The Earth Shifter

I hurried towards the sound. Lilly was screaming her head off because there was a parrot clicking on her head with it’s peak. Once his away from her head I stood in front of her preventing it from hitting her again. I shewed the parrot till it flew away and sat on a close tree branch.

“Lilly you scared me! I thought someone got killed or something.” I let my hair loose

“I warned you not to bother it’s nest.” Erik told her.

“I didn’t know that it’ll go crazy and do that now keep your mouth shut Erik.” She snapped at him.

I looked at the little bird. The colors were compelling. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals “Come here lil’ buddy.” I held my index finger for him to climb.

He made a sound and stood on my finger. I smiled satisfied. I moved my hand closer slowly to my shoulder. He climbed on it.

“Look how cute he looks.” They stopped arguing about whatever they were arguing about and looked at me.

“You look like a pirate.” Erik said.

“I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about this little adorable thing.” He was scratching under his wing with his peak.

“You’re keeping him?” Aaron asked.

“Yes.” I shrugged making the parrot lose his balance. I held my hand for support laughing. The pirates life is hard.

“So, you’re taking the creature who just tried killing your best friend as a pet. That’s great. Thanks a lot, Amber.” Lilly kept talking and walking away at the same time. She had a trouble with him now but she’ll like him later.

We walked for some time and Aaron came walking beside me.

“What are you naming him?” He asked me.

“Mmm, I’ll call him Mylo.”

“What? No way.” He said wrinkling his nose.

“you don’t like it?” He shook his head.

“How about...,” He looked up at the trees thinking of a good name. I took a biscuit out of my bag and gave it to him. I watched him eat tiny bits of it. He looked so cute.

“Periwinkle.” We looked at Nate who suddenly appeared from nowhere suggesting a name. “You know, because it’s feathers are a mixture of blue and purple.”

“It’s such a cute name. I like it. Then your name is Periwinkle.” I told the parrot. Ruffling the feathers above his head they were Periwinkle and he had a bright yellow feathers on his chest.

We kept walking for a long time. All of them were walking ahead of me and Aaron.

“I don’t get how this is possible.” Aaron said after long silence. He was examining a plastic bag in his hands that was filled with the shiny black sand.

“Why are you keeping the sand?” I asked.

“It’s not just sand.” He said.

“Yes, it’s black sand.”

“I don’t mean the color, Amber. There are some tiny chips among the sand.”

“You mean like mini robots?” I asked him.

“No, not like that. They’re like micro metal pieces. Usually they exist when a building is built or something. Like the leftovers after cutting metal.”

“Micro? And you can see that?” I asked. He scratched his stubble studying the sand carefully.

“Can’t you?” He put it in front of my eyes. I looked at the sand but all I could see was black sand.

“No.” I shook my head. He looked surprised.

“You must have a weak sight or something then.” He looked back at the sand.

“No, there’s nothing wrong with my sight, Aaron.” I told him.

“Really?” He was confused.

“Maybe you also have an abnormal strong sight.” I told him my theory.

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “And the sand also contains many sea creatures. They normally appear near the shore after the tide.” He explained based on his studying I guess.

“So?”

“I didn’t pick this sand from an area near the sea. I took it from a place near here. No way the tide could reach it.”

“Do you know what you’re saying, Aaron?” I knew what he was thinking.

“Yes, there’s no way this place existed from a long time. It came into the surface of the ocean recently.” He looked at me and I gaped at him.

“You sure?” I asked Aaron and he nodded.

“Weird.” That was all I could say.

I guess it’s not that much of a normal island, is it?

We walked for a lot of time then stopped to rest our bodies and eat something.

I tried calling my parents letting them know about my first job. But my stupid phone can’t find a service. I kept wandering around trying but no use. And then it hit me. Erik’s satellite phone. It should be able to call my parents.

“Come on, Mr. Periwinkle. Let’s go to Erik.” I told my new colorful friend.

“Hey Erik, can I use you satellite phone?” I told him quietly and everyone was so wrapped up in their scientific theories about the island to notice. Except for Nate.

“Sure.” He gave it to me.

