Author's Notes: Thanks for all the reviews and emails. Here's the next chapter.

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Hidden - Chapter 3 By: Hell's Huntress (PG13)
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The sound of crickets rang through Serena's ears. The sky was turning blue. The sun was almost up and the ship was about to leave. Luckily, she was safely inside.

Now dressed as a man, it was easier for her to get past security. Numerous times she had been discovered. Of course, most of those who saw her were suspicious, but none of them gave too much thought to it. Her only problem was speaking to them. About once or twice they had attempted asking her questions that she didn't even understand. She knew nothing about their language, resulting in her simply pointing towards the ship. They let her go.......but not without delays.

Serena curled up in a ball while hiding among wine jars which were tightly secured. Her stomach made noises that seemed to mix with the ocean's waves. "Lagnat" was the first word that she thought about. Her mother would often say this when she was sick. Sick.....now she really felt sick.

The floor felt as if it would fall any second. It seemed so heavy and weak against the strong waves. Her stomach grumbled even more. She could hear the faint sound of wine splashing inside the jars. Beside them were heavy boxes packed with fruits. Hopefully, a banana or two would keep her alive through the journey. How long it takes to get to England by ship was the only thing that worried her.....that and what she would do first once she arrives. It would probably take days.

The sound of men outside the ship made her heart jump to her throat. She could hear footsteps walking into the ship and the voice of a woman calling out to her husband. Numerous other voices followed. Each new one made her fear what would happen if one of them came in, but she soon grew accustomed to it.

Minutes passed and the voices soon faded out. What seemed to be an hour of silence followed. Her eyes were slowly closing. Sleep wanted to claim her, but each time she forced them open. She knew that she had all the time in the world she needed to sleep anyway. The trip would be long and sleeping would just make it seem faster....that is, if the waves didn't wake her up every now and then.

The wooden floor seemed to shake for a brief moment. The sounds of wood creaking and waves beating against the walls grew louder. The whole ship seemed to turn towards it's left as if it were going to turn over. Serena held her breath. The floor seemed to shake again, and this time everything seemed to be sliding a few feet away from where they originally were. They were moving. They were finally moving.

The creaks grew louder. It was almost too horrible for her to take. The faint scent of sea water made itself evident. She hadn't noticed it before, but now she seemed to notice everything.....even what she was really getting herself into.

For a brief moment, Serena wished that she had listened to Mina. The realization hit her. This was it. There was no turning back. The ship was moving and judging from the few turns every now and then, she was far away from the island. She imagined that if she dared look outside one of the windows, she would a see a giant ant for an island. She was right.

Getting on her knees, she crawled slowly towards the nearest window she could see and peeked outside. All she could see was clear water that revealed some corals and fish, but it only grew darker. Further away stood the island. It looked like a small town made of clay. She was leaving the paradise she grew up in. She was leaving her home, and now she couldn't go back anymore until she could find someone who would be nice enough to take her back.

Biting her bottom lip, she looked down at her clothes. The very idea seemed impossible. She was a man....she looked like a man. A very weak man. If she were a lady or perhaps some important or strong looking man then anyone would be willing to take her back home. Unfortunately, she was neither. She was a boy....a young and frail teen-ager in the eyes of many....even in her own.

An almost hopeless sigh escaped her lips. The waves had calmed down and the creaking fainted. It was a smooth trip....one that instantly told her they were quite far away by now. The island was almost out of sight. It looked like two dots joined together now. Her eyes helplessly watched it disappear before travelling to look at the salty water. She noticed a few light blue figures swimming around in it. They looked like plastic bags floating close to the surface.

" Jellyfish, " she muttered absently. Jellyfish, crabs, sharks, or just fish.....she suddenly felt worse. It wasn't until now that she thought about what could happen. What if a storm hit? What if something happens and the ship would end up sinking? She would find herself swimming for life in the middle of an ocean while some creature might end up killing her in the moment.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, she weakly crawled back to where she was and stretched out among the jars. She was hidden, so if ever someone would come inside in search of food, there was a small chance that she would be discovered. Yawning softly, she allowed the waves to rock her to sleep. With heavy eyelids, she closed her eyes and let sleep take over her.

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Rain matted the floor which was slowly getting wet. The sky was dark with clouds, and only a few stars could be seen. Serena opened her eyes wearily and stared at her surroundings. It took about a minute or two for her to realize exactly what was happening.

Blinking, she sat up with a soft groan. The hard wood caused her body to ache, but she quickly forgot about that. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

With new strength she had just gained from sleeping, Serena stood up and stumbled outside. The waves were bigger and the ship was rocking from side to side more than it should. Looking outside, her eyes caught sight of what seemed to be land in the distance. She could've sworn it was getting bigger and closer, but her hopes only dropped down upon discovering that it was only another ship.

From the other end of the ship, she could hear the voices of a man conversing with a woman. Leaning against a wall, she tried to make out what she could.

" May bagyo " was all she heard him say.

The words repeated in her mind as her lips pronounced it. Bagyo...she had heard her mother say that once. Bagyo...bagyo....good lord what did it mean? Her brows knitted together with frustration. She used to know what it means, but she couldn't remember exactly what. What she did know was that it was something bad.

A sick feeling washed over her body once again. Extending out one shaky arm, she reached for one of the ship's railings in an attempt to move closer towards the couple so she could hear more. Instead, she ended up shrieking. The ship made a sharp turn to it's right, causing her fall over. She could only grab on to the railing with her hands in fruitless attempts to push herself back up on the ship.

It was too late.

The railing was too slippery. Letting out a small scream, she plunged into the dark waters below.

Coughing, Serena pushed herself towards the the surface against the hard waves that tossed her like a piece of wood. She was quickly pushed away from the ship which was slowly beginning to disappear into the darkness.

Trying to keep her head above the water, she looked around frantically for something that could keep her floating above the water. She couldn't scream for help because if she did, she would obviously be discovered. Besides, no one would hear her anyway.

The waves pushed roughly against her body. It gave her a weak sensation as if her very energy was being drained out. Her clothes were floating up dangerously, revealing the cloth that covered her breasts. It looked as if it could come off any second, but it remained wrapped around her chest.

Grabbing her hat, she clung to it as if it were her life and quickly slipped it back on. Her hair looked like it was going to fall off any second.

Thunder roared along with the waves. It sounded louder and closer now, but hope seemed far away. Her eyes slowly began to give way. She knew she would die. She knew there was no hope. Suddenly the waves weren't so noisy anymore. She could barely hear anything.

Seconds passed and Serena was slowly sinking into the dark liquid. Hope was being drained away from her body as the waters covered her completely.....almost completely.

Her face was nearly completely covered by water when someone suddenly pulled her out of the water. The sounds of men in the distance rang through her ears, even if she didn't completely take note of that. Her eyes were slightly open. She could make out the figure of a man flashing a light at her. Her mind was going black and she could barely understand exactly what was happening. She didn't have to. She had already slipped into an unconscious state.

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Author's Notes: Hmm......what will happen next? *grins* Pardon the typos and ty for the emails and reviews.