Revenge
Chapter 1: Tempest
Cherry woke up. Her head was pounding and she knew she had a large bruise on her head. She glanced around confused. Everything was so blurry. Where was she? What?
The storm… the storm! Cherry tried to stand up but her legs seemed to be getting heavier by the second. She groaned. Now she remembered. The cruise... the storm... passengers... One word came into her head. Evacuate.
She had to escape. Even now the ship rocked violently side to side as powerful waves pounded it trying to drag it into its watery embrace. She took a deep breath and choked as the acidic smell of burning rubber attacked her nose and lungs.
Cherry remembered the cruise... how she had been so happy going on a cruise during her summer holidays. And then the sudden storm... lightning bolt had hit the ship.
The ship was on fire.
She lurched to her feet supporting herself by gripping the wall. Slowly she made her way to the nearest exit. She wondered if she had to strength to go up onto the deck. Cherry narrowed her emerald eyes and summoned every single bit of strength in her seventeen-year-old body. Somehow she made it. Salty waves slapped her feet trying to send her sprawling. Powerful winds buffeted her body blowing her auburn hair in all directions. She glanced around.
Lifeboats... all gone... she looked at the surging ocean and gulped. She would rather take her chance in the ocean then die here on this ship. Slipping on the wet surface she made her way to the rails surrounding the edge of the deck. With a final thought and a quick prayer to God she grabbed the rails and flung herself overboard.
Salt water splashed into her eyes blinding her. She struggled to keep afloat as waves swept over her. Cherry stopped struggling and tried to remember what to do. Slowly she began treading water. She struggled to keep her mouth and nose above the water. She took in a few hasty breaths before she was dragged down again. Cherry screamed as salt water flooded into her mouth. She had felt something nudge her foot!
A shark! Cherry struggled wildly and tried to swim away but something warm slipped beneath her and brought her to the surface. She could feel rubbery skin and she sighed with relief. Shark had hard skin, didn't they?
'Relax human. Breathe deep.'
"Who are you?" she murmured weakly as her vision turned black.
'Sleep... I will take you there.'
Cherry's eyes closed and she felt no more.
She woke up with a start. Cherry could feel the fierce sun beating on her back. She looked around confused and was greeted with a wide expanse of sea.
"Where am I?"
'You are at sea.'
Cherry looked around startled and weary.
"Who are you?"
'Greetings human.'
Cherry screamed as a grey creature popped up from the water beside her. She whirled around. A cheerful looking dolphin peered back at her. It suddenly swam on it back, strange noises burst from its throat. Cherry gritted her teeth as her many cuts and bruises began aching from the salt water.
"Dolphin? What are you doing?"
'My name is Waveride,' the dolphin replied rather frostily, 'I'm here to help you. You want to survive... don't you?'
Cherry nodded tiredly.
"I suppose."
'Don't worry. I will take you there.'
"Where's there?" Cherry demanded.
'The island of Dinotopia.'
The girl stared at the dolphin as she tried to remember if there was such a place. Cherry sighed, this would teach her not to sleep during geography classes.
"Dino... topia?" she muttered weakly stumbling over the unfamiliar words.
'Rest and breathe deep.'
Cherry was comforted by those strange words and once more fell into a deep slumber.
She shivered and almost choked as saltwater rushed into her mouth.
"Wha... Waveride?" she muttered.
No answer. She could see something move beneath her weight and opened her eyes slowly.
"How did I get here?" she rolled over and glanced at what she thought was the ocean.
The dolphin was nowhere is sight. Cherry tried to get up but she suddenly felt very tired. She collapsed back onto the sand and fell asleep.
Cherry opened her eyes and groaned. She wished she had dreamed all of this and she was still laying on the ship deck relaxing under the sun. No such luck. Cherry tried to get up but it was as if she was paralysed from waist down. Moaning slightly she used her arm so she could sit up. Remembering some of the First-aid she had learnt at school, Cherry began to touch her legs to see if anything was broken. Nothing was broken but she had a few cuts and bruises on them.
"Now where am I," she muttered.
Cherry looked around. In front of her was the ocean. She could see nothing but water but behind her stood a huge forest. She wondered uneasily if there were any predators on the beach.
"Don't worry, predators won't eat humans unless they're helpless and wounded."
Cherry winced, which describes my situation right now.
She jumped as squawking filled the air. Birds leapt from the forest and took flight as something approached.
"What the?" Cherry tried to get up.
"CRRRREEEEEEEEEE!!!!"
"ARRRGHHHHHH!!!!"
Cherry was nearly knocked down by a strong gust of wind as some kind of winged animal landed in front of her. The huge bird-like creature stared at her curiously. It had a long beak and huge bat-like wings.
It screeched again and flapped its wings as Cherry desperately tried to stand up.
"Nice birdie..." she cooed for some reason. She was shocked when a loud voice boomed in her head.
'Foolish human!' it screeched.
It jabbed at her with its beak. Cherry fell onto her back, she gasped in shock as the beak narrowly missed her head and slammed into the sand. The bird flapped its wings and leapt into the air. It dived at her pecking her with its long beak. Cherry tried to shield her face and screeched in pain and shock as the beak left a bleeding mark on her arm. It was just all too much. The bird swooped in one more time and Cherry could feel the hard beak smashed into her head. Her vision blurred and tears came to her eyes. Her breathing became harsh and irregular. She saw stars and everything went black.
