by EMA LEE
As I got closer, I started to notice rocks on the ground. The water was starting to get shallow. I put my feet down on the rocks and started to lift my body out of the water and walk to the shore. I turned around and looked at the coast that I started out on.
“Holy Crap, I made it to the island!”
I shouted out loud in joy. I turned around and looked at the island. It was small and isolated. Palm Trees were surrounding the outside making it impossible to see the center of the island. I started to walk further into the center of the island. Once I passed the palm trees I saw a waterfall that fell into a little pool of water. The waterfall was so pretty I decided I wanted to take a closer look. I jumped in the water I started to swim towards the waterfall.
Once I made it I ducked my head to go under the falling water and came up on the other side. There was a hidden cave at the back of the water fall. I climbed up the rock and walked into the cave. It was small and empty, but it had a homey feeling to it as well. I felt like I would use it for something special one day, but I didn’t know what. After looking in the cave and admiring the waterfall I continued to walk to the center of the island.
I continued to pass trees until I arrived at the center of the island. There were two cliffs side by side. I’m going to climb up them with nothing to protect me. As I approached the cliff I looked up and realized how high it was.
“I must be out of my mind”
I mumbled under my breath as I grabbed onto a crack in the cliff, it felt like my fingers had completely latched on to the rock. I started to climb.
“Wow, this isn’t too bad! I feel really great!”
After that I made the mistake of turning around and looking at the ground. I was far up!
“I’m going to die….” I shouted.
Realizing I just set myself up for my own death. I looked back up and realized I was only inches away from the top of the cliff. I continued to climb and finally reached the top.
“I did it, I’m alive.” I said in relief.
I just climbed this cliff with no clothes, no shoes, and no gear. I wasn’t breathing heavily, it was really easy. I was able to climb it all by myself. This world really does make me different. The Earth gives me power and strength that I could never imagine. I looked up and saw another cliff directly across from where I was. I wonder if I could jump to it. I stood on the edge of the cliff and looked at the other side. It looked like it was about seventy feet away.
I turned around and started walking to give myself some space to build up enough speed to jump. I stopped turned around and took a few deep breaths.
“Alright, here I go” I told myself, but my feet wouldn’t move.
“Okay, I’m going to jump this time.”
I started to run until I reached the end of the cliff then stopped.
“You coward” I said to myself.
I turned around and walked back to create enough space again. I closed my eyes and saw Sarah stuck under the rock, the captain beating up the Officers. Thinking about that stuff made me angry. Jumping was now or never. I opened my eyes and started to run as fast as I could. Once I reached the edge of the cliff I jumped. I felt like I was flying in the air. I felt so much power and strength. I felt great! I landed on the other side of the cliff.
“Wahoo! I did it! Take that cliff!”
I said looking back at the cliff I jumped from. I had done something no human could possibly do. I decided that would be enough training for the morning and that I would come to the island every morning to train myself. I walked through the Palm Trees back to the ocean.
I jumped back into the water and started to swim to the coast. Once I reached the coast I put my clothes back on and pulled out my note pad and pen again and started to write:
Strengths
Speed
Endurance
Jumping
Powers
1.Healing
Super Lungs
I put the note pad and pen back into my pocket and started to run back to the house. When I arrived, mother putting new windows on our house.
“What do you think Astra?” she said proudly.
“I love them mom! Now the wind won’t be able to get us while we sleep” I responded.
“I know! It sure will be nice staying warm in the middle of the night. How was your morning?” She asked.
I didn’t want her to know what I had been doing, she would totally flip out.
“Oh, it was good. I just went running then took a swim in the ocean this morning.” I told her.
“I see, so do you ever see that Dillan guy anymore? I thought he was a cute guy.” She said smiling at me.
“Mom, we’re just friends. And I am seeing him and some friends this afternoon to go surfing”.
Mother smiled,
“You don’t know how to surf.”
I rolled my eyes at her
“I know I don’t know how to surf mom. He is going to teach me how. Then we are going to have a bon fire on the beach so you don’t need to wait up for me tonight.”
“Alright” said mom
“Be safe Astra. Go get those waves!”
I kissed her good bye and headed out to the spot where Dillan and his friends always surf.
Surfs Up
Cali was there sitting on a chair eating a bag of chips.
“Hey Stra!”
I didn’t even see Dillan. He was running up to shore from the ocean.
“Ready to hit some waves?” he asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t have a board” I told him.
“That’s okay! This here is Josh, he makes surf boards and I had him make one for you!” Cali said excitedly.
I looked over at Josh. He was a little shorter than Dillan and had Curly Golden hair. He looked like he had been out in the sun for a while. He was tan for the most part but I noticed some red spots on his chest and shoulders. He walked over to Cali and gave her a kiss on the lips then looked up at me.
