By Julie Dyson a.k.a LaurelRose

Elora quietly picked her way carefully over the coral. It was dry, but if she slipped she might cut herself badly on it. Once in a while she would stop to look into a small pool of trapped water; noting the treasures of light and color trapped with in them, and occasionally she would see a small fish or two. Her towel was draped over her slender shoulders and her sandals swung from her left hand, smacking against her thy as she moved. Her glasses perched precariously on her nose, as she leaped to a rock that was separated slightly from the rest by water. This was a rare chance to escape from the other girls in her class. They tended to think of her as less adventurous, shunning her for what they perceived as cowards. They didn't seem to catch the speculative gleam in her eyes nor the measuring looks that she gave each situation.
To tell the truth she was a bit frightened of heights and deep water; but she had reasons for that, one of which had the word JAWS in the title. What would they think if I never came back? She wondered as she side stepped a large pool with some small fish within it. Maybe they wouldn't even notice I am gone. Well not until my mother demanded that they return me, and they couldn't find me in the group. She scrambled up the sand stone rock face of a bolder that must have fallen from high up the cliff face behind her. It leaned over the water in an indolent stance. The top was flat enough though, so that nothing would fall off, yet high enough above the wave so that she would not get wet either. Elora put down her sandals and spread out her towel, shucking off her shorts, leaving only the swim suit that she had worn underneath on. She sat down on the rock examining the little coves' structure.
It had a horse shoe shape, giving the impression of an old sunken volcano. It's green arms blocking much of the horizon, and looking as though some sort of prehistoric monster might pop out of the tree's at any second. it's pebbled beach glittering as tiny shards of obsidian reflected the suns light giving the whole scene a surreal look. The water was calm, blue and so clear, that she could see to the very bottom twenty meters below. Elora's imagination sparked into life, and she wondered if perhaps by some chance aliens had etched out the cove hundreds of years before. She smiled at her whimsical turn of thought. The island was after all an extinct volcano.
The small bodies of fish darted amongst the coral at the base of her perch, situated as it was, almost at the entrance of the cove on the right hand side. The tide was out now, but later it would come in, and would cause her to be stranded till it went out again unless she got back in time.
She listened to the birds in the surrounding bush, calling to their mates and smiled a gently wistful smile. A small breeze wafted off the open water, the brown cliffs seeming to radiate peace. She settled back on the rock and closed her eyes, imagining a world in which she could just disappear and never be found, never again be betrayed by friends or family. She could almost envision that world, green and luscious, animals of every variety dancing on the breeze. Songs of angelic beauty, drifting from nearby islands. Here she was beautiful and her freckles didn't matter and her strangeness was a matter of life. Where she was no longer an outcast, where she was the one with grace and magical powers.
Elora frowned as the sound of the other girls squealing and laughing; interrupted her peaceful thoughts. She groaned and covered her eyes with one arm, then sat up and looked at them swimming close to her rock yet not noticing her form frozen there. Snippets of conversation floated across the water, they were talking about her. "I bet she doesn't even know how to kiss, let alone get more...intimate." A rather snide voice remarked from below her.
"I think that's a mean thing to say about Elora. She can't help being horrid to look at, or the fact that she seems not all *there* if you know what I mean." said the other girl, who was trying to be nice and failing miserably.
"Oh your just defending her because she stopped those girls from beating on you. Honestly Tina you have to admit that her family is strange... I heard that her grandfather was an axe murder. You know that sort of thing is genetic." another girl interjected. There was a splash and an cry of complaint from one of the girls, then loud giggling as they swam off.
"Elora, they didn't know you were there honest." Tina said quietly from the base of the bolder.
"I know Tina, thanks for sticking up for me. You tried at least." Elora said quietly
"But not hard enough it seems. I'm sorry." Tina paused, uncertain how to tell her friend what had happened at the cabin. "Elora I have to tell you, they found your diary... they read it to everyone at lunch." Elora bit her lips, how were they to know that it wasn't a Real diary, that it was Elora's fantasies, her dreams, and one little story, inspired by the island. "I would have stopped them if I had known." Tina said softly.
