Rift Island by Sappho's friend at Inkitt

Chapter 1: The Trip That Changed Everything

The last day of school was finally over.

The halls were filled with cheering kids, lockers slamming shut, and teachers reminding everyone to have a safe summer. Five best friends raced out of the front doors together, laughing louder than everyone else.

"I can't believe we're finally free!" Noah yelled, throwing his backpack over one shoulder.

"You mean free to sleep until noon," Mia teased.

"That's the plan," Noah said proudly.

The five friends had known each other for years.

There was Noah, who was funny, adventurous, and always had a new idea—good or bad.

Mia loved animals and plants. She carried a tiny notebook everywhere to write down interesting things she found.

Jay was the smartest in the group. He could fix almost anything with enough tape and patience.

Lila was creative and fearless. She always believed every mystery had an exciting answer.

And then there was Ethan, the quiet one. He didn't talk as much as the others, but he noticed things everyone else missed.

Every summer they spent time together, but this year was going to be different.

Very different.

Two weeks later, the five friends stood at Harbor Point with backpacks almost as big as they were.

"This is awesome!" Noah grinned.

His uncle worked on a small research boat and had invited the kids to join a short trip around the nearby islands before the scientists started their work.

"We'll be back before dinner," Noah's uncle promised.

The boat wasn't huge, but it looked sturdy. Its white paint was chipped in places, and the name Sea Star was painted in bright blue letters across the side.

The salty air smelled fresh, and seagulls flew overhead.

"This is so cool," Mia whispered.

"I hope we see dolphins," she added.

Jay was already examining the engine.

"I wonder how fast this thing goes."

"Probably faster than you can run," Lila laughed.

The captain smiled.

"Everybody aboard!"

The boat slowly pulled away from the dock.

The town became smaller and smaller until it looked like a tiny toy village.

Water sparkled in every direction.

For a while everything was perfect.

The friends played card games.

They took silly pictures.

They watched fish jumping out of the water.

Even Ethan smiled.

"This is the best summer already," Noah said.

Nobody knew those would be the last normal words any of them would say for a long time.

About an hour later, dark clouds began creeping across the sky.

"That wasn't in the forecast," one of the crew members muttered.

The wind grew stronger.

The waves became rougher.

The boat rocked side to side.

Lila grabbed the railing.

"Okay...this isn't as fun anymore."

"It's probably just a little storm," Jay said, though he didn't sound very sure.

Then something strange happened.

The clouds stopped moving.

Then started to part.

Not because they we're disappearing.

Because they began spinning.

Slowly.

Silently.

Right above the ocean.

Everyone stared.

Even the birds began to flee, which is never a good sign.

"What is that?" Mia whispered.

Even the adults looked confused.

The spinning clouds formed a giant circle.

Bright blue-yellow lightning flashed inside it.

But there was no thunder.

Only a strange rhythmic humming sound.

It almost sounded like someone singing from very far away.

The compass on the boat spun wildly.

The radios filled with static.

Every screen shut off.

Noah frowned.

"That's...not normal."

"You think?" Jay replied.

Suddenly the ocean glowed.

Not the sky.

The water.

Alluring blue light spread beneath the boat like someone had turned on thousands of underwater lanterns.

The Fish began swimming in a perfect circles around the boat.

Then they disappeared.

The captain grabbed the wheel.

"Everyone hold on!"

A huge wave rose ahead.

But it wasn't just made of dark water.

It shimmered like liquid crystal.

"What IS happening?!" Lila shouted.

Nobody answered.

The wave crashed over the boat.

Everything became bright.

Brighter than the sun.

The friends couldn't see each other anymore.

Only glowing white light.

The haunting tune became louder.

The air smelled like rain and flowers at the same time.

Mia reached for Noah's hand.

"I can't see!"

"I've got you!" Noah yelled.

Another flash.

Another wave.

Then...

Nothing.

When Noah opened his eyes, he was lying on warm sand.

"...Ow."

His head hurt And, his arm was making a way that it shouldn't have been.

His clothes were soaking wet And, covered with sand

He slowly sat up. Putting his little on his left arm is possible.

The beach stretched for what seemed like forever.

The ocean sparkled peacefully.

There wasn't a single storm cloud in sight.

Birds sang somewhere nearby.

Colorful butterflies fluttered through the air.

"What...?"

He stood.

"Guys?"

No answer.

His heart started pounding.

"Mia?"

"Jay?"

"Lila?"

"Ethan?"

Then he heard coughing.

"I'm over here," someone called.

Noah ran toward the voice.

Jay sat against a large rock, brushing sand out of his hair.

" You look terrible," Noah said. As if trying to lighten the mood with a chuckle

"You look worse."

"I probably do."

A minute later they found Lila walking out of some bushes.

"My shoe is gone."

"You lost ONE shoe?" Noah asked.

"Yes." She rolled her eyes.

"In the magical storm."

"Exactly."

Soon Mia appeared carrying her backpack.

"Whoa Noah.. your arm is like really broken." Mia said.

"Ya think, Tell me something I Don't know"

"Whoa man chill I just mean we should do something about that" she said thinking of her miscalculation of word choices.

"Sorry M, I've been really on edge since you know what."

"You know Ethan was a part of the health committee maybe he'll be able to help once we find him.. if we find him."Lila remember aloud.

"Let's not speak Ethan's downfall into existence now.., anyway on a better note before you guys found me look what I found."

