The Frights of Fiji by Sunayna Prasad (books to read for self improvement .txt) 📕

top,” Mathias said.

Hailey nodded and picked up the other phone. She pressed the button on top—it did nothing.

“This stinks,” said Hailey.

“I guess it’s time for plan B,” said Alyssa.

Everyone looked at her.

“What’s plan B?” asked Madison.

“We’re going to have to walk there ourselves,” said Alyssa.

“Are you crazy?” asked Jasmine.

“Yeah, Alyssa, that’s the dumbest plan I’ve ever heard,” said Destiny.

“Look, Simon’s in trouble, and if we don’t try and save him—we might never be able to go back home again.”

“He already can’t fly or disappear,” said Destiny. “I can’t imagine that he’ll be able to help us.”

“Well, we still can’t let him suffer.” Alyssa picked up his tablet and unlocked it. He was already at the center, according to the map. But he didn’t move.

“What happened to Simon?” asked Hailey.

“The dot of him isn’t moving,” replied Alyssa.

“Open the video option,” said Madison.

“How?” asked Alyssa.

“Do you remember how Simon did it?” Jasmine asked.

“Um . . . not really,” said Alyssa.

“Well, that’s just great,” said Destiny.

“Hey—this is a magic tablet,” Alyssa said. “I’m not going to be an expert on this.”

“Alyssa, can we go now?” asked Hailey.

“Yes, let’s go,” said Alyssa.

“Alyssa, I don’t think you’ll be able to walk there,” said Isabelle.

“Yeah, it’s too far of a walk,” Mathias added. “I don’t want anything to happen to you guys.”

“I think they’re right,” said Jasmine. “We can’t walk there.”

“Well, if someone’s in trouble, we sometimes have to take risks,” said Alyssa. “You see that in movies a lot.”

“Well, Alyssa, movies aren’t like real life,” Jasmine said.

“So?” she asked. “At least they teach you a lesson, and I bet a common one is that if someone you love is in trouble, you’ve got to risk everything you can do to save them.”

A few swishes suggested to Alyssa that some people had appeared. She turned around, seeing David, Clarissa, Seamus, and Master Beau.

“What did you do with Simon?” shrieked Hailey.

“You want to see?” asked Master Beau.

“Let him go!” yelled Alyssa.

“Never,” said Master Beau. “He’s frozen.”

Everyone gasped.

“No!” squeaked Hailey.

Master Beau took out his tablet and showed the girls a picture of Simon. He’d turned icy blue and stood with his mouth open. Tears watered Alyssa’s eyes. She turned away, smearing her tears out of her eyes. The other girls cried too.

“Oh my goodness, y’all,” said Clarissa. “Can you stop crying?”

“Unfreeze him!” wailed Hailey.

“No!” snapped Master Beau.

“Get out of here!” exclaimed Mathias.

“You’re too weak to fight!” yelled Seamus.

David whispered in Seamus’s ear, and he nodded. Then the two men pointed their wands at Isabelle and Mathias.

“What are you doing?” squealed Alyssa.

“Somnum harena!” they bellowed.

The sand propelled itself into Isabelle’s and Mathias’s eyes and knocked them out.

“No!” screamed Alyssa.

“They wouldn’t have been able to protect you anyway!” yelled David.

“Just get out of here!” squawked Hailey.

“No!” Master Beau held his wand out. “Somnum harena!”

“No—Hailey!” yelled Alyssa as the sand knocked Hailey out.

“Quiet, McCarthy!” Master Beau pointed his wand at her. “You’re actually next!”

“Don’t—”

“Somnum harena!” roared Master Beau.

Alyssa backed away as the sand swirled toward her. It propelled into her eyelids, and she whined through gritted teeth—until her energy levels dropped and she collapsed.

 

*      *      *      *

 

A plant scent drifted into Alyssa’s nostrils. She inhaled it through her nose and blinked. Master Beau stood over her and blocked the damp gray ceiling. Alyssa could feel cuffs squeeze her wrists and ankles and chains that connected them to the wall.

“All right, I’ve woken all of you up,” said Master Beau.

Alyssa gasped at how far away the bars stood since the last time she’d come here to rescue the other girls. They seemed several more feet away.

“What happened?” asked Hailey.

“After I knocked you all out, a few other workers came here with stretchers and flew you here in the tubes parked outside of your tent,” said Master Beau

“You stole our mentors’ tubes?” screeched Hailey.

“Yes,” said Master Beau.

“You monster!” exclaimed Alyssa.

“Quiet!” Master Beau snapped.

“What happened to this place?” asked Madison.

“I extended it,” said Master Beau. “Because the frog, unfortunately, died, one of my workers brought another creature here and should be here soon with it.”

“What’s it going to do?” asked Madison.

“Kill you—and your friends.”

“No!” squeaked Hailey.

“Let us out!” cried Alyssa.

“Shut up!” said Master Beau.

Someone knocked on the door.

“I’ll be right there!” Master Beau rushed to answer it. David stood outside, holding a leash.

“Ah, perfect—you brought the centidile.” Master Beau stuck his head outside the door opening.

“It was no problem,” said David.

“Well, I’m going to have to take the muzzle off so that it can bite the girls,” Master Beau said.

“Yeah, of course,” David said.

Master Beau took the leash. “I’ll take it from here. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” David left.

Alyssa’s chest stung, and her heart palpitated all over her body as Master Beau pulled the leash. She couldn’t believe it—her life would end soon. No way could she bid goodbye to the world and forget about seeing everyone at home again. Thoughts of dying forced tears into her eyes and then out to pour down her cheeks.

A snout covered by a muzzle showed itself—followed by its head and then its feet. It looked like a regular crocodile but this one had two feet on either side of its body. One at the side and one below its belly. Its height still matched that of an ordinary crocodile, but the length of its body didn’t end.

