Stranded

Chapter 3

I woke up with a sudden start. Midnight was wanting out of my room and startled my slumber with her incessant scratches at the door, attempting to escape. I got up out of bed and started to turn the doorknob. But when I started to turn it, I had a feeling something was wrong. I couldn't feel the floor rocking as it usually does because of the ocean.

I decided something was wrong, so I picked up Midnight and tucked her under my arm. I started to twist the doorknob and heard birds chirping. I opened the door the rest of the way to find not the hallway of my boat house, but a sandy shore surrounded by the ocean and palm trees.

"Dad?" Silence.

"Dad? Where are you?!" Silence.

"DAD!" I was again answered with silence. This was Mom all over again.

~~~

I couldn't do it again. I couldn't imagine losing my father on top of all that has happened. My mom was my best friend, as any mom is to their daughter. So after my mother died-we thought since we could not find her body-my dad became my best friend-and my only friend. Dad and I decided to live on a boat instead of in our town.

As a 5 year old, that sounded like the coolest thing in the world to do, so I went along with the plan. I only had like 3 friends on land but it went alright without them. It was just me, my dad, and Midnight, and I liked it that way. I never wanted that to change, well most of the time. Not in this manner anyways. To bad life doesn't always give you want you want.

~~~

I clasped Midnight tighter in my arms to make sure she wasn't going anywhere.

"Midnight, I don't think we are on the ocean anymore," I said out loud, adding a laugh at the end of my very clever statement.

I shook off the laughs and looked around. I was all alone. I still couldn't believe Dad wasn't here. How'd I get here anyways?!

"Well, Midnight," I began to speak out loud once again. "We better start looking for food and water since we already have shelter, huh?"

Oh gosh. I have already started going crazy. I am talking to my cat.

"Oh!" I said, running back inside. I remembered I hid a stash of food in my room and I had like 5 water bottles in there, all more than half way full luckily.

I searched through my stash of food, finding 3 granola bars, 2 packs of gummies, a chocolate bar, and 7 cracker packages. I apparently hid a lot of crackers. I was lucky to have that much food, plus a pretty good supply of water.

"We will have to ration our supply until I figure something out," I said aloud to Midnight again. Surprisingly, she turned in my direction and meowed at me.

I took that as she was okay with it.

~~~

Around an hour later, it started raining. So I took my water bottles and decided to catch rain in them-as much as I could fit. Once all were filled to the brim, I went back inside, soaking wet. I grabbed a blanket I had on my bed and wrapped myself up in it.

"Oh Dad where are you?" I said aloud, only Midnight was asleep so she didn't hear me.

I curled up on my bed and slowly drifted off to sleep, only to have my father on my mind.

~~~

Why can't I have a normal life? Go to school, have friends, go on dates to the movies, and so on.

Instead, I'm still stranded on this island after 9 hours...hasn't Dad noticed something's wrong? He has to. Maybe he'll find wherever I am and rescue me.

Maybe.

Just maybe.