Sweet Valley Twins #91: Deadly Voyage
Are we ready for this epic thriller of dramatic hijinks at sea?
daphne_23 and myself are both recapping a book in this two part arc, aptly named, 'Nightmare at Sea.' It's good to see the ghostwriters were so original with the arc titles.....'Nightmare Mansion', 'Nightmare at Sea,' you get the drift (heh, get it?)
The first cover is, well, umm, green! About the best I can do I'm afraid. We have Elizabeth being hold against the edge of the boat. I know it's Elizabeth because I've read the book. Yes, this scene actually happens! Read that again. This scene actually happens. Sorry, it's just such a non event usually. Also, she is wearing a white and grey stripy top, and in true Liz fashion, it's about ten sixes too big for her graceful bodied figure, and with the added hair up style, it just has to be her really. There are also sharks in the water, see those Jaws like fins? Very very dramatic. I hope none of you have had a manicure lately, as you will be gripping the edge of your seats so hard.....Yawn.
The second cover is b-o-r-i-n-g. We have a CB radio (featured in plot again, wow), and a fifty dollar bill. I have this cover. Man, why do I have all the shit covers for my books? *Sigh.*
The first part of the dramatic 'Nightmare at Sea' sequence....
Elizabeth is in bed. Not so unusual, except Jessica is trying to wake her up. At Seven am. On a Saturday. OK, very unusual. Jessica then starts bouncing on the bed. Liz still doesn't get up (maybe she had Magical Vodka in her bedtime cup of cocoa) so Jessica tells her she is going to borrow her scuba fins for the field trip. That soon perks Lizzie right up - the field trip, not the threat of losing her fins, I think she'd be used to that by now! She snarks at Jess about being up so early - "You got up early on a Saturday? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Jessica?" Jessica is so not amused, and starts hunting for the fins in Liz's closet, as they have a neon purple streak on them. We then hear about the field trip - selected sixth, seventh and eighth graders are going on an all day field trip to Santa Maria Island, which is half an hour away by boat, to spend the day observing wildlife and exploring the uninhabited coastal island. They also get extra credit in science class. Liz is all excited about the work involved, whereas Jess is more excited about tanning herself and snorkeling. Here we have the twin description. Liz thinks of Jess as a, ' small, cheerful hurricane.' Heh. She also says being in Jessica's messy room makes her 'twitchy.' OCD not much, Liz! She then surveys her own room with pride as it's so neat and tidy. No kidding. Jessica breezes back in and asks Liz for fashion advice :-/! Liz is wearing a flowered blue and green tank suit for swimming in, whereas Jess is wearing, "my brand new purple bikini," Jessica said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "The one with the unicorn applique." Suggestively wiggling her eyebrows? What? At her sister? OK, then! Alice then calls the twins down for breakfast. Elizabeth stuffs some notebooks and pens into the handy waterproof backpack she has, and thinks to herself, 'today was going to be an unforgettable day - she could feel it.' Darn tootin'! All this excitement over a science field trip.
Turns out Alice is one of the parent chaperons for the trip. Something we find out in the Wakefield minivan, as Jessica won't let them leave before she checks she has all the essential items for the trip - 'extra lip gloss, mousse, tanning lotion.' Liz is annoyed, though not as annoyed as Alice is when Jess tells her she has promised to give Lila, Mandy Ellen and Janet rides to the marina. Jessica stands her ground, 'It was just this kind of unnecessary nitpickiness that Jessica refused to give into. People should be more flexible, in her opinion.' Alice is irritated by Jessica's blase attitude, and tells them of a nasty storm thats expected to hit Sweet Valley and the surrounding area late afternoon, therefore the boat has to be back by dinnertime, and therefore has to leave on time. Jessica feels hounded upon, and thinks, looking out the window that 'some TV weatherperson was overreacting to some satellite picture somewhere. Typical!' Well, she does have a point...Alice nags a bit more about asking next time, and Jess thinks, 'It was amazing how people got upset about the least little things. She noticed this all the time.' Kettle, pot, black, mayhap?!?
