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Chapter or Story
Author's Note: Put disclaimer here. Don't think of it as copyright infringement. Consider this as an unpaid advertisement to increase interest in "The Pretender" while we wait for the series to come out on DVD and video.
This story is chocked full of "Island of the Haunted" spoilers. As a matter of fact, if you haven't seen IOTH, you'll have no clue what is going on. As a result, I felt it necessary to include a short synopsis of the movie with the pertinent information, for those who may need it. Note that the character of Mercedes was not in the movie, never mentioned anywhere. She is a creation of the muse in my head.
If you did see the movie, feel free to skip to the next chapter.
IOTH synopsis
The movie starts with a dark-skinned African named Adama. He has been sent to The Centre by the Triumvirate to find the scrolls. It was rumored that The Centre held these mystic scrolls, giving The Centre its power. The Centre didn't have them. They'd been bluffing. It turns out that everyone has been searching for these ancient writings, including Jarod's mother. Jarod goes to the island of Carthis searching for his mother. Parker goes to Carthis as well.
Jarod barely misses meeting his mother when the island is evacuated because of a storm. The pretender is stranded on the island with Miss Parker, a blind prophet named Ocee, a handful of menacing monks and the ghost of a little girl named Parker who was murdered by her father nearly a century ago.
The ghost, coincidentally called "Angel" by only her father, helps Parker find the trail to the missing scrolls. In the process, Parker learns that Angel's father, after murdering his entire family, came to America and founded The Centre. He was Miss Parker's great-grandfather.
Parker, greatly distressed at the depths of evil in her family tree, allows Jarod to comfort her and they very nearly kiss. When Jarod later mentions what almost happened between them, Parker calls it a moment of weakness and asks him to forget about it.
Jarod and Miss Parker find the scrolls, of course. But before they can read them, Mr. Parker, Raines and Lyle arrive on the scene to take both the scrolls and Jarod into their custody. Handing these prizes over to Adama, Mr. Parker seems to fortify The Centre's allegiance to the Triumvirate.
At this point, in a subplot that has little to do with the rest of the story, Miss Parker learns that Mr. Parker isn't really her father, but is instead her uncle. Evidence indicates that William Raines is actually her biological father. Eww!
Everyone boards an airplane bound for Africa in order to deliver Jarod and the scrolls to the Triumvirate. Miss Parker sneaks on as well even though her father (Mr. Parker) told her to stay behind. This causes problems because not only is Adama superstitious where Miss Parker is concerned, but her presence also throws a wrench into her father's plans to betray Adama.
Raines and Lyle kill Adama and his guards as well as the pilot and co- pilot. The plan is to take the scrolls and the pretender and parachute away from the plane, thereby keeping the power base they have in controlling the Triumvirate.
However, Mr. Parker reads the scrolls and promptly flips out. Evidently the power within the ancient writings is enough to drive anyone who reads them insane. He sabotages all but one parachute, which he then uses to jump out of the plane.
As Mr. Parker leaps to what we all assume is his death, one of the electrical panels in the plane shorts out. The pilots are both dead, there is no landing gear, and things are looking decidedly grim for our favorite band of characters. Jarod comes to the rescue, shouting instructions to Lyle on how to fix the wiring while also piloting the damaged jet. Multi- tasking is a wonderful pretender skill.
Jarod lands the jet, even without landing gear, and escapes just before the plane blows up.
Back at The Centre, Raines is now in charge with Lyle tagging along like his shadow. The Triumvirate has been told that Jarod killed Adama and stole the scrolls while Mr. Parker died trying to stop him. Let me say this again because it's a small but very important piece of the story that follows. The Triumvirate has been told that Jarod killed Adama and stole the scrolls while Mr. Parker died trying to stop him.
Raines challenges his children (Lyle and Parker) telling them that whomever brings Jarod back to The Centre will continue to live long and prosper under the Parker legacy.
The movie ends with the requisite phone call between Jarod and Miss Parker. Jarod asks "What about us?" Parker replies, "You run, I chase. That choice was made for us a long time ago." Both are sad and weary. Cut into this scene, a few lines from the scrolls are revealed, washed up on some unknown shore.
"The Centre shall rise. The chosen will be found, a boy named Jarod."
And that, in a greatly condensed form, is the story of "Island of the Haunted". IOTH was, in my opinion, the better of The Pretender movies by far. There was action and angst, humor and mystery. There was a shirtless Jarod, a vulnerable Parker, and enough subtle nuances and gestures to keep fanfic alive for years to come. I highly recommend it.
