"You mean we're lost in the Atlantic ocean?" Tina asks in shock. Celia nods.
"We're not exactly lost in the middle of the Atlantic ocean," explains Ella. "We are rather near Portugal still, so we are not that lost I guess."
"So all we need to do is just row and we will end up on land at some point," Tina suggests. Somehow, Ella and Tina co-orperate despite the attempted murders 2 minutes ago. There is still tension between them.
"Yes that's true, but guessing the direction would be far too risky," Ella points out.
"What do you mean? We get to land don't we?" Tina asks in confidence.
"Indeed, but let me tell you the odds," Ella explains. She likes doing maths and probability. Using it in real life always made it more amusing.
"Do I really need to hear this?" Tina asks. She doesn't share the love for maths.
"Yes, you do need to hear this," Ella answers. She clears her throat before she explains their chances of landing wherever. "If we go North, since Lisbon is the furthest point in Europe, we would probably end up in Iceland. If we go North-East, we might land in Portugal. If we go East, we are garateed to end up in Portugal. South-East: we might be in Portugal. South, we end up in Africa. If we go South-West, we'll get to Brazil. West: we would be in New York. North-West, Canada. Do you get what I mean?"
Tina gives her a blank expression. "No idea what you are talking about..."
Ella sighs. "If you look at the possibilities, the chances of us rowing back to Portugal are very slim," she says it like it is obvious what the problem is.
"We still get to land," Tina replies.
"Yes, but if we found ourselves rowing to America, it would take weeks. There is no way we would survive if we got the direction completely wrong," Ella explains. Tina sighs, looks like they are stuck.
"What do we do then?" Celia asks.
"We are going to have to wait. Someone will come over and help at some point," Ella says. She sits in the boat and stares out to the horizon.
Celia and Tina do the same since they can't think of anything either. Because they had fallen into the sea, they felt quite cold. To keep themselves warm, Celia snuggles up beside Ella. Despite the words Tina would say, Ella is accepting of Celia's close presence. Tina sits on the other side of the boat in fear of being touched by the 'lesbians'.
Two hours pass and there is still no sign of help. Suddenly, some birds fly over the boat which excites Ella. "Look! Look, there's birds!"
Tina stares at Ella in confusion. "So?"
"So they can guide us to the nearest land. Let's row girls!" Ella announces.
Celia and Tina have not heard of people following birds to guide their way to land, but it seemed logical and Ella sounded so certain it would work. They push as much strength as they can into the rowing so they can keep up with the speed of the birds.
Half an hour passes by and everyone's arms are aching. Ella takes the pain and continues, Celia really struggles but Tina comes to a complete stop.
"Hey, keep rowing. Don't leave us to do all the work!" Ella yells at Tina.
"Actually, I'm pretty tired, do you think we should stop for about five minutes?" Celia suggests. Ella does feel a little worn out but doesn't like to admit it.
"OK, lets rest for a little bit," Ella confirms. They let their arms relax.
Ella's arms may be relaxing but Ella's brain is still deep in concentration. She makes sure she keeps track of where they are going as well as search the horizon to see if she can see any land at all. She squints and finds a large silhouette of a cliff or something in the distance. In excitement, she instantly sits up.
"I see land! Come on guys!" Ella screams. "Tina, start rowing," Ella is demanding, but it was a good time to be. They all start rowing forwards towards the faint silhouette in the far distance.
Gradually, what Ella saw becomes clearer, this makes the three of them even more determined to reach it. They realise that what they saw is an island. This disappoints the girls, until they see a rope circling around the island and attached to some buoys. Surely some people have been on this island.
When they realise the island is safe, they take a moment to look at the whole beautiful thing. It is fresh and green because it still has many trees standing. There are many cliffs and rocks which stand out, towering over the trees. Around the edge of the island are sandy beaches. Overall, the whole thing is magnificent.
Ella, Celia and Tina continue rowing then they get very near the rope. It's about 30 ft away from the land. Sitting in the sand is a boy who suddenly stands up when he sees the girls.
"Hey! Don't pass that rope!" he yells. The girls stare at the bright yellow rope, then back at the boy.
"Why not?" Ella yells back.
"You'll be trapped here, you will regret it," the boy responds. Tina bursts out laughing and touches the rope.
"What's gonna happen? Are people going to kidnap us?" Tina asks.
"No, but that would be a good prank to play on newcomers someday," the boy chuckles to himself, suddenly he stops. "I'm serious, don't pass that line, just stay where you are and I'll get some help," he explains.