“Girls, this is a centidile—a crocodile with a hundred legs.” Master Beau led it toward the bars. “It will be the last thing you’ll ever see.”

“Please—let us go!” wailed Hailey.

“We don’t want to die!” sobbed Madison.

“Yeah, please!” said Alyssa.

“Too late.” Master Beau took the muzzle off the centidile. He unlocked the button’s cover and pressed it. As the bars rose, he unleashed the centidile. It crawled past the bars. “It’s going to bite you for ten seconds,” said Master Beau. “During that time, your life will fade, and then you’ll be dead.” He pressed the button again, and the bars lowered.

“What do we do?” squealed Hailey.

The centidile crawled toward her and snapped its snout. Everyone screamed, trying to move away as much as possible. The centidile approached Hailey and aimed its snout toward her leg.

“Kick it!” bellowed Alyssa. “Now!”

Hailey kicked its snout—but it snapped again.

“Keep kicking it until its nose bleeds!” shouted Madison.

“Okay!” Hailey continued to hurt the centidile—until it bit her.

“Ow!” she cried.

“I know what to do!” Destiny kicked the centidile and caused it to release Hailey’s leg. Hailey looked down and gasped at the blood spilling out.

“How’d you do that?” Alyssa exclaimed.

“I’ve practiced over the years!” yelled Destiny.

Alyssa knew it’d come from bullying.

“So let’s all kick it until it dies!” said Destiny.

But the centidile snapped at her and sank its teeth into her leg.

“Punch it, Destiny!” yelped Alyssa. “Be a bully to it!”

But she gasped, and her energy faded.

“Destiny, no!” howled Jasmine. “You can’t give up!”

Her eyes shut, and her breathing slowed down—until the centidile slid out. Destiny woke up and gasped, and a bird cawed.

“Regulus!” Alyssa turned to him.

His claws had sunk into the creature’s tail. It snapped at him, but he bit its nose—and kept his beak there.

Alyssa turned away as blood poured out from the centidile’s nose. After many seconds, she turned back. The centidile lay motionless on the floor. Regulus trotted toward Alyssa and the others. He leaned down near Alyssa and bit her cuff. She gasped until he broke it. “Thanks,” she panted.

Regulus broke her other cuff and repeated the same thing with everybody else.

“How are you going to get us out, Regulus?” asked Alyssa.

His band formed words.

 

I have the ability to create holes in ceilings. Is this the highest floor?

 

Alyssa nodded.

 

Perfect. By the way, Simon the marble figure had sent me a message that you and your friends were in danger here. Marble figures can still do that while they’re frozen. It’s also the only magical skill that can’t lose at all.

 

“Alyssa, what are you doing?” squeaked Jasmine. “We need to get out of here!”

“Climb onto this creature!” Alyssa climbed onto Regulus’s back after he leaned his head down.

“Alyssa, are you crazy?” asked Jasmine.

“This creature is the only one who can help us get out!” Alyssa said. “Climb on before Master Beau catches us!”

Regulus knelt, and the girls climbed onto him. He looked up at the ceiling. It shook as if an earthquake occurred. Alyssa held onto his neck, and Hailey wrapped her arm around her body.

“What’s going on?” Master Beau thundered from outside of the room.

Alyssa gasped, turning to the door. She looked back at the ceiling and saw it crack. More and more cracks formed until the ceiling opened.

“Hold on, guys!” exclaimed Alyssa.

Regulus lifted his front feet up and flapped his wings. He pushed himself up and soared out of the building. Everyone except Alyssa screamed as he straightened his body. He flew away from the dark magic center. However, his band had never told her where he would take Alyssa and the others.

Approaching the beach, Regulus flew straight. He passed the shore and ocean.

“Hey, he missed the beach!” screamed Madison.

Alyssa wondered if Regulus would take the girls to Dermand Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16

 

A small island, probably Dermand Island, came closer into Alyssa’s sight as Regulus flew toward it. He tilted forward and descended to the island.

“Alyssa, what’s going on?” bellowed Hailey.

“I’m not sure!”

“Why aren’t we going back to where the tent is?” screamed Jasmine.

“I said I don’t know!” yelled Alyssa.

Regulus’s front feet touched the ground, followed by his back feet. He trotted along the shore, and the girls bumped up and down on his back. He slowed down and stopped. Then he leaned his head down.

“Let’s go, guys,” said Alyssa.

“Alyssa, you’ve got to be kidding me,” said Destiny. “I’m not getting off here.”

“Come on.” Alyssa slid off Regulus’s back. “There’s got to be a reason why we’re here.”

Regulus’s band formed words.

 

I have taken you back to Dermand Island because Rosaline and Penelope have actually

discovered something that can indirectly kill anyone who is threatening them.

 

“Really?” asked Alyssa.

 

Yes. However, it’ll only work if you can think of a good memory.

 

“Guys, get off him now,” said Alyssa. “I just found out why we’re here.”

“How could you possibly have found out?” Destiny asked.

“This creature’s wearing a band on his leg,” Alyssa said.

“What is this animal, anyway?” asked Jasmine.

“A marshakeet, half lorikeet and half kangaroo.” Alyssa noticed words forming on Regulus’s band.

 

I am going to send signals to Rosaline and Penelope. Tell the other girls not to bother me while I shut my eyes and focus.

 

“Okay, guys, let’s leave him alone.” Alyssa looked up at the others.

“What were you reading?” Hailey asked.

Alyssa told them about the band.

“What’s a dermaiden?” asked Madison.

“Half woman and half dolphin,” Alyssa answered. “Now let’s walk away.” She led the other girls away from Regulus.

“What are we going to do now?” asked Hailey.

Alyssa summarized the instructions