paige boiled as she glared over her sunglasses as she and Hazel Aden hobbled into the plaza while clutching straws between their freshly painted toes, trying to keep their flip-flops on- both wore sarongs with exposed midriffs.
"Hey! I'll stay and be your valet, you goddess!" J.T. swooned.
"Dude! Go near her and I won't knock you unconscious before using you for shark chum!" Spinner growled.
Toby gulped but J.T. tried to catch Paige's eye while she sneered at him.
Ashley and Terri ran into the plaza out of breath while Ashley climbed into the gazebo and took Jimmy's outstretched hand before the two of them sat down on their thrones in silence.
"Oh, I thought you were the queen!" J.T called to Paige.
"Nah, I've got my own power!" Paige insisted.
"She's mine and I'm hers!" Spinner snarled.
"J.T? Toby? What are you all doing here- and who are all these folks?" Emma burst in before Manny could stop her.
"Oh, Spin! You got me more Squad Members!" Paige gushed as she planted a kiss on Spinner's cheek.
"Squad members?" Manny asked.
"Yes. I'm Paige Michelchuk- the Sacfice Squad Leader! As you can see, Degrassi Island is dominated by a semi-active volcano we've named Hesphestion- after the Greek volcano god or Festy for short. To keep our island from having like a zillion tons of ash and lava dumped upon it which, would like, wipe out our crops, village and scorch our cool threads, we have to appease Festy with worthy girls!" Paige explained.
"You mean, sacrifice us?" Manny gulped.
"Well, yeah! That's why it's called the Sacrifice Squad! Duh!" Paige sneered.
"SCREAM!" Manny screamed.
"That's, perfect, hun! Festy will love it!" Paige gushed.
"Paige! We're in the 21st Century! Everyone knows that volcanoes are controlled by magma deposits and not virgin sacrifices!"Emma boiled.
" You don't want to do this, fine! You can help with the fieldwork!" Paige insisted.
"Paige, you're not listening! We can evacuate this island and. .." Emma tried to plea.
"Hazel! Muzzle her, please!" Paige groaned.
"Don't muzzle my friend," Manny insisted.
"I'd have thought you'd thank us for that," Paige sniffed as Hazel muzzled Emma-despite Emma trying to fight her off.
"Do you have a radio, a phone or 'Net connection?" Toby asked.
"You two have caused enough trouble!" Jimmy insisted.
"Can I make 'em shark chum?" Spinner asked.
"Nah. The pigpen and latrines could use some renovation. They look too scrawny for any real work!" Jimmy sneered.
Emma bit around the muzzle cloth as Paige led and Hazel led Manny away.
"Where are you taking her?" Emma asked.
"Training! She'll require quite a bit of it before tonight's big show for Festy," Paige sneered.
"Great! Emma's feeding the livestock, Manny's going to be sacrificed and now we're up to our butts in pig muck! Thanks a lot, Yorke!" Toby boiled.
" Hey, it could be worse, Tobes!" J.T. insisted.
"Hey guys! Sorry I had to miss the Assembly but I was working on a project," a girl in a tricorner hat,grass skirt, shirt, lei and glasses beamed as she strolled up to the pigpen.
"And you are. ..?" Toby asked.
"Liberty Van Zandt. Degrassi Island's Science Minister- and I could use your help!" Liberty insisted as she shook J.T.'s hand.
"Great! I know a lot about science! I can. .. " Toby pleaded.
"Not you. Him!"Liberty giggled as she winked at J.T.
"Um. .. " J.T. gulped.
"Or would you rather stay in the pigpen?" Liberty asked.
"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!" J.T. shouted.
"Oh, Ashley! Even if we can't leave, it's not fair to these newcomers!" Terri whispered as she and Ashley walked past that scene.