Shadow Island

Chapter One

I was sitting in the small canoe with Jonas and Tim, paddling out to sea. The water was calm, and the waves had settled down. The canoe glided gently towards the small bay that appeared in the morning sunlight. "How much longer is this going to take? I'm getting bored," Jonas complained after a while. I sat right next to him and looked towards the rocky island. In the distance stood a lone lighthouse, and that was where we needed to go. "Maybe another hour," Tim replied, glancing at his watch. "Another hour? I bet I could get us there faster! We're not even going full speed, are we?" "Yes, we are. We're going 15 knots. This boat doesn't go any faster." "What a lame boat." "Do you want to drive it yourself?" Tim asked, visibly annoyed.

He was clearly frustrated with Jonas' constant comments. After all, we had borrowed the boat from his father just to get to the island. Two weeks earlier, Tim's mother had offered us a job that involved spending two weeks on a lighthouse. Our task was to warn ships and boats. That was all we had to do.

I thought it was a great idea, especially because of the nice weather. There was nothing better than spending the summer holidays like this – and getting paid for it. I had heard about the island some time ago. It was known as "Shadow Island," a name it had earned because of the many rocks and cliffs surrounding it. You could reach the island by crossing a small bay with a wooden dock for boats, followed by climbing a wooden staircase that led up to the lighthouse.

After some time, Jonas was in a sour mood, but we had finally reached the bay. I was the first to step out of the canoe and onto the creaking wooden dock. Jonas