Thursday 30 November 2017

Book Cover & Blurb

Tyler is a young girl from Auckland New Zealand. She is happy right where she is, in her overcrowded family home. A typical teenager, loves her phone, the mall and hanging out with her friends. So why should everything have to change?
Tyler is less than happy when her crazy family decides to go on a holiday on board a cruise ship. Something terrifying happens and she’s separated from her family. ‘The jet boats were lowered into the water and she ended up on one with a few teenagers who she’d never seen before.’ She never expected to go on a crazy adventure and make a life long friend, well maybe not life long...

Tuesday 28 November 2017

My Narrative/The Cursed Manaia

The Cursed Manaia

Tyler struggled vigorously sucking in water, choking. It’s teeth like daggers ripped into her leg. Seeing nothing but red, red from the blood spilling from her leg. Pain racking her leg feeling the puncture wounds the humongous beast had left in her thigh. She hadn’t seen it coming, she hadn’t been expecting it at all. Tears streamed from her eyes, instantly mixing with the salty water. She knew this was the end.


Chapter One - I Hate Holidays

“Errrhhh, Do I have to come? Can’t I just stay here? What about my job?” groaned Tyler halfheartedly already knowing she was fighting a losing battle.
“Tyler, how many times do we have to discuss this?  You can’t stay here! And you know I’ve already discussed this trip with your boss,” replied Mum firmly as she continued to scrub my younger sister vigorously. Tilly was struggling and screaming loudly turning her cute face into a scowl and opening her tiny mouth as wide as she could to reach maximum loudness. She had spilled sauce from her spaghetti all down the front of her favorite pink fairy dress and their mother was determined to get it off.
“Now stop complaining. This dress is going to have to go straight in the washing machine. It’s not like you can wear it anyway. It’s still freezing outside as it’s not summer yet,” her mother continued briskly.

Tyler groaned even louder than before. It was impossible to have an actual conversation with either of her parents. One of her four other siblings was always distracting them. Even if you woke up extra early in the morning, 7:30!
“Now go up stairs to your room and start packing, you can tell your brother and sisters that breakfast is ready while you are at it!” yelled Mum as she started making breakfast.
“Fine, fine,” Tyler muttered under her breath starting to stamp heavily up the wooden steps. She had known right from the start it was a fight she was going to lose. Her friends thought she was crazy not wanting to go on a cruise ship. They didn’t understand what it was like to have a massive family, they thought it would be cool to be able to look after little kids all the time.

As Tyler continued to stomp up the stairs her long blonde shiny hair glinted in the light as it swung side to side in rhythm with her steps. Her black converse shoes stamped a beat on the wooden steps. Her hands played with the bottom of her woolen sweater as she turned the corner and her rips in her black skinny jeans caught on a rogue clothes hanger dangling from the banister. Sending her flying. Her long gangly legs flew into unco-ordinated positions and her bright blue eyes glinted with anger as she picked herself off the stairs rubbing her knee.

Her mother sighed heavily causing her long colorful dress to swing in sync with her long blonde plait that reached all the way down her back. She used the breathing exercises that she learnt in her yoga class last week to calm down. As she prepared her own vegetarian breakfast she wished her husband wasn’t out buying a new hat to match his holiday suit. He knew exactly how to deal with out of control children as he managed to stay calm and collected while he knew all his kids were physically safe.

Tyler continued to stomp upstairs to her room and yelled into Jonis's (her brothers) room, “Wake up boofhead Mum’s making breakfast!”. When he didn’t respond she picked up one of his rogue soda stained pillows from his messy floor and threw it at his head.
“Ouch! What the…?” He mumbled blearily from the tangled mass of sheets and blankets on his bed. His room was a mess of music equipment, chip packets, soda bottles and other boyish rubbish.

