Death on Holiday

Chapter 10

Emily's P.O.V

It all begin just after 11:30am. The boats had left for the mainland, and the people who'd wanted to head to the volcanic island had been there for around two hours. Me and Pheobe were completing some origami in our kids club (more like a teens' nightclub). Pheobe, though, was beginning to feel a little seasick. The waves were getting choppier. I could feel the floor rocking below my feet and seat.

"Got any seasickness tablets?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "I forgot to put them in my purse. They're back in our room".

I thought for a second, folding a tricky part on my origami dinosaur. "Don't they say to watch the horizon?" I casually said.

I didn't realise my mistake in saying that.

Pheobe grinned at me. "Oh, yeah! How could I forget? That's like, the most simple rule when you go boating!" She shook her head a little dumbly, muttered, "Dumbo", under her breath, and headed over to one of the porthole windows that looked out.

But we weren't facing the vast ocean anymore.

No.

We were facing a volcano.

The erupting volcano.

*****

Harvey's P.O.V

We had all been given special instructions of what to do if the volcano did erupt. We were given special hardhats to wear at all times, and, if we had respiratory problems, could even wear special masks. We were told that it probably wouldn't give way, it had been like it was today for several months, and if it did, we'd have plenty of warning.

Ha.

The boat we caught was pretty full. I got a seat beside Max, with mum and dad opposite us. Brendon sat on my lap, and I held him close, hands clasped together around his tummy. Mr Watson and Chloe were in the next row, and Mr Cooper stood up, holding onto the back of my chair.

We arrived at a small dock at the bottom of the island. We followed a tour guide across the beach and up a tight dirty path, up towards the crater. It all seemed very eerie, but I assumed that's always what it felt like walking around an active volcano.

We heard much of the history of the mountain, and even walked right past the hole. Heaps of steam was rising out of it, but they told us not to worry, it had been doing that for a few weeks now. Though if it got much worse, they would ask us to leave, just in case of safety reasons.

After the tour was over, we were free to wander around ourselves. They trusted the 200 of us there. Another tour would be running in the afternoon, for another 200 people. So we had until just after 1pm to explore. It was around 11am by this time. We agreed as a 'family' to stay until the boat left later, not leave right there and then. Which was definitely the wrong decision.

We split up a little then. Mr Watson, Chloe, mum and dad all wanted to have more of a look at the sight of the smoke and lava that bubbled deep down. I just wanted to take some pretty pictures. I was hoping to impress Emily that night, with a beautiful picture of the ship in the vast ocean, New Zealand behind it. I knew she would love it. Hopefully as much as I loved... I mean, liked, her. And Brendon and Mr Cooper were going to head out to the beach, to build some sandcastles and rest their legs.