No Materials

I didn't think it was a good idea leaving the main island, but I was out voted. Both Norm and Olivia were in favor of leaving. I couldn't believe it. Why now of all possible times should we go? I couldn't convince them, and they wouldn't let me stay behind either. It looked like I was left with only one option. Stay calm on the outside while facing existential dread on the inside. I was also told once more that the Purple Haired Lady needed us to build a new Wellness center on the invisible island for whatever reason. We got there, and to no one's surprise it seemed Todd was having a little trouble building a society. The only thing he managed to make was a desk. "Having troubles?" I ask. "Yeah, there isn't a whole lot on the island, but look. I was able to make a desk out of the pine trees." He rubs his hands across the desk. "Looks good, doesn't it?" "It does, but I don't understand where is everything else?" I ask. "There isn't much on the island." He reminds. "I know, but the last time you were able to make so much in so little time. It was grand. It was upside down, but it was still grand." I say. "I was only able to do that because the falcons borrowed materials for me." He confesses. "That's fine. Fly them in here. Have them help us." Todd shakes his head. "That won't work." "And why not?" I ask, now a little annoyed. "Because the falcons can't fly to somewhere they've never been." Olivia chimes in. "And we're sure as hell not going back to the main island. Not with that purple thing sucking everything up." Norm adds. I turn to Norm. "What about you?" "What about me?" He asks. "You built us a boat a while back. Can you help us build a new Wellness Center?" "I'm afraid I can't. The guy's right. There's no materials on this island." I exhale. "Then what?" Norm looks at the sky. The purple portal has spread even further. It is now on the rocks of the main island. "I don't know, but we may be in more trouble than we realized."

Unstable Portal

The portal still resembled a double helix model except now it was much wider and longer. It also looked like it was pulsating . Something that Olivia noticed as well. "Is it breathing?" She asked. Before I had the chance to respond, Norm jumped out of the nearest tree. The sudden surprise startled me. It had me clutching my chest. Olivia, however, was unphased. "What are you guys doing back here?" He asks. "We're here to push Sgt. Rodgers and her army off the island."  I reply. "Forget that. Things are out of control here." He warns. "I scan see that." I say, looking up at the sky. "You guys need to get out of here, and take me with you." "We can't do that. We can't be bullied by them." I insist. Norm puts his paws on his hips. "Listen slick, there are far more of them then there are of us." "I don't care. We can fight them off." Norm points to the portal in the sky. "Not with that thing swallowing everything up you can't." "Why does it look like that?" I ask. "Remember that temple that you were in that I destroyed?" "Yeah?" "Well it turns out that temple was the only thing keeping the portal stable." I squint my eyes. "I don't understand. I thought you had orders to destroy the temple." Norm looks down sheepishly. "I had orders to destroy the tree houses. Turns out the the temple wasn't part of the tree houses." "What do we do now?" Olivia asks. "We run like hell and get as far  away from that thing as we can." Norm says. "Is there a chance Sgt. Rodgers and her army followed you?" I ask. "Not a chance. She saw this thing eating up the trees and wanted to go in. Right now she's figuring out how to do that." "But wouldn't she first send in someone else?" Olivia questions. "I think she did. Look, we don't have much time. The Sgt. might be stupid enough to stick around, but I'm not. " He says waving his arms.

Too Late?

It was a long swim to the rocky shore of the main island. Frankly, I have no idea how Olivia could manage it. Especially because she didn't want to go back. It was my idea. Once we got to the rocks I had to stop. My legs and arms were like jelly. I hunched over and panted. "Don't tell me you're tired already?" Olivia asks. I smile and stand up straight. "Not a chance." We continued our journey with Olivia leading the way, and me trying to conceal my tiredness. Shortly after we entered the jungle Olivia noticed a purple mark in the sky. "What's that?" She asks pointing the portal that I knew all too well. "It's a portal." "A portal? Where does it go?"  I shrug. "I'm not sure. I was attacked by an alien and then I found myself on the Little Dipper." I reply. "Hmm. That's strange."  "I know. I was kinda expecting it to lead to wherever all those children vanished to." "Maybe it's a different experience for everybody?" Olivia suggests. "Perhaps, but I have a strong feeling this isn't for everybody. I think it's a good think we came back." I say, looking at the portal in the sky. "It probably is, but we might be too late." Olivia replies. "What do you mean." "Think about it. If we can see it clearly that means they can as well."