They pick the Unicorns up and Lila has bought the latest Jonny Buck album, 'Bucking the System,' and the latest Melody Powers album, 'Power to the People,' with her. Jessica is so excited. bless her, although I think her enthusiasm is dampened slightly by Elizabeth's speech about the animals, "I can't wait to see some of the sea lions and otters. I just wish it was the right season for gray whales." Gray whales. Todd & Elizabeth, OTP 4EVA! The Unicorns feel sorry for Jess having such a boring sister, and we hear about how Jess forced Liz into attending a couple of meetings but they were boring. Wait a sec, didn't Liz force herself along in 'Best Friends' so she wouldn't lose Jessica's love or something. Jess boasts about her bikini, Alice parks and the kids get out for 'the best field trip ever.'
Liz hears someone calling her name. It's Amy, dull as always, and nagging Liz about being late. Liz snarkily blames Jess for the mass Unicorn pickup making them late, and they while away a couple of minutes ragging the Unicorns. Todd joins them, and we are treated to an explanation of how Todd and Elizabeth have become 'sort of boyfriend and girlfriend' over the last couple months. Liz thinks Todd looks, 'really cute in fluorescent jams down to his knees and a black T-shirt with the arms cut off.' Zippyladoodles thinks Todd sounds really stupid. And what are jams, anyway? Todd then goes on to spout about how he's, "never seen elephant seals up close before. Sometimes the males get into fights over the females." Sounds to me as if Todd has been taking lessons from these seals. Like I said earlier, Todd & Liz = OTP 4EVA! Just as the others are all getting way too over excited about this information, Randy staggers up carrying the nerd's equivalent of a bag ready for a day on the beach: a box stuffed with metal antennas, wires and coils. He is even described in the book as, 'boy genius and science nerd of the sixth grade.' Harsh! The box contains science equipment, apparently, which I would have thought Elizabeth Wakefield, girl genius and bad writer of the sixth grade, would have figured out. Randy is planning on sucking up to Mr Siegel and running some tests on wind direction and so on. Liz offers to interview him for the super duper Sixers special she is putting out concerning the field trip (sounds like a real thrill of an edition), so all the kids who didn't get selected can feel jealous and lament about their lack of extra credit, and the ones who did go can feel superior and relive the experience, I presume.
The kids' attention then turns to the boat, the Island Dreamer. It is white, wide and flat, with a general room and a pilothouse. 'Elizabeth knew the pilothouse was where the Captain steered the boat.' Someone get this girl a banana!I It has wide decks back and front, too. Oooh! Liz, Todd, Amy, Maria and Randy all decide to board the boat, even though Mr Siegel and the rest of the parent chaperons, including Alice, haven't said they can or indeed, boarded themselves yet.
Jessica and the Unicorns are watching Bruce and Jerry show off. Janet snarks about the size of Bruce's duffel bag, not liking it when Jessica then snarks about the size of hers. Jessica is much abashed, however, when Janet snootily informs her the bag actually contains 'important Unicorn stuff - like the latest copy of Teen Dream magazine, and other cool stuff.' Belinda then comments on Bruce's cuteness in his surfing jams, which aren't described but we can only hope they aren't fluorescent, except they all think Bruce is a snob. Bruce and Jerry take the piss out of the Island Dreamer (poor boat - still, it's in for a much worse fate than name calling), and Bruce boasts about his rich father's cabin cruiser, much to Lila's disgust. Jess sees people loading the food (including some JEM cookies - we also get the JEM cookie tale but I'm not repeating it here unless requested - please ask in comments), so the Unicorns decide to board the boat too. Except Kimberley, who isn't allowed on because her mom forgot to sign the permission slip or something. Jess takes a photo for Liz to run in the Sixers - Unicorns on Board apparently, and they all, bar Kimberley, board the boat.