I continued on to my sister’s room, to my great surprise Jacky was already awake.
“Why are you awake so early?” I asked suspiciously. It’s not like she’d never woke up extra early to steal cookies or chips for the kitchen cupboards. I wondered what was wrong with my family. Were they all obsessed with junk food?
“Tilly woke me up first thing. She needed help putting on her stupid dress,” Jackie replied looking exhausted. “Why do I have to share with her??” Jackie asked sighing from her green duvet covered bed. She kicked a blue and black soccer ball and it flew across the room hitting a shelf full of barbies and fairy toys. The toys came down in an avalanche creating a pile on the fluffy pink rug.
“Well at least you’re not sharing with the goth monster. Mum keeps saying it’s just a faze but I’m not so sure,” I said knowingly suppressing a grimace as I walked out the wooden door tripping over a teddy bear wearing a purple dress and rainbow coloured wings.

Finally I reached the room I shared with my younger sister Lisa. I personally reckoned I had the worst part of the bargain as Lisa wanted to be a goth. She only wore black or deep purple and spent all her pocket money on buying black eyeliner which frequently got smudged on things. Although on the other hand she was the only other one in the family who didn’t want to go on holiday. However Lisa had a different motive. Her reason was to keep her pale complexion. Also not so long ago she had dyed her own blonde hair black and wasn’t sure whether the colour would be affected by the water. She was worried that her makeup would smudge in the hot weather on board the cruise ship.

Our room had a piece of masking tape right down the middle to split our room in half. Lisa’s side was all either black or purple and so neat and pristine that it looked like she didn’t even live here. Her half had vampire figurines and novels stacked tidily on separate shelves of a bookcase. On another shelf was her makeup (which there was a lot of) as she had to make herself look extremely pale. A black fake fur rug lay on the ground and various posters of people that she aspired to be like hung upon the walls.

My side of the room however was a different story. It wasn’t exactly a rainbow unicorn factory (Unlike Tilly’s), but it had way more color than Lisa’s side. Also it wasn’t half as neat, I had dirty clothes gathered in a pile in the middle of my floor. My clothes were hanging out of my jammed packed drawers and my desk was covered in paper, books, pens and pencils. My rubbish bin was overflowing with screwed up bits of paper. Also my half packed suitcase was lying on the floor looking miserable only just poking out from under my unmade bed.

When I entered the room I thought I was alone as there was nobody in sight. However when I reached out and opened the cupboard to look for my coat to pack into my suitcase. I found my creepy sister curled up in the dark. “Arrrgggghhh!” I yelled. “What are you doing!?”
“Dreaming of a world of darkness,” Lisa replied calmly before handing me my coat and climbing out. “Has mother made our morning banquette?” she asked weirdly
“If you mean breakfast then yeah,” I responded looking sceptical. She walked stiffly and slowly towards the door and out into the hall without another word. I shook my head as I
folded up my coat and placed it onto my unmade bed.

It took over an hour an hour and a half for me to finish packing my bags. I felt exhausted. Who knew preparing for something that was supposed to give you a break would make you even more tired? By this stage I could hear mum was calling from outside that we were going to be late and miss their chance at a holiday. “I wish,” I murmured to myself quietly as I peered out of my small cracked window. I watched a wax eye bird flutter from branch to branch I sighed heavily before thumping down our two flights of stairs. It wasn’t like I didn’t want them to go on holiday, I just didn’t want to go myself.

I heard mum yelling (even louder than before) so I made sure I slammed the bright red front door as loudly as I could. Before storming down the gravel path and opening the creaky rusted gate. I jumped in the car and watched my youngest sister wave goodbye to our three story house, that had paint peeling from it like rain down a windowsill. I knew then that I wouldn’t be the only one who’d miss the comforts of our home as my sisters bright blue eyes watched the house until it was out of sight. Little did I know that it would be the last time I would see that house for a very, very, long time...


