Chapter 11: The Disturbing Truth!
TWO DAYS LATER!
Again, Simon sat up in his bed after he just had another dream. His fur dripped with sweat. 'How could I be getting this same dream again?' Simon thought. It's not fair; he kept his promise and went back to the Island to retrieve the box. Apparently, something is amiss. He reached over and grabbed his glasses and placed them on his face after wiping away some sweat from his forehead. Slowly he looked around the dark room and was relived that he did not disturb his brothers, they still slept soundly in their beds. Simon then quietly got up and walked down stairs through the kitchen and down towards the basement, where his laboratory is.
He walked to where his desk is, and beside his computer sat the black box. It is still unopened. Simon stood there staring at it, not sure if he should look inside or not. Maybe he doesn't want to know the truth, or maybe he's afraid to know. He then remembered the promise he made to Mary and wondered if this is why he is still having the same nightmare. Simon took a deep breath, he could not let her down he owed her and all the children of the Island a great dept.
He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. 'It's now or never' he thought to himself. Simon went up to the desk and pulled out one of the drawers. Inside sat a small jewellery case. He picked it up and opened it. Simon then pulled out the key from the little box and unlocked the black box. Simon was shocked to find out what was inside.
There were six videotapes, an envelope full of documents and more cd's and mini disks full of files of information.
Curious to know what the videotapes were all about, he took them upstairs to the family room and turned on the TV and put the one that read 'Watch First' in the VCR. Almost immediately the image of Mary-Anne was seen.
------------
"We are on, now?" The beautiful brunette on the TV screen asked.
"Yes!" Said a voice behind the camera. Simon recognized it to be Jeff.
"Good" The New Zealand teen continued. "Hello survivor or survivors! My name is Mary-Anne if you are not sure you know me. This is Rob, Mark and holding the camera is Jeff." She addressed the two males behind her and at the camera. "We have been apart of this 'project' since the beginning pretty well. Now that we have all the information we need, we can now attempt to expose the Founders for who they really are. We inform you that what you are about to see is gruesome and disturbing. Be sure to note that you have been brainwashed and my not remember certain things. But after viewing these tapes and going over the documents we hid in the box, you will begin to remember again. So take a deep breath and remind yourself that what you are about to see are things that will change everything you ever believed in before, during and after your experience from Founders' Island."
------------
Simon could feel his body tremble in fear, as he could not move his eyes from the TV screen. He moved Dave's footstool cushion closer to the TV so he could sit down and carefully watch what was on the tapes. A lot of the images that he was seeing almost seemed like a nightmare he once had, or that he might of imagined it, especially during the time when he was under the influence of the Ecstasy drug. It shocked him to see that those things did really happen. It was then when he came to a conclusion that he too had been brainwashed (either that, or the event was so dramatic that he completely whipped his memory of the experience). Perhaps that is why he would try to commit suicide a few years ago. It also made him think that there's defiantly more to his involvement being on the Island. Lately he has felt that he was being followed and it was making him feel very nervous.
Another video showed some ceremonies that had kids (mostly different kidnapped victims from third world countries) that were brought out in front of the rest of the children of the Island and tortured then killed. This was done to enhance fear and discipline for the children of the Island. Not to mention the Founders needed to train the 'students'' subconscious so that they would be cold and totally unaffected towards death. Simon had to cover his mouth so he would prevent him from throwing up during some of the scenes. He even turned away briefly do to the gruesomeness of it all. Finally, Simon had to get up and turn off the video, because he couldn't handle watching it anymore.
Simon took a moment before letting the curiosity get the better of him; he then put in the next tape. On this tape he saw the Founders forcing the children to fight each other. Usually they would do this till one of them was left standing. It is believed that the Founders did this out of sheer entertainment that it wasn't part of the normal training exercises. Simon even saw himself and his friends in the background of some of these shots. It made him even more disturbed, mainly because he couldn't remember doing any of that.
He recognized some words being called out in a different language, usually by the Founders, which would have the children stop fighting each other and pause in a trance-like state to receive their next instructions. It brought him back to the day on the school field where he and Tom nearly fought each other and was saved from doing so when Renee called out those words and broke them out of that trance.
