moving towards the outboard motor. Jake struggled with the heavy anchor, but he could tell as he pulled that it had already come loose, that they had already stated drifting. But for how long? And in which direction? He could no longer see the shore, or even the island. He wasn’t even sure which way it was. The wind didn’t help — each gust seemed to come from a different point. Don’t panic, he thought. Dad’ll get us out of here.
But his father was having trouble with the outboard motor. It spluttered and coughed again and would only roar to life for a second before dying.
‘We’re going to have to row for it! Swap places.’ He had to shout over the sound of the wind and the sloshing of the waves. Jake moved to the stern while Dad took up his place in the centre of the boat. He carefully loweredthe rowlocks in place and began to row. How did he know which way to go?
Dad rowed for what seemed like hours. Jake’s stomach grumbled and he pulled out a sandwich from his pocket. He took a bite and suddenly thought, what if they were lost out here for days? He took two small bites and then put the rest back in his pocket. They could always eat raw fish if they were desperate. He was thirsty too, but they had only brought two small water bottles. Best to wait until they were really desperate. He imagined them drifting for days until they were finally rescued by a huge container ship, which would spot them just as it was about to plough over them and continue on its way.
He looked up. His father had stopped rowing. The wind had died down but the mist still surrounded them. It had become still and quiet as quickly as it had become rough. Jake shivered and half expected a ghost pirate ship to cruise silently by, with cutlasses and bare skullsleering at them, but they were all alone.
‘I’m not sure which direction we’re headed.’ Dad hung his head, as if he were ashamed.
‘It’s okay,’ said Jake. ‘We’ve got our life jackets on. And look, the wind has stopped. We’ll be fine.’ But he didn’t feel fine, and he knew his voice betrayed him. It was eerie out there on the water, who knew how far from home? And he had never seen his father look so unsure.
‘Hey,’ said his dad. He moved down to sit next to Jake. They huddled together. It was like a bad dream. Jake thought about what had happened the night before, at the beach. But that had been a dream, hadn’t it? Maybe it had happened. He found himself shuddering uncontrollably. Dad pulled him tight.
Then, in the stillness, they heard a splashing sound. Jake turned to look behind them and saw ripples in the water. Big ripples, not like the ones a fish leaves. Could it be … were there sharks out here? Things were going from bad to worse. At least the waves had gone, and theywere safe in their boat. But what if the shark was big enough to come up underneath them and tip them over?
He looked at the water below, but saw nothing. He closed his eyes. He would prefer not to see it coming, he decided.
‘Hello,’ said Dad. ‘Who have we got here?’
Jake opened his eyes and found himself looking down at a pair of shiny eyes in the water. A small seal floated beside the boat, staring at them. He smiled in relief. Not a shark, then.
The seal kept looking at them.
‘We’re lost,’ Jake said. ‘Can you help us get back to shore?’
The seal’s nose wrinkled, as though looking at them in disdain. It dived under the boat and disappeared.
‘I guess it wasn’t in the mood for helping us,’ said Dad, chuckling. But then his voice grew grave again. ‘We might just have to wait for the mist to clear and find out where we are.’ He looked into the sky. ‘If we could see the sun wecould work out which way was north.’ But the sky was a uniform grey, hanging heavily above them. It was so dark it felt as though night could fall at any moment, when in fact it was probably only lunchtime.
They sat waiting for another few minutes. Jake took another bite
But his father was having trouble with the outboard motor. It spluttered and coughed again and would only roar to life for a second before dying.
‘We’re going to have to row for it! Swap places.’ He had to shout over the sound of the wind and the sloshing of the waves. Jake moved to the stern while Dad took up his place in the centre of the boat. He carefully loweredthe rowlocks in place and began to row. How did he know which way to go?
Dad rowed for what seemed like hours. Jake’s stomach grumbled and he pulled out a sandwich from his pocket. He took a bite and suddenly thought, what if they were lost out here for days? He took two small bites and then put the rest back in his pocket. They could always eat raw fish if they were desperate. He was thirsty too, but they had only brought two small water bottles. Best to wait until they were really desperate. He imagined them drifting for days until they were finally rescued by a huge container ship, which would spot them just as it was about to plough over them and continue on its way.
He looked up. His father had stopped rowing. The wind had died down but the mist still surrounded them. It had become still and quiet as quickly as it had become rough. Jake shivered and half expected a ghost pirate ship to cruise silently by, with cutlasses and bare skullsleering at them, but they were all alone.
‘I’m not sure which direction we’re headed.’ Dad hung his head, as if he were ashamed.
‘It’s okay,’ said Jake. ‘We’ve got our life jackets on. And look, the wind has stopped. We’ll be fine.’ But he didn’t feel fine, and he knew his voice betrayed him. It was eerie out there on the water, who knew how far from home? And he had never seen his father look so unsure.
‘Hey,’ said his dad. He moved down to sit next to Jake. They huddled together. It was like a bad dream. Jake thought about what had happened the night before, at the beach. But that had been a dream, hadn’t it? Maybe it had happened. He found himself shuddering uncontrollably. Dad pulled him tight.
Then, in the stillness, they heard a splashing sound. Jake turned to look behind them and saw ripples in the water. Big ripples, not like the ones a fish leaves. Could it be … were there sharks out here? Things were going from bad to worse. At least the waves had gone, and theywere safe in their boat. But what if the shark was big enough to come up underneath them and tip them over?
He looked at the water below, but saw nothing. He closed his eyes. He would prefer not to see it coming, he decided.
‘Hello,’ said Dad. ‘Who have we got here?’
Jake opened his eyes and found himself looking down at a pair of shiny eyes in the water. A small seal floated beside the boat, staring at them. He smiled in relief. Not a shark, then.
The seal kept looking at them.
‘We’re lost,’ Jake said. ‘Can you help us get back to shore?’
The seal’s nose wrinkled, as though looking at them in disdain. It dived under the boat and disappeared.
‘I guess it wasn’t in the mood for helping us,’ said Dad, chuckling. But then his voice grew grave again. ‘We might just have to wait for the mist to clear and find out where we are.’ He looked into the sky. ‘If we could see the sun wecould work out which way was north.’ But the sky was a uniform grey, hanging heavily above them. It was so dark it felt as though night could fall at any moment, when in fact it was probably only lunchtime.
They sat waiting for another few minutes. Jake took another bite
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