Chapter Two - The Ship

Soon enough we reached the busy docks “It looks like we won’t be the only ones on the boat,” Tyler thought to herself. She knew her siblings well enough to know that they’d be causing mischief with the complete strangers they would be spending the next few weeks with at the first chance they got. Their normally calm and collected father was obviously under a lot of stress as he struggled to keep their large family under wraps as they boarded the boat. Tilly was wailing mournfully as she watched a lady with a fluffy pink collared jacket disappear into the crowd from the clutches of her worried looking father’s arms.

They headed up the steps onto the boat and handed their tickets to the ticket master before stepping onto the boat itself. “Well it’s a lot larger than it looked on the advertisement,” Her Dad muttered excitedly under his breath. He would be looking forward to exploring the mass of the ship. So after dropping their bags quickly off at their rooms below deck they were dragged around the humongous boat for the rest of the day. They had two quick stops during the day (one to have lunch and one to have dinner) however both were very brief as their father didn’t want to miss out on anything that was going on onboard.

Finally their mother put her foot down and decided it was time for bed. They ambled back to their rooms and climbed into bed. They were all wearing shorts and T-shirts as they weren’t prepared for the warm nights. Almost everyone fell asleep at once, Tyler however could not sleep she listened to her sister snoring in the bed next to her. Tyler tossed and turned for what felt like hours and when she finally decided to just get up and go for a walk at half past ten.

She grabbed her jacket, shoes and a blanket in case she wanted to sit somewhere. She snuck quietly out the door so she wouldn’t wake her siblings. She walked past the dining area, game centre, and the pool. After walking for a while longer she realised the boat wasn’t moving. She stared out at the beautiful water and glimpsed an island in the distance. Tyler wanted to remember this moment forever. She felt her eyes beginning to close so she ambled back to their room.

When she woke the next morning she found that her family had all already left. “Yes,” she thought to herself, “that would mean she’d get the day to herself.” She could do whatever she wanted. She slipped into her togs as she suspected she’d be checking out the pool sometime that day. She then put on her favorite pair of short ripped dungarees with a singlet underneath. She knew it was going to be another hot day. She pulled back her silky blonde hair into a ponytail and tucked some loose strands behind her ears.

Right first official day of holidays here I come, I thought to myself. I made my bed as tidily as I could before grabbing an apple from a bowl in the shiny modern kitchen. I almost skidded on the polished tiles as I headed towards the front door.


Chapter Three - Freedom

She wandered across the polished deck of the boat and happened to come across a sign that said: WAKEBOARDING! COME AND HAVE A GO AT 11 O’CLOCK TODAY! WETSUITS AND BOARDS WILL BE PROVIDED in bright blue writing. Tyler felt excited, “Why not?” she thought. She checked her watch: 10:43. Perfect timing.

She headed over to the stand next to the sign and was given a wetsuit her size. It only had short legs but it had full length sleeves so if she fell in she wouldn’t be too cold. The guy in charge had bright orange spiky hair and a face covered in freckles. He told her about the safety rules and asked her her age. When she replied sixteen he didn’t question her further. Only then did she realise she hadn’t told any of her family she was going. “Oh well,” she thought, “they wanted me to have fun,”.

The jet boats were lowered into the water and she ended up on one with a few teenagers who she’d never seen before. She had to wait a while before it was her turn. She didn’t mind though as it was fun to watch the people on the cruise ship and she also got to watch everyone else have a go. Tyler liked especially that she had a clear view of an island not too far away. She searched the island for people but saw no one “Hmmmm,” she wondered out loud “I wonder what that island called?”
“Oh. That’s Manaia Island. People say that that was where they used to go to send messages from the human world to the soul world,” The orange haired guy replied knowingly.
“Oi! You! It’s your turn now!” The boat driver called.

So she stood up and walked to the back of the boat wobbling a every bump of turn. The boat slowed down and she hopped on the board floating behind the boat without even getting wet. She grabbed the black handle attached to the multi-coloured rope. “You ready?” The boat driver called.
“Yup!” she yelled feeling a little more nervous. She managed to stand up many times. She was just getting the hang of it when Crash! The jet boat crashed into a rock when one of the teenagers grabbed the wheel...