Bruce has sneaked his Boogie board onto the boat - his master plan is to let everyone else go off on the island and he and Jerry will spend the day surfing. Bruce is also wearing Ray Bans. So you know. We hear a bit more dialog between Bruce and Jerry about Bruce's dad's super new boat, and Bruce boasts he could drive the Island Dreamer one handed, what with the 'chipmunks down below, pedalling to keep the screws turning.' I wonder if Hank's boat has a 1Hank1 numberplate? Bruce then boasts how he could run the Island Dreamer with one hand tied behind his back, only to be interrupted by Donald Zwerdling saying, actually, because the boat is so old he probably couldn't due to it's lack of computer equipment and so on. A piece of subtle foreshadowing there. Janet, Tamara, Liz, Jess and Aaron have drifted over to listen in, and Bruce gets a bit rattled. Liz comes out with a cutting speech about how Bruce couldn't run anything bigger than a Sunfish, which is a tiny sailboat apparently, and Bruce thinks, very correctly, 'it was just like that goody goody Wakefield to stick her nose onto someone else's business.' YES! Bruce, you have nailed it on the head. Someone who recognises Liz for who she is! Doesn't stop you trying to date rape her in four years time but still. 10 points to Bruce. Bruce and Jerry then 'ditch the geeks' and sit down.
Liz snarks to everyone about how Bruce's bragging could fill the sails with hot air all day (very true - sorry Bruce) and they all snark impatiently at how long it's taking to leave the marina. This is probably why, when Aaron is told by a man who sticks his head out of the pilothouse to cast the boat off, he does without questioning why Mr Siegel, the parent chaperons and some of the kids still aren't on board. They all get excited as Aaron casts the heavy rope off, and take some pictures for the Sixers. Nerds on board, perhaps? Or, umm, Whale Lovers Anon? Liz brings up something about robberies at the Valley Mall a few months ago in relation to Maria's photographing skills, which is obviously a ploy to read previous books in the series. Which book is this, anyway? Todd comes up and takes a picture of Amy, Liz and Maria, telling them to say 'extra credit' at the camera. *Shakes head* he is such a geek! They go and sit down, talking about the animals on the island, again - porpoises and starfish and jellyfish' - oh my! Heh - I hope everyone got that reference....! The boat shudders and Liz grabs the railing. Looking down, she realises the boat has left the dock! Oh Noes! What to do! Her mother and the other adults are still on shore, and the boat is leaving......."mom," she cries. To no avail, however, and off they chug...
Maria & Todd join in shouting to the adults but the adults can't get on board in time as the boat leaves the dock. The kids convince themselves that the captain is just going for a warm up lap (?? yeah I know, I know) and will return to pick up the adults. Jessica, however, is having a whale of a time. Of course, she isn't aware the adults aren't board, but would she care? Nope! Liz, Maria, Amy, Todd & Aaron then come running down to the Unicorns, panicking about the lack of adults on the boat. The Unicorns aren't quite as worried, however, they think it's awesome that the captain has left and they will have a whole day on the island without having to do the work. Figures! Elizabeth takes the other view, obviously, and marches off to tell the Captain he has left without the chaperons, and to turn back double quick time, much to the Unicorn's disgust. Jessica thinks Elizabeth can be 'such a stick-in-the-mud sometimes.' Hmm, I dunno, I'm kinda with Liz on this one.
The Captain is obviously in the Pilothouse, as we heard earlier, which is locked with curtains drawn over all the windows. Dunno if that seems odd to any other readers but the kids don't seem to think so. Anyway, Liz tells the Captain he has left without half the people. 'She wrung her hands.' Good grief, that's going a bit far, it's not personally her fault (though we all know she has to be responsible for like, everything, so possibly it is anyway). The Captain tells them to sit down and be quiet as they'll be at the island soon. Liz gets angry (can imagine that may be like getting hit with a rubber mallet) but the Captain tells her the adults will take another boat and meet her there. As the door is locked and she can't get in there to use patented St Liz charm, she has to be mollified at that and sit down. She does however say it's odd he won't come out and talk to them (but maybe he doesn't think you're worth talking to, Elizabeth). Janet tells Elizabeth to "just relax and stop trying to run everything for once." HEH! If it wasn't so badly pot and kettle black I would award Janet ten points, but, as it is, she can have seven. OWNED, Elizabeth!! "I don't always try to run everything, " Elizabeth protested, feeling stung by Janet's remark. She didn't usually try to run everything, did she? Then she cleared her throat. The situation still seemed kind of worrisome, but she knew she'd get nowhere trying to explain that to the Unicorns.' The ghostwriter = clearly not an Elizabeth fan. She agrees to relax and enjoy the ride, and Jessica gets in a dig about her being a worrywart (two points). Don't worry, Elizabeth fans, she does get some good scenes later on in this book.