In another tape he saw a friendlier sight. Mary-Anne, Mark, Jeff and Rob had hid a camera behind some bushes and started to record Simon and the other chipmunks in the secret field. Simon smiled as he saw himself with his friends playing, like the children they once were. It was obvious that the chipmunks didn't know that the camera was playing and capturing their every move. After a brief moment Simon heard Jeff calling to the chipmunks to all come to a certain spot on the field, it happened to be directly in front of the camera. He then asked each Chipmunk to stand up and say their name and pretend that they weren't on the Island and what they dream to be when they grow up.
Tom was the first, "My name is Tom Relic, when I grow up I want to major myself in physics and travel around the world!"
"Hi, I am Renee Soyer, I wouldn't mind being an actress or a reporter!" The cheerful red headed chipmunk chimed.
Next the female blond in the square glasses stood up and spoke in an English accent. "My name is Brenda Asprin, and when I grow up I want to fly." She let out a giggle. "Either planes or a space shuttle."
The other male chipmunk stood for a few seconds not saying anything, then. "I think, there for I am, Brian Malton. And I am not a crook!" Making a facial impression of the former president Nixon and making peace symbols with his two hands. Everyone started laughing. Brain just stood there and smiled.
-----
Simon started to chuckle as he remembered that day more clearly.
-----
"What do you want to be when you grow up, Brian?" Asked Rob.
Brian sighed with a more serious expression. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure. Maybe an author since I like to write so much... just don't tell the Founders that." He added in a whisper and a wink. Again everybody around started to sneaker.
Finally Simon stood up. Obviously it was before he re-created the hair tonic formula and before he pierced his ear. "My name is Simon Seville, and when I grow up I want to be a famous inventor."
"Sing us a song, Simon!!" Renee squealed impatiently, and everyone cheered.
Simon blushed, and then sang a song from his childhood.
I sit alone in this café, And listen to the songs they play, Reminding me of yesterday, and youuu!
As he kept singing, he remembered the first time he invented the hair tonic. Instead of growing his hair out, it would turn him to turn into a Casanova. He still didn't know that Alvin had tampered with his experiment that caused that scientific fiasco. His friends began to cheer as he came to the end of the song.
This song brings me back to yesterday, And youuu! Ba, ba, ba, da, da!
-------
As Simon watched as his friends cheered for another song, he remembered two days after that event, during lab class he re-invented the hair tonic and used it on himself. He winced a bit when he remembered how upset Mary was when she saw him with his new 'do' that evening. She understood how dangerous it was to act out 'differently' in front of the Founders. Simon just didn't think of any possible consequences in using his hair tonic. Fortunately, somehow, Simon was ignored for changing his hair. It might have been that Mary convinced the Founders that it was an accident or something and that could be the reason why they let it go. Simon continued to watch the tape where he and his friends talk about their families and explain what they would like to do if or when they would return to them. A tear begins to roll down his cheek, he felt bad that most of them couldn't achieve their hopes and wishes on what they would do if or when they returned home. He also realized even more on how much he misses his friends' and how great it would be if they could still be here today.
********
9:30am IN THE MORNING
Dave walked downstairs with a big yawn. He glances in the family room before he heads for the kitchen, but suddenly stops and turns around again. To his surprise, Dave sees Simon asleep on the couch. As he walked in he saw that the TV was on, but showed only a blank blue screen. 'He must have been watching a video or something.' He determined. Dave carefully placed a hand on Simon's shoulder and gently shook it.
"Simon? Simon wake up!"
"Wha.?" Simon slowly opened his eyes and saw his dad standing before him with a worried expression. "Is it morning, already?" He said sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes and letting out a big yawn.
"Are you alright?"
"Yea," Simon sighed. "I woke up last night and couldn't go back to sleep so I went downstairs and finally opened the box I brought back the Island..." He stopped to let out another yawn.
"And.?" Dave said impatiently.
"Well, I found some video tapes inside and came up here to watch some of them."
"What was on the tapes, Simon?" Dave asked as he sat down beside his son.
"A lot of things, Dave, a lot of disturbing things that happened on the Island that I had literary forgotten. Some of them were so disturbing that I couldn't watch the whole thing. I'll probably watch again them later after I get some more sleep."
"Do you want to talk about it?" His dad asked.
"I think I'll be ok. I'm not as bad as I was a few years ago, Dave." Simon then got up from the couch and collected the videotapes, including the ones he hadn't seen yet. He turned off the TV and went downstairs to put them away the videos and hid the box in case his family decided to get snoopy. It's not that he didn't trust them; it's just that he did want them to get disturbed with the information before he could go through them and explain to what was going on first. He then walked back upstairs to his bedroom and crashed in his bed just as his brothers were starting to wake up.
