“Serah! Serah!” she cried out to her friend. “Did you hear that?” Serah opened one eye drowsily.2
“Hear what?” Serah asked, she turned her head towards Alyanna, only half aware of what was going on.3
“The ferry’s horn,”4
Serah frowned, and looked surprised at the same time.5
“I didn’t hear anythin’ I swear. Ye must be dreamin’ Al.” She said simply, and then she shut her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.6
“No, Serah don’t go back to sleep!” Alyanna protested. “We can’t miss it!” Serah tilted her head, giving a sarcastic smile, which she knew annoyed her friend 7
“And why’s that?” She asked, blinking, as if she didn’t know. Alyanna sighed,8
Her eyes were fixed in the direction of the wharfs.9
“You already know! Now come on, before it’s too late!” Alyanna didn’t even give Serah time to decide, she just grabbed Serah’s arm and raced across the clearing at a terrifying speed. But unlike other girls who would have screamed at the top of their lungs, Serah didn’t, no she had lived her life on Feather Island with Alyanna who had always grabbed her arm and tore down the path at a terrifying speed. Everything seemed to blur and pass by, so quickly that she would get a headache or get dizzy spells. Along the way, some little children waved, or shouted,10
“Hello Serah! Hello Aly!” But there was no time to wave, or say hello so the two just flashed quick smiles, and carried on running along the dirt trails and patches of grass till they finally reached the arched bay, which was where the wharf was. The girls pressed pass the crowds of people who had come to bid their farewells, and wish the people that were leaving well.11
Alyanna crept up quietly beside her little six-year old sister Carol who was leaning against the wooden railing.12
“Where were you Aly?” Demanded Carol, glaring at her older sister, Alyanna cringed.13
“I was in the forest with Serah.” 14
Carol frowned,” Mother was downright worried about you!” she whispered loudly into Alyanna’s ear. Then Carol turned to Serah, and smiled.15
“Morning Serah! How do you do?” She asked.16
Serah grinned, her freckles seemed more visible, as her face turned as red as the apples in the orchard.17
“I’m fine, Thanks, Carol,”18
But before anyone else could speak another word, a familiar voice broke in.19
“Oh Aly! There you are! Aimee will be departing on the ferry soon...” murmured mother, a gleaming tear trickled down her cheek, mother was too sorrowful to be angry at Alyanna. Aimee was the second eldest sibling in the family, the eldest sister, she was now 14, old enough to go and study in the Academy of Arts, which was on Crescent moon Island, the island where Alyanna’s family, the Madison’s had originally come from.20
But Alyanna couldn’t understand why her older brother Josef had left, just to go and study in the Academy of Arts. Why did Josef leave? Feather Island was his home, and where he had spent his childhood. It was also, a beautiful island, where the birds would be singing, and you could feel the soft tufts of green grass under your feet. Why, oh why would anyone want to leave the island? Then a soft voice broke her thoughts. It was Aimee21
“Aly, are you alright?” She asked. Her sky blue eyes looked troubled. Alyanna was so upset, but she managed to say,22
“I’m fine.” She answered, her voice shook a little. 23
Aimee glanced at her little sister whose head wasn’t looking up at her; lately Alyanna had been quite hostile to her. What could possibly be wrong?24
“Are you sure?” Asked Aimee, “Please Aly, tell me what’s wrong…” she tilted her head to one side, and looked at Alyanna. Alyanna tried to evade her older sister’s glance but was unsuccessful in doing so. Alyanna gave in, and told Aimee,25
“What’s wrong? Don’t you see what’s wrong?” 26
Aimee shrugged, unsure of what her sister was meaning.27
“I’ll tell you what’s wrong then! Why are you leaving Feather Island?” Snapped Alyanna, rage was building up inside in her, and finally she had to release her anger out at Aimee. 28
Immediately, people’s heads turned to stare at her, conversation died down abruptly. Alyanna had spoken so loudly, that every person’s attention was focused on her, but she did not realise. It was quite a while, before Alyanna become aware of the long silence, and she could feel the prickly feeling of eyes, yes eyes, staring at her behind her back. She was still upset, that Aimee was going away from the island and wouldn’t return till she was 18, which was four years later! Alyanna just wanted to run away and pretend that Aimee was never going to leave, which was just what she hoped for. Just before Alyanna was about to dash off, Grandpa stopped her.29
“Aly, don’t run away from your problems, you must learn to face them.” He said in a firm, yet gentle tone, he added softly, “Look the ferry’s arrived. Come now we must wish your sister a good trip,” He smiled down at his granddaughter, and took her hand, and together the Madison family stood together on the wharf waving to Aimee, who was already on the ferry’s deck.30
