Eden

Author Bio: My name is Summer Herrington, I am in 7th grade, and I play soccer and hockey.

Blurb: My story is about a 14-year-old girl named Iris, who lives on an island off of Maine. When her parents leave the island for a few days, it is Iris's responsibility to keep her brother, grandma, and island safe.

My life is different. I don’t have access to wifi and cellular data. In fact, I don’t have electronics at all, unless you count the radio we use to reach the mainland. My mom, dad, grandma, brother, and I live alone on an island off of Maine that we call Eden, which is Hebrew for “place of pleasure”. I find it most suiting.

My grandma is 80 years old and is bedridden due to her old age. She refuses to leave the island, and imagine trying to move an immobile 80-year-old woman that doesn’t want to move in the first place. She hasn’t left the island in over a decade and honestly, she’ll probably be here until the day she dies. Speaking of death, there are a few things you should know about me. I’m scared of death, darkness, pressure, and changes. I like my life the way it is, sunny, free, and peaceful. Except I don’t have any friends.

“Iris!” my mom hollers.

I leap from my bed, walk to the door and scream, “WHAT!’’

“Come downstairs please!”

I roll my eyes and drag my heavy limbs down the stairs to find my mom and dad sitting at the kitchen table.

My mom turns to me, “Take a seat…”

I sit down hesitantly , trying to remember all the bad things I had done in the past and which one they had found out about.

“...Iris, you’re 14 years old now and your father and I think you’re ready to have some responsibility, so we’ve decided to leave the island.”

I begin to panic immediately. “ What! How long?!”

My mom attempts to sound reassuring but it doesn't work. “...Two days.”

I continue panicking, “Why can’t only one of you go?! I’m not ready for this much responsibility!” I begin to breathe heavily and stand up for dramatic effect.

“Yes, you are. It’s only two days, and we’ll be back before you know it. Your father and I will get more done together, and we won’t have to go back to the mainland for a while. You will be fine, now sit down.”

I do not sit down. “But Mom this isn’t fair! I have to watch Everett and Grandma. Dad, a little help?”

My dad says nothing.

“UGH!” I shout.

I storm up the stairs and flop face-first onto my bed. I scream into my pillow hoping that makes me feel less like punching someone in the face. It does temporarily, but then I decide to find Everett. Everett and I have always had a really strong relationship, but the occasional beat-up is expected. I decided to beat him up mostly because of my anger towards mom and dad, which isn’t fair but neither is me having to watch him for two days.

After I beat Everett up, I realize he’s probably going to tell on me, so I apologize and then go inside.

“Mom, I’ve decided I will stay here and keep everything under control.”

My mom raises her eyebrow and smirks, “You’ve decided? Oh honey, you don’t get to decide. If I tell you that you’re staying on the island while we run errands, you’re going to stay on the island while we run errands.”

I glare at her. “Okay, let me rephrase. I’m not mad about it.” I stare into her eyes and attempt to sell the huge lie I just told.

“Good,” decided my mom as she turns back towards the stove.

I nod in a sense of accomplishment and begin towards the stairs.

“...because we’re leaving tomorrow,” my mom added.

I come to a screeching halt and whip around to face her once more, “But-”

I’m cut off by my brother who comes running through the door, “Haha! Iris said butt!”

Within that enlightening 5 seconds, I decide it is probably best not to fight this battle because chances are I will not win. So I give my brother a quick stink eye as I shake my head, and then return back to my “cave”, as my parents like to say.

I moped all through dinner and said nothing. I decided my belly was full and I was happy with not talking to my family so I just went to bed. I don’t know if it’s just me but I think A LOT while I’m lying in bed. As I’m finishing up plotting how I’m going to sabotage my parents trip tomorrow, my dad walks in.

“Iris, you need to understand that it is easier when both your mother and I go and that you will be fine, I promise,” reassured my dad.

“He talks…” I replied.

“Ha-ha, very funny,” he said as he rolled his eyes and shook his head, “but seriously you’ll be just fine.”

“I guess you might be right, but I’m not going to be all cupcakes and rainbows because I still don’t want to do it,” I added.

“Understandable, now go to bed please,” my dad reminded me.

“Okayyyyy,” I sighed.