TWO DAYS LATER!
Again, Simon sat up in his bed after he just had another dream. His fur dripped with sweat. 'How could I be getting this same dream again?' Simon thought. It's not fair; he kept his promise and went back to the Island to retrieve the box. Apparently, something is amiss. He reached over and grabbed his glasses and placed them on his face after wiping away some sweat from his forehead. Slowly he looked around the dark room and was relived that he did not disturb his brothers, they still slept soundly in their beds. Simon then quietly got up and walked down stairs through the kitchen and down towards the basement, where his laboratory is.
He walked to where his desk is, and beside his computer sat the black box. It is still unopened. Simon stood there staring at it, not sure if he should look inside or not. Maybe he doesn't want to know the truth, or maybe he's afraid to know. He then remembered the promise he made to Mary and wondered if this is why he is still having the same nightmare. Simon took a deep breath, he could not let her down he owed her and all the children of the Island a great dept.
He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. 'It's now or never' he thought to himself. Simon went up to the desk and pulled out one of the drawers. Inside sat a small jewellery case. He picked it up and opened it. Simon then pulled out the key from the little box and unlocked the black box. Simon was shocked to find out what was inside.
There were six videotapes, an envelope full of documents and more cd's and mini disks full of files of information.
Curious to know what the videotapes were all about, he took them upstairs to the family room and turned on the TV and put the one that read 'Watch First' in the VCR. Almost immediately the image of Mary-Anne was seen.
------------
"We are on, now?" The beautiful brunette on the TV screen asked.
"Yes!" Said a voice behind the camera. Simon recognized it to be Jeff.
"Good" The New Zealand teen continued. "Hello survivor or survivors! My name is Mary-Anne if you are not sure you know me. This is Rob, Mark and holding the camera is Jeff." She addressed the two males behind her and at the camera. "We have been apart of this 'project' since the beginning pretty well. Now that we have all the information we need, we can now attempt to expose the Founders for who they really are. We inform you that what you are about to see is gruesome and disturbing. Be sure to note that you have been brainwashed and my not remember certain things. But after viewing these tapes and going over the documents we hid in the box, you will begin to remember again. So take a deep breath and remind yourself that what you are about to see are things that will change everything you ever believed in before, during and after your experience from Founders' Island."
------------
Simon could feel his body tremble in fear, as he could not move his eyes from the TV screen. He moved Dave's footstool cushion closer to the TV so he could sit down and carefully watch what was on the tapes. A lot of the images that he was seeing almost seemed like a nightmare he once had, or that he might of imagined it, especially during the time when he was under the influence of the Ecstasy drug. It shocked him to see that those things did really happen. It was then when he came to a conclusion that he too had been brainwashed (either that, or the event was so dramatic that he completely whipped his memory of the experience). Perhaps that is why he would try to commit suicide a few years ago. It also made him think that there's defiantly more to his involvement being on the Island. Lately he has felt that he was being followed and it was making him feel very nervous.
Another video showed some ceremonies that had kids (mostly different kidnapped victims from third world countries) that were brought out in front of the rest of the children of the Island and tortured then killed. This was done to enhance fear and discipline for the children of the Island. Not to mention the Founders needed to train the 'students'' subconscious so that they would be cold and totally unaffected towards death. Simon had to cover his mouth so he would prevent him from throwing up during some of the scenes. He even turned away briefly do to the gruesomeness of it all. Finally, Simon had to get up and turn off the video, because he couldn't handle watching it anymore.
Simon took a moment before letting the curiosity get the better of him; he then put in the next tape. On this tape he saw the Founders forcing the children to fight each other. Usually they would do this till one of them was left standing. It is believed that the Founders did this out of sheer entertainment that it wasn't part of the normal training exercises. Simon even saw himself and his friends in the background of some of these shots. It made him even more disturbed, mainly because he couldn't remember doing any of that.
He recognized some words being called out in a different language, usually by the Founders, which would have the children stop fighting each other and pause in a trance-like state to receive their next instructions. It brought him back to the day on the school field where he and Tom nearly fought each other and was saved from doing so when Renee called out those words and broke them out of that trance.
In another tape he saw a friendlier sight. Mary-Anne, Mark, Jeff and Rob had hid a camera behind some bushes and started to record Simon and the other chipmunks in the secret field. Simon smiled as he saw himself with his friends playing, like the children they once were. It was obvious that the chipmunks didn't know that the camera was playing and capturing their every move. After a brief moment Simon heard Jeff calling to the chipmunks to all come to a certain spot on the field, it happened to be directly in front of the camera. He then asked each Chipmunk to stand up and say their name and pretend that they weren't on the Island and what they dream to be when they grow up.
