Colt and Aubrie woke up as the little boat had hit an island. "I'm finally home" Crystal said as she jumped off of the boat and stretched like a cat.
Colt was terrified. He quickly realized that they where no longer home. No, they had made way to the dark island.
"Get off of the boat." Crystal ordered.
The two kids stared with fear, not wanting to move an muscle. Crystal grabbed Aubrie by the hair; tossed her off of the boat. "Colt, if you don't listen to my commands from now on, Aubrie will lose a body part each time you don't listen." Crystal said with a smile.
"You'll harm Aubrie? But…why harm us? We're just little kids." Colt said as he blanked out. Colt slowly walked out off the boat and stood beside Aubrie. Colt couldn't stop shaking. "Calm down, Colt. Everything will be okay."!" Aubrie reassured.
How is Aubrie so calm? I know she's scared. Afterall, the stories about this island…we're never gonna make it back! This is it, Colt thought to himself.
Crystal pushed the two aside and proceeded to walk closer to the dark islands forest. "Follow me" she whispered.
Aubrie and Colt took a few steps towards and ran through the forest with Crystal.
*****
Udo flew around the ocean and found nothing. Soon after, he landed in the middle of the Kani clan. "Did you find them?" Xavier asked with concern.
"No. I have no idea where she took them" Udo said in a dry tone.
Xavier knew what Udo was doing. "I'll tell the others. I don't want to see captain pissed off" Xavier whispered as he walked away.
Gold and purple aura sparked around Udo as he wanted to destroy something. "Calm down. They'll live…wherever they are. I know this because….she's with you, Colt"
*******
Aubrie and Colt followed Crystal swiftly through the extra dark forest. "Isn't it morning? Why is it so damn dark?" Aubrie asked Colt.
"It's called the dark island for a reason." Colt answered.
Crystal suddenly stopped. Aubrie and Colt halted immediately. "Can't you use that monster like your brother!? Use that and we can find a way to escape her!" Colt whispered.
"I don't know how to awaken it. My brother never taught me. Besides….we need her so we know what's here." Aubrie said back.
Crystal began sniffing the ground. The lake is beneath us. The both of you…move out of the way" Crystal ordered as she surrounded her fist with aura. She delivered a powerful blow to the ground and caused what seemed to be an earthquake, as the the ground fell apart; showed a glowing blue lake.
Crystal stared at the lake. She grabbed Colt and Aubrie. "We're going to play a little game! If you lose…I'll take something from you, Colt" Crystal laughed.
Crystal pulled out a deck of cards. "Are you kids…familiar with the game called, "Black Jack?" Crystal asked as she noticed fear in Colt's eyes.
Aubrie seems to be the most calm. So I'll tease Colt for a little while, Crystal thought to herself.
"Yes we've played it before! And if we win…you'll let us leave?" Aubrie asked.
"Of course…not. However…you can take anything from me" Crystal said.
Aubrie and Colt stared at each other and nodded their heads. Crystal pot cards on the ground. "What will you bet…Aubrie?" Crystal asked while looking deep into her eyes.
"This…this isn't gonna be a normal game…is it? In that case, I'll bet my index finger!" Aubrie said.
Crystal smiled, showing her sharp teeth. Aubrie…you sure know how to make a game!, she thought.
"Colt….what will you bet?"
Colt said nothing and stared at the ground. Tears fell from his eyes. He was so frightened that he choked on his words to speak.
"Colt place something! You can't let her-"
"You can just give me both of your feet if you lose, Colt." Crystal laughed.
She put three cards in front of her and flipped one over to reveal she had a ten.
"You first….Colt." Crystal whispered as she pulled a card from the deck and revealed a "Ace". "Will you hit or stand? She asked.
Colt looked at the cards. "Hit", he whispered.
Crystal looked at Colt in his eyes while pulling a card from the deck. Crystal showed an 8. "18 in total. Will you….hit again?" She asked on a soft voice.
"Stop talking like that!" Colt yelled.
"Your slowly losing yourself…aren't you, Colt? The fear of death, it's starting to make you go insane." Crystal whispered.
"I'll stand." Colt snapped back.
"I see. Then, Aubrie…here's your card."
Crystal pulled out another card and Aubrie ended up with number 2.