“Hey Astra, Cali has told me so much about you! I’m Dillan’s best friend and Cali’s boyfriend.”
Well, that explains the kissing.
“It’s nice to meet you Josh. Um, thanks for my board.” I told him.
“No probs! It should ride pretty well out there!” Josh said.
“Okay! Get out on that water and show me some moves!” Cali said giving me a push towards the ocean with her legs.
Josh handed me the board and Dillan was waiting for me by the water.
“Let’s go Stra!” he yelled.
I stuck my tongue out at him and started to run towards the ocean. We entered the water then stopped once the water reached our knees.
“Okay, now you’re going to lay on your board Stra” Dillan said while getting onto his board.
I started to flop my tiny body onto the board.
“Nice! You did that pretty well.” Dillan said.
“Now you’re going to use your arms and start to paddle out past these waves. I usually push my board under the wave so I go under it. It makes it easier.”
He showed me an example and I started to do the same thing. Once we got out of the current we sat on our boards and waited for a big wave to come.
“So, I bet you ten bucks you fall before I do.” Dillan said reaching his hand out to mine.
“Oh, well I bet you twenty bucks I kick your butt at this.” I said.
I shook his hand and the bet was on, even though I was unsure of myself.
“Ha Ha you’re on Stra! Here comes a good wave get ready!”
I started to lay on my stomach and swim towards the shore. Once I felt the wave get a hold of me I started to pull myself up onto the board and stand up.
“Ah! I’m riding the wave” I yelled!
I could hear Cali and Josh cheering on the shore. I looked over and saw Dillan riding the wave with me. He looked over and was amazed that I got up on my first try. He started to lose his balance and fell backwards! I started to laugh and started to feel wobbly. Then I realized
I was going down too! I fell backwards and hit the water. Once I was under water I started to swim up to the surface and grab my board. I looked over at Dillan who was swimming towards me and shouted
“You owe me twenty bucks!”
He smiled,
“How about I owe you a date” He responded.
A date? I’ve never been on a date.
“You and me. Monday night! I will show you the best of this town” He yelled.
I really wanted to go with him. Plus this was a chance to redeem myself from our night at the beach the other day.
“Alright! It’s a date!” I yelled back.
We reached the shore and started walking towards Cali and Josh. Cali jumped out of her chair and started to scream while running at me.
“You did it Astra! You looked like a natural out there!”
She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me as tight as she could.
“Thanks Cali! I felt really good out there!” I told her.
“Not to mention she was a total babe riding that wave.” Dillan said while walking past us.
I could feel my face blush.
“Come on! Let’s go surf!”
Cali said pulling my arm so I’d follow her to the ocean. We surfed until the sun started to set. Then we all went to shore and started to put a bunch of chairs in a circle around a fire pit that Josh and Dillan had made in the sand.
“How many chairs are we going to need Cali?” Josh asked.
I could tell he was pretty worn out after a long day.
“Oh, just a couple more” She replied.
“A couple more? That makes nine people. Who did you invite?” Dillan asked.
Cali started to count to nine on her fingers.
“Well, there are all of us. That makes four. My little brother and his girlfriend are coming and Josh’s sister and two new guys I met at the surf shop. That makes nine!”
I went to sit on a chair and Cali came and sat next to me holding a bag.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“I have some chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers for S’mores!” she said while pulling them out to show me.
I don’t know what that is. It’s all food so I’m guessing we are just going to eat it. I don’t know why they would call it a s’more though.
“Hey Cal-hoon!”
A guy with short curly blonde hair and a girl with red hair started to walk towards us. Cali jumped up and walked over to greet them. They started to walk over towards Josh, Dillan, and me.
“Drake, this is my official new best friend Astra. She’s new in town.”
Drake looked over and nodded his head.
“Astra, this is my little brother Drake and his girlfriend Stacy.” Cali proceeded to say.
I smiled and waved at them.
“It’s really nice to meet you guys!”
They then walked over to sit in the chairs that were next to Cali and Josh which left me and Dillan alone.
“So, do you want to make some s’mores? I’m starving!” Dillan asked.
I looked at him with a guilty face.
“What, haven’t you heard of s’mores?”
I looked down at my feet and started digging them in the sand.
“No way! Astra, get ready to live! I am about to teach you how to make the greatest thing you will ever eat.”
Dillan walked over to a tree that was nearby and tore off two branches. He started walking over to Cali and grabbed the bag of food and came back and sat next to me.
“Alright, do as I do.” He said.
He grabbed the stick and put a marshmallow on it. He then handed me a marshmallow and I put it on my stick.
“Now what?” I asked.
He smiled and scooted a little closer to me.
“Now you put it in the fire.”
He put his hand over mine and guided it towards the fire.
“Oh.. So we burn the marshmallow.” I said.
“What? No.. You just roast it!” he exclaimed.