SPLASH! She smashed into the water. As she had never really learnt to swim she was beginning to be dragged down, panic struck her and she realised how stupid she’d been when SMASH! A wave hit her and she didn’t get a chance to catch her breath. She smacked her head on a rock. Suddenly all she saw was red. That was the last thing she remembered...


Chapter Four - Surviving

The others on the boat were all picked up. However none of them had remembered Tyler as she hadn’t spoken to any of them. They were all in one group and had been having so much fun that they hadn’t even noticed her. So nobody realised she hadn’t been picked up.

When Tyler woke from her terrible nightmare she found she was soaking and not only that she was freezing. “Huh?” she thought blearily “How did I get here? What happened?” Then the pounding in her head overcame her she realized what had happened. “Oh no! The boat did crash!” She couldn’t believe it “What have I done?” She muttered to herself she’d better get back to the boat A.S.A.P! That’s when it all went from bad to worse she looked up expecting to see the cruise ship and saw nothing. Yes that’s right nothing. The boat was gone.

Suddenly panic struck Tyler like she had never felt before “What am I going to do?” she yelled out loud. Then quickly grew silent as the sudden noise was eerie. Tyler’s head was pounding and not only because her hair was sticking to the almost dry blood on her head, but also because she had so many thoughts flicking to her attention. She paced up and down the damp sand trying to come up with a reasonable plan of action.

She finally decided what to do. She knew she only had a certain amount of time before it would be dark and when it was dark it would be cold. She then headed into the bush, she would need some kind of shelter to sleep in. She managed to drag some reasonable sized branches into a clearing about twenty metres from the beach, she propped them up against each other to form a kind of tepe. She spent the next few hours gathering dark green ferns and making a roof, walls, and floor from them.

Once this was finished she felt quite proud of herself and as darkness was beginning to descend she became quite worried. She felt rather warm now as she had been working hard all day. However she knew that during the night she would become very cold especially as she didn’t have a nice warm bed to climb into.

However she climbed into her mock bed of green, prickly, large ferns (that weren’t very comfortable) and tried to imagine herself back on the boat with her family. She knew that they’d be wondering where she was soon or maybe they’d already realised she wasn’t there. Oh how she wished she’d at least apologised to her mother about not wanting to come on the trip. With these thoughts drifting lazily around her mind she slipped into a deep sleep.

When she woke the next morning she woke up to a shocking sight. A small green and cocoa brown lizard was blinking up at her from the edge of her bed of ferns. “AAAHHHHH!” She screeched loudly to nobody but herself and the lizard.
“Buurrrr!” The lizard shrieked in reply. It scattered as fast as it could. She realised she’d been stupid, a tiny little lizard wouldn’t hurt her. It was probably more scared of her than she was of it. She tried to tell herself she hadn’t really been scared. It was just the shock of it’s big blinking eyes.

She stretched her arms and climbed out of her spiky bed. Today she would need to focus on finding food. She hadn’t eaten at all yesterday and if she didn’t find food and water soon she didn’t think she’d make it back to her family. She pulled off her wetsuit and was now glad that she had left her togs and singlet on underneath.

She walked through the green leaved Nikau Palm trees and large leafy ferns to the sandy beach. Hopping over cool stones and sticks. She dipped her sandy toes into the refreshing crystal blue water glinting in the sun. Something a little further out caught her eye. Half buried in the sand there was something that looked like a necklace.


Chapter Five - The Necklace

She waded carefully out further into the chilling water until she was was up to her shoulders. The waves lapped her neck and she bent down to reach for the necklace. Her excited shimmering blue eyes opened wide under the salty water. The salt stung her eyes but she dove down and reached for the necklace and grabbed it in her hand. She clutched it in her hand before pushing off the sandy bottom. Her shining blonde head broke the surface of the water and her mouth opened wide gasping for breath. That was when it happened…

The shark came from nowhere. In the split second she took to close her eyes as she broke the surface of the water the humongous Great White Shark lunged at her legs. It was at least two metres long. She didn’t stand a chance.

