"ppppoooonn"
Jade jerked up at the loud sound, it was almost dawn and it looked like she fell asleep while steering the ferry.
Jade looked at the large ship that made the loud sound, it was coming towards her.
Jade ran out of the sailor deck, she screamed, jumped and waved at the ship but to no avail.
"No, this won't do." She quickly went to where some boxes were stacked, she scurried through the items and emptied the boxes, pouring all its content on the ground.
"Where is it? Where is it?" Jade went through all the items in a flash.
"There." Finally she found what she was looking for. A flare gun, she picked it up and ran to the direction of the ship, Jade screamed loudly and shot the flare gun into the air twice.
Jade stopped to catch her breath, she looked at the ship hopefully wishing it would stop and save her but wishes weren't horses, the ship continued on its way.
"It's not stopping. No, no, no, please wait. I beg you, please save me." Jade screamed in panic, she ruffled her hair, the tears clouded her eyes.
How pathetic it would be to escape from hell just to die in the vast ocean.
"Please, please, please." Jade screamed continuously, she did not want to die... at least not yet, she wanted to see her mom and make sure she is alright.
In the five years she spent on that island, different thoughts of suicide had crossed her mind but she never succumbed to the pain and temptation of death, all so that she could reunite with the people she loved the most. She stayed strong because of them, she couldn't give up now.
Jade wiped her tears and went back to the sailor deck, she steered the ferry towards the large but slow moving ship.
Thankfully the small ferry was faster than it, she sailed the ferry, overtaking the large ship the ferry continued moving till it reached an appropriate distance where the overly small ferry could be visible to the ship sailors.
Jade stared at the flare gun and the last flare gun bullet she had in her hand, she sighed, it was now or never.
Jade stopped the ferry and stood outside the sailor deck, she raised her hand up with burning eyes, she pulled the flare gun trigger and shot into the air.
Jade fell on her knees, her body was burning up with fever and she was slowly losing consciousness.
"Is it stopping?" The ship seemed to be stopping but Jade couldn't see clearly anymore, her heavy eye lids were slowly falling over her eyes.
"Help me." She weakly muttered and fell down completely losing consciousness.
--
Jade slowly pushed her heavy eye lids up, she opened her eyes and looked up at the unfamiliar metal ceiling.
She felt something cold on her head, she ran her fingers through it and discovered that it was a wet towel.
"Wh, where I'm I? Umm" Her voice came out in a whisper followed by a low cry of pain, her throat was so dry that saying a few words hurts like hell, her lips were cracked and dried too, all due to continuous screams and dehydration.
"You are awake?"
Jade vigilant eyes shot to the direction of the clear feminine voice.
"Yes, thank you for saving me." Jade's eyes softened and she expressed her gratitude.
"What were you doing out there all by yourself?" The tall, blonde lady asked.
"I was trafficked... I escaped." Jade didn't want to tell the truth earlier but she had to if she wanted to get home safely and without scuffles.
"Eh?"
"Yes. W, water."
"Oh, sorry." The beautiful blond lady went out and quickly returned with two bottles of water.
Jade snatched it immediately it was given to her, she gulped down the water and sighed after finishing the two bottles.
"Want more?" The blonde woman asked in concern.
"No... Thank you." Jade sighed in satisfaction.
"By the way, my name is Lyssa, what's yours?"
"Ophe... Jade." It's been so long since she said her real name, it felt like a dream.
"Jade... About the trafficking thing, where did you escape from? I mean where's their base?"
"...Atlanta."
"Eh? Isn't that a city in Georgia?"
"Is it? Haha, I don't even know anymore." Jade chuckled sadly.
"Is this Atlanta an island?"
"Yes... people are brought there and sold."
"Is this island on the map?"
"I don't know."
"OK, wait here."
Lyssa returned shortly with a digital map and gave it to Jade.
"Can you spot the island?"
"Ye... Wait, what?"
"What is it?"
"The island was supposed to be around here." Jade pointed at an empty part of the map.
"But there's nothing there." Lyssa looked up at Jade who had already shot up with wide eyes.
"No, no, fiv, five years..."
"Calm down, Jade."
Lyssa sighed.
"I don't know what happened to you but you need to wash up and put on some new clothes then you come out and eat. We are close to land, when we get there, I would help you go home." Lyssa stood up and walked out of the room.
Jade covered her mouth with her hands, she was almost home, she wasn't supposed to worry now but the island was not shown on the map like it never existed.
That was impossible... right?.
Jade did as she was instructed and went out of the room, she met a lot of people which she was wary of but she greeted and thanked everyone on her way before getting to Lyssa with the help of the directions she got from the people on board the ship.
"You are here, Jade. Come sit down. Everyone, this is Jade, the girl we saved yesterday." Lyssa introduced her to everybody who was sitting on the table.
"Hello everyone, thank you for saving me." Jade bowed slightly.
"Oh, it's nothing dear." An elderly man waved his hand.
"Yeah, it's fine."
Followed by other people.