• I scrabbled over the rocks and stones, breaking the silence of the night with every step. As I ran I could hear the crashing of the unforgiving sea against the pebbles. Dancing in the sky above me, I could see the seagulls searching for any scraps of unwanted food.

    Finally I got to the row of boats, all swaying with the currant. I slowed down from running to walking in a quick but steady manor; I kept on going till I was in front of the red and white boat. I stood there in front of it, taking breath in quickly. I hated that family, my second ‘chance’ for a family, my unwanted family. They owned it.

    My hand reached up to my cheek feeling the place where the red hand mark was. I knew I could never go back to them, I pulled at my backpack and jumped on board.

    The rope was the only thing stopping the boat from drifting away. I pulled on and secured my life jacket and sat down in front of the wheel with the faded gold key in my hand. I couldn’t move my arm, I could feel fear and dread over welling me, stopping me from moving the key towards the slot hole and turning it to start my little and lifeless boat.

    That’s when I noticed white, delicate flakes falling from the grey, dull sky. I’m used to the cold because I’ve lived in Scotland for 11 years after the plane crash that killed my parents and my baby sisters.

    A shiver rushed down my back like a sharp knife. I pulled out my warmest, softest coat out of my bag, and then pulled it over my life jacket (because I didn’t want to have to put it back on again). I wished I had brought some blankets to wrap around me as well. But I knew I couldn’t go back to the Mac Creedy’s and their dark, dull, gray gloomy house, after 11years of painful memories of work, punishment and tears.
    I plugged and turned the key of their boat. It grumbled and growled to like. I was off.

    I woke up to the gentle batter of waves hitting the nose of the boat. For a second I thought I was still dreaming, but when I opened my eyes there was a clear blue sky, with a sunflower sun, high in the sky, but the pin ricking cold told me it was late morning.

    I sat up and stretched while breathing in the fresh clean air.
    “This is a much better smell to wake up to, then bug killer” I said smiling to myself.
    I jumped up and laughed my head off, if there had been anyone watching they would probably think I was a crazy lunatic, but I could not get over the fact that I was finally free from the family from hell. When I came back to reality, I pulled out the map from my bag and started the engine.

    The speed monitor told me that I was going at 30mph, it felt wonderful, the wind blowing my coal black hair behind me. I’ve always loved the sea and its secrets, but for all I knew it would not last.

    After a week of salty waves, fresh air, lazy afternoons and star lit sky’s at night, my supplies were running really, really low. All I had left in my big rucksack was 3 nutragrain bars, a little packet of raisons and 1 ½ of fresh bottled water (I had eaten all of my favourites at the beginning). I was also beginning to smell because I haven’t had a bath in ages! Also I was without the luxury of a proper toilet, I had to use the faded green old bucket and then throw all of it over board.




    As I lay pondering about what I was going to do, I heard a low rumble ling, I looked up over the side of the boat. The sky was clear and sunny a seconded ago but now it was as grey as a Scottish morning and in the distance was a great, big, huge, black cloud creeping towards me I knew that couldn’t be good. I grabbed my faded orange life jacket and pulled it on.

    Spray from the crashing waves hit my face, blinding me. Not only could I not see, but I couldn’t control the boat. I tried everything but the giant monstrous waves overwhelmed my ting boat. All around me were the booming sound of lighting and thunder. Then that’s when I turned around and I just stopped caring about all of that because, at that very moment rising high, high above me was a huge deadly wave, then it came crashing on me, suddenly I was surrounded by water, I was so shocked and frightened that I gasped for air, but it wouldn’t come to my lungs, instead I was chocking.

    I pulled the cored attached to my life jacket. I flapped my arms and legs, not quite sure which way I was heading, but to my relief I hit the surface, around me were the shattered remains of my poor little red and white boat. I splashed and splattered as I desperately swam to the nearest bit of scrap wood and pulled myself onto it. Keeping my eyes open felt like the hardest task ever, but I couldn’t help it, my sleepiness was over taking my body and soul, and before I knew it I was gone.

    What’s that sound? I thought. It sounded like a horn, it’s a boat! A far off boat, but it was still a boat!
    “Hey! I’m over here, HEY!” I screamed while flapping and waving my arms above my head. It felt like sandpaper was rubbing my throat, every time I shouted but that didn’t stop me.
    “HELP ME!” I cried with the last air in my lungs.