If Colt would have took a risk…he could've gotten a perfect 20, Aubrie thought to herself. "Hit"
Crystal pulled out the card "Jack".
"Looks like…you win." Crystal said. "But for you colt…you might lose.
Crystal flipped over the second card, revealing the number 6. "The next one will decide it." Crystal said as she put her hand on the card. Crystal flipped over the card, showing the number 3. In total: Crystal had 19 points, while Colt had 18. The goal of Black Jack is to get closest to the number 21. Being that Colt had less…it was time for him to pay up.
Crystal showed her claws and stood to her feet. "Time to pay-"
"Take my finger instead! Don't hurt Colt, please! I'll give you whatever you want! My arm, skin, eyes, anything. He's scared…so…take anything from me instead." Aubrie pleaded.
Crystal's short blond hair covered her eyes. "You disgust me." Crystal said as she quickly swiped at Aubrie's hand.
Aubrie let out a horrifying scream that echoed through the dark island.
*********
Jerome got out of bed and looked around. "Aubrie?"
*********
Aubrie held her hand tightly and wailed. Colt kept looking at the ground, as if he lost it. "Aubrie's finger….gone? No, no, it's my fault-no, no, it's not my fault." Colt whispered to himself.
"Every hour, I'll challenge you two to a game of Black Jack. I'll play you until you die! I have no reason to waste my aura and abilities on you two." Crystal laughed as she kicked the blood from her hand.
Aubrie's index finger had been chopped completely off. It happened so fast, so swiftly, that Colt didn't even see Crystal move.
"Help her up." Crystal ordered Colt. Colt kept staring at Aubrie. "This…is Hell." He said.
"Hell? What is that? Your referring to it as a place…correct? I'd…like to know more about this so-called Hell."
Colt slowly put Aubrie on his back and walked with Crystal. "She'll live…there's no reason to be worried. It was just a finger. But…you disgust me, Colt." Crystal hissed.
"Yes ma'am." Colt said as fear filled his head. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, Colt kept repeating in his own mind.
Crystal led Colt up a mountain. It was really cold, windy, and it felt like they were standing in a storm.
"Almost there. Don't die on me yet." Crystal laughed.
*********
Jade and Jerome banged violently on Udo's room door. The door swung open and Udo almost slapped Jerome for the loud knocks.
"The hell!?" He asked.
"Tell me what happened! My sis is gone and Xavier said he saw-" Jerome's jaw dropped as He noticed Crystal sitting at his long table.
"That bitch. What the hell did you do!?" Jerome argued as he pushed Udo to the side and came face-to-face with Crystal.
"Xavier…Xavier said he saw Udo on a boat with them! But why did you disappear!? Where did you go, Crystal!?" Jerome asked as he put the blade to her mouth.
"TALK!" He demanded.
"Your angry and don't trust me. I understand. But, me and Udo were talking about someone having the ability to shape shift. Believe me, Jerome. I would never harm your sister." Crystal said while staring into the eyes of Jerome.
"Yeah? I remember Colt telling me what you said when they found you. You said, "talk out of line again sand I'll kill you", so…when you say you would never harm my sister, I know that that's a damn lie! So tell us what and who you really are!"
"I don't remember…I told you that. I want nothing but peace between the two of us! I'll give it my all to find your sister and Colt." Crystal said as she got up and kneeled to Jerome.
Purple aura surrounded Jerome's body. He turned his head while pointing at Crystal. "Are you being serious right now, Captain? This isn't a joke! You want…me to trust this…this thing!? Stop messing around! Ever since she's got here, it's been nothing but hell for us! She has something to do with everything!" Jerome yelled.
Crystal starting crying. "I…would never do such a thing. Please don't say that. I'm just like the rest of you guys!" Crystal pleaded.
"Jerome, that's enough! Get out of the office! We're going to arrange a rescue mission." Udo said.
Jerome stormed out of the office. Before he shut the door, he turned his head. "If I get word that she's dead…I'll kill everything!" Jerome threatened.
That's right. Blame me while I play innocent, Jerome! I can't wait to kill every last one of you, Crystal thought. As she shake with excitement.
"Please, let me purge you all." She whispered as her face turned red.