My dad walks out the door and once I hear his footsteps fade to a nearly silent whisper, I climb out of bed and tiptoe to my sanctuary. I slowly head up the spiral staircase until I reach a wooden trapdoor. I reach up and push on the door and close my eyes.

When they flutter open again I am mesmerized by the deep black sky filled with stars, like fish in the sea. I close my eyes and fall into a state of peace. Once my eyes fall heavy, I open the trap door and climb down the stairs, tiptoe down the hall, collapse in my bed, and drift asleep.

****

“IRIS!” my brother screams.

I awaken with a growl and scream back, “What!”

“Dad and Mom are leaving soon, get up!”

“Ughhhh,” I moan.

I throw myself off the bed and on the floor. As I walk downstairs I re-evaluate my plan. It’s useless. Well, I guess they’re leaving. We eat breakfast, then my parents make sure we are prepared for the few days they are gone, and then we help them load the boat. Now that we’re done loading the boat we eat lunch, and by the time they are ready to leave it is nearly 5 pm. Everett and I head outside to the dock to say our farewells to mom and dad.

“Everett, you be good for your sister, and Iris, watch Everett, and make sure Grandma takes her meds and stay nearby so if she needs anything you’re available to help her.”

“Okay Mom, I get it.”

My mom nods at me, “Well, I guess it’s time for us to go.”

My mom goes inside once more to say goodbye to grandma, and once she comes back we all hug each other and say our goodbyes.

My dad comes over to give me a hug. As he’s hugging me he whispers in my ear, “Everything will be just fine.”

As they climb into our worn white fishing boat that smells of hot leather, I let my dad’s words echo in my head, Everything will be just fine… They begin to sail away from Eden, Everything will be just fine… They turn back for one final wave and slowly shrink in the distance until we can no longer see them.

Everything...will be...just...fine.

My brother and I walk back into our house. I sit down at the kitchen table and stare at the wall letting all of my thoughts run wild while Everett grabs his hockey stick and stick handles a ball. I think nervously about what could go wrong while they’re gone and how mad they would be if this doesn’t go perfectly. All of a sudden my thoughts change to the subject of food… oh wait, that’s just Everett yelling at me to make dinner because he’s hungry.

“Everett set the table for the two of us while I go give Grandma her medicine and dinner.”

“Okkkkayyyyyy,” Everett groans as he props his hockey stick against the nearest wall.

I walk from the kitchen to grandma's room where I find her laying in bed reading War and Peace. But I guess there’s not much else to do when your bedridden on an island with nothing to do but read, draw, and listen to records.

“Hi Grandma, I have your medicine and I made chicken and rice.”

“Thank you, Iris,” she croaked, a loving grin on her face.

“How are you feeling?” I asked with a little concern in my voice.

“Oh, I’m just-” *Cough, cough, cough*

“Grandma that was not a friendly cough.”

I begin to panic thinking about how mom and dad aren’t here to help if grandma really is sick. I grab the thermometer from my parents' bathroom and run back downstairs to my grandma's room.

“Put this under your tongue.”

“Honey, I’m fine I swear.”

“I’m just making sure,” I say soothingly so she’ll do it.

I hand her the thermometer so she can put it under her tongue and then I push the button and wait. *Beeeeeeeep* I grab the thermometer and daringly look… 102.3

“Grandma, you’re sick. Do you have any pain anywhere? Do you need anything? What should I do?”

“Iris, I’m just fine. I’m a little sore in my chest and have a cough that’s it,” Grandma claimed, “now go eat.”

“Okay, but if you get any worse I’m going to get a rescue boat out here.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“I’d rather be overly cautious than be careless and have something bad happen to you. I’m going to eat but yell if you need anything.”

Everett and I eat our dinner in silence. Once we are done eating we clean up and then I go and check on grandma before we go to bed.

*Cough cough cough cough*

“Grandma you don’t sound good at all.”

“I’ll be fine, now go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay, but if you need something just yell and I’ll be right down.”

As I walk upstairs I hear a low rumbling noise off in the distance. Great, just what I need, a storm to screw everything up. I change into a pair of baggy sweatpants and an over-sized T-shirt and climb into bed.

****

“Iris! Iris! Iris! IRIS!!!” my brother screams in my ear.

“What!?”

