Dolphin Island

Prologue & Chapter 1 The Move

PROLOUGE

I look over my life up until I knew I belonged here. My... mum and... dad (I still thought of them this way) knew part of what happened to me at birth, but not all of it. They wanted to protect me... but, I suppose they always suspected I would be drawn back again. I always was an inquisitive girl...

CHAPTER 1

I woke up with a feeling of dread on Sunday. My mum was calling my name up the stairs, “Clare! Clare! Come on! We’re leaving in twenty minutes!”

Oh No!!!!! Today was the day we were moving house! I dropped back into my bed. Whitton seemed alright, I didn’t want to leave; I’d miss my friends, my school and my family. We were moving to Selsey. Where the hell was that? The only best bit was that it had a beach!

“CLARISSA! HURRY UP!!! WE’RE LEAVING IN TEN MINUTES!” - That was my dad obviously. Going over the top as usual. I could just see him standing - no- jumping up and down in the hallway shouting at the Removal Men, and sweat pouring down his face. His face would be dark purple and his hands scarlet. Whenever something’s not going to plan, he gets into fits. He mostly always calms down straight away; he feels guilty for shouting. He always uses my full name when he is angry with me.

“CLA-” I jumped to my wardrobe, pulled on my clothes and shot down the stairs before he could say ‘RISSA’.

And there he stood; His face dark purple and his hands scarlet (like I said, gold star for me!). “Oh, darling what have you done?” My mum bustled into the hallway.

“What?” I started to say, and then I looked in the mirror and stared at myself. I had put on a brightly fluorescent pink sweater with bright blue combat trousers. Did I say I pulled on the first clothes I saw?

“Never mind, never mind! Just get her in the car!” My dad growled. I stared dumbly at him for what seemed like hours. My friends were going to come round to say bye... He had no sense of fashion these days! All he wore was a suit.

“But Toni...” My mum murmured, horrified. (She was a fashion queen).

“Just get her in the car! We leave in five minutes, Sophia!” My dad burst out. My mum turned and shovelled me out the front door. I looked round quickly and could see Removal Men glancing at me and keeping their mouths firmly shut. I don’t think they wanted to be faced with my dad anymore than they had to. I groaned when I caught sight of my friends coming down the road. I hastily grabbed the car door and practically pounced in. I slammed the door behind me and crouched behind it.

“CLARE! CLARE!” I could hear Cleo and Ben shouting down the road. I slowly crept up to the car window and squinted out. “AARRGGHH!” I screamed. Their faces were right next to the window. How did they get there so fast? They opened the door and stopped short. Cleo’s eyes went wide and Ben, (even though he throws any clothes on) was trying to suppress laughter.

“Clarissa?” Cleo whispered. Her full name is Cleopatra but she absolutely hates being called that. In history when we do Cleopatra you can tell what the class is like. But you could never get lost because it isn’t a common name, so that’s a good advantage! (I don’t know why that is one but anyway...). Ben’s full name is Benjamin. Hmmm...

“What Cleopatra? What?” I said huffily. I hated it when she used my long name, so I used it back.

“Never call me Cleopatra!!!!” She glared at me, then Ben couldn’t help himself and we all fell around laughing.

“I’ll miss you!” Cleo cried out.

“Yeah, same.” Ben said. We hugged each other tightly.

“RIGHT! TIME TO GO!” My dad came huffing down the walkway. We pulled apart.

“Now...? Can’t we go tomorrow?” I said, only 1% out of 100, hopeful.

My Dad sighed as he squeezed into the car, “Clare, we’ve been through this! Every time we wait a day, you’ll just miss more school!”

I gazed at my friends and silent tears ran down my cheeks. I’ll never see them again. Maybe one holiday a year. As my dad started the engine, I rolled down my window and reached out to touch Cleo. She looked like she was crying but it could just have been the sun reflecting off all the cream she put on her face. “Call!!” Ben shouted as we drove away. I nodded my head but I’m not sure he saw. I looked behind but my view was obscured by the Removal Van coming along behind us. I sighed. Time for a new home, a new school and (hopefully) new friends.