Tyler struggled vigorously sucking in water, choking. It’s teeth like daggers ripped into her leg. Seeing nothing but red, red from the blood spilling from her leg. Pain racking her leg feeling the puncture wounds the humongous beast had left in her thigh. She hadn’t seen it coming, she hadn’t been expecting it at all. Tears streamed from her eyes, instantly mixing with the salty, red water. She thought it was the end…

She felt the shark pulling her further down. Everything was beginning to go black around the edges. Everything was fading from view. Suddenly she saw a splash in the water above. She saw a dark figure powering through the water towards her. This was the last thing she remembered seeing before everything faded to complete darkness.

Tyler rocked side to side murmuring in her sleep. “No, Don’t! Let me go,” she groaned dreaming of the attack that had happened only the day before. Slowly her groans subsided and she grew quiet. A new dream had come into her mind. She dreamt of the necklace she had found half buried in the sand. The necklace seemed cursed. The second she picked it up she had been attacked.

When Tyler’s eyes blinked open she realised she was somewhere unfamiliar. Brightly coloured leaves hung from the ceiling of the already low hut. The floor and walls were made from thin logs rolled tightly together with large gaps to let air in. She blinked violently thinking she must be dreaming. There was a bed of fern and some other fluffy plant she’d never seen before piled messily on the floor. Somebody else had been here, someone she didn’t know.

Tyler threw back the patched quilt and stumbled clumsily out of the second bed. Only to collapse heavily on the floor with a BANG! Her leg had collapsed under the weight of her body. Bleeding through the thick white bandage wrapped around her lower thigh and knee. She’d forgotten temporarily about how she’d been attacked by the shark, she’d thought it had just been a dream.


Chapter Six - Mac

That was when Mac came running in. Her wild and long braided hair flicked in her face with every step. Her camo green and brown singlet exposed her arms covered in cuts and bruises. A necklace with a thin brown string had a shiny stone Manaia hanging in the middle flung dangerously near her eye and thumped a steady beat on her tanned neck. Jealousy overcame Tyler. She had found that necklace. It was hers. Why was SHE wearing it?

“You’re awake then,” she murmured under her breath quietly before walked slowly over to Tyler. The sound of Mac’s voice brought Tyler back to reality.
“Who are you?” Tyler snapped loudly almost growling at Mac.
“Hello to you to,” she replied calmly still speaking quietly, “I’m Mac. Not much of a way to greet your rescuer I must say”
“Wait what? Yooouu, rescued, me? Tyler asked confused and sceptical not even trying to trust or understand Mac.
“We’ll have time for questions later but first I need to change those dressings and get you back into bed” Mac replied briskly suddenly sounding like a real nurse.

She grabbed Tyler’s arm with surprising strength causing Tyler to flinch violently. A look of confusion and concern crossed Mac’s face but she reached out and tucked her own arm under her back and legs. She carried her like a baby back to the cosy bed. Mac then headed to a makeshift chest and lifted a small bag from within. The bag was bright orange and had a white cross on the front. Obviously it was a First Aid Kit. Mac unzipped it and pulled some white material, strapping tape and a pair of nail scissors from within.

She placed it all on the bed and started slowly peeling the blood stained material from Tyler’s wound. Wide deep lines reaching from her knee to her hip leaked blood. Mac gently dabbed the marks with a damp cloth. Before wrapping her leg back up with the white material and holding the edges down with the strapping tape.
“There aallll better,” Mac commented cheerfully. Tyler had been silent throughout the entire process disgusted and terrified at her own leg. “Ughhhh thank you,” Tyler muttered.
Gulping down the lump in her throat she laid back resting her eyes. Throbs swelling in her leg sending throbs right through her spine and into her head. Out of breath she managed to ask if Mac had seen any sign of a cruise ship passing by.
“No I haven’t sorry” calmful Mac replied.