Not Impressed

Olivia took us to what she referred to as the holographic island. I was told that it was an island partially hidden in another dimension. We could  see out to the other dimension, but no one could see in. It was a safe place I was told. Safe, but not interesting from the looks. This island was far smaller than the main one. I could see from one end to the other, and most of it was covered in sand with a couple palm trees here and there. "What do you think?" Olivia asks. It's obviously that she expected Todd and myself to be impressed. When we took our time to respond her smile faded. "I know it isn't much at first." She adds. "At first? Does that mean there's more?" I ask. "No. Not exactly. But we'll build." "Build?Here?" "Yes." She replies, eagerly. "What are we building?" "The New Wellness Center." There is a beat. "You want us to build that here?" I question. "Yeah. It'd be perfect. We'd be hidden." She says. "Maybe." I say, less than enthusiastic. "What's the problem?" She asks. "Why here?" "The Purple Haired Woman says we should." I raise my eyebrows. "You saw her?" "I did, and she wants us to build the Wellness Center here." I shake my head. "That doesn't mean we have to." Todd steps between us. "I can build it." He says, confidently. "With what?" I ask. Todd turns to me. "I don't know, but I'll find something. I'll build it while you two fight them off." Olivia scrunches her face. "What are you talking about?" "No one knows that this island is here unless they somehow stumble upon it, am I correct?" Todd asks. "You would be." Olivia responds. "While it's unlikely that they would stumble upon this island, they still could, couldn't they? I mean is there any form of protection from outsiders?" Olivia sighs. "No there is not." Todd half smiles. "You two do what you need to do to drive them off the main island. I'll be here making headquarters bigger and better."

Weird Barriers

Our clothes were bone dry. We never even touched the water.  I crawled on my hands and knees in fascination. There was some sort of barrier that stopped us. "Yeah, I saved you." A voice called out. I looked out to see Olivia in deep concentration. "You did this?" I asked. "I did. But now if you don't mind. It takes a lot of effort to hold this up." Olivia released Todd and myself from the bubble barrier. We crashed into the water that was luckily only a foot away at this point. "But how did you do that?" I ask, gasping for air. "Simple. I saw you guys falling from the sky. I realized I couldn't get there in time so I shot a bubble up there. Wasn't sure it would work. I'm glad it did though." "So am I." Todd responds. Olivia smiles. "Let's get out of the water." She led us to the holographic island. The sky rippled as we passed the barrier to the island. Todd and I stopped to look at it while Olivia swam ahead. It took her a while before she noticed we weren't behind her. She had to swim all the way back to us. "What's the hold up?" She asks, impatiently. "Something's going on."  I say pointing to the rippling sky. "It's nothing. We just breached the barrier." She says, casually. "The barrier?" Todd asks. "Yeah, the barrier to the holographic  island." "What's a holographic island?" I wonder. "I'm not really sure." She replies. Todd and I look at each other. "Would you two just follow me? It's fine."

How to Get Down?

Having realized that the fall would probably kill us, Todd and I desperately tried to get the Little Dipper coaster to move. We knocked it, we tried a number of possible secret passwords. Nothing seemed to work. It did not budge one inch. "Fuck." I said under my breath. "Looks like we're stuck here." Todd tells me. "Yeah, maybe." "Well, I don't have any more ideas to get it to move. Do you?" I slump my shoulders. "No, I don't." "Then we're stuck here." I peer over the edge. Todd's pessimism couldn't have come at a worst time, but there could be some truth to what he was saying. I stood there for a moment, looking out into the vast blue beneath me. Then, without any warning, my coaster completely disintegrated. Todd and I free fell. Everything was going so fast. I didn't even have time to point my feet in the right direction. The next thing I knew we crashed into the water. The force should have pushed us underwater, but something prevented us from doing so. I don't even think we touch the water. Our clothes were bone dry.

Safe in the Coaster

"What is this thing?" Todd asks in full blown admiration. "It's a constellation." Todd whistles. "Wow. I've never been in a constellation before." "I hadn't either. Todd, who were those people?" "Huh?" "The people who attacked you. Who were they?" I ask, impatiently. "I don't know." "You don't know!" "Yeah, I don't know." "Well, should we be concerned?" "I don't think so." He replies , casually. "What do you mean you don't think so? They shot you down and flew off."
"Exactly. They flew off." I sigh deeply. "That doesn't mean anything. They could come back." I inform. Todd nervously smiles. "It's ok. I'm here now. We can fight them off together." I shake my head. "We could try. I think we really need Olivia for that though." With that statement, Todd loses his smile. He casts his eyes down. "What?" I ask. "I have some bad news." He says, slowly. "What?" "She didn't make it." "What are you talking about?" "She went into a boat. It must have been set up for her because..." Todd takes a deep breath. "They dropped a bomb on her." "They dropped a bomb on her?" "Yes, and it was bad. Fire everywhere." "Did you see her body?" I ask. "No but-" "She survived." "I don't know. I don't see any way she could have." "She survived." Todd flinches a little bit. "Okay." There is a long pause. I suddenly remember that Todd is wearing my red hood and cape. "Thanks for bringing that." I say, pointing to the cape. "Oh, yes. I forgot I was wearing it." He takes off the cape and hands it to me. I put it on. I instantly feel one hundred percent better.  It is as if I got an appendage back that was long missing. I feel my confidence rising. I glance over the edge of the now stationary coaster. "Where does this thing go?" Todd asks. "Right now, nowhere." "I hope it starts moving soon." "Me too. The ocean is a long way down."