The Great Escape

The ferry rocked and creaked underneath my feet, and I staggered across deck. My blonde hair brushed my eyelids, and I flicked my head to get it back in its customary swoop. I wasn’t used to ships, and I never will be. Glancing into the main cabin, I saw the map of the water between Britain and France.

My family and close to half a dozen others were sailing to Britain on a National Geographic sweepstakes. My dad won it . . . I wouldn’t be caught dead with a magazine. I spent most of my times with sports anyways; football, lacrosse, baseball, and summer swim team. I had to miss a week of practices for this dumb trip my parents were making me attend.

A girl my age was leaning against the railing of the ship, and she had the most striking green eyes. I grinned cockily at her, and she blushed and looked away.

“All occupants on the ship please grab a life jacket. We are approaching choppy seas and would not like to take any risks.” The voice blaring over the loudspeaker sent chills down my spine.

“Life jackets? On a ferry?” The girl said, staring curiously out over the now foggy sea. Her voice was tinged with an Australian accent.

“I didn’t even know they had those.” I laughed, trying to appear cool and collected. We walked our opposite directions, and with a start I realized no one was above deck. The roiling fog was creeping ever so close to the ship, and I shivered again.

“Hello?” I heard a voice, but before I could react, there was the grating shriek of metal on stone. The ship lurched, and I pitched forward; cracking my head my head on the metal flooring.


When I woke up, I had water washing against my feet and 6 kids surrounding me. The Aussie from the ship grinned.

"Rise and shine and welcome to Hell Island."