I started laughing really hard.
“Why are you laughing?” Dillan asked.
“Your marshmallow is on fire!” I said pointing at his marshmallow in the fire.
He quickly pulled it out and started blowing on it.
“Okay, maybe that wasn’t a good example.” He said.
We both started laughing.
“I think your marshmallow is ready.”
Dillan pulled out the chocolate and put it on top of graham cracker.
“Okay, bring your stick this way and put it on top of the chocolate.” He instructed.
I pulled my marshmallow out of the fire and put it on the chocolate like he told me to. Dillan put another graham cracker on top of the marshmallow and pulled it away from my stick.
“Alright, you ready to try it?” he said handing me the s’more.
“I guess I am!” I responded.
I grabbed the s’more out of his hands and put it up to my mouth and took a bite. It was warm, and super sticky. I could feel the melted chocolate drip on my tongue. It was delicious!
“Here, take a bite.” I said as I handed Dillan my s’more.
He took it out of my hands and took a bite.
“Okay now give it back!” I said pulling it out of Dillan’s hands.
Dillan started laughing
“Not cool Stra!”
I then tore off a little piece of my s’more and gave it to him.
“Hey Dillan!”
A girl with beach blonde hair started walking towards us and sat down next to Dillan.
“Oh, hey Alison”
Dillan didn’t sound too happy to see her. He then looked at me and introduced me.
“Astra, this is Alison, Josh’s sister. Alison this is Astra, she’s new in town.”
I smiled at her and she rolled her eyes at me then turned to Dillan.
“So Dillan, when are we going to go out again? It’s been way to long!” She said while touching his arm.
I started to feel uncomfortable in the situation so I stood up and started to walk towards the ocean. I really liked Dillan, but now I’m not sure how he feels at all. I didn’t know what the relationship he had with Alison was.
“Astra?”
I heard a guy’s voice behind me, it sounded very familiar. I turned around and saw two men walking towards me. It was too dark to tell who it was.
“It’s me, Dean, from boarding school.”
That’s when it clicked. Dean was from on planet Saruta. I started to walk towards him. Dean was the typical tall, dark and handsome guy everyone loved. He had short brown hair and deep brown eyes. You could almost get lost in them if you looked too long. I turned to look at the man next to him. He was also tall but much whiter and thinner. He had short dirty blonde hair that stuck up from his hair gel. He also wore glasses but you could see those light blue eyes behind them. He looked familiar but I couldn’t put a name with his face.
“Hi…” I said.
“Shane. I’m with Dean.”
He said as he pointed to Dean. There seemed to be a long pause. It seemed weird that Shane and Dean would hang out. Dean was a total jock and Shane was a total nerd, I guess it didn’t really matter. The point is they survived and are on Earth now.
“So does anyone know where you came from?” Dean asked.
“No, I have kept that a secret. What about you guys?”
Shane looked at Dean then back at me.
“Everyone thinks we are human.”
“Did you come with anyone?” Dean asked.
“It’s just me and my mother.”
Dean looked relieved knowing I wasn’t alone.
“Are your families with you guys?” I asked.
They both smiled.
“Luckily my parents made it safe with me. And Shane’s dad and brother are here too.” Dean said.
That makes eight of us. There are two others who weren’t captured and the Captain was one of them. Who could the other survivor be? I gu
ess that would just remain a mystery for now. I realized I was thinking a lot while they were staring at me.
“I’m glad you guys are safe with your families.” I said.
I then thought about the things I was capable of doing and thought about mentioning it to them. I had to.
“So, have you guys noticed anything unusual that your body does here that it didn’t do back on Saruta?”
The look on Dean and Shane’s face was a look of comfort. Dean smiled and immediately said
“Yeah! I’ve noticed I’m way better at basketball here. I got mad hops!”
I started to laugh, and then I looked at Shane.
“I’ve gained more intellectual activity while being here on Earth.”
That made me realize, maybe all of us have different strengths and powers here.
“Tomorrow morning at 4 A.M. meet me here. And don’t be late.” I said.
They looked at each other and then at me.
“Okay. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Dean said.
They started to take off to go home and I looked back at the fire. Cali and Josh were snuggling in a blanket by the fire. Cali’s brother and his girlfriend had left. Then I looked over at Dillan who was still sitting next to Alison, but was staring directly at me. He got up off his chair and walked over to me.
“She seems nice” I said while looking at Alison who was looking at us.
“She is nice, but we are just friends.” Dillan responded.
“Oh, well I think she might be a good catch for you.” I told him.
“You may think that, but there is someone else I’ve been dying to be with.” He said.
I looked at him and he was staring into my eyes. I felt like butterflies were flying everywhere in my stomach.
“So, you still gonna take me on that date Monday?” I said with a smile.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” he said as he grabbed my hand.