All of a sudden Tyler burst into tears. Thick salty tears stained her red cheeks as they rolled to the corner of her mouth. “I may never see my family again, there is no reception to call my parents, half of my leg got eaten by a shark. I may as well just die here. What’s the point in continuing my life if I’m never going to see my family again”. “Now, now let’s not worry about the future for I am sure your family will return for you. For now it is important that we focus on your leg.” Mac replied keeping her calm voice.”
“How do you do it!? How do you stay so calm on this stupid, boring, lonely island all on your own? How are you even alive knowing that nobody has even bothered to come and look for you?” Tyler screamed at her. “Trust me I would storm out of this stupid hut if only I could walk!”
“Are you finished?” Mac asked once again calm as ever.
“NO I’M NOT BLOODY FINISHED YOU CREEP!!!!!! WHY ARE YOU BEING SO NICE TO ME YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW ME! LEAVE ME ALONE! I ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT WHERE MY FAMILY IS! I love them and I never actually got to tell them that.” Screaming with rage as a tear rolled down my cheek causing me to break down in violent sobs that racked my whole body causing my breaths to become a raspy. Mac walked out of the hut between the fern fronds. I lay there for many moments trying to control my panic attack before drifting into a stressful sleep.

As the next morning came Mac arose from her corner bed. Bringing me two stick looking things. “Here.” She said with a serious look on her face.
“Uh what are these.’ Feeling confused I asked.
“Crutches. For your leg. You won’t be able to use them for a while so for a bit you’ll have to lean on me.”
“Thanks, I guess”
She was about to walk out of the hut when I managed to say
“Mac! Wait” She turned her head around followed by her body.
“I’m sorry for the way I treated you yesterday. Thanks for everything you. I probably wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t been there.”
Nodding her head Mac walked out.


Chapter Seven - Healing & Forgiving

Tyler did her best to heal her leg as fast as she could. As days went by although her leg began to heal, her lack of relationship with Mac didn’t. It was awkward so Tyler avoided conversations as much as possible and frequently pretended to be asleep when Mac walked in. However when the days turned to weeks she grew more reliant on Mac. Her leg was strong enough to walk on although not without help. So she was forced to lean heavily on Mac for support.

Tyler hated that Mac now had the necklace. She had found it. Not Mac. Although the more and more she thought about it: If she hadn’t seen the necklace she wouldn’t have been attacked by the shark. Maybe it was unlucky for whoever wore it. Maybe you could even say it was cursed.

Gradually she grew less and less reliant on Mac until she was at a stage where she could walk with just one crutch. Everyday she ventured further and further out into the bush exploring rugged tracks that lead to: a secluded beach cove, a rushing thundering waterfall and best of all a high mountain peak that showed a view of the entire island. It took her many weeks until she was strong enough to venture up the unstable track to the mountain peak as it took many hours without injury, but once she had conquered this challenge it truly was worth it. She spent many days lying in the long grass watching the ocean for any sign of somebody, anybody looking for her.

Those days made Tyler heal faster than ever before. As the weeks turned into months and then into years Tyler changed as a person. The island had changed her. Instead of thinking mournfully of how alone she felt she thought happily remembering the happy times she had spent with her friends and family.


Chapter Eight - The Boat

She remember the time when her best friend Sarah had tripped on the glossy tiles of the mall floor and split blueberry milkshake all over a nearby poodle. She remember the time in the park when her youngest sister had fallen in the pond and when her father had reached over to pull her out her had ended up being pulled in himself. He claimed he’d had to pull pond weeds out of his ears for weeks. Those were the times that made her laugh. She grew to appreciate what she had. Both her and Mac worked hard to get along and could even say they were friends now.

