Save Us

Chapter 6 : Ferry

"Hope!" called out one of her friends. Hope still felt disoriented. She looked around. Her body was younger and she was sitting with her friends. Her left wrist wore the watch. In her hands, she was holding UNO cards.

She looked up and saw her friends looking at her worried. "Are you okay?" asked Maya.

Hope didn't say anything. She blinked a few times before opening her mouth to respond. "Yea ... I'm fine," she said. Her mind still trying to adjust to what was happening. She was in her younger self and she had full control of her own body.

"Hope?" asked Mallory. "Are you really okay?"

"Err ... yea ... totally," said Hope.

"It's your turn you know," said Ena. Her eyes were looking at the watch on her wrist. "Are you going to put a card or not?"

"Huh ... yea," said Hope as she looked at the UNO cards in her hand. She picked a red three card and placed it on top of the green three card in the pile.

"Oh come on!" shouted Maya. "Why did you do that?"

Everyone laughed.

"Looks like we know what Maya doesn't have," said Ena. Maya reached out to pull out another card. "Are you kidding me?" She reached out again and pulled out another. She looked at the card for a second before pulling out another and another repeatedly.

"Why are there no red cards?" asked Maya frustrated.

"Just put the card with the same number," said Ember.

"I don't have any."

"Oof," said Ember. She looked at Maya who continued drawing cards from the centre. Hope was not paying attention to the game. Her thoughts were about the awaited ferry accident. She looked at her watch. It showed the current time and a new feature, the countdown to the accident. 00:15:03

'I have another 15 minutes before this ferry starts to sink or 15 minutes to Maya's death,' she thought to herself. After what felt as though forever, Maya finally placed a card.

"Yes finally! Plus four Ena!" shouted Maya triumphant.

"Yea yea," said Ena as she took four more cards. "What colour you want?"

"Blue!"

"Hmm," said Ena as she placed a blue card. Mallory was next and she quickly changed the colour to red with one card.

"What!" exclaimed Maya. Everyone started laughing. Ember placed a card and soon it was Hope's turn again. Hope was completely out of it. She was no longer thinking about the game.

"Hope!" exclaimed Maya.

Hope blinked and looked at Maya. "Quit zoning out. Your turn." Hope looked at the pile of cards at the centre. She couldn't think anything. All there was in her mind was the countdown to the accident. Hope placed her cards down next to her.

"Hope are you okay?" asked Ember.

"I ... I need a break," said Hope. She looked at her friends and then at her watch. 00:10:04

"I want to get some air," said Hope as she stood up. She walked over to the door and reached for the doorknob. The door was locked just as it was that day. "The door's lock."

"Let me try," said Ena as she walked over to the door. She reached for the doorknob and twisted it open. "It's not really lock. Just stuck."

"I could have sworn it was locked," said Hope. She walked pass the door and was on her way to the deck.