The Black Amulet
Posted: April 6th, 2011, 8:00 pmChapter 1
There was an urgent knock on my bedroom door. I called, “Come in.”
Jacob burst into the room, looking excited. “Peter called! He says he’s found the island where the Black Amulet is!”
That immediately got my attention. “No way!”
Jacob nodded. “Come on. Andy is talking to him right now.”
I followed him out of the room and to the living room where Andy was sitting on the couch, holding a radio.
“Kyle’s right here,” Andy said, glancing at me. “Kyle, go ahead and talk to Peter.”
I took the radio from him eagerly.
“Peter?”
“Right here,” said Peter’s voice. A rush of relief surged through me.
“You’ve found the Black Amulet?”
“No, it’s just the island where the Amulet’s supposed to be on. I don’t even know the exact location of it.”
“You have to find it before Damon does,” I said. “Have you seen him lately?”
“No, but I have no proof that he couldn’t be on this island.
“When I find it, I’ll contact you right away,” Peter promised, the radio crackling. “I’ll make sure—” There was a loud burst of static.
There was a silence. I stared at the radio, wondering what happened. Our radios never had static unless it had been damaged.
“Peter?” I said cautiously.
“No!” came Peter’s terrified voice. “No!”
“Peter!” I cried.
The radio gave another loud burst of static then fell silent. I tried to contact Peter but there was no answer. Something had happened to Peter.
I looked up at my friends, who were both staring wide-eyed at the radio, their faces pale.
“Peter’s in trouble,” I said.
“But we don’t even know where he is!” cried Andy. “I bet it was Damon that attacked him.”
“There’s one way to find out,” Jacob said quietly. He was looking at me.
“What?” I demanded.
“Peter is your brother,” Jacob said. “You two are very close to each other and have a special connection. If anyone could find out what has happened to him and where he is, it’s you. The moment you figure out where Peter is, we’ll set out immediately. We’ll ask Richard and his friends to help us.”
“I don’t trust Richard,” Andy said, before I could say anything. “He seems power-hungry like Damon. He seems to me like the type that would want the Black Amulet badly.”
Jacob frowned. “Richard isn’t power hungry. It’s Justin that’s power hungry. He’s jealous of Richard.”
“Oh,” Andy muttered. “Yeah, it’s Justin.”
We had a quiet and quick dinner that night. After I was finished, I went immediately to bed.
I closed my eyes. Peter, where are you? I thought.
I fell asleep.
My hands were bound tightly behind my back, along with my arms and I was looking angrily at someone. Wait, I was looking angrily at Damon.
“My brother and friends will find me!” I yelled. “They’ll stop you!”
“We’ll see about that,” said Damon, smiling coldly. I was pushed roughly to the ground. I struggled to get up, but couldn’t. Damon’s cold laugh rang in my ears.
Kyle, help! I thought desperately. I’m on Trickery Island!
Wait, I was Kyle. No, I was Peter. No…
I woke up with a start. I was Kyle, not Peter. But Peter must have used the special connection like I had, so I had been seeing through his eyes. Now I knew exactly where my brother was. Well, not exactly. I only knew the name of the island – Trickery Island.
Rubbing my eyes, I got out of bed and looked out the window. The sun was rising. It was almost morning.
I remembered what Jacob had said the previous night. The moment you figure out where Peter is, we’ll set out immediately.
I dressed quickly and rushed out the door, nearly crashing into Jacob.
“Whoa,” Jacob said. “What’s the hurry, Kyle?” He stared at me closely. “What’s wrong?”
“Peter,” I gasped, panting for breath.
“You know where he is?” Jacob said, suddenly alert.
“He’s on Trickery Island – wherever that is.”
Jacob looked crestfallen. “Where in the world is Trickery Island? And, what kind of name is Trickery? It sounds as if there are loads of traps on it.”
“Well, wherever it is,” Andy said, appearing by Jacob’s side, “we will find it. Let’s pack up and leave as soon as possible. First stop, Richard’s house.”
Half an hour later we arrived at Richard’s house. We didn’t pack much, except for some food, water, several brand new radios, and a compass.
“It doesn’t seem like anyone is at home,” Andy commented, staring at the windows. He was right. It seemed completely dark and silent inside.
“They might be still sleeping,” suggested Jacob. “It’s still kind of dark out, you know.” He stepped out of the car and moved cautiously towards the house’s front yard. Andy and I followed.
There was a snarl and something large pounced on me.
“Kyle!” yelled Andy.