"Nope, we're not waiting, we're getting on that island," Ella announces. The girls start to row again and without any difficulty, they row over the rope. Ella pauses for a second. "That wasn't so bad. What's the big deal?" she asks.
The girls keep rowing until they reach the sand, the boy stands there and watches the boat shuffle into the land as the girls pull it in. When they are sure the boat can't drift away they turn towards the boy.
The boy is blonde with a broad chin. "Right, I might as well tell you my name, it's Martyn," he holds out is hand to shake it. Ella and Tina don't want to make friends with a boy they will never see again, so they don't shake his hand. Celia takes the offer and is given a firm handshake.
"Excuse me, do you have a phone or any way of communicating with people from the outside. Me, Celia and Tina got lost at sea in our boat and now we're here. All we need is someone to pick us up from here," Ella explains.
Martyn sighs. "Sorry, no can do."
"Why not? Do we have to pay for communication?" Tina asks. Martyn shakes his head again.
"Well, firstly, the best communication we have in a note in a bottle. Secondly, even if we did have a decent kind of communication you would still be stuck here," Martyn explains. Ella gives Celia a look as a way of asking if she knows what is up. Celia shakes her head in response.
"How are we stuck on this island then?" Tina asks.
Martyn pauses and looks at the three girls to make sure he has the attention of them all. "You're not going to believe this but, there is a force field round the island. Any living thing can't come out once they get in unless they are dead. Objects, they survive, they can get out, but not humans, not animals, not fish. OK?"
There is silence, the girls look at him as they wonder whether to trust him or not. Suddenly, Tina bursts into laughter.
"You really think we should believe that? I don't know about you two, but I'm getting the boat and going over the rope," Tina marches up the boat and drags it into the water
"Let's go. Come on Celia!" Ella heads towards the boat, then turns when she notices Celia is not coming with them. "Aren't you coming?" Celia shakes her head. "Do you really believe all this?" Celia doesn't respond, she just turns towards Martyn and back at the two girls. "Suit yourself, we'll come back to you when Martyn is proved wrong."
Ella and Tina push the boat in together at hop in. They begin to row forwards and towards the yellow rope. As they row, Martyn whispers into Celia's ear.
"This is going to be funny," he smiles. Celia gives a little smile back but makes sure that Ella and Tina don't notice it.
When they finally reached the rope, Tina and Ella stop rowing and pause for a second. "OK, you see if there is a force field," Tina suggests.
"No, it was your idea, you do it!" Ella refuses. Tina gives her a glare, an angry one this time, not quite as evil as how she usually glared at Ella. "Fine then, I'll test it."
Ella stretches out her hand and makes her palm face forwards. She slowly approaches the possible force field. Suddenly, Ella can feel the smooth, cold feel of glass on her hand. She gets out her other hand and feels around the area. It's glass. She panics as she presses her hand around the air and still feels glass.
"No... There isn't anything there is there?" Tina asks. Ella nods her head. "You mean?" Tina attacks the air to feel for a force field. She can feel the same ice cold glass. In desperation, she starts banging on the glass in attempt to smash it, but she fails. Her arm's feel weak from rowing and punching.
In humiliation, Tina and Ella turn and row back to the island where Celia and Martyn are waiting for them. Martyn chuckles as they approach, Celia stands there in shock. The two girls stop rowing and Tina jumps out of the boat, leaving Ella to drag it into land.
"Is this some kind of joke? Are we really trapped here?" Tina is right in Martyn's face in anger.
Martyn stops laughing and bites his lip to hold back more laughter. "If there was a way out of this place, I'd be gone months ago!" he explains.
"So what do we do now?" Ella asks.
"Make yourself at home, I'll introduce you to the other islanders," Martyn leads the way into the trees at the back of the island.
The three girls still can't accept that they are trapped on the island for the rest of their lives. Maybe it was all just a bad dream and none of this was happening. What if Ella was still asleep on the coach on the way to the trip? But it all felt so real...
They pass through the trees and notice that people are crouching low or hiding behind trees.
"Hey Jake, found anything yet?" Martyn calls to one boy.
"If you shut up I will!" Jake responds bitterly. Martyn mutters under his breath as he continues leading the girls to their new home.
Ten minutes of walking through trees pass by at the girls have reached an area in the middle of the forest. Trees were no longer causing darkness and it was now quite spaced and clear. It was a rather big circle with wooden cabins around the edge. Right at the end there is a large cabin with a crown painted at the top. There are fires dotted round the edge with people cooking over them. Many are young adults and some were teens. The youngest person there is about twelve years old.