Everyone has a kind of party on the boat - Bruce pretends to ride his Boogie board on one of the seats (*cough dork cough*) and the Unicorns say it's even more fun that a Unicorn meeting (that probably isn't hard). Liz wanders over to Randy who says his instruments are messing up and it seems as if the distance and direction is all wrong (HINT HINT HINT SOMEBODY). Liz looks for the island but all she can see in the distance is the sea.
After a while, the kids start to get bored. Cammi Adams, useful-only-for-this-plot character, starts talking about a movie about a shipwreck, much to Bruce's disgust. 'She was a sixth-grader, and she looked it, Bruce thought dryly. Straight up and down.' Hmm, I'm torn. +3 points for making me laugh, or - 2 for being a pig. Hmm, I'm feeling generous; +3 points to Bruce. The girls all start talking about how romantic it would be to be shipwrecked and wear grass skirts ("there's no way you're getting me into a grass skirt" - Bruce). He tells them about a book he read about cannibals from a shipwreck (hmm, sounds like Lost). Wait, Bruce read a book? What?
Jessica and Lila are dancing but a strange banging noise is putting them off beat. They determine to find the noise and stop it, as it's ruining the new Melody Powers song. They go inside and see two bathrooms, marked 'Bouys' and 'Gulls' (groan) but the banging is coming from a supply cupboard. The door is jammed, however, which Jessica amends by slamming her shoe against it. Jessica looks inside and let out 'a sharp, horrified gasp.''What's inside, people? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's.......wait and see....
Todd & Liz are sharing a soda outside on deck. Young love, bless! Liz is finally having fun, even though she realises it's taking a rather long time to reach the island. This is all ruined, however, when she goes inside with Winston and Amy to find Jessica. Jessica points at the supply closet and backs away slowly. Before you get excited, there's no illegal dragons or anything in there. Inside the store room are....two men, tied up. The Captain and crewman, both unconscious. Liz has a moment of 'I knew i was right all along' but then the Captain wakes up and tells her that he is Captain Thomas Moreland, and his boat, the Island Dreamer, was hijacked by two men, and him and Walt Luftkin, the crewman, were knocked out. He also tells them that the two men aren't headed for the island at all (no shit, sherlock) but for Mexico instead as they need to flee US waters. This of course means that the adults in fact haven't been notified, and no one knows where they are. It will take about ten hours to get to Mexico, but they won't make it as the big storm will hit them in the afternoon, and destroy the boat. He tells them to find a CB radio he keeps in his private quarters, and to Mayday SOS for help.Then the Captain passes out. The kids make the two men as comfortable as they can inside the store room, and shut them back in to sleep off whatever drugs they've been given. Jessica asks Liz what to do now, but Liz's brain has frozen, for about the first time ever I might add. Apart from when she's writing, in which case that's permanent. 'They're counting on you, she thought. You're the level headed one who always has great ideas, remember. You have to think of something.' Not big headed much, is she!
