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The froth was overlapping the waves and I could only get a couple gulps of air. I saw a piece of wood drifting over the waves, so I clambered onto to it. I was so exhausted that I let my body rest on the wood like a rag doll lying on a bed. My eyes were droopy, and my bones felt numb. I let myself rock into a calmer area before I drifted into dreams.
“He’s definitely dead!” announced a voice. It sounded like a young boy. I felt a stick dig into my ribs.
“Stop that, Adam! If he is alive, you will break his ribs before he can tell us!” snapped an older girl’s voice. To my relief, she snatched the stick out of the young boy’s hand. I could barely open my eyes. Everything was blurry and I felt too weak to stand. There was soft sand around me, but I also felt water creeping up under my back.
“I agree with Adam, Violet,” an even younger voice said. “He is definitely dead! But if he was alive, do you think he would want to play with me?” A soft, furry teddy landed on my stomach. I went to move but I was still too weak.
“Charlotte! Not everyone has to play with you!” The boy rolled his eyes. “What should we do with his body?”
“Maybe we should bury it, or let it wash out to sea,” said Violet, the older girl.
The word “sea” perked me up and I remembered our boat and the terrible storm. I jumped up. “I’m alive!” I screamed, giving the three kids a shock.
“How dare you! Pretending to be dead and then giving us a shock!” yelled Violet. Violet had beautiful pale skin and long, blonde hair. She was wearing a violet dress with white patterns around the waist and neckline. She looked about thirteen, but had such a mature, serious face that it was hard to tell exactly how old she was.
“I wasn’t pretending to be dead! You assumed I was dead,” I snapped, calming myself down again.
“Cool!” The boy, who I assumed was Adam, clapped his hands in excitement. He had pale skin and blonde hair, like Violet’s, and he wore a blue suit and black leather shoes.
“Adam, don’t talk to the strange boy. He might be a pirate.” Violet pushed Adam behind her.
Charlotte had been waiting patiently for her turn to speak. “We can’t leave him here! What are we going to tell mother?”