Tom was the first, "My name is Tom Relic, when I grow up I want to major myself in physics and travel around the world!"
"Hi, I am Renee Soyer, I wouldn't mind being an actress or a reporter!" The cheerful red headed chipmunk chimed.
Next the female blond in the square glasses stood up and spoke in an English accent. "My name is Brenda Asprin, and when I grow up I want to fly." She let out a giggle. "Either planes or a space shuttle."
The other male chipmunk stood for a few seconds not saying anything, then. "I think, there for I am, Brian Malton. And I am not a crook!" Making a facial impression of the former president Nixon and making peace symbols with his two hands. Everyone started laughing. Brain just stood there and smiled.
-----
Simon started to chuckle as he remembered that day more clearly.
-----
"What do you want to be when you grow up, Brian?" Asked Rob.
Brian sighed with a more serious expression. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure. Maybe an author since I like to write so much... just don't tell the Founders that." He added in a whisper and a wink. Again everybody around started to sneaker.
Finally Simon stood up. Obviously it was before he re-created the hair tonic formula and before he pierced his ear. "My name is Simon Seville, and when I grow up I want to be a famous inventor."
"Sing us a song, Simon!!" Renee squealed impatiently, and everyone cheered.
Simon blushed, and then sang a song from his childhood.
I sit alone in this café, And listen to the songs they play, Reminding me of yesterday, and youuu!
As he kept singing, he remembered the first time he invented the hair tonic. Instead of growing his hair out, it would turn him to turn into a Casanova. He still didn't know that Alvin had tampered with his experiment that caused that scientific fiasco. His friends began to cheer as he came to the end of the song.
This song brings me back to yesterday, And youuu! Ba, ba, ba, da, da!
-------
As Simon watched as his friends cheered for another song, he remembered two days after that event, during lab class he re-invented the hair tonic and used it on himself. He winced a bit when he remembered how upset Mary was when she saw him with his new 'do' that evening. She understood how dangerous it was to act out 'differently' in front of the Founders. Simon just didn't think of any possible consequences in using his hair tonic. Fortunately, somehow, Simon was ignored for changing his hair. It might have been that Mary convinced the Founders that it was an accident or something and that could be the reason why they let it go. Simon continued to watch the tape where he and his friends talk about their families and explain what they would like to do if or when they would return to them. A tear begins to roll down his cheek, he felt bad that most of them couldn't achieve their hopes and wishes on what they would do if or when they returned home. He also realized even more on how much he misses his friends' and how great it would be if they could still be here today.
********
9:30am IN THE MORNING
Dave walked downstairs with a big yawn. He glances in the family room before he heads for the kitchen, but suddenly stops and turns around again. To his surprise, Dave sees Simon asleep on the couch. As he walked in he saw that the TV was on, but showed only a blank blue screen. 'He must have been watching a video or something.' He determined. Dave carefully placed a hand on Simon's shoulder and gently shook it.
"Simon? Simon wake up!"
"Wha.?" Simon slowly opened his eyes and saw his dad standing before him with a worried expression. "Is it morning, already?" He said sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes and letting out a big yawn.
"Are you alright?"
"Yea," Simon sighed. "I woke up last night and couldn't go back to sleep so I went downstairs and finally opened the box I brought back the Island..." He stopped to let out another yawn.
"And.?" Dave said impatiently.
"Well, I found some video tapes inside and came up here to watch some of them."
"What was on the tapes, Simon?" Dave asked as he sat down beside his son.
"A lot of things, Dave, a lot of disturbing things that happened on the Island that I had literary forgotten. Some of them were so disturbing that I couldn't watch the whole thing. I'll probably watch again them later after I get some more sleep."
"Do you want to talk about it?" His dad asked.
"I think I'll be ok. I'm not as bad as I was a few years ago, Dave." Simon then got up from the couch and collected the videotapes, including the ones he hadn't seen yet. He turned off the TV and went downstairs to put them away the videos and hid the box in case his family decided to get snoopy. It's not that he didn't trust them; it's just that he did want them to get disturbed with the information before he could go through them and explain to what was going on first. He then walked back upstairs to his bedroom and crashed in his bed just as his brothers were starting to wake up.