Julie and the Monkey Queen

Chapter 5

"Ah, SPIRITS, that girl's going to be the death of me!" Julie hissed amid the sounds of Kaitan hacking away at limbs, twigs and leaves.

"Let's not tempt the spirits to grant you that request," Kame replied with a hand to her shoulder. Of course, he concluded that she couldn't hear him over her incessant grumbling and he wasn't about to stop her there. When it came to someone like her, it was best just to let her grumble it out until she was ready to let it drop.

"Sadly, I'm not surprised about this," said Gina. "This sounds like a classic abusive relationship and poor Unaki may have a form of Stockholm syndrome."

"Oh jeez, I knew she was being abused," said Julie. "Now I feel guilty for yelling like this."

"Julie, relax," said Kaitan. "I'm pretty sure we've got someone else to blame."

"That Witch with a capital B," said Julie. "I swear, when I get my hands on her, I'm going to tear her apart worse than a fucking—"

"Relax, Julie," said Gina. "We'll find her, don't worry."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Unaki knew that Oranta was a horrible aunt and caretaker. But with the way things had gone, she couldn't leave Oranta. She'd told her time and again that it was dangerous out there. No wonder she was so scared.

As she walked through the dense foliage, several monkeys that she recognized dropped down from the trees and surrounded her. They all chattered, directing her in the direction of the stone structure her aunt had built. "Very well," she said. "Lead me to my aunt."

The monkeys grabbed her arms and led her in the direction of the structure. It was only a few minutes until they reached the clearing witch the stone structure. Numerous new monkey servants, chattered and chanted around Oranta, dressed in her ritual clothes and ready for a ritual. But she stopped when she saw Unaki and made a bee-lie straight for her.

"Unaki, my dear, you had me worried sick!" she said, hugging the girl tightly. "You know better than to disobey me, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, Aunt Oranta," said Unaki.

"What made you want to run away like that?" Oranta asked. "I had to bring an entire army just to bring you back to me."

"I'm sorry," said Unaki.

"Now what did you do that was so important?" Oranta asked.

"I made a new friend," said Unaki.

"A friend?" Oranta laughed. "Why, that's demented, you can't make friends! I'm only saying this to protect you, you know." All the while, her voice sounded caring and motherly. "Come now let's get you cleaned up and fed. I have a new subject for my ritual!"

"Who is it?" Unaki asked.

"I'll show you!" Oranta replied. She led Unaki over to the stone well. Standing on the bamboo bars, Unaki looked down. The Teo Chief Manti lay at the bottom, his skin covered in bruises and moaning while half-submerged in the water. "That silly little man thought he could defy us. Don't worry. When we rule the island, he'll know better."

And yet when Unaki looked down, Manti looked back up at her, with the most defiant expression she'd ever seen. He may have been her prisoner, but he was not going to give her any satisfaction. "Unfortunately for us, he's been stubborn," said Oranta. "Don't worry, we'll get rid of it."

"What about me?" Unaki asked.

"Unfortunately for you, you will not be transformed," said Oranta. "I have other plans."