Chapter 2: Welcome to Fox-Fox

 Sam groaned as she slowly opened her eyes.  She felt a strange warmth on her entire body, which felt like having a fur coat around her body.  All Sam wanted to do was to stay where she was.

 “Sam, is that you?” Melissa’s voice asked.

Sam groan some more, got up, and rubbed her eyes to remove the sleep.

 “Melissa, it is me.  Who else would I be?” 

 “A pirate who looks very similar to you.” Was Melissa’s answer.

Sam saw a lake, and walked towards it.  When she got there, she saw her reflection was of a cat wearing the same clothes as Frida wore.

 “Sam, it can be worse.” Melissa called out to Sam.

 Sam looked around for her friend and asked, “What do you mean?”

 “You still have your height.” Melissa answered.

 Then, a reddish brown bat flew at Sam, and Sam ducked.  The bat landed on a tree and waved at the confused cat.

 “It’s me, Melissa.” The bat called to Sam.

 “Are you okay?” Sam asked her small friend.

 Melissa flew down from the tree and to Sam’s shoulder.

“I don’t know.”

 Sam looked at her surroundings and said, “I’m sure of one thing: We‘re on an island or something like one.”

“Yep.” Melissa confirmed.

Then, a voice boomed out from behind the two friends, “Who you be?”

 Sam turned around to find a spear in front of her face.  The spear’s owner was a crocodile who wore a tribal dress with bands of feathers on his arms.  There were feathers on the mask he wore on his head.

 “Me ask again: Who you be?” The giant reptile demanded as he moved his weapon closer to the feline’s nose.

“I’m Samantha Downie, and the bat is my friend, Melissa.” The feline said, trying not to anger the warrior.

The warrior did not look joyous to see Sam or to even have an answer from her.

 “Nile-Nile, leave them be!”

 The girls turned to the owner of the petit voice and saw a lioness with dark brown hair, tan fur, wearing an orange islander girl’s dress and flower bracelets on her wrists and ankles.  They also saw the anger in her brown eyes.

“Mai-Mai, why you here?” the crocodile asked the lioness.

 “You no know if she friend.” The island girl said to the crocodile, changing the subject.

Nile-Nile countered by saying, “You no know if she foe.”

“Can I have a say in this?” Sam asked, trying to avoid an argument.

“You be quiet, pirate!” Nile-Nile commanded as he almost stabbed Sam.

“Hey!” Melissa yelled, angry with the warrior, “All she was trying to do was help!”

 “Ha!” Mai-Mai said to Nile-Nile, “Bat right.  Girl tries to help.”

 The giant crocodile grabbed Sam by the arm and dragged her with Melissa and Mai-Mai following close behind.

 Sam was tried to a pole in the middle of a village as Nile-Nile and Mai-Mai tried to plea their cases to a lion wearing a blue chief’s dress.  Melissa was sitting on the imprisoned cat’s shoulder.

“Hey, Sam.” The bat said, trying to get her friend’s attention.

“Yeah?” Sam asked.

 “I saw that you didn’t react much when the jerk called you a pirate.” Melissa stated.

 “Yep.”

 “Why didn’t you react?” Melissa asked her friend.

 Sam giggled before she answered, “You said that I looked like a pirate, and I saw myself in a reflection.  That helped me from being defensive when that jerk called me a pirate.”

“Speaking of,” Melissa commented, “here comes Nile-Nile the crocodile.”

Sam saw Nile-Nile, Mai-Mai, and the lion walking towards her.  She was about to meet her fate.

 “He who stand before you, Chief Sim-Sim.” The crocodile announced.

The lion looked at Sam as he asked, “So, you newcomer?”

 Sam looked straight at him and said, “Yes, sir.”

 The chief chuckled and said, “Call me Chief Sim-Sim.” Then, his jolly face became serious.

“We have problem.  You trespasser.  Nile-Nile think you foe; Mai-Mai think you friend.  So we need way to prove worth.”

“Meaning?” Sam asked.

 “You must do something brave.  If you live, you no enemy of tribe.” The chief informed the captive.

 Sam was speechless; her chances of living were not good.  Melissa, however, was not as speechless.

“That’s crazy!  Sam’s done nothing wrong!”

The chief had a regretful look on his face.  He knew that Melissa was right about Sam’s innocence.

“Sorry, bat.  Either that or warriors kill her.”

 Sam gulped; either way, she was going to be killed.

 Her thoughts were disturbed when the door to the hut.  She turned and saw Mai-Mai and Melissa, who wore riding on the lioness’ shoulder.  The islander was carrying some in one arm and trying not to drop any of it.  Melissa helped her.  Sam smiled as Mai-Mai carefully sat down next to her.

“Hi, girly.” The small bat said before flying from Mai-Mai’s shoulder to Sam’s, “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing fine.” Sam responded.

 “Me have question.” Mai-Mai announced.

“Ask away.” The trapped feline allowed.

“Why you have Frida Foxhill’s necklace?” the lioness asked.

 The question stopped Sam for a moment before asking, “You know of Frida Foxhill?!”

 Mai-Mai shushed the excited feline.

“Nile-Nile will hear you.”

“Oh, sorry.” Sam said, “I know that the necklace has powers.”

 “Yep, that true.” The islander said, “Frida Foxhill pirate that died one hundred years ago by Raphael Karnage.”

 Sam, who managed to grab a piece of fruit with her hands tied together, said, “Maybe that’s why I saw her.”

 “What is?” Melissa asked her friend.

 Sam continued to explain, “When I saw Frida, she told me that someone had a treasure map.”

“You say that Karnage clan have map!?” Mai-Mai exclaimed.

 “I’m not saying that,” Sam said, “but that’s my guess.”

 “Me hope you wrong.” The lioness said.

“That’s the two of us.” Melissa announced.

“Make that three.” Sam added.

Melissa asked Mai-Mai, “So, can you tell us about the necklace?”

 “Me only know that Frida Foxhill part of necklace now.” Mai-Mai stated.

 Sam chewed on the fruit as she thought about everything that happened to her; she was very troubled.

Melissa looked up and saw something in the sky.

“Uh, guys.” The small bat said, pointing her wing upwards.

Sam and Mai-Mai looked up and saw what Melissa saw.  In the sky, the moon was disappearing quickly.

 “I’m no science whiz, but I don’t think that’s a lunar eclipse.” The small bat said as the moon waned away.

 “And, you’re right.” Sam stated.

 The cat turned to Mai-Mai, who looked like she just saw a ghost.  Concerned for her new friend, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

 The lioness looked at Sam and made eye contact with her.  She answered in an almost dead whisper, “Air Pirates.” 

 The moon completely disappeared as Mai-Mai spoke.