Kyle? Are you really Kyle?
“Justin, get off him,” ordered another voice. A boy with brown hair and green eyes appeared at the front door.
Justin let me go and I stood up unsteadily.
“Nice way to greet us, attacking Kyle,” grumbled Jacob.
“I’m sorry about that,” Richard said. “Justin always attacks without thinking.”
The wolf growled.
“Now,” continued Richard, “is there are reason you are here? Has it to do with Peter?”
I exchanged glances with Andy and Jacob.
“How do you know?” I asked.
“Know what?”
“How do you know Peter’s in trouble?”
“He’s in trouble? I didn’t know that.”
“Never mind,” Jacob said. “He is in trouble.”
Richard’s face darkened. “He’s found it.”
“No,” I corrected. “He’s found where it’s supposed to be located.”
“And the trouble is Damon, isn’t it?” Richard said. I nodded.
“He’s on an island called Trickery Island,” Andy put in. “Have you ever heard of it? Do you know where it is?”
“I’m afraid I do,” Richard said darkly. “Let’s get going then. Are you already packed?”
We nodded. I wondered how Richard knew where it was and what had happened, but it wasn’t the time to ask.
“I’ll pack more things then we’ll leave,” Richard said. “Come, Justin.”
Justin had transformed back to a human, and he was eyeing us suspiciously. But he didn’t say anything and followed Richard into the house.
A few minutes later Richard and Justin came out, followed by Nick and Jasper. Their greetings were a lot friendlier than Justin’s.
“Hope your brother’s okay,” Nick told me. I shrugged but didn’t answer.
“See the brand new ship I’ve built,” Jasper said. “She’s all brand new – powerful and fast.” We followed Richard and his friends to the back of the house. There was the ship Jasper was talking about. It was beautiful and sleek. Engraved in golden letters, on the side of the ship, were two words: Sky Queen.
“Will it fit all of us?” I asked.
“It’s designed to fit all of us,” Jasper answered, motioning to his friends, “plus you guys – including Peter.”
We got inside the ship, with Jasper at the pilot’s seat, and sat down on the seats. There was one empty one – one that Peter should have been sitting on. We used that space to place our things.
“Destination, Trickery Island!” announced Jasper. “We’re ready for lift off.”
Minutes later we were in the air.
There was an urgent knock on my bedroom door. I called, “Come in.”
Jacob burst into the room, looking excited. “Peter called! He says he’s found the island where the Black Amulet is!”
That immediately got my attention. “No way!”
Jacob nodded. “Come on. Andy is talking to him right now.”
I followed him out of the room and to the living room where Andy was sitting on the couch, holding a radio.
“Kyle’s right here,” Andy said, glancing at me. “Kyle, go ahead and talk to Peter.”
I took the radio from him eagerly.
“Peter?”
“Right here,” said Peter’s voice. A rush of relief surged through me.
“You’ve found the Black Amulet?”
“No, it’s just the island where the Amulet’s supposed to be on. I don’t even know the exact location of it.”
“You have to find it before Damon does,” I said. “Have you seen him lately?”
“No, but I have no proof that he couldn’t be on this island.
“When I find it, I’ll contact you right away,” Peter promised, the radio crackling. “I’ll make sure—” There was a loud burst of static.
There was a silence. I stared at the radio, wondering what happened. Our radios never had static unless it had been damaged.
“Peter?” I said cautiously.
“No!” came Peter’s terrified voice. “No!”
“Peter!” I cried.
The radio gave another loud burst of static then fell silent. I tried to contact Peter but there was no answer. Something had happened to Peter.
I looked up at my friends, who were both staring wide-eyed at the radio, their faces pale.
“Peter’s in trouble,” I said.
“But we don’t even know where he is!” cried Andy. “I bet it was Damon that attacked him.”
“There’s one way to find out,” Jacob said quietly. He was looking at me.
“What?” I demanded.
“Peter is your brother,” Jacob said. “You two are very close to each other and have a special connection. If anyone could find out what has happened to him and where he is, it’s you. The moment you figure out where Peter is, we’ll set out immediately. We’ll ask Richard and his friends to help us.”
“I don’t trust Richard,” Andy said, before I could say anything. “He seems power-hungry like Damon. He seems to me like the type that would want the Black Amulet badly.”
Jacob frowned. “Richard isn’t power hungry. It’s Justin that’s power hungry. He’s jealous of Richard.”
“Oh,” Andy muttered. “Yeah, it’s Justin.”
