Chapter Seventeen:

Cosmo was still being helped by the Whale-dragons, who had been nothing but lovely to him. So far they had seen a ship which they had assumed was one of The Intergalactic Federation's, but were gravely mistaken. Suddenly a rush of even more small glowing jellyfish glided past and fixed themselves to the Space Pod's handles.

The largest of the Whale-dragons who led the pool, stirred away from the Space Pod using their powerful wings. Cosmo and the other dragons followed suit and sensed that another Space Pod was coming up due to their electrical senses. Sure enough, soon another Space Pod floated into view and this time there were no jellyfish wrapped around the handles. Cosmo had a feeling about this one. It appeared to be longer and more rectangular than all the others roaming through space.

"This is it," Cosmo said, in wailing dragon-tongue.

"We know. We are going to split up. You, me and Draco, will go on one side and the other three will go on the other side and have a look," when the Whale-dragon had finished talking they all spread out and they all noticed that the circular windows had all been covered up by black curtains and seemed dark. Due to the dragons' amazing sense of hearing and Cosmo's excellent eyesight they managed to hear a girl shouting Isla's name.

"We need to get in there somehow. She could be hurt or something!" Cosmo wailed, panic setting in.

"Don't worry we'll find a way," they replied, looking at him with soft sorrow in their eyes.

Out of the corner of his eye the Raven-dragon saw a woman peeking through the curtains and suddenly he had an idea. Without warning the others he started howling and wailing, the noise almost too much to bear.

As he expected a trap door gradually opened and, realising what he was up to, the two Whale-dragons flapped their great wings as propelled themselves head first into the Space Pod, knocking Mrs. Thomas over in one fellow swoop. The others heard the commotion and soon followed Cosmo in. Of course, the Whale-dragons were far too huge for the Space Pod and knocked everything and everyone over.

Back in her cell, Isla heard and commotion, but she still couldn't move from the poison coursing through her. She tried to move her eyes at least a bit so she could see something, anything. She heard Estelle still screaming her name sounding more and more panicked. Isla desperately tried to move, but she just couldn't. Suddenly, Mrs. Thomas and a taller figure that she couldn't quite make out, rushed into the room followed by a Raven-dragon. Isla heard shouting then and the smashing of glass.

"Dragons are attacking us!" screeched Mrs. Thomas, "This is the best time to escape!"

"How dare you poison her! Are you insane? We all trusted you! We. trusted. You," Estelle shouted accusingly.

"Look, I'm really sorry. I needed to try it out first, didn't I?"

"What? Like one of your 'experiments'?"

Mrs. Thomas didn't answer as she unlocked the padlocks and the other captives ran out, hitting out at the Intergalactic Federation Officers. Some of the captives were busy getting themselves and helping others to get into the space suits that Mrs. Thomas had stolen from the others.

Later Isla learned that she had poisoned most of the officers; Isla tried to get up, to run, to do anything to get out of there, her whole body aching. Isla saw the figure next to Mrs. Thomas half running, half limping towards her and as he started speaking a gasp let her lips and tears poured down her cheeks. When she saw his ginger hair and pale blue eyes looking at her as he crouched down to pick her up from the cold floor, she knew it was Finley. She couldn't wait to ask questions swirling around in her mind. As Finley lifted her off the ground, feeling began slowly returning in her legs, but her vision still blurred in and out of focus. Even though they were right in the middle of all the chaos and heard smashing glass where the Whale-dragons had tried to get through into the different rooms, Isla only focused on the young man helping her; she could hear and see that he, too, was in pain. Gradually they came to where the Space Suits lay in a heap on the ground as everyone ran over them in panic, each going in different directions. Isla tried to stand on her own two feet and hissed in pain, which, she reminded herself, was a good thing, but it meant that the poison was wearing off.

"Finley? But... I thought," Isla couldn't even get the words out and he threw his arms around her finally allowing himself to believe that they might make it out of there alive. They stayed like that for a few minutes each understanding the others need for silence.