“You have a satellite phone?” Nate asked excitedly.

“I made a satellite phone and Aaron helped me with it.” He corrected Nate showing off.

“Wow, really?” Ignoring the part about Aaron, Nate asked Erik how did make it. He was so interested in the phone but I had something else to take care of so I took it and thanked Erik but he didn’t notice as he was explaining it to Nate.

I walked away and dialed my dad’s number.

“Hi.”

“Hey dad.” I told him in a cheery voice.

“Amber! How is my daughter doing?”

"Oh, not much, She’s just found a job.” I told him as if it wasn’t a big deal waiting for his reaction.

“Really? That’s amazing honey. We knew you can do it. Your mother and I never doubted a second in you.” He was starting to ask for the details but my mother snatched the phone from him, I could tell, and congratulated me.

Their voices sounded extremely happy since the moment they’ve heard this news. I haven’t heard them so happy for a long time. No matter how much I felt excited for this job, they were obviously much more than I was. They made my face smile, my stomach turn and my heart pound from the happiness, a new kind of happiness and it was the first time I’ve felt so proud of myself.

After that conversation I hanged up with them and looked at the phone. Searching around for a game or something.

“You look so different now that you’ve talked to your parents.” I heard Aaron’s voice behind me whispering and mumbling I barely made out the words but I knew that they were about me.

Why am I not so surprised?

“You’re spying on my agaaaiiin.” I mumble-sang but didn’t turn around still playing with the phone. Why isn’t there any games?

“Again? Come on, you’re bringing that up again?” His voice was sarcastic.

“Yes.” I said dryly.

“I told you I wasn’t... Ugh, forget it I’m not explaining anything to you. You wouldn’t believe me anyways.” He said desperately. I then turned around to look at him closing the phone.

“Okay then, What did you want?” I smiled.

“Nothing, I was bored. They were talking about random stuff after I told them what I’ve found in the sand with a ‘microscope’.” He clearly didn’t want to be the lab rat on this trip, just like me.

“And they did actually fall for the ‘you carrying a microscope with you’ thing?” I laughed.

“I got away with it. They didn’t notice.” He shrugged.

“But you still didn’t get away with the first thing you said.”

“You heard that.” He whispered to himself scratching the back of his neck.

“It’s okay, I guess spying on my parents’ calls isn’t weird for me anymore.” He looked at me as if I’ve just dropped a bomb and tried talking but ended up opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of the water.

“I’m not that stupid, Aaron. I don’t know why you do it but, you always seem to notice my parents calls and be around after I hang up.” I explained. I’ve talked to my parents three times since I first met him and all of them he was around.

It was like ‘busted’ was written all over his face and his eyes were ten times bigger.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “So, What’s up?” I waited for a proper explanation.

“Okay, fine. I admit it. You got me there. But I didn’t mean to be spying, I swear.” He defended himself.

“And you do that because...” His cheeks turned to faint pink and if I wasn’t trying to master a firm serious look, I would have pinched them playfully.

“No reason.” He shrugged looking at me and then at the ground.

“You can tell me. It’s okay, I’m not mad.”

“No!” He pushed. “You’ll laugh at me.” He mumbled to himself kicking a black gravel on the sand, but I heard it.

“I won’t laugh, promise.” He was surprised and I held back a laugh because he was being such a little boy.

How did he actually thought that I wouldn’t hear him?

“Okay fine. I’m telling you but you don’t have to say anything about it. And I wouldn’t do it again, I promise.” He talked super fast apparently making his decision and telling me before he could change his mind. I nodded not wasting any time on answering.

“It’s just, I don’t know. You always talk to your parents in a different way from the other people. And hearing you talk to them like that makes me feel like...” Aaron was hiding his eyes with his hair as he was staring at the ground.

“Like what?”

“Like I can live with both of my parents and treat them the same way you treat yours. And I’m sorry, I know it’s not right to hear you calls and creepy but believe me. I did need it.”

“You can still make that happen if you want to.”

“How?” He asked sarcastically.

“Start with your dad. I’m sure your father loves you and waiting for you. I don’t understand why you don’t want to meet him. But, you do wish to live with both of your parents. And I’m pretty sure your mother will do anything to make you happy.” He looked at me surprised.

