QUEEN MARABELLA ISLAND(7)
1342 Words
CHAPTER SEVEN
The speedboat cut smoothly across Oceania, the water catching the last light of the sun and scattering it in molten ripples. The sky deepened into shades of gold and rose, streaked with the first hints of violet. Monica leaned over the edge, letting the wind whip her hair, laughing like a child.
“Captain Elina!” she called, saluting playfully. “Take us to the treasure!”
Elina grinned, flicking the wheel just enough to make the boat swerve. Monica squealed and held onto Annalise’s arm, both of them laughing.
But Clara sat stiff near the stern, her hands tight in her lap. The beauty around her did little to soothe the unease curling in her stomach. Every splash against the hull reminded her of how far they were drifting from the safety of the port. The island, looming larger with every passing second, felt less like an adventure and more like a warning.
The speedboat slid onto the sand with a soft crunch, and Elina cut the engine. For a heartbeat, silence pressed in, only the wind and waves breaking against the shore.
“Wait…” Annalise’s voice cut through as she pointed down the beach.
Another speedboat rested there, its bow tilted slightly as it rocked with the tide. The rope tethered to a crooked driftwood post swayed with the pull of the waves.
“Whose boat is that?” Monica asked, curiosity sparking in her tone. “Do you think it’s abandoned?”
Elina stepped closer, shading her eyes against the sun. She studied the boat, walking a few paces in the sand before glancing back at them. “It doesn’t look abandoned. Lines are tied neat, and the hull’s clean. Whoever came here wasn’t careless.”
Clara’s gaze lingered on it, unease curling in her stomach. The sight of another boat should have meant safety, but instead it only deepened her sense of dread.
Monica clapped her hands once, as if to shake it off. “Forget it. Whoever they are, they’re not here now. Let’s focus on our own adventure before we run out of daylight.”
The others nodded, and they began walking along the beach, sand sticking warm and grainy to their feet.
For the first time, Clara really took in the island. The shore curved gently, framed by tall palms swaying lazily in the breeze. A line of jagged rocks jutted out to the right, their dark edges softened by sprays of white foam. Beyond the beach, the forest rose dense and green, its canopy whispering with the wind.
Monica spun around in excitement, arms spread wide. “Can you believe it? The infamous Queen Marabella Island and here we are! People back home would swear you’d vanish if you set foot here.”
Annalise gave a small, amused snort. “Well, we haven’t vanished yet.”
Elina bent to pick up a shell, holding it up, so the sun gleamed across its spiral. “Superstitions are always louder than truth. Look around, this place is incredible.”
Clara forced a smile, nodding along with the others. But the smile never reached her eyes. Her chest felt tight, as if the island itself was quietly watching. The more her friends laughed, the more she tried to mask her fear, pretending to share their excitement, while inside, every step felt like she was walking deeper into a warning.
They fanned out slowly, each girl pulled toward something different.
Monica crouched near the waterline, skimming flat pebbles between her fingers. “Watch this!” she called, flicking one across the surface. It bounced twice before sinking with a plop. She let out a dramatic sigh. “Record-breaking throw, right?”
“World record for shortest distance,” Elina teased, grinning as she bent to try herself. Her stone skipped four times, neat little ripples spreading across the water.
Monica groaned. “Okay, fine. Captain Elina wins again.”
Up ahead, Annalise had scrambled onto a low ledge of rocks, using one hand to shield her eyes. “The view from up here is amazing,” she called down. “You can see half the coastline.”
Clara trailed behind, her steps slower, her eyes tugged again and again toward the tree line. The forest looked alive in ways she couldn’t explain, branches shifting when no wind blew, shadows slipping too quickly across the ground. She hugged her arms around herself and tried to laugh when Monica beckoned her over.
“Come on, Clara! Don’t look so serious. It’s just trees and waves.”
She managed a small smile, but it was the kind of smile that trembled at the edges, the kind you wear when you’re trying not to show fear.
Clara edged closer to the rock ledge where Annalise stood.
Clara’s scream tore through the stillness as her foot slipped on the uneven rock. A hand shot out, steady and quick, catching her wrist before she could fall. Clara’s breath hitched as she blinked up into the face of a girl she had never seen before, dark curls spilling over her shoulder, sharp eyes steady on hers.
“Are you alright?” the girl asked, pulling her back onto firm ground.
Clara’s heart hammered, her face flushed with both fear and embarrassment. Before she could answer, the others came running.
The first girl gave a small, reassuring smile, still steadying Clara. “Don’t worry. We’re not ghosts.”
Elina slowed as she reached them, relief softening her features. She smirked, glancing between Clara and the stranger. “Damsel in distress again? At this rate, Clara, you’re going to need your own knight on speed dial.”
Clara shot her a look, but the heat on her cheeks only deepened.
Monica’s relief turned quickly into curiosity as she spotted the strangers.
It was then Annalise noticed the second girl standing a step behind, arms folded, observing quietly. Curiosity flickered in Annalise’s eyes as she gestured toward her. “Wait. That speedboat we saw earlier…is it yours?”
The first girl released Clara’s wrist and nodded. “Yeah. Mine.”
“Yours?” Annalise pressed. “There aren’t more of you here, are there?”
The second girl shook her head. “Just us two.”
The first girl gave a small, reassuring smile. “I’m Miranda, and this is Beyoncé.”
Introductions passed quickly, though Clara felt a strange prickle when Miranda’s gaze lingered on her.
Beyoncé went on, brushing sand from her hands. “We’d been ready to head back hours ago, but our engine refused to start. Tried everything. And with no signal here, contacting anyone was impossible.”
“We’ve been stranded for three hours now. I thought I caught a bar of signal where you were standing” her eyes flicked towards Clara…“but it disappeared before I could send anything,” Miranda added, her voice low but clear.
Miranda’s words hung in the air, heavy with unease.
Monica pulled out her phone and frowned at the empty screen. “She’s right. No service here either.”
Elina glanced past them toward the distant curve of the beach where their speedboat rested, anchored just offshore. Her expression shifted, part curiosity, part determination. “If your engine’s the problem, I want to check it out. Could be something minor.”
Annalise arched a brow. “You think you can fix it?”
Elina smirked faintly. “Well, it won’t fix itself.” She started walking back toward the beach, tossing the words over her shoulder. “I’ll grab tools first, then we’ll take a look.”
Monica tapped her phone again, tilting it skyward as though that might coax out a signal, but the screen stayed blank. She sighed. “No service anywhere. Great.”
The others exchanged glances before following, Beyoncé and Miranda trailing behind. Clara lagged the most, her gaze flicking uneasily between Beyoncé and Miranda and the anchored boats. Something about the whole situation pressed down on her chest, like the ocean itself was holding its breath.
- Writer