“Grandma isn’t doing well and the thunderstorm is a big one!”

I run downstairs with my brother to my grandma's room and find her wheezing in her bed.

“Grandma, I’m calling the mainland to get you a doctor. Everett, you stay here and make sure that Grandma’s okay.”

“Okay,” said Everett with tears streaming down his face.

“Hey, I’m sure everything will be just fine,” I say to Everett with my dad's words echoing in my mind.

I run to the living room to where the radio is and tune the radio to the channel for the mainland. Nothing. I try again… Nothing. All of a sudden all the lights go out along with the radio and the heater. I run back to grandma’s room where she’s barely breathing and my brother is sitting on the ground covering his ears and crying. The storm is bad. The rumbling sky and roaring sea played their unique instruments together to create a disturbing and unsettling symphony that sends chills down my spine.

“The radio wasn’t working when the power was still on, and now that the power is out there’s really not much we can do but hope the storm passes soon and that Grandma pulls through,” I say holding my brother close to me, “We should get some materials and camp out in here with Grandma.”

“Okay… Iris, what if Grandma doesn't make it?” Everett asks in a trembling voice.

“I don’t know, Everett. Dad promised everything would be fine. Everything's not fine,” I say as the tears begin to run down my cheeks.

Everett and I slowly get up and leave grandma’s room to grab food, water, flashlights, and blankets. The house is cool and damp. The wind outside howls violently shaking the house along with the crashing waves and booming sky. After we grab all of our items we head back to the room and seal all the windows and shut the door. We cover grandma with blankets hoping that will miraculously make her better, and with the remaining blankets, we create a cocoon to shield ourselves from the cold.

I hold Everett in my arms with my back propped against the wall. As I hold my brother I attempt to shelter him from the storm and the reality that grandma might not be alive when the storm surpasses. I taste the cool dampness around us and squeeze my eyes shut, hoping that when I open them this will all have been a bad dream. Slowly we drift asleep while the storm outside continues to rage on.

****

I wake up before Everett. The world is quiet. The air around me feels warm and moist. The air is warm… the powers back on! I jump up from the ground and look at grandma, she looks pale and weak but I can feel her warm, slow breath on my hand. She’s holding on by a thread. She’s going to die if the radio doesn’t start working again. I run to the living room and pick up the radio from where I left it last night. I cross my fingers and hope that when I talk into the radio, I get a response.

“I need an emergency boat out to my island,” then I wait….. and wait…..and wait…

“What is your location, and what is the cause?”

I breathe a sigh of relief and tell them my coordinates. “My grandma is incredibly ill and on the verge of death so please hurry.”

“There is a boat on the way. Where are your parents?”

“They left the island to get supplies and there was a huge storm last night so we couldn’t leave the island and all communications were cut off. It’s just me, my Grandma, and my brother.”

“Well, we are going to have the boat bring you to the mainland as well as your grandma. What is your name?”

“Iris Turner.”

“Okay, Iris. Do you know how we might be able to contact your parents?”

“My mom has a cell phone that she has for when we go to the mainland.”

“Can I have her number if you know it?”

At that moment I felt a glimmer of hope. I gave him my mom’s number, woke Everett and told him to change out of his pajamas. Once we finished getting dressed we went outside and waited. The boat arrived and we showed them where grandma was laying barely holding on.

Those few minutes felt like an eternity. We were safe, Grandma might live, and we are going to see Mom and Dad. They loaded grandma onto a stretcher and carried her out to the boat where Everett and I were talking to a paramedic about her symptoms and how we felt. They hooked Grandma up to all these machines and told us she was lucky to be alive. They think she has a form of pneumonia but that with proper care she will most likely pull through and make a full recovery.

We arrived at the mainland about 30 minutes later. They transferred Grandma into an ambulance and sped off to the nearest hospital. We walked onto the dock where we saw our parents. At that moment a surge of emotions hit me and I began to cry. I ran over to my mom and dad with Everett.

As I was holding my mom close to me I inhaled the familiar smell of my mother which fills me with a sense of security and comfort as the tears stream down my face. Once I’m done hugging my mom I move over to my dad.

He hugs me and then grasps my shoulders, looks me in the eyes and says, “I’m sorry.”

I begin to bawl, “But you promised that everything would be fine, and I believed you.”