Taken

She ran through the undergrowth, as though she were a rabbit, or a hare.

"One. Two. Three. Four...", she heard her mother count from behind an oak tree.

Eri smiled. She knew her mother would never find her new hiding spot, at least not this time!

She ran down a worn path, taking a shortcut.

There was a strange object in the water, floating, like a majestic being. It was big, and brown, and the newcomers that came off of it said it was called a boat.

The boat took the across the water, they had explained at the camp.

It was big. Bigger than all the horses she had ever seen in her entire life. But there was a bigger boat, next to the smaller one. A thing that the newcomers had called a cruise ship. It was bigger than anything she had seen. It was sleek, and a painful white color.

Eri jumped onto the deck, and looked around for a good hiding spot.

Her plan was only to get onto the boat, she had no plan to get off the boat, or a hiding spot.

Eri shrugged off her worries, and started exploring. It was a giant boat. Big didn't seem to describe it, not even close.

Eri sung one of her favorite island songs as she went about.

"Somewhere in this world, she awaits,

Somewhere in this world, he awaits for her,

To meet,

To greet,

To sing to one another,

Once again...", she trailed off.

Then she sprouted a new song.

"It's allright,

It's okay,

Just stay right here,

Along with me-e-e

Come along,

Come with me,

Alone, but together,

Forevermore..", she sang lightly.

Eri knew that the newcomers had shared their songs, but they weren't as free, weren't as fierce, weren't as gentle.

The boat seemed to be abandoned, but she wasn't sure. She found a small hole in the deck, that led to below deck, and looked inside it.

Eri was about to turn away, when a wave hit the boat, and she fell in.

***

When Eri awoke, she found herself in a small room. But not her home.

She slowly got up, but tumbled back down when a giant wave hit the side yet again.

She screamed, but then covered her mouth.

What would the newcomers think?

Mother had said they talked to the daemons that haunted, and killed their tribe.

Would they skin her alive, like in the stories?

Would they eat her?

Would they turn her into one of them?

Eri got up, and looked out of a tiny window. The boat wasn't at the island anymore.

***

Soon, she heard voices from above.

"They think we took that girl, the child, they said she was about six. Did one of you do it?", a man's voice asked firmly.

"No, sir", several voices replied.

"Okay. Now, back to America.", said the first man, probably the captain.

"Sir, may I ask why we bothered visiting that island? They could have killed us for trespassing-", he started to say.

"No. They have morals not to kill men, unless threatened. There're like bears in that way, or rabid, wild dogs, at that. As for why we went there, isn't it obvious? We either needed to bargain for their things, or take them ourselves. Now, since they didn't agree with that there're in a better place now.", the captain retorted.

"And does any one want to join them? I'm sure the sharks would love for you to come to dinner."

"No sir."

Some of the men began to walk away, and the voices were becoming more muffled.

"Good. Now, set sail for America, where we can sell the..... of the....and the...."

"Yes, sir."

***

Soon, Eri saw the hatch to the hole open, and a man dropped down, a few feet from where she was sitting.

She squeaked, then inched backwards.

The man, hearing the noise, looked around with beady eyes, like those of a rat, Eri thought.

"Dumb rats and vermin", he scolded.

Isn't that odd. He's just called his brethren dumb, Eri thought, giggling.

The man, not hearing this, moved on and started humming, and cleaning.

***

After a few hours, Eri got a gnawing feeling in her stomach, signaling that it was around lunch time.

She felt around, in the pockets of her dress, and found a small sack of berries, granola, and other fruits.

The man had left a while ago, and she was now alone.

Eri began to worry, and thoughts and visions she didn't want to see ran around her head.

How long would she be on the boat?

Was her mother looking for her?

Was her mother okay?

Was the rest of the tribe?

Would she have enough food to last?

Enough water?

Would she live-

Just then, she heard the voices again.

"LAND HO", cried the captain.

Then, there was an odd silence, one that did not fit.

Finally, the captain spoke.

"Which one of you scumbags turned us around, back to the island?", he growled at his crew.

"Sir...Nobody did."

"So the winds just took us back? I think not."

"Sir, have you not heard the stories of people going missing here? We're in the Bermuda, after all. Planes have crashed, boats have sunk! There's a magic, a curse, over the island. They say nobody there is real, and-"

"Boy, you expect me to believe all that hogwash?"

"Sir, Captain-"

"No. We saw those people."

Eri looked at her hands. They were glowing.

She looked up, and thrust her hands toward the hatch, to the sky, to the stars.

The hatch exploded, and sent anyone within a mile radius flying.

Eri looked up.

She was on the ocean, on the island. Her mother ran to the shore to hug her, embrace her. Eri just stood still.

"Mother.", she said

"Yes my dear Eri?", her mother sobbed.

Eri turned, and looked at her mother with blank eyes.

"They said we're not real..."