Chapter 1
A fresh breeze filled the dinghy’s sail and pushed it effortlessly across the bay. The sun was warm on the backs of the three children and as the boat dipped into the bouncy swell while cool spray flicked their windswept faces.
In the bow sat a young boy with damp sandy hair. Behind him was his sister Japonica, who had turned twelve only a few days ago. They blinked and laughed as the salt dried on their eyes.
‘Time to head back,’ said Zachary their older cousin who was doing the actual sailing.
Zachary had returned home to Montrose Bay from boarding school and his cousins had joined him for the summer holidays. Zachary loved sailing and enjoyed the open space of the sea. He put the little boat into the wind and tacked. The breeze filled the sail and the children began to head home. When they were about half way the wind dropped and became fluky, with little gusts attacking the sail from different angles. Zachary looked up and adjusted the tiller, trying to counter the confusing wind. The dinghy continued to make progress, but at a much slower pace.
Seb had spied Zachary’s house far in the distance and watched steadily as its outline grew. He could just make out the window on the top floor that he shared with Japonica. Seb turned to point out the house to Japonica. He looked over Zachary’s shoulder and saw that the clear and sunny day had taken a dramatic turn. Large black clouds were sweeping along and he realised that they would soon pass between the boat and the sun.
Seb nodded an unsure warning to the others, ‘The weather is changing.’
Japonica had been staring into the depths of the passing sea and was mesmerised by the water’s motion. The swirling dancing blacks and greens of the sea were beautiful, like moving artworks. On hearing Seb’s voice she looked up and was startled to see the dark cloud bank racing to overtake them.
Zachary had been concentrating on the sail and now turned to look.
‘Where has it come from?’ asked Japonica surprised at the rapid change. Zachary looked at the jumbled boisterous clouds.
‘I don’t know,’ he gasped. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it, so sudden. It’s unreal.’
The clouds darkened and their billowing forms surged forward, much like the little dinghy had done earlier that morning before the clean breeze. The fluky wind grew in strength with sharp gusts pushing and pulling at the sail, playing a tug of war with it and the boat.
‘Stay calm,’ urged Zachary. ‘The beach is less than half a mile away. We’ll probably be pushed there.’
Seb and Japonica held each other closely as the dinghy rocked on its side. At the same time Japonica checked Seb’s life jacket making sure that it was secure.
‘I’m scared,’ said Seb aware of his sister’s fingers on the buckle.
‘Stay close, we’ll be alright,’ whispered Japonica, who was anxious herself but didn’t want the others to know.
The winds grew and swirled and soon a thunder bolt boomed from above. The sun was hidden and the once aqua waters grew dark and fearsome. Another boom of thunder filled the children’s ears and the torrents opened, rain pummelled the little craft.
Zachary held the tiller and continued to guide the dinghy, even so it bounced and swayed and was making little progress. The storm did not abate. The children had never heard, let alone been in the middle of anything quite like it. Bolts of lightening tore across the sky and lit up the darkness that now surrounded them. Japonica held Seb tight, his head buried into her shoulder. The wind and water stung her lips.
Japonica looked at Zachary who was trying to make headway to shore. It was all he could do to hold onto the tiller, adjusting the sail was almost useless as the winds crashed into it from every angle.
The strongest gust of the storm hit the sail and tore it from its track. The white fabric flapped wildly in the wind and Zachary stood, grasping at the loose rope attached to it. His movement caused the dinghy to pitch and the three children found themselves on top of each other on the dinghy’s port side.
A large wave rolled in and crashed onto the deck. The dinghy capsized and the children were flung into the frothy sea. The dinghy was upside down, its smooth hull reflecting the lightning above. Japonica, flung clear as the dinghy flipped, surfaced and swam back to it. She saw that Zachary had also surfaced nearby and was scrambling onto the upturned hull.
‘Where’s Seb?’ screamed Japonica. ‘Seb, Seb,’ she called, her words lost with the wind.
Zachary immediately dived back into the sea.
Japonica pulled herself around the edge of the boat and onto the sail that clung to the boiling surface. Seb was not in sight.
Japonica took a deep breath and pushed herself under the dinghy. On warm days at home Japonica loved to dive to the bottom of the lake before turning to see the sun’s rays streaming through the green crystal waters. On this dark wild afternoon the experience could not be more different. Barely able to see her hands in front of her, Japonica pulled and bashed her way along the cockpit. She inched herself further forward and saw Seb’s leg swaying in the current. He was trapped under the boat. She dragged herself alongside and as she rose her head bumped the cockpit floor. Then, to her relief, she popped into a tiny air hold. Seb was beside her, his chin inches above the water as he sucked in deep breaths.
‘You’re so lucky,’ she cried as tears threatened to form in her eyes. ‘We have to get to the surface. This air pocket might fill with water at any moment. Take a deep breath.’
‘I’m not happy. I’m scared and I want to go home. Now!’ cried Seb. Japonica was relieved to see that he still had strength and fight in him.
‘Seb, hang in there. Please. On the count of three we go together.’ She grabbed his hand, ‘One, two, three.’ The children filled their lungs and pushed themselves down and away from the dinghy before rising to the surface.
‘C’mon hold my lifejacket,’ said Japonica to Seb as she dog paddled to the stern of the dinghy, choppy waves hindering her progress. ‘Help Zachary, help us up,’ puffed Japonica as Zachary swam over to help them both.
Zachary pushed Seb onto the hull before he and Japonica followed. They paused to catch their breath and assess the dangerous situation. The upturned mast and wet sail helped to stabilise the boat, however the children could not right it. All they could do was cling to the hull and wait for the storm to pass. Even so, the tempest showed no sign of weakening and it continued to blow and scream and crash around them.
‘Do you think we will get rescued?’ asked Seb quietly, thankful to be on the hull and out of the darkness of the sea.
‘Yes, someone will rescue us. We must wait and stay with the boat,’ said Japonica trying to remain positive as she scanned the distance for help that wasn’t there. Then, away to her left she saw a strange and fearsome sight.
‘Over there,’ said Japonica, pointing to the shape. ‘What’s that?’
Zachary and Seb turned to look. Through the cloud and rain, a column of watery air was churning white toward them.. As high as the children could see, the spinning torrent raced into the sky until it was lost in the clouds.
‘Oh no, that’s a water spout!’ said Zachary wide eyed with alarm. ‘They suck up everything in their path.’
‘Everything,’ said a worried Seb. Having just escaped drowning he was not yet ready for a water spout.
‘Yes, everything, and it’s heading straight for us,’ Zachary cried.
Japonica saw that Zachary was right. The water spout was spinning across the sea sucking up everything in its path.
‘This is a terrible day out,’ said Seb mournfully shaking his head.
Even Japonica was lost for words. The children were at nature’s mercy.
