More than Just a Dream

by LikeTheCoolKids

Lėja is a young girl who was sent to Cairnholm by her tutor for a project on the second world war. There, she meets girly-girl Aaryn Waters, lovable Annie, kooky Sephtis, and annoying Jonathan. When John is taking them on a tour of his island, the five accidentaly stumble apon a time loop on the verge of breaking. They go to greet a group of strange children- and the bomb lands.

1. Chapter 1

Chapter One- One Hell of a Trip

The fog stung my cheeks and the tip of my nose. Black waves rocked the boat, churning my stomach and giving me the feeling that I would fall off at any second. I focused on breathing and tried to focus on something that wasn't rocking with me- a trick Nana had taught me for motion sickness. My gaze fell to the water and I noticed a greenish ghost below the water. I tried to make out the shape, but it was too far down for me to make out. It was only after we passed a few more that I realized what they were- shipwrecks.

I shouldn't've been very surprised. Nana had told me this was a popular place for U-boats during the second world war. Still, looking down at the broken carcasses of the ships, I couldn't help but feel my stomach tighten a bit.

I laid on one of the wooden benches, closing my eyes and trying to ignore the rancid smell of mildew and saltwater that emanated from the rotten, moldy cushion I was resting on. I hoped the three hours on a train and two days on a ferry would be worth the trouble. Nana had told me I had to go to an old war sight this summer as part of my history lessons. I could either go with my parents to some preserved concentration camp, or I could go by my self to Cairnholm Island. When she said this, I thought going to a little marshy island without supervision would be much more fun than going to a monument to despair with it, but now, more than a hundred kilometres away from civilization, with sea sickness and a god-awful headache, I was beginning to have second thoughts.

"LAND HO!" came a loud shout from higher on the ferry. I groaned and sat up slowly, cradling my head in my right hand. I looked around, scanning the faces of the other crazy tourists who thought this had been a good idea. There was a blond man with a round face and squinty eyes next two a very short brown-haired woman with a very narrow face and a pouty expression. They were watching a blond girl about my age, who was looking over the side of the boat with her hair hanging in her eyes. I could tell just from the way she stood and the clothes she wore that she was bubbly, sweet, and absolutely awful. My gaze drifted to a slim, ruddy-haired girl with high cheekbones and a splatter of freckles across her nose and a beautiful young Latino woman. They were smiling and talking animatedly, the Latino woman using her hands a lot as she spoke, the girl laughing and beaming. Not very far away from them was a very uncomfortable-looking boy with curly black hair, dark skin, and a strong jaw. Next to him was a middle-aged man who looked almost exactly like the boy, but with a slight beard and very pronounced cheekbones. He looked like a Bollywood actor, except he was dressed in a coffee-stained shirt and ripped brown pants. No self-respecting millionaire would dress like that.

Then I looked at the front of the boat. At first, I thought the lookout must've been out of his mind. All I could see was the rolling ocean and the increasingly thick fog. But I did make out a awkward dark shape on the horizon, and the harder I looked, the clearer it became. I made out huge rocky cliffs, a thick dark forest, and tiny little white things that must've been houses.

I realized, with increasing dread, that this was Cairnholm Island.