Todd paces and decides they need a plan. Why? Big head Wakefield is right next to you, Todd. She won't let your dumb plan override her idea, when she has it. Liz thinks she is very glad to be surrounded by her best friends, 'it even helped to have Lila around.' Of course it does, no doubt you can shove her in front of you when the hijackers appear. Janet and Bruce walk in, followed by the rest of the kids, and Liz fills them in. ' Seeing her classmates' eyes go wide, their mouths drop open, made her more determined to keep herself together. Maybe later, when she was safe at home, she would panic and fall apart. But right now, she just didn't have time.' ~rolling eyes~. Who does she think she is, anyway! Super Liz! This is followed by an even better speech by Bruce - 'Bruce narrowed his eyes strategically (great adjective - err, right) "I'd hate to subject anyone to my karate moves, but it looks like I might have to. Desperate times call for desperate-" Liz interrupts saying that won't be necessary (but better than your nonexistent plan, Elizabeth) thinking Bruce is a 'fathead'. Correct, but so, oh, 1992 insult. Even though the book was written in 1995. But, sigh, I digress. Liz suggests working together to think of an escape plan (jump into the ocean?) and Ken tells Bruce it's good he knows how to sail the boat one handed, remember, as it might be handy, to which Bruce foot shuffles and doesn't say anything. As a side note, Geeky Randy gets all excited saying how happy he is his instruments weren't wrong, after all, as they are heading in the wrong direction. 'Elizabeth sighed. That wasn't any great consolation to her, but if it made him feel better, who was she to argue?' Indeed. Very sanctimonious, Liz! Jess suggests they elect a leader, obviously the great Janet Howell. Janet brags for an entire paragraph and how great she is, then goes blank when asked for ideas. Elizabeth, obviously feeling upstaged (and by her very own twin, for a change. Who would have thought it!) suddenly has a fully formed master plan, which is.........a small group will go and look for the Captain's CB radio, and the rest of the kids will go back on deck and act normal to avoid raising suspicion. She, naturally, will be radio hunting, along with Winston, Amy & Maria. So...three girls and one weedy boy against two men. Yep. Maria's going because she feels better when she's with Elizabeth, apparently. No. Comment!
Back on deck, then, Jess and Lila try to act normal, even though nobody else seems to want to. Hmm, I wonder why. 'Jessica had seen more excitement at a Social Studies exam.' They turn on the radio only to hear an emergency news flash concerning a bank robbery in Sweet Valley that morning, of almost $5000. The robbers are apparently armed, unkempt and dangerous. So if you don't brush your hair at least two times an hour, it makes you dangerous. I'm screwed! It goes on to say they may have escaped in a charter boat from SV marina....wonder which boat that is. The Island Dreamer, perchance? There's also a $1000 reward on their heads. Jessica looks round and notes everyone is wearing a 'dying-cow face.' Better get a moooo-ve on and liven things up then, Jess. Heh, that was just my little joke. Heh...no? Ellen asks that as she knows their whereabouts and location, does she get the reward? Heh. Jessica thinks to herself that, as future president of the Unicorns, she better show of her qualities to motivate everyone. She bosses everyone around and lies down to sunbathe, thinking, 'Jessica Wakefield, born leader. She liked the sound of that. Too bad she was too scared about being hijacked at sea by two armed and dangerous men to appreciate it completely.' That's my Jess!
Back to the fearless quartet of Liz, Amy, lesbianic Maria and Winston. They get into the Captain's quarters and search for the radio, even though Liz feels 'kind of weird' going through his belongings. Just this once Liz, I'm sure he wouldn't exactly mind. They can't find it, and Liz feels jumpy. She soon peps herself up though by telling herself not to be a total wimp. Now, Liz, just act upon it, yeah! Winston finds the radio and they search for a channel. He calls Mayday and explains their situation, but, of course, because he's shouting into the radio, the hijackers hear them and come bursting in. Uh-oh. WHY didn't they take the radio to the toilets or something! The hijackers chuck the radio away and drag them onto the deck. FAIL, saint Liz!
Meanwhile, the kids on deck have been 'living it up' as best as they can. The Unicorns are planning the next Unicorn extravaganza, a Unicorn appreciation week at school (*splutter* - spitting out my tea in mirth). Bruce and Jerry are practicing karate moves. Everything is going, well, swimmingly, until the hijackers drag the rescue group onto the deck. Jess rushes to Liz's side to defend her, and we find out the men's names are Jack and Gary. Gary tells everyone to line up against the guardrail, and then walks up the line of kids poking them. No kidding. Bruce and Jerry, not standing for this, turn round and execute a karate kick, except for they miss and fall over. Bummer. 'Jessica cringed. It has been kind of birdbrained for them to try that stupid kick, but she hated to see them get hurt.' You just wait til SVH, Jess, you won't be cryin' then! Also, I'm lovin' the insults in this book. Birdbrained. Fathead. Heh, priceless. Jack starts tying all the kids to the rail with some conveniently placed rope. Bother those hijackers, don't they know how uncomfortable that is! Jessica imagines spending the rest of her life on a boat with the evil hijackers. Either she's planning a very short life or she's a bit delusional when it comes to how long the hijackers will be spending on the boat. Jack ties up Liz, who winces at the rope hurts her. Jessica tells Jack to stop hurting her sister, so he just ties Jessica up tighter. 'She hated these two hijackers. She hated them more than math class. She hated them more than hockey. She even hated them more than black jellybeans.' That's pretty strong hate there! Also, continuity from Jessica's Blind Date in which she hates black jelly beans as well. Randy helpfully points out to the men that, if the boat were to sink, the kids would drown, but, funnily enough, they don't seem bothered. The men then proceed to eat all the food left over from the kid's lunch, and drink all the soda. Liz calls them stupid jerks. Yay. I'm compiling an insult list :-)! Liz tells Jess (they are next to each other I gather) that they will work out a plan between them, and they remember their other rescue/saving adventures, such as the psychic sisters disaster and the JEM cookie scenario. Such a book selling ploy.
