Uncharted Seas

Chapter 1

Abigail Spinner had always come across as strange to the people of Arkney. She was one of the very few people in their coastal fishing town who couldn't swim. And yet every summer would see her standing at the end of the pier, gazing out at the cerulean sea with eyes that seemed to reflect it, long waves of cinnamon coloured hair brushed behind her ears and her arms crossed, resting gently against the thick iron railing. She was almost glad they'd never asked her why.

"They say dad went out there," the teen would often think. "But they also say he hated water. So why was that how he left?"

The townspeople had their suspicions. While her sweet, devoted mother continued to wait patiently for his return, many others simply believed that he'd left her. Most of the others thought Carmen was crazy to wait for him, especially as almost 16 years had passed. The daughter the two had had together often worried that they were right.

She took a breath and stood up properly. There was no point in watching the boats either way- all it did was give her a headache. The sound of the crashing waves, the pull of the ocean below, the hundreds of thoughts that whirled in her head- she turned around, pulling her coral pink jacket on properly and zipping it up as she walked back towards the Cafe. "Slice of Life,"  it was called. Her friend was always amused by the name, and it had become a place Abigail often thought of when she needed to take some time to remember the good things in life. With their parents moving them to the other side of the world...well, it was likely she'd find herself going there much more often in the future.

She wasn't heading there now though. No- she'd just come from there a few minutes prior. Instead, she used it as a landmark to find her way back home. It was Sunday evening after all, and she needed to get everything ready for school tomorrow.

"Then it's the last week of term, and my last week of High School," She reminded herself as she called out in response to her mother's greeting. "Just this last week and we're going on a cruise."

~

Monday morning came by and she was as well prepared as always: she'd set her uniform out the day before- short sleeved shirt and black pleated skirt, her admiral blue rucksack was packed with her pencil case, purse, phone and earphones and she'd woken up at 6:50 as per usual. As she hugged Carmen goodbye, she smiled contentedly. Yes, she may be going to college after this, but one thing at a time. She walked the same route as usual and her routine went more or less the same: arrive at school, check her timetable in her locker and put away her jacket, and make her way through the crowded corridors to her first class. Everyone who crossed her path was greeted with a cheerful smile. Her bullies wouldn't dare to approach her here. They didn't want anyone else to know they had to pick on her to feel better about themselves. That would just be sad.

Finally, 3pm rolled around and she was able to leave. Her mother Carmen was at work, so she went for a stroll along the coast. She'd always been oddly drawn to the sea, and liked to watch the fishing boats, so she now knew the harbour like the back of her hand. Unfortunately, the bullies did too.

"Well well, didn't expect to see you here."

She turned around to see Ernest, the leader of the gang and the most frequent of her bullies.

"Ernest! Did you come to watch the boats as well?" She asked. She knew that he didn't, but this was the best she could do to fight back. Luckily for her, he didn't seem to understand her tactics, and snorted with laughter.

"Pfft- Are you really that dim? Who would come here to watch some silly old boats?"

"Me," she responded in a very matter-of-fact tone. "All the time. I quite like them actually."