Chapter one
“Pass me the peas.” I snap out of my daydream. My brother Klaus gives me a wounded look. He’s six, obsessed with toy cars, and the only red head in our family. I guess Klaus doesn’t really resemble mum or dad. He has fire engine red hair, large green eyes and freckles. Me; I have dark hair, blue eyes and olive skin. No similarity there. Klaus is unique, I guess. And he’s waiting for me to pass the peas.
I hurriedly shove the plate towards him and leave the table. It’s not like I can eat anymore, anyway.
We live on Bay Island, where tall trees cast shadows on the sand, and the water is always salty and blue. I guess it’s a little apart from the “real world,” where people worship technology. It’s different here. But I like it.
***
I breathe in the sweet-smelling bubbles. The light flickers unstably, because the island is cut off from electricity. The window is ajar, and a cold breeze floats in, as winter’s greeting. I pull a white towel off the rack.
The sound of a car stops me in my tracks. We don’t have cars on the island. Either we travel by foot, or by boat, through little streams situated throughout the island. I stick my head out of the window, gasping at the sudden blast of cold air. It’s a black lambourgine. As it fades into a small black dot in the distance, I hear a small, yet audible sound. It’s a child screaming.
***
Morning rolls around. I slump at the bench slowly waking up; Klaus sits on the floor solemnly, going through his every day ritual of the very hard decision of which toy car to bring to school.
On the outside, I may appear normal, with sleep on my eyelashes and a doozy expression on my face. On the inside, however, I am pondering last night’s black lambourgine problem. For some reason, I don’t think it was just a lost car. Bay island is a little…out of way of tourists.
Could it have been a serial killer? I brainstormed, as I walked to school with Bella. For a minute I visualised a man with tattoos and rings and a six-pack. Though it was a sunny day, I shuddered.
Bella shoves me towards a tree. I wear a tank top, so my shoulder grazes the trunk painfully.
I wince, but I don’t scream. I am used to Bella’s way of telling me she is annoyed with me.
“What?”
She gives me a scathing look. I let out a frustrated sigh. “Just trying to figure out a little mismatch from last night.”
She doesn’t say anymore. She doesn’t have to. I know what she is thinking, and that tends to happen when you’ve been friends with someone for 12 and a half years.
A flashback bubbles into my thoughts and I smile as fond, nostalgic memories distract me from the puzzle. The sky is a shade of cornflower blue and the childcare back yard is overflowing with yellow daisies. A little girl with hard blue eyes and bouncy, blonde curls creeps up on me and pushes me into the sandpit. I land with a thump on my tummy, and my best pink frock is sandy. I give a huff of anger. I turn around and appraise the girl. She holds her hand out to lift me out of the pit, clearly pleased with her skills.
“Bella.” She lisps.
“Luna.” And I know we are going to be friends.
Chapter two