“G’bye Aimee!” Shouted Carol, waving wildly who hardly understood what was happening. Mother had glimmering tears in her eyes, but she waved her embroidered handkerchief in the air anyway. Father was trying to comfort mother, and told Aimee before she was on board the ferry that he wished her31
‘A safe trip and the best of luck at the Academy’32
Alyanna glanced at her older sister; all Alyanna spoke to her was,33
“How could you!” Aimee had a guilty look on her face; she hadn’t known that her leaving the Island would have such an impact on her mother and her little sister Alyanna. With a heavy sigh, Alyanna watched as the ferry slowly drifted away from Feather Island, and became nothing but a single dot on the horizon…34
Three weeks had passed since Aimee had left.... It was a warm, lazy summer afternoon, the warm summer breeze was sighing through the trees, birds were singing sweetly, and the field crickets could be heard with their occasional Cries. Alyanna was walking along the warm, golden sand of the beach, near the wharf. No one else was there, except Alyanna and her grandpa. Carol who was a slow-eater, was still inside the beach cottage having lunch, which was brown bread and mother’s home-made apricot jam. 35
“Grandpa,” Breathed Alyanna.36
Grandpa glanced at her, he raised his brows, “Yes, Aly?” 37
“Why did Josef and Aimee leave Feather Island?” She asked. 38
Grandpa smiled mischievously.39
“Ah…you really wish to know?” He asked. A look of wisdom was visible in his hazel brown eyes. Alyanna nodded, she wondered if Josef and Aimee, had told Grandpa why they had left.40
“Now, Aly, look up at the geese, tell me where they are going for the winter,” Grandpa pointed at the Feather Island geese who were in flight, their feathery wings beating against the air. Aly glanced up at the blue skies, only an occasional patch of cloud was dotted across it. There she saw the majestic Feather Island geese flying in the air. She knew where they were migrating for the winter…41
“The geese will fly to the south,” answered Alyanna simply. Grandpa smiled, his eyes crinkled at the sides.42
“Yes, that’s right. But when their time comes,” He replied. Alyanna was confused, what was that supposed to mean? What did grandpa mean by when their time comes? 43
“What do you mean, Grandpa?” Asked Alyanna, she raised an eyebrow, it was obvious that she was confused.44
“Well…the Feather Island geese, will leave when their time comes to leave, true?” Questioned Grandpa. Alyanna nodded, wondering what grandpa was about to say next, he was like a dictionary, full of wonderful words.45
“ ’Tis also the same, with Josef and Aimee, because they have a future career lying ahead of them, and soon you too will leave when your time comes,” He explained. Alyanna was shocked, she had promised herself she would never leave Feather Island. Besides, how would Grandpa know if she would leave the island, her home.46
“What? But grandpa, I will never,ever,ever leave Feather Island!” Protested Alyanna, her misty blue eyes meeting her grandpa’s hazel brown eyes. Grandpa shook his head, sighing.47
“Little one, you do not understand, at present your heart remains with this island. But soon you will understand, the meaning, because as my time came and brought me to Feather Island, so shall be the same with you…” As her grandpa predicted Alyanna’s time did come… 48
Three years passed, and now Alyanna was 14 years old. It was May the 12th the day of her birthday. Alyanna was standing on that same wharf; she had stood on, three years ago, watching her older sister Aimee disappear away from Feather Island. But now here she was, trying to make a decision which would change her life forever… whether to leave Feather Island, the home that had a place in her heart and go and study in the Academy, or to continue to stay on Feather Island, where home was with her family and friends.49
“Look the ferry’s here!” Cried out Carol excitedly, as the huge ship came into view of the curved bay. Alyanna bit her lip, her heart pounded, realising Grandpa had been telling the truth, that she would leave the island, just like Josef and Aimee.50
“All aboard, ladies and gentlemen!” Cried out a tall man standing on the upper deck of the ferry. Alyanna glanced back at her family, mother was in tears, and Carol as usual seemed to be excited, but in her sky blue eyes there Alyanna saw sorrow, Grandpa was standing on the wharf with a smile on his face, he was proud of his granddaughter, father was waving goodbye and at the same time attempting to wipe mother’s tears away. Alyanna sighed heavily, and walked aboard the ferry deck. In her heart she knew that her time had indeed come, and that home would seem so faraway, several months across the vast seas and yet so near to her heart...
Adding your comment:
You put your words together beautifully. Nice job. I enjoyed your descriptions very much. I think the plot could have had a bit more but it was great 