We skip to Mrs Wakefield and other parents. They don't know, as yet, about the hijackers, and Alice isn't, as yet, cleaning everything in sight. This is until a Captain Robert Burkes walks in and tells them about Winston's aborted Mayday call. Mr Siegel vouches for Winston's seriousness, saying he wouldn't have done it as a hoax (ah,but isn't he the practical joker? Also, could it have been Bruce, pretending. Ah, so many flaws....) and Alice goes all pale. First OCD sign coming on I bet.
Back to Liz. She wonders what Christine Davenport would be doing in this situation, who is apparently the heroine in the ever popular Amanda Howard books. This is REAL LIFE, LIZ!! Wake up and smell the ocean! In books, the heroine always escapes and defeats the evil hijackers, aided (or often hindered) by her twin sister.....oh....wait! She hopes Captain Moreland is now awake and is putting some grand plan into action. The men buggar off to 'take care' of the Captain and Walt, and Liz forces everyone to make a one-for-all-and-all-for-one pact. Very helpful, I'm sure. The men come back pushing the captain and Walt, and force them into a lifeboat, which they then set adrift with only a couple bottles of water. Elizabeth gives the Captain a sympathetic glance, which apparently makes him look even worse. The lifeboat drifts off, and the kids are truly alone.
The kids wait. Well, they can't do much else. Looking into the distance, Jessica sees a dark bank of clouds. Oh Noes, the storm. Not just an overreacting weatherman then, Jess! Tamara, who has been increasingly distraught ever since Janet couldn't think of a plan, starts crying. I've omitted Tamara's whinging because, frankly, this recap is getting long enough and she bores me, but it's important you know that she's losing grip. Not yet, for later. Just remember, OK! Janet is scandalised, anyway, when she tells Tamara to stop acting un-Unicorn like, and Tamara tells her the Unicorns aren't important, it's just a 'school club for girls.' Belinda backs Janet up, and tells Tamra that being a Unicorn will help her through the crisis. Janet tells her to have a 'stiff upper lip', and Tamara touches it to stop it quivering. Heh, I had to add that cos it made me laugh. Long as Bruce isn't having a stiff upper anything, we'll be fine. Jessica sighs and thinks about the morning, when Liz almost overslept, and they were late because of the lifts she promised the Unicorns. She feels guilty, of all things. If she hadn't made Alice late, Alice would probably be on the boat too. But, that wouldn't be convenient for the plot now, would it. Besides, just cos she's a GROWN UP doesn't mean she could have done anything. Mr Wilkins (be it Jim or Bert, as they seem to be the same man) would have been better, and of course Todd has to get his Todd Punch technique from somewhere, although it seems sadly neglected on this trip.
Back to the parental units, who now seem a tad worried ('but if our daughters die, who will we have to neglect?'). Ned is being firm, apparently. He's telling Captain Burkes what should be done, when it, in fact, has already been done. Typical! However, a slight problemo! The storm heading toward the Island Dreamer is making it far too rough to send out search helicopters or anything, and so what does this mean for the boat? I'm thinking maybe R.I.P boat! Oh, and kids of course.
