‘Yeah,’ I said. It was an option which a number of people on board had already taken. And I had wondered, a few times, if it was actually me who was insane, and this whole Jellyfish thing wasn’t real. In dark moments, like this one, it was always quite difficult to tell.

‘I think . . .’ I said, and it was an exciting sentence, because I didn’t know how I was going to end it until I did: I really was just thinking it as I spoke. ‘I think . . . I’m going to try and escape. Today.’

Chapter 15

15

James looked round at me. There was a rustle of plastic bags, and Lana emerged.

‘Anybody want to help me escape?’

Lana gave a shrug.

‘It’ll pass the time, I suppose,’ said James. ‘What’s your plan?’

It wasn’t a fully developed plan at this point, but I was flattered James thought it might be. ‘I want to get that boat,’ I said. ‘The closest one. I want to make sure that it definitely comes over here, rather than going back to shore. So I think we should make a rope by tying plastic bags together, and then throw it on the deck with the rugby ball attached. It’ll hopefully get caught round the boat’s railings and then we should be able to drag it over here, at least a little way.’

‘No,’ said James. ‘No. You’re not using the rugby ball.’

‘It’s to get us off the Jellyfish and save our lives,’ I said.

‘In your dreams it is,’ he said. ‘No way are you using my rugby ball in something risky. See, if I wake up tomorrow morning and I’m still on this flipping thing and there’s no rugby ball, then there’d be problems.’

Lana was already pulling apart her plastic bags and tying them together.

‘Well, what do you suggest, then?’ I said. ‘We need something that’s heavy, but easy to throw.’

‘I’ll chuck one of you losers at it in a minute, if you don’t help me,’ said Lana.

We both grabbed some of the bags.

‘How about a plastic bottle?’ said James. ‘With water in it and the lid on?’

I gave a nod. We set to work.