"I know, thanks for telling me Tina." Tina looked up at the top of the bolder, closed her eyes and wished that she could help her friend more. Finally after the silence had stretched on a bit longer than necessary, she left. Elora bowed her head as depression slipped by her contentment. A single large tear ran down her cheek. Why did they have to ruin a perfectly good day like this. They knew nothing of her but insisted on judging her.
She put her head in her hands, softly crying. Her beautiful outing was ruined by spiteful bullies. What did I ever do to them; she thought. What was it had that turned them against me? . She sat so self absorbed that she didn't even notice the clouds gathering around the rim of the cove, until a chill wind ruffled her golden hair. She looked up and saw the girls quickly making their way back to the beach and their towels. She stood her hair waving in the wind like a banner of sunlight. She wrapped her towel about herself. Watching the water as it turned a greenish color, seeming to mimic her mood. She marveled at the color's richness, and vibrance. Her dark thoughts vanished as a spume of water shot up over her. Startled she took a step back almost falling from her perch. Something hit her foot, and settled onto the rock. She looked down, pushing her glasses further up on her face.
There at her feet was a small stone amulet. She bent down and picked it up examining it closely. It was about the size of her own heart shaped locket, which was hanging from a chain around her neck. The amulet was in the shape of a rose, deep green, flakes of what could only be obsidian sparkled from each petal, red highlights sparkling along the edges of each delicate petal, the silver chain sparkled as she held it up to the light. This must have been made by a master jeweler, she thought as with out even thinking she slipped it over her head. Immediately she felt her lingering feelings of depression lifting. Where did it come from? She wondered as she examined it even closer. It was a rose, it's petals delicately etched, seeming to glow as it lay against the palm of her hand. She took a deep breath as she saw it's beauty. Then froze, it might be taken from her by one of the other girls if she showed them what she had discovered. She let it go, feeling it gently settle against her skin. She looked back at the beach and it's bungalows hidden behind a screen of trees, and bushes. The girls were making their way into one of the bungalows, giggling as they went. She spotted Tina making her way to her own bungalow, could I tell Tina? She shook herself, no Tina was a friend, but not so good a friend as to be trusted just yet. She once again bent her head, thinking of the responsibility she had to report her find. Well she would report it too, Elora said to herself. Taking a deep breath she gathered up her things, putting her sandals back on her feet.
She looked out over the cove and noticed that the clouds had gone from the sky and the sea had once again become a calm sparkling blue, as it had been when she had first made her way to the bolder. Elora moved carefully back over the coral. It was time she headed to the beach, as the tide did seem to be coming in rather fast.
One or two girls were walking along the shore, their soft conversations just a murmur barely reaching Elora's ears, as she spread out her towel on the one sandy part of the beach. She brushed away the sharpest of the stones and sat quietly sat till the stars came out. Thinking of the amulet and the mysterious way it had arrived in her life. Could it be a sign that her luck was changing? Or was it just a gift from the sea. She shook her head at that bit of illogical thinking, as it brought forth some spectacular visions of her own making. She grinned as she lay back, the wind had once more become the warm blanket that it had been earlier in the day. Elora forgot completely about showing the amulet to her teachers.
She looked up into the dark sky, the stars were bright and clear. The multi colored stripe of the milky way spread itself across the sky, as if it were a ribbon around the earth. The stars were shining in all their glory. Beautiful Elora thought as she watched a streak of light cross the sky, and she made her wish. She identified each shining planet in that she saw in the night sky. She could almost swear that if she concentrated hard enough she would be able to see each planet clearly.
Sheepishly Elora smiled at her whimsy. She shivered as the wind began to turn a bit chilly, she rose and returned to her cabin. Her dreams she knew would be full of contented thoughts, mystical lands and adventure. Elora touched the amulet and smiled, yes she could just feel her luck changing.