"Come on, let me introduce you to the King," Martyn guides Tina, Ella and Celia to the large cabin at the end, getting slightly impatient at how slow the girls are being from looking around at the atmosphere.
Martyn knocks on the door of the large cabin. "Your highness, we have new residents," Martyn announces through the door.
"Very well, bring them in," Ella looks at Celia in confusion. The voice is broken, but it doesn't sound like a man's voice. The girls entere the cabin with the door slammed behind them. They stare at a boy who is sitting on comfy chair in the back of the cabin. It is a boy with black hair and green eyes about the girls age.
"King Jack, I found these girls on a beach. They were out on a boat. I tried to tell them not to come into the island but they wouldn't listen," Martyn explains. Jack stands up and walks up and down in the row of girls.
"Welcome to Turninsula," Jack shakes hands with Celia. "As you might be aware, this island is quite um... Well, you're trapped here." He shakes hands with Tina and bends down to kiss her hand.
"Excuse me, I have a boyfriend," Tina announces. This one has last a while compared to usual, it has been about a month so far.
"Calm down, he's not hitting on you," Ella rolls her eyes.
"He didn't do that thing with Celia," Tina points out. Everyone turns to Jack and he raises his eyebrows.
"Enough about that, we need to follow some rules," Jack stretches out his hand to shake Ella's but she puts it behind her back.
"Why should I follow your rules?" Ella asks.
Jack chuckles. "I'm the King and you do what I say," Jack answers like the answer is obvious.
"May I ask, how did you end up being King?" Ella smiles as she asks this question. Jack stands back and sits on his throne.
"Well, about five months ago, me, my good friend and adviser, Martyn and my other friend and scribe, Adrian were the first people to arrive here," he points to a boy sitting in the corner with a table. He is writing on some paper. He has dark messy hair and a narrow chin. We were the ones that got people from outside this island discovering us. We were the ones who built the cabins. We were the ones who made the laws. And we were the ones that stopped death for everyone on this island. So I say you treat your King and his advisers with respect," Jack finishes his speech and waits for a response.
"Here is a list of all the rules you have to follow on this island," Martyn passes a sheet of paper with neat hand writing on it, presuming it is Adrian's.
"We have to have a job? What kind?" Tina asks when she reads it.
"Oh you know, catching food, washing clothes, cleaning people's cabins, doctor's assistant, anything!" Jack suggests. "Just make sure you do something. We now have 49 mouths to feed and everyone is gonna have to help. No slacking whatsoever!"
"Do we get paid?" Tina asks.
"Not exactly. You get paid with an equal share of clothes, cabins and food. As King, if I tell you to do a certain job, you do it. OK?" Jack explains.
Tina and Celia nod, but Ella stays standing there. "I still can't take you seriously," Ella explains. Jack isn't smiling. "Don't worry, I'll do my jobs and stuff. But because I have my morals right, not because some boy king told me to."
Jack stares at the three girls. "It's two to each cabin. Between you three, you have cabins 24 and 25. You can sort out who sleeps where. Um... you two," he points at Celia and Tina. "You two can get started on work. Don't choose a job because it looks easy, you choose a job because it needs more support."
Tina and Celia turn round and walk out the door. Someone is already outside guiding them to whatever job they need to do.
Jack stares at Ella standing in the middle of the cabin and smiles. "You- You can go into prison for um... two hours? Then maybe you will take me seriously," Martyn grabs Ella's arm. Ella doesn't fight back she just shrugs him off her arm.
"This isn't necessary. Let go of my arm, I'll go to jail don't worry," Martyn doesn't let go and drags Ella out. Jack keeps his smile on his face.
When they exit the cabin, Martyn still doesn't let go but he loosens his grip. "Sorry, King's orders," Martyn apologises.
They enter the forest behind Martyn this time and enter a cave. It's dark apart from some candle light at the side. The cave has many cells, Martyn pulls out some keys from his pocket and unlocks one of the barred doors.
"Did you make this?" Ella asks as she enters the cell.
"Nope," Martyn responds as he closes the door and begins to lock it up again. "It was found on the island and the keys were not too far away." He flicks the keys up in the air and slips them in his pocket. "I'll see you in a couple of hours." He walks out the cave into the sunlight, leaving Ella alone in the candlelight.
Ella sits down and waits for the two hours to be up. As soon as she sits on the floor, she starts to question if it is a dream or not. Ella really hopes that it is a dream, because if it is reality; then the last time she would have seen Pamela would be when she told her she wished she had never adopted her.