Back on the boat, Ken points out what he thinks are dolphins skimming alongside. However, these are actually sharks, as pointed out by one Elizabeth Wakefield (just to make sure everyone feels better about it, ya'know). Randy spouts some nerdy information about how great whites are really common, and they attack unprovoked, a fact which does not go down at all well with Lila. Bicker bicker follows, interrupted by a 'psst.' Liz looks round and sees Cammi Adams (straight up and down, remember) and Donald Zwerdling crawling out from underneath a bench (and just what were they getting up to down there, I might ask?). Turns out the stupid hijackers didn't notice when they sat on the benches there were two kids underneath (d'oh, they really are thick aren't they)! Donald takes Winston's convenient pocket knife and stabs the hijackers, thus saving the kids. Honest. Lol, no, OK, he doesn't really, but I would. He cuts Winston loose, even though Janet demands all Unicorns first (pfft). Cammi tells everyone they are only going to cut a few people loose, St Liz of course high on the list, so the men don't notice, which actually, yep, makes sense. Jessica threatens to faint if Liz doesn't cut her loose, but oddly Liz refuses. I think even I'd rescue my own twin sister. They start to argue but the men reappear so the kids who are free run and hide.
The kids left tied all bicker, with Bruce bigging up his karate skills AGAIN and calling Liz 'wimpy Wakefield.'' Lila and Bruce get into a row about who's parents are richer, and who will have the bigger ransom and so on, except this attracts the men, who, realising they have 'valuable cargo' on board, threaten to keep Bruce and Lila for ransom purposes and chuck everyone else overboard. This sets Tamara off again. Bruce feels all upset inside, especially when he sees how close the storm is getting. Jessica reassures everyone, however, by saying how Liz and the others are working on a rescue plan, and, "if anyone could pull off a really good plan, Elizabeth could." Bruce couldn't think of a snappy comeback to that. Strangely enough, it did make him feel better.' Oh dear, Bruce, you've been hoodwinked as well!
Meanwhile, Liz, Cammi, Donald and Winston are plotting in the Gulls bathroom. Donald wants to flood the pilothouse with poisonous gas (just open Bruce's mouth and let him flow, guys), which seems a bit far fetched considering he's all of twelve years old. Obviously, that's not going to happen, so they let Miss Brains Wakefield take over, and suddenly, she has an idea.....
Phase One
Cammi dashes onto the deck when the guys are in the pilothouse and grabs Winston's Walkman from his bag. Aww, a Walkman. I had one of those when I was about ten or so :-)! The nostalgia! She takes it and goes back to the bathroom.
Phase Two
They sycnchronise watches to all make sure they read 2:45. Liz goes to the galley, Cammi and Donald wait behind the door to the Captain's Quarters, and Winston to the top of the pilothouse.
Phase Three
Liz gets to the galley and fills the coffeepot with water, which she then boils. She then pulls down a seat to get near the porthole, which is where Winston is waiting. He opens it from outside, and Liz gets the Walkman and turns it on to radio. When it's static, she turns it up and yells Mayday into it, pretending it's a CB. The hijackers of course hear her, which is what she wanted, and come bursting in with their guns. Liz throws the hot water right at them (go Liz) and climbs on the chair to get out of the porthole. Good job she's so graceful bodied, isn't it! Except - one of them grabs her foot (even though they should be in agony after being burnt but OK). She kicks off her sneaker, and wriggles through with Winston's help. Winston wedges the porthole shut with a handy screwdriver, and the men are trapped, as Cammi and Donalds have blocked the door from outside with two broom handles (like that'll hold).
They start cutting everyone loose. Everyone is excited and elated, and start planning to throw rotten eggs at the hijackers when they get out of prison, even though Liz thinks it's mean to do that. *rolleyes*. Suddenly, thunder rolls. The storm is here, guys! Why is it it only ever storms in Sweet Valley when there's a dramatic scene going on. It's like that storm in Terry Pratchett's 'Lords and Ladies,' where the storm practises over lonely moorlands so one day it can be a big dramatic storm for scenes such as these. Have I lost you yet? Moving on. The kids realise they need to get the boat closer to shore, and Donalds plans to go down and look how to steer it, with Elizabeth (Todd won't like that). But, shock horror I-didn't-expect-this, the hijackers manage to escape from their prison, and come bursting onto the deck. Jessica is still left half tied to the guardrail (nooooo!), and Liz tries to free her manually. Doesn't work, and Jess tells Liz to run, because the men are going to be plenty mad she locked them up. Liz runs, chased by Gary.
