and forth beneath the lurid red glow of the dying sun. Several hundred yards to his right, a stretch of dense jungle waited, the palm leaves stirring restlessly in the wind. Above them, the tropical sky was fading to grey, and he could already see the light of millions of stars and the cold orb of a full moon. And it wasn’t just the look of the place. He could smell the salty tang of sea air. He could feel the grains of sand settling beneath his feet. The island was as real as any place he had ever visited.
Then Beth said, ‘You can let go of my hands now.’
‘Huh?’ He looked at her and realised he had been squeezing her hands in his. ‘Sorry.’ He let go and turned to look around. There was the lifeboat already beached on the sand, completely empty – and there was a line of freshly made footprints, leading up the beach and away into the jungle.
‘Oh no,’ said Kip. ‘She’s already gone.’
‘Must have been an edit,’ suggested Beth. ‘I guess we’d better follow the footprints. Hopefully they’re not too far ahead.’
Kip stared into the dense jungle that lay ahead of them. He didn’t much fancy the idea of wandering in there, but what other choice did he have?
Just then his mobile phone trilled the
Star Wars
theme. Wondering why Mr Lazarus was calling him on his regular phone, he snatched it from his pocket and lifted it to his ear, without thinking to look at the display.
‘Why are you phoning me like this?’ he asked.
‘I was just checking you’re all right,’ said Dad’s voice, sounding rather put out. Kip nearly fell down with shock. It hadn’t occurred to him that other people would be able to contact him here.
‘Oh er … Hi, Dad!’ he stammered, aware of the horrified reaction from Beth. ‘I was just er … surprised to hear from you so soon. How … how’s Grannie?’
‘She’s fine,’ said Dad. ‘They’ve taken her into surgery, so I’ll have to stay here till she comes out and they’ve got her settled. I’ve texted your mum but there’s been no reply yet. How have you and Rose been getting along?’
‘Rose? Oh … great! Yeah, she’s great, Dad. But she’s gone …’
‘Gone? Gone where?’
‘Gone … to the loo! Yes, I’m just waiting for her. Outside. Obviously, I can’t go into the ladies, can I? So I’m just waiting by the door. You know, watching her like a hawk. Like you told me to. So … you … won’t be able to talk to her right now.’
‘Well, she won’t be long, will she?’
‘Er … I don’t know. Depends whether she’s doing a wee or a poo.’
‘Thanks for the information! Well, I’ll hang on for a while, just in case. I wanted to—’ He broke off. ‘Is it my imagination, or … can I hear the sea?’
‘Umm? Oh, it’s just … the … sound of the film from the auditorium,’ said Kip hopelessly. ‘Yes. The first bit is set at sea … I think.’ He was aware of Beth staring at him, her mouth open.
‘Kip, you’re not in watching the film are you?’
‘Of course not.’ Kip laughed nervously. ‘You know Rose, she’d never watch something like that.’ He began to walk up the beach towards the jungle and Beth trailed after him. ‘Ah, Rose is coming out now ,’ he said. ‘Hi, Rose, you OK? We’ll just head back to the ticket office now.’ As they moved away from the water’s edge, so the volume decreased. He stepped onto the jungle footpath and started walking briskly along it. Beth followed.
‘So how’s
Terror Island
?’
‘Huh?’ For a moment, Kip had the impression that Dad could somehow
see
where he was. Then he realised, he was only talking about the film. ‘Oh … right! We’ve had a great first night. Packed out, very nearly a full house.’
‘That’s excellent news,’ said Dad. ‘I was worried takings were going to drop.’
‘I told you it would do well,’ said Kip. This felt weird. He was walking along a jungle trail, pushing his way through overhanging leaves and vines, and he was making
Then Beth said, ‘You can let go of my hands now.’
‘Huh?’ He looked at her and realised he had been squeezing her hands in his. ‘Sorry.’ He let go and turned to look around. There was the lifeboat already beached on the sand, completely empty – and there was a line of freshly made footprints, leading up the beach and away into the jungle.
‘Oh no,’ said Kip. ‘She’s already gone.’
‘Must have been an edit,’ suggested Beth. ‘I guess we’d better follow the footprints. Hopefully they’re not too far ahead.’
Kip stared into the dense jungle that lay ahead of them. He didn’t much fancy the idea of wandering in there, but what other choice did he have?
Just then his mobile phone trilled the
Star Wars
theme. Wondering why Mr Lazarus was calling him on his regular phone, he snatched it from his pocket and lifted it to his ear, without thinking to look at the display.
‘Why are you phoning me like this?’ he asked.
‘I was just checking you’re all right,’ said Dad’s voice, sounding rather put out. Kip nearly fell down with shock. It hadn’t occurred to him that other people would be able to contact him here.
‘Oh er … Hi, Dad!’ he stammered, aware of the horrified reaction from Beth. ‘I was just er … surprised to hear from you so soon. How … how’s Grannie?’
‘She’s fine,’ said Dad. ‘They’ve taken her into surgery, so I’ll have to stay here till she comes out and they’ve got her settled. I’ve texted your mum but there’s been no reply yet. How have you and Rose been getting along?’
‘Rose? Oh … great! Yeah, she’s great, Dad. But she’s gone …’
‘Gone? Gone where?’
‘Gone … to the loo! Yes, I’m just waiting for her. Outside. Obviously, I can’t go into the ladies, can I? So I’m just waiting by the door. You know, watching her like a hawk. Like you told me to. So … you … won’t be able to talk to her right now.’
‘Well, she won’t be long, will she?’
‘Er … I don’t know. Depends whether she’s doing a wee or a poo.’
‘Thanks for the information! Well, I’ll hang on for a while, just in case. I wanted to—’ He broke off. ‘Is it my imagination, or … can I hear the sea?’
‘Umm? Oh, it’s just … the … sound of the film from the auditorium,’ said Kip hopelessly. ‘Yes. The first bit is set at sea … I think.’ He was aware of Beth staring at him, her mouth open.
‘Kip, you’re not in watching the film are you?’
‘Of course not.’ Kip laughed nervously. ‘You know Rose, she’d never watch something like that.’ He began to walk up the beach towards the jungle and Beth trailed after him. ‘Ah, Rose is coming out now ,’ he said. ‘Hi, Rose, you OK? We’ll just head back to the ticket office now.’ As they moved away from the water’s edge, so the volume decreased. He stepped onto the jungle footpath and started walking briskly along it. Beth followed.
‘So how’s
Terror Island
?’
‘Huh?’ For a moment, Kip had the impression that Dad could somehow
see
where he was. Then he realised, he was only talking about the film. ‘Oh … right! We’ve had a great first night. Packed out, very nearly a full house.’
‘That’s excellent news,’ said Dad. ‘I was worried takings were going to drop.’
‘I told you it would do well,’ said Kip. This felt weird. He was walking along a jungle trail, pushing his way through overhanging leaves and vines, and he was making
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