She opened her bag.

"snacks!"

Everyone laughed with relief for her safety and Hope.

"Seriously?" Jay said.

"The first thing you save is snacks?"

"I have priorities."

The only person missing was Ethan.

They searched along the beach.

Minutes felt like hours.

Finally Noah spotted someone sitting beneath a huge tree.

"There!"

Ethan looked unharmed.

He quietly looked up.

"I thought I heard music."

"What music?" Lila asked.

"I don't know."

"It stopped."

"Way to be cryptic dude." Jay chuckled

"Whatever man." Ethan rolled his eyes. a reluctant smile plastered on a face.

"Next time look for us before suspicious noises" Mia remarked.

They all heartily laugh together it slowly died out too warmness in the air which was short-lived.

They needed to do something about Noah's arm before It got too bad.Ethan luckily knew what to do But time was of the essence.

"We need like a stick or something to support his arm to keep it straight while the bones repair themselves stat." Ethan commanded. While ripping his sleeve off so we could have something to wrap it securely with.

"we're lucky the fracture is not bad clean snap at least from what I can tell without an x-ray." everyone breathed out relief

" The splint may be a primitive method and may not heal perfectly but for now this will do even if we can make soft with so real supplies it wouldemt be safe with out the real deal well have to make do withthis with."

"The function of your arms should heal relatively fine but I will be some scarring man sorry."

"Hey man do you think I care about some scar who wouldn't want some super sick battle scar." no I said flexing his guns with the non-injured arm.

"Now that that's out the way we should probably take in our new surroundings see what we're getting into eh" Mia brought to attention.

The group looked around.

This island felt...

Different.

The trees were taller than any they had ever seen.

Flowers were of nothing Lila had ever seen which was a shock because she was the president of the gardening club 3 years running.

Tiny golden insects floated through the air like living stars.

The breeze carried a sweet smell that nobody recognized.

"This place isn't on the map," Jay said.

"You don't know that," Noah replied.

Jay pointed behind them.

"Actually..."

They turned around.

The ocean had changed.

There was no sign of the Sea Star.

No docks.

No other islands.

Only endless blue water reaching all the way to the horizon.

The boat had vanished.

All they could was open ocean. Unfortunately that was not long lived. A massive creature that looked like a shark but had too many fans and who knows what else, leaped out of the water and snap down on a massive bird.

"WHAT THE !?!?" The group collectively exclaimed.

"So..." Noah said carefully.

"I guess we're stranded."

Nobody laughed.

Mia could not hold herself back.

She streaked and squealed... In pure excitement

"What a joyous day to be living the heavens have graced me today never have I ever seen such a majestic beast The humble shark monster thing..eh..ahum.. I have been blessed to witness such a cute majestic Marine mystery did you know sharks can shed and replace up to 30,000 teeth in their lifetime..wonder how many that ones lost or has and-.."Mia continues to mumble in the background

Mia is a little bit of a marine biology geek.

"A Bit..huh" ??? Said with a smug smile.

Hay! just because you're one of my *favorite characters*whispered that doesn't mean you can break the 4th wall

"Favorite? Really?" They said voice dripping with smug satisfaction.

Eh..sh-shup up it's not like I like you or anything...Baka~

Wait..why are you even here this is know where near where you are in this story..

"Well I got a little bored..so I thought it would be entertaining if I messed with you for a bit and that did not disappoint" they did the eye brow thing ..you know the up Down.

Can you p-please leave i won't be able to get anything done with you here..

"Fine,fine..I'll be back later tho K."

~eh when is later..what?~

They closed the door as the wave bye.

"B.r.b." they say blowing a kiss.

Please- SHUT-Don't...sigh..

Ugh.. stupidstupidstupid stupid stupid stupid stupid *here's a sequence that can only be described as storming off to bed ploping down face first onto pillow then a muffled high pitched sqweal followed by bed kicking*

Sigh.. i should probably um..un pause the story..and let's go back a bit my bad for the delay..

They start to discuss to game plan for their survival Mia did lock in for this

"So I don't think we should split up like at all, you know that's how horror movies end." Jay instead.

"Dude what this is not a movie it's real life.. but yeah you do kind have a point we have know idea when the heck this island holds." Said Noah.

"We still need supplies tho what are we going to do we have know Idea what's safe to eat on this island." Mia questioned.

" Well we could look to see if any thing washed up on the beach like we did" Lila mumble.

"That's actually really smart, let's get to it gang!" Ethan shouted.

" Pft.. what are you fred. "Well, gang, looks like we have another mystery on our hands" ahahah.

Ethan started brooding " whatever let's just go..." Grumble grumble.

They collectively decided to look along the seashore where they washed up for supplies and any sign of the boat.

They had found most of the stuff from the ship like supplies, the bags the packed for them selfs ,rashens a radio with no signal, a compass, ect. no sigh of the actual boat or the crew only what's left of is.

There was good news to tho they found a Med kit and a couple other unimportant things..

As the sun slowly began to set, the ganga aww climbed a nearby hill.

When they reached the top...

They froze.

The island stretched farther than they expected.

Massive forests covered most of the land.

Waterfalls poured down glittering cliffs.

Mountains reached into pink clouds.

Huge flowers taller than houses swayed gently in the breeze.

Strange birds with shimmering feathers circled above.

Far away, something enormous moved through the trees.

It looked almost like a deer.