One day on Tyler’s twenty-first birthday they were sitting in the mountain top clearing watching the gulls swoop down into the sparkling turquoise wave snatching up colourful fish, when they saw something. It was a boat in the distance heading their way. It grew clearer as it came nearer to their lonely little island. The Manaia was written on it’s bright red side, it swayed back and forth and bobbed up and down as it was hit by the waves.

As the boat drew closer they saw something moving. They heard yells from onboard the boat. “They’re here! They’re here! They came back for me!!!!” Mac yelled. Recognition dawned on Tyler’s face her parents didn’t know she was here. Her parents didn’t have a boat. She clung onto the hope that it must be her parents as Mac’s parents hadn’t looked for her for way longer than her.

Both girls looked into each others eyes, in that moment they both new what the other was thinking. They clung desperately to the hope that it was somebody there for them. Suddenly madness flew into Tyler’s mind. If she could just get to the boat before Mac it would be her family.

They rushed to the track running madly down the hill. That was when it happened. She slipped on a flat faced rock. She reached out trying to grab something, reaching for anything to save her. Her hand grasped a root of a young sapling.

The sapling was ripped from the ground bringing small rocks with it. Not only were small rocks ripped from the hill but boulders came cascading down the mountain causing destruction to trees and anything below. One of those boulders landed heavily crushing her arm underneath. Mac cried out in pain and anguish.


Chapter Nine - Desperate

What was Tyler going to do? Mac wouldn’t last long enough for Tyler to go all the way down the mountain to find her family. What if her family left? She’d miss her chance. She knew what she should do, but surely family was more important than anything...

“Mac?” I called feeling confused and fearful. I couldn’t leave her. What was wrong with me? How did that thought even cross my mind.
“Tyler…” Mac croaked obviously in pain. Right I had to get my act together. I clambered carefully down the mountain holding onto roots and plants. I had to reach her, save her before it was too late. It was that necklace, that Manaia. It was cursed. The cursed Manaia.

Tyler shuffled carefully along a rock and used her legs to grip a tree and slide carefully down to the ledge where Mac lay trapped. Tyler had no idea what to do. She tried lifting the rock but every time she lifted it even a centimetre Mac would scream from the pain. Tyler had no experience dealing with situations like these.

“Grab that stick…” Mac croaked painfully. Even when it was Mac herself who was in trouble she was still helping Tyler. Tyler grabbed a strong stick. She jammed it under the log and used is as a lever. Mac crawled slowly oh so slowly.
“Hurry Mac. I don’t know how long I can hold it,” Tyler’s voice cracked under strain. Tyler lost her grip on the stick and it slipped through her fingers. Perfect timing. Mac had only just managed to get out of the way in time.
Tyler helped Mac to her feet. Slowly and steadily they made their way to the track. A journey that would normally take them fifteen minutes took an hour and a half. Every step Tyler thought they were one step closer to maybe seeing her family or maybe not.

Eventually they reached their camp where they had been living for many years now. Tyler gently helped Mac onto the bed. She grabbed some special white ointment to numb the pain and carefully rubbed it up and down Mac’s shaking arm. Mac’s face was as white as a sheet and there was sweat beads dripping from her forehead. The pain was becoming too much.

Tyler took a small white pill from the first aid kit and she grabbed her hollowed out bamboo drink bottle from the hook on the door. “Swallow this,” she commanded in a confident voice. She knew that Mac was on the verge of breaking down and she knew that if she showed even a slight sign of weakness she wouldn’t be able to get back the composure she now had.

She could see Mac slowly drifting off and just as Tyler felt sure she was asleep she heard a voice frail and faint “Ddddon’t llleeeave mmme,” Mac stuttered shivering.
“Of course I won’t,” Tyler replied reassuringly as she pulled the patched duvet cover over past Macs shoulders. Mac’s eyes closed and her breathing became louder and heavier. Tyler’s footsteps were silent as she crept from the battered hut...


The End
By Aleece