He chases her round the perimeter of the boat, but doubles back and catches her. Pushing her against the rail (see the cover), Liz sees that Jess has managed to untie her ropes and get free. Haha, Todd is still tied up, and he sees his beloved being pushed but he can't help her! Gary suddenly grabs Elizabeth's legs and starts pushing her upwards, shouting "thar she blows." Hehe! Liz tries to kick him off but over she goes. 'Strength was slipping away from her muscles just as her own body was slipping away from the boat. There wasn't much more she could do to save herself now. I don't want to die, she thought. Jessica, please help me.' All V dramatic!
Jessica escapes and sees Gary chasing Liz. She instantly comes up with a plan (meaning she is the cleverer twin, really, as we all knew), and goes and grabs Lila's suntan lotion, ('don't waste it, it's very expensive' - Lila). She also gets Bruce's boogie board. What is she going to do?
Bruce is sitting on deck feeling miserable. He soon bucks himself up by thinking his mere presence is helping people remain calm, (thanks to good ol' Bruce'). He starts bragging about how he could have figured out to run the ship, but Donald is no doubt working it out (oh right, so Donald is in the pilothouse is he. Glad we clarified that). Lila ignores him, and he brings up cellular phones. Cellular. Lolz, mobiles these days, much more hip way of speaking! Lila then realises that her Daddy lent her one this morning for use in case of emergencies. Bang. Head.On.Wall. Bruce calls her stupid, idiotic and lamebrained, and I have to say he has a point. Lila is worried in case the toll charges are too steep, but she agrees to use it anyway, to ring......her dad. Helpful! Bruce screams at her to ring the police, and snatches it away to ring 911. He gets through, but Lila starts screeching about how they need to contact Mr Fowler of Fowler Enterprises. The operator thinks they are pranking the line, and as Bruce keeps the phone out of Lila's reach, she snatches at it and it sails out of his hand and into the ocean. Sorry Lila fans but KILL HER!!! Bruce can't even shout at her, because he now knows their one chance of rescue has been destroyed.
Back to Jessica. She creeps up behind Gary, who now has Liz over the rail, and sprays suntan lotion all round his feet. She then squirts it at him and shouts at him. Whirling round, he slips and falls onto his back. Jessica then gets the boogie board and slams it down on his head. Awesomeness exemplified! Go Jess!!! He's knocked out cold (hmm, would she really be strong enough?), and Jess helps Liz back over the rail. We get a touching, "you're my only twin," moment, and then they are surrounded by the other kids, including Todd, who has finally managed to free himself (just a bit too little too late if you ask me). They tie Gary up with some handy rope, and Bruce stands guard to whack him again (stealing Jessica's glory I'll be bound). Liz chucks Gary's gun into the ocean, even though really she should have kept it. They all think they're safe, until a gust of wind reminds about the storm! Oh Noes, the storm!
Now they have to trap Jack. Winston comes up with the idea of trapping a Styrofoam life preserver around his body, by getting him under the pilothouse door and Winston will throw it on from above. So Winston climbs up, and the others taunt Jack into going underneath him. Winston throws the life preserver down, and the kids tug it over his body, imprisoning his arms. They take HIS gun from his back pocket (which, sadly, did not shoot any of his buttocks off), and Bruce hits him with the boogie board as well, except with less Jessica awesomeness. They tie him up, and drag him off. Donald and Cammi emerge from the pilothouse (no comment) and say that, bad news, the sea charts are useless and, as the boat has no satellite tracking system, they are utterly lost. The radio is also broken, as the hijackers spilled coffee into it. Uh oh.
Tamara gets all seasick as the boat is rolling about wildly on the choppy waves. Lila has some, actually. Hmm, redemption, maybe! The sky is completely black and it's raining hard. The waves are hitting the boat hard. Everyone puts a life jacket on, but everyone is depressed. No food, no charts, no hope of rescue :-(! Suddenly, a huge wave hits the boat