We had a quiet and quick dinner that night. After I was finished, I went immediately to bed.
I closed my eyes. Peter, where are you? I thought.
I fell asleep.
My hands were bound tightly behind my back, along with my arms and I was looking angrily at someone. Wait, I was looking angrily at Damon.
“My brother and friends will find me!” I yelled. “They’ll stop you!”
“We’ll see about that,” said Damon, smiling coldly. I was pushed roughly to the ground. I struggled to get up, but couldn’t. Damon’s cold laugh rang in my ears.
Kyle, help! I thought desperately. I’m on Trickery Island!
Wait, I was Kyle. No, I was Peter. No…
I woke up with a start. I was Kyle, not Peter. But Peter must have used the special connection like I had, so I had been seeing through his eyes. Now I knew exactly where my brother was. Well, not exactly. I only knew the name of the island – Trickery Island.
Rubbing my eyes, I got out of bed and looked out the window. The sun was rising. It was almost morning.
I remembered what Jacob had said the previous night. The moment you figure out where Peter is, we’ll set out immediately.
I dressed quickly and rushed out the door, nearly crashing into Jacob.
“Whoa,” Jacob said. “What’s the hurry, Kyle?” He stared at me closely. “What’s wrong?”
“Peter,” I gasped, panting for breath.
“You know where he is?” Jacob said, suddenly alert.
“He’s on Trickery Island – wherever that is.”
Jacob looked crestfallen. “Where in the world is Trickery Island? And, what kind of name is Trickery? It sounds as if there are loads of traps on it.”
“Well, wherever it is,” Andy said, appearing by Jacob’s side, “we will find it. Let’s pack up and leave as soon as possible. First stop, Richard’s house.”
Half an hour later we arrived at Richard’s house. We didn’t pack much, except for some food, water, several brand new radios, and a compass.
“It doesn’t seem like anyone is at home,” Andy commented, staring at the windows. He was right. It seemed completely dark and silent inside.
“They might be still sleeping,” suggested Jacob. “It’s still kind of dark out, you know.” He stepped out of the car and moved cautiously towards the house’s front yard. Andy and I followed.
There was a snarl and something large pounced on me.
“Kyle!” yelled Andy.
Kyle? Are you really Kyle?
“Justin, get off him,” ordered another voice. A boy with brown hair and green eyes appeared at the front door.
Justin let me go and I stood up unsteadily.
“Nice way to greet us, attacking Kyle,” grumbled Jacob.
“I’m sorry about that,” Richard said. “Justin always attacks without thinking.”
The wolf growled.
“Now,” continued Richard, “is there are reason you are here? Has it to do with Peter?”
I exchanged glances with Andy and Jacob.
“How do you know?” I asked.
“Know what?”
“How do you know Peter’s in trouble?”
“He’s in trouble? I didn’t know that.”
“Never mind,” Jacob said. “He is in trouble.”
Richard’s face darkened. “He’s found it.”
“No,” I corrected. “He’s found where it’s supposed to be located.”
“And the trouble is Damon, isn’t it?” Richard said. I nodded.
“He’s on an island called Trickery Island,” Andy put in. “Have you ever heard of it? Do you know where it is?”
“I’m afraid I do,” Richard said darkly. “Let’s get going then. Are you already packed?”
We nodded. I wondered how Richard knew where it was and what had happened, but it wasn’t the time to ask.
“I’ll pack more things then we’ll leave,” Richard said. “Come, Justin.”
Justin had transformed back to a human, and he was eyeing us suspiciously. But he didn’t say anything and followed Richard into the house.
A few minutes later Richard and Justin came out, followed by Nick and Jasper. Their greetings were a lot friendlier than Justin’s.
“Hope your brother’s okay,” Nick told me. I shrugged but didn’t answer.
“See the brand new ship I’ve built,” Jasper said. “She’s all brand new – powerful and fast.” We followed Richard and his friends to the back of the house. There was the ship Jasper was talking about. It was beautiful and sleek. Engraved in golden letters, on the side of the ship, were two words: Sky Queen.
“Will it fit all of us?” I asked.
“It’s designed to fit all of us,” Jasper answered, motioning to his friends, “plus you guys – including Peter.”
We got inside the ship, with Jasper at the pilot’s seat, and sat down on the seats. There was one empty one – one that Peter should have been sitting on. We used that space to place our things.
“Destination, Trickery Island!” announced Jasper. “We’re ready for lift off.”
Minutes later we were in the air.