The story that follows is heavily reliant upon the IOTH plot. I hope you enjoy it.
-
This story is chocked full of "Island of the Haunted" spoilers. As a matter of fact, if you haven't seen IOTH, you'll have no clue what is going on. As a result, I felt it necessary to include a short synopsis of the movie with the pertinent information, for those who may need it. Note that the character of Mercedes was not in the movie, never mentioned anywhere. She is a creation of the muse in my head.
If you did see the movie, feel free to skip to the next chapter.
IOTH synopsis
The movie starts with a dark-skinned African named Adama. He has been sent to The Centre by the Triumvirate to find the scrolls. It was rumored that The Centre held these mystic scrolls, giving The Centre its power. The Centre didn't have them. They'd been bluffing. It turns out that everyone has been searching for these ancient writings, including Jarod's mother. Jarod goes to the island of Carthis searching for his mother. Parker goes to Carthis as well.
Jarod barely misses meeting his mother when the island is evacuated because of a storm. The pretender is stranded on the island with Miss Parker, a blind prophet named Ocee, a handful of menacing monks and the ghost of a little girl named Parker who was murdered by her father nearly a century ago.
The ghost, coincidentally called "Angel" by only her father, helps Parker find the trail to the missing scrolls. In the process, Parker learns that Angel's father, after murdering his entire family, came to America and founded The Centre. He was Miss Parker's great-grandfather.
Parker, greatly distressed at the depths of evil in her family tree, allows Jarod to comfort her and they very nearly kiss. When Jarod later mentions what almost happened between them, Parker calls it a moment of weakness and asks him to forget about it.
Jarod and Miss Parker find the scrolls, of course. But before they can read them, Mr. Parker, Raines and Lyle arrive on the scene to take both the scrolls and Jarod into their custody. Handing these prizes over to Adama, Mr. Parker seems to fortify The Centre's allegiance to the Triumvirate.
At this point, in a subplot that has little to do with the rest of the story, Miss Parker learns that Mr. Parker isn't really her father, but is instead her uncle. Evidence indicates that William Raines is actually her biological father. Eww!
Everyone boards an airplane bound for Africa in order to deliver Jarod and the scrolls to the Triumvirate. Miss Parker sneaks on as well even though her father (Mr. Parker) told her to stay behind. This causes problems because not only is Adama superstitious where Miss Parker is concerned, but her presence also throws a wrench into her father's plans to betray Adama.
Raines and Lyle kill Adama and his guards as well as the pilot and co- pilot. The plan is to take the scrolls and the pretender and parachute away from the plane, thereby keeping the power base they have in controlling the Triumvirate.
However, Mr. Parker reads the scrolls and promptly flips out. Evidently the power within the ancient writings is enough to drive anyone who reads them insane. He sabotages all but one parachute, which he then uses to jump out of the plane.
As Mr. Parker leaps to what we all assume is his death, one of the electrical panels in the plane shorts out. The pilots are both dead, there is no landing gear, and things are looking decidedly grim for our favorite band of characters. Jarod comes to the rescue, shouting instructions to Lyle on how to fix the wiring while also piloting the damaged jet. Multi- tasking is a wonderful pretender skill.
Jarod lands the jet, even without landing gear, and escapes just before the plane blows up.
Back at The Centre, Raines is now in charge with Lyle tagging along like his shadow. The Triumvirate has been told that Jarod killed Adama and stole the scrolls while Mr. Parker died trying to stop him. Let me say this again because it's a small but very important piece of the story that follows. The Triumvirate has been told that Jarod killed Adama and stole the scrolls while Mr. Parker died trying to stop him.
Raines challenges his children (Lyle and Parker) telling them that whomever brings Jarod back to The Centre will continue to live long and prosper under the Parker legacy.
The movie ends with the requisite phone call between Jarod and Miss Parker. Jarod asks "What about us?" Parker replies, "You run, I chase. That choice was made for us a long time ago." Both are sad and weary. Cut into this scene, a few lines from the scrolls are revealed, washed up on some unknown shore.
"The Centre shall rise. The chosen will be found, a boy named Jarod."
And that, in a greatly condensed form, is the story of "Island of the Haunted". IOTH was, in my opinion, the better of The Pretender movies by far. There was action and angst, humor and mystery. There was a shirtless Jarod, a vulnerable Parker, and enough subtle nuances and gestures to keep fanfic alive for years to come. I highly recommend it.
The story that follows is heavily reliant upon the IOTH plot. I hope you enjoy it.
-