“How did you know all of that?” He asked.

“Uhm... your mom?” Shoot! I totally forgot that he didn’t tell me.

“Of course,” He turned angry.

“No Amber, you don’t understand. Your parents are perfect and they love you and believe in you.” I stared at him.

“That’s not true. My parents do love me and believe in me but they certainly are not perfect. And it puts a huge pressure on me because I don’t want to fail them or let them down.”

“Pressure is something you can live with but an ex-con certainly isn’t.”

“I don’t understand why are you putting our lives into comparison. You know nothing about me. And I’m sure as hell that you can never survive a minute in my life and the shit I’ve gone through.” I was yelling at this point and Aaron looked like he’s just realized his mistake but he was too late. I was already walking away.

What was that all about?

One moment we were fine and the other arguing about who’s life is harder to live.

I went back to the team. They were eating and talking and I sat quietly with them. They were too busy to notice.

We started walking and exploring again but we didn’t find any other strange things.

Periwinkle must have flew away because I couldn’t find him anywhere.

“Guys, did somebody see Periwinkle?” I shouted and they started looking for him.

“I found him.” It was professor Cyril’s voice. I went to him.

“Thanks.” I said but he didn’t answer he was looking pale as if he’s seen a ghost.

“Professor?” I followed what he was looking at. It was a cute little baby tiger. I wasn’t afraid of any type of animals, even tigers. And it was an adorable little tiger. So I looked at the professor.

“Where’s Periwinkle?” He pointed at the little tiger.

“You do know that Periwinkle is a parrot, right?” I informed him.

“He was a parrot.” He said as a matter of fact.

“What do you mean? Did he fly away?”

“No, Amber. He looked like a parrot right before you came and then changed into that tiger.” He finally got himself together and explained to me. I was trying so hard not to laugh so I would disrespect him.

“I’m not sure if that’s possible, professor.” I noticed the rest of the team come.

I looked back at the tiger and moved slowly to Carry him. “I saw it with my own eyes, I swear.” Professor Cyril said.

I was going to touch the tiger when it changed into a pure white rabbit with red eyes and jumped right between my arms.

I stumbled backwards terrified from what I saw. My mind didn’t understand what has happened.

“Is this some kind of an animal shifter?” Lilly asked.

“I think so.” Aaron answered. I was holding him. I looked at the little rabbit between my arms. I noticed a Periwinkle mark behind his ear. He must be Periwinkle.

“This place is insane.” Erik exclaimed.

“You’re keeping him too, Amber?” Lilly asked.

“He’s still Periwinkle, Lilly. I won’t leave him.”

“Huh, fine whatever you want.” She said tiredly.

“Let’s just go climb that hill or something.” She added.

We moved towards the hill. It was covered with black sand also and climbing it wasn’t that easy. I heard Nate behind me talk about Periwinkle in front of the camera.

Captain Periwinkle turned into the baby tiger again and climbed the hill by himself. We kept climbing till we arrived at the top. I stopped to look at the view.

It wasn’t much. I expected it to be something extremely fascinating. But it was covered with black sand.

“Guys, turn around.” Aaron said and we all did so.

From a distance there were double poles and it was shaped like someone had split a triangle into two halves. It looked so old and covered with green veins and roots over the sandy colored stone.

“Is that an old temple?” Professor Allesandra exclaimed.

“It looks more like a gate for me.” Erik guessed then moved towards the one on the right and touched it.

“Are you looking for a key to a secret world or something?” Lilly asked.

“No, there’s something written here. But it’s not clear. I can’t figure it out.” He had his back to us and kept cleaning the dust off.

I stood next to him cleaning it till the letters were obvious to pronounce and I told the rest of them what was carved here.

"EOSSODA.” I read the name slowly to them then turned around.

“What’s that?” Professor Allesandra asked looking at professor Cyril and he shrugged.

“Seems like it’s the name of this place.” Nate said.

I wasn’t so sure but it feels like it’s the only reasonable explanation. I then looked back at the carving on the stone pole.

EOSSODA