There was a little bubbling feeling of excitement with every plastic bag I knotted. I tried to squash it back down again so the disappointment wouldn’t be too bad if, you know, we failed. But this time it felt like what we were trying was different – more than that: it felt like the time was right, that this was more than just another escape attempt. I tried not to listen to the others talking about what they’d do if we got to land – but the truth is, it did feel like we were closer to walking on those streets than we had been yesterday.

Soldier John held on to the end of the rope, wrapping it twice round his wrist. He gave James a nod.

James centred the bottle, rearranging the mesoglea beneath so that it would stand upright. Then he took a step back. Around him most of the Jellyfish people were now standing, silent and hopeful. Some still held soggy shreds of plastic, ready to make more rope.

James gave a giant kick, and the bottle flew, soaring into the air, arcing over the squirming tentacles and beyond, above the little wavelets lapping at the edge of the creature. It landed a couple of metres to the side of the boat, and disappeared into the darkness of the water.

Silently, John pulled the bottle back, the wet rope collecting in piles of drips at his feet as he did so.

James grabbed the bottle as it slid up out of the sea. He checked the rope attached to it, placing the bottle back into the dimple still visible on the mesoglea from last time. He took a step back again. There was the sigh of muttered prayers from the watching crowd. And he kicked.

This time the bottle seemed to spin gently in the air, looping even higher, and seemingly slower than last time. It fell, with a booming thud, on to the deck of the boat.

‘Let it go, James,’ said Soldier John. ‘Let the rope out. Slowly.’

James released the rope inch by inch, and the bottle started to slide down the bow, back towards the sea and leaving the rope still hanging over the rail of the boat.

‘Now twist the rope round the bottle,’ said Soldier John.

Some of the Jellyfish people were now holding hands and praying together, their eyes shut.

James flicked the rope towards the boat again, and then again. It caught, and wrapped itself round the bottle.

James heaved. The boat slid towards us, tentacles stroking it and slowing it as it moved. As it came nearer a wave of translucent jelly seeped out of the creature and gathered around the bow, pulling it in. Soldier John and others ran forward to help secure it.