𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑

˚.༄| ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕆𝕟𝕖 |˚✧

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."- Sir Winston Churchill

☀

My name is Mae, and I've been on this island for as long as I can remember. Back at home, they use to call it the lost island, but that all changed when my dad and I found it.

We were a poor family, just dad and I; mum passed away when I was born. Dad was one of the local fisherman, just enough to buy us food and a place to live on Barren Bay. The other side of the island was the rich lot, 'heaven on earth', that's what the looters and employees used to say. Mr Banks practically owns the rich side of the island, he's the wealthiest man on the island. When he announced the cash prize for the first person to find "the lost island", the whole of Barren Bay was crawling with excitement. It was more than five years of dads pay, a lotta money if you asked me.

Of course, dad wanted the money; we needed it. I was nearly skin and bones underneath my tattered jumper and filthy track bottoms. So we got to work, loading the old Raggedy Anne and setting her out at dawn, dad's eyes bright with eagerness, like a hawk before he sees his prey. He couldn't leave me behind since we hadn't enough to pay for a childminder. My eight year old self felt rather important coming out on the hunt for the lost island. No one had ever seen it but there were rumours that a bunch of rare ponies lived there, and they cost even more than the whole of Mr Bank's estate. Obviously, dad and I would have been going for the horses, but they had to be sold in the next bay, and the boat fee for two people let alone a herd of wild horses was a hell of a lot of cash.

The lost island was rumoured to be surrounded by the most dangerous currents around, reaching up to 5.6 miles per hour and filled with great whites and bull sharks. The rumour was to keep going north east until you hit the mainland, then keep going straight and you reached the hellish currents. Only if you survived them, would you make it to the lost island.

The day dad and I set out, another five deaths had been reported by the coastal guards. Nearly a quarter of the island had died in an attempt to reach the lost island, but dad was certain we would make it. He had lived here all his life and he knew the seas around here like the back of his hand.

We hit the mainland by midday, and we docked in the harbour for our lunch; a couple of chicken and ham sandwiches.
I remember leaning over our boat and staring into the depths of the sea, wondering what lived below. By now, the wind had picked up and my tangled blonde hair whipped around my face like a lion's mane. I looked over at dad and smiled, expecting him to laugh and put his arm around my thin shoulders, calling me his little lioness. But when I looked back, dad had his head in his hands and he made a soft sobbing sound.
"Dad?" I nudged over to the lobster baskets and sat next to him, staring confusingly at his vibrating figure.
"I'm sorry...Carrie."
Carrie. My mum.
Slowly, I placed my stick like arm around his shoulders.
"It's okay, dad. Don't worry."

Another three miles till we were supposedly meant to reach the currents. Dad had been quite and unlike himself the whole journey, and I was beginning to start to feel a little bit afraid and sea sick. I threw up over the side multiple times. Clearly those chicken and ham sandwiches had not gone down well.

When we finally felt the waves get a little choppier, the clouds above had turned a dark steel grey and the coastal guards reported another three deaths on the radio.
"Mae, get under. We've hit the currents now."
Obediently, I opened up the little under house and climbed down where dad's fishing lines and buckets were kept. I had always detested under here because of the pungent fishy smell but dad had been clear by what he said, and he wasn't in the best type of mood right now.

I lay on my back and stared up at the low wooden ceiling. Up on the deck I could hear the waves crashing against the Raggedy Anne's sides, and the squeak of dad's rubber boots. Rolling over onto my side, I picked up a worn out diary from the mess of cigarettes and fishing equipment and turned to the first page. 

To Mae,
From your best friend forever, Gina

Gina Banks, was my best friend. At my first day of preschool, me and Gina instantly clicked over our love of animals. Despite her father, Mr Banks, looking down on my working class dad, me and Gi would spend everyday together. The Banks owned more than a hundred acres and they had a bunch of hunting hounds and a luxurious stable fit for the royals. It was there that my love for horses began, and me and Gi would be gone hacking for ages with the dogs. Not that our parents approved of it.
I smiled and ran my fingers over the letters. We'd be back soon and Gi would be waiting with me with one of the ponies tacked up, ready to explore Barren woods.
A sudden wave pushed the Anne and I was thrown against the side, the diary flying into the darkness.

"Mae!! Are you alright down there?!!" Dad's voice was full of fear and urgency.
I closed my eyes.
"I'm fine, dad!!"
The next seconds were a total blur. First of all, the anne began to rock back and forth and then we were being pushed and pulled in every direction. Now the under house smelt of vomit.
Whatever dad tied to do, he couldn't steer Raggedy Anne in this.

The wind whistled through the trapdoor and the rain pattered down like it was trying to attempt to drown us. I wondered how close I was to the sharks and deadly sea creatures. Hopefully not too close.
"I don't want to die." I whispered into my jumper as tears streaked my pale cheeks.
The radio crackled up on deck.
"It's your local Barren radio station. Four more deaths have been reported in the area. Please do be careful out there. The currents are especially strong today. Over and out."
Dad cursed distantly.
I had a vulgar feeling that our deaths would be reported soon.

There was a crash and I slid down to the trapdoor. I screamed, flailing my arms in the air, trying to grab hold of something, anything. My scream was silenced by a wave of water splashing over my head. Looking up in horror, I realised the boat was filling with water. As bubbles blurred my vision, I scrambled up on deck and slid in panic to the edge of the boat. Lightning lit up the chaos; our sinking boat and our drowning bodies. Dad was holding out his hand trying to grab me, his hair soaked and flicked back, his wellies squelching with water. Another killer wave engulfed the boat, and I screamed as my dad went under.

"Dad!!?? DAD!!!" I yelled as I slipped over lobster baskets and clutched the Raggedy Anne's badly painted sides. The under house was full of water now; lucky I had survived.
Dad spluttered as he emerged from the wave and crawled out across the deck.
"MAE!! LISTEN TO ME!! SLIDE ONTO YOUR FRONT AND CRAWL TOWARDS ME!!"
What?! No way!! If a wave crashed over I was a gonner...
"MAE!! DO WHAT I SAY!!"
There was a urge in his voice I had never heard before.
I slid down onto my front and edged my way to dad as the Anne rocked violently.

You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. I screamed again as we swung to the side.
"MAE!! COME ON!!"
Fumbling with my hands, I glimpsed my dad through teary eyes and groped at the deck boards. I was nearly there. Dad yanked my hand as the Anne turned over and we fell into the dark deadly depths.

☀