"Everyone! Over here!" shouted Estelle leading the dragons, including Cosmo who was still searching frantically, calling out for Isla to the interlinking passage. Finley and Isla broke apart and each put on their Space Suit with great difficulty helping each other with the zips. Isla felt around for the visor button as she placed the helmet over her head. Of course Ffinley noticed that her eye was damaged and she couldn't seem to see clearly at all so he reached over and pushed the button for her and the visor snapped closed. Holding hands, they ran as fast as their pain would allow them to enter through the door. Isla grasped at the sheer size of the Whale-dragons, who's poor wings were scraping against the confined space in the Ship.

"Come on! They might already be waking up! We have to go now! We have to plan how the best way to get out actually is," Estelle shouted.

"We're coming, we're coming," Isla heard someone say.

When Cosmo saw Isla he flew over to her butting the visor with his nose until she opened it about to speak, but he was too fast as he wrapped his wings around her and said, "Isla! Thank goodness! I'm so glad you're okay. We were so worried..." he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Finley and Isla had to catch him in her aching arms. It was as if he'd seen a ghost and in some way he had; Finley was pale, looking as thin as he'd ever seen them and his eyes were.. Different somehow, Cosmo decided. Still in Isla's arms they neared the door and their nerves jumped inside of them. Cosmo called the Whale-dragons in wailing dragon-tongue to follow them.

"Finley?" he whispered, craning his neck to get a good look at the human young man. The 20-year-old nodded smiling slightly as Cosmo unwrapped himself from Isla and wrapped his wings around Finley.

Making sure that no other captives were left, Mrs. Thomas locked the door to the Space Pod and began organising everyone in single file order with the help of Estelle.

"So, first the dragons can go out and then we'll follow suit," Mrs. Thomas started, moving a strand of dark blonde hair from her face as she pushed the button and her visor snapped shut. It was so quiet that Finley and Isla heard the bang of the visor hitting the helmet. Cosmo clung onto Finley and didn't follow her instructions as everyone in the line, most of them in pain, held hands.

The Whale-dragons said their goodbyes to Cosmo and wished the humans well, even though no one understood them. Cosmo thanked them and watched in awe as they squeezed themselves out into the open universe once more.

"We're all going to hold hands and jump off the Space Pod. Hopefully another Space Pod comes and saves us," called someone at the front, close to the door.

"That's a terrible plan. Isn't there some sort of alternative? There has to be, surely," Finley called, a shiver going up his spine, his growling stomach and aching body not helping his anxiety.

"Then how do you suppose we do it, genius?" retorted another from the back of the line. Finley didn't answer causing a few sneering remarks directed his way; one of them next to Isla, who glared at him until he looked away in embarrassment.

"Enough! Give him a break, honestly. He's right. It's utterly insane, but anywhere is better than here," Isla shouted above the noise, finally getting her true voice back. Finley stared at his best friend in admiration as she continued, "On 3, okay? 1, 2, 3, Jump!" Suddenly they felt themselves being pulled and their shoulders ached from being thrown into the cell. Both Isla and Finley knew they were going to have nightmares about that for a while to come, but at that moment when they both fell into the darkness with only the dragons and giant jellyfish to guide them.

With everyone hanging onto each other for dear life they floated there from the Intergalactic Federation Ship not knowing how long they were going to be safer out here in the burning cold atmosphere. Or how long it would be until the pilots of the Space Pod realised what had occurred and if they would try and run them down with sheer force. Or if the officers were waking up from their poisonous state and if they'd use them for target practice with the guns that they'd heard rumours about, but had never seen. They didn't know if they would make it back to their own Space Pods alive either. Isla wanted to ask Finley everything, and tell him how she really felt about him because even though the thought terrified her it could be her last chance. Thinking all of this through, it suddenly dawned on Isla that this might be her last day alive. 

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