Chapter 3: In Over Your Head

"We're on Marooner's Rock." Maimie announced without effort to hide the fear in her voice.

Looking about, Jane replied snidely, "Rock? What are you talking about? It's a mini island!"

"Only when the tide is low." George clarified, "When high tide comes, this entire mass becomes submerged.

Now it was Jane's turn to feel fear, although her face only betrayed a tight lip and a slightly widened pair of eyes. It was true, what George said. The tiny bit of land separated from the central island was deceiving. It was small, approximately the area of a medium-sized office. It was covered mostly in sand with a large rock standing erect at its center. It reminded Jane of a miniature Pride Rock in shape, though it only came to a few inches shorter than her eye line at its peak. The only vegetation to be found was at the rock's base where algae had spread but not quite reached the top half.

Both Pan and a few of the crueler pirate captains who visited often left tied up victims ontop of the rock. Too well tied to move and make the attempt to swim away from their fate. Occasionally, those who were knocked out when they were left would only awaken when the water touched their feet, and were forced to look helplessly at the island as the water continued to rise. The skeletons always washed away by the time the island was ready to greet a new guest.

Backed up against the stone and staring at the water, Jane replied, "Okay, point taken. Now how do we get off?"

"The only way off, if Pan doesn't come for us first, is to swim." George told her, too busy looking at the island to notice her expression. He pointed to the adjacent beach, miles and miles off.

"That's Pirate Cove." George then gestured to the nearest landmass. It looked like a forest or something on top, but in the distance it looked to the Mannering women like a stone sticking up out of the water. "That right there is the edge of the Jungle. If we can swim across and get to it, we can climb up and take the road to the Indian Village, opposite of Pan's camp."

Jane's eyes only seemed to get wider, and Angela had already come over to put a hand on her shoulder-sensing her distress.

"What about the mermaids?" Maimie asked George, "They'll get us long before we reach the cliffside."

"No, they won't. Remember, the mermaids don't come around Pirate Cove."

"Guys! Remember? Jane can't swim!" Angela interrupted, causing all eyes (including Jane's annoyed ones) to focus on her.

George looked shocked, "Of course Jane can swim. We used to drive to the beach in East Rockaway all the time."

"No, Dad, Jane hasn't swum since she was five."

"Not that you would know that." Maimie said, arms crossed, "Missing all her formative years doing God knows what. Not that you were ever helpful when you were with us-"

"Mom, can you just shut up for five seconds please?"

Maimie's eyes went wide and she made an overdramatic motion that said, I wash my hands of you! Meanwhile, Jane was clenching her fists and eyeing the water with more than a little contempt.

"Listen, Janie sweetie, if you can't swim I can carry you on my ba-"

"I'm not an invalid! I know the basics of swimming." She snapped.

"Jane, you never touch the water." Angela tried to reason.

"I can dog paddle and frog kick." Jane insisted, though her voice wavered when her eyes caught sight of the small waves begin to lick the sandy edges of Marooner's Rock. "Its just a short distance, right? I'll do this…"

"Jane…" Angela tried again, only to be pushed past by her little sister.

The teenager stood on the edge, suddenly seeing the near-black parts of the water surrounded by a deep blue that matched her eyes. She knew that meant it was deep, deeper than anything she'd swum years before. Jane didn't realize how long she'd stayed looking at the water until she saw her family nearly waist deep. Taking a steadying breath Jane walked slowly into the water. At first, it didn't seem like a big deal. Jane thought for a split second she was overcoming a childhood fear, until the cold water got up to her breasts. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she dunked her head beneath the water for a brief second before coming back up to take a deep breath.

"O-Okay, okay. The worst is over. I'll get used to it." She muttered to herself, making another dunk to "get used to it", and then another that moved her forward. She felt fine until her foot, searching for seafloor sunk so deep that her body followed just as she attempted to take a breath and pulled her head beneath the surface.

Instantly, Jane fought against the water and made desperate attempts to get her head to the surface, but it seemed all her efforts only made her sink quicker. Then she felt something pull on her arm, which she attempted to fight off to, until she felt her head reach the surface and allow her to breathe again. When her senses were restored, Jane turned to see it was Angela the Athlete who swam back to help her.

"Float on your back." She told Jane, "Trust me."

Reluctantly, Jane made some sloppy and splashing attempts until she was floating on the surface of the water. She didn't like the feeling of water in her ears and so close to her mouth. Jane also didn't relish the disturbing sensation she felt in her back, knowing that all kinds of sea creatures could be swimming beneath her and she couldn't see anything.

"Good, now just move your arms and legs to propel yourself forward. I'll guide you, I promise."

Jane made the simplest of nods before she began.

Angela kept swimming alongside her, occasionally pausing to offer words of encouragement. She she floated, Jane's eyes watched Marooner's Rock become smaller and smaller. Although, Jane could not escape the fear that tickled her spine or the waves that started to lick her cheeks and get sea water in the corners of her eyes.

"Angela."

"We're almost there, I promise."

Jane felt her body suddenly move off to one side, and the water briefly sunk from around her face. "Angela."

Just then, Jane saw a wave coming towards them from the corner of her eye. Her heart felt as though it shot out of her chest, her hand ceasing its calm motions and feebly reaching out in attempt to find her sister and guardian.

With only a second to hold her breath and close her eyes, the wave completely covered her body. Jane curled into herself by instinct, just feeling her body being rolled and pushed by the water. She half-prayed that if she stayed still long enough, the water would push her back onto shore. But when she could hold her breath no longer, she began her struggle to break her head through the surface.

No Angela. No one grabbed her or would pull her out.

No, no, no! I'm not dying! Jane thought, Not like this!

Jane just kept kicking and paddling. Whether it was by luck or the sheer adrenaline rush, she managed a few breaths of air to stay alive. Her eyes only managed to open to slits once to know was was getting closer to a sandy shore. Seeing this somehow gave her more energy to kick and kick until her feet found a seashell covered ocean floor. Finally able to gain a footing and take deeper breaths as she climbed ashore, Jane's heartbeat slowed.

When she slowly pulled herself out of the water, Jane crawled on her hands and knees for a breath, breathing heavily until she began to empty the contents of her stomach. Some of it was sea water and the other half was whatever remained of her Happy Meal.

Shakily, Jane pulled herself to her feet and examined the beach. She didn't remember seeing a beach when her father outlined their destination, not at the right distance anyway. There was no way she swam past where her sister and parents ended up.

Upon seeing a tall and forbidding cliff to her left with trees on top, connecting to the jungle she saw surrounding the beach, Jane realized she was on the other side of the rock.

"Angela! Mom?" Then her shouts turned quiet, "Dad?"

Nothing. Just the sound of sea and birds she couldn't name.

Looking at the darkened jungle, separated from the beach by a row or two of palm trees, Jane started off towards it.

Only one way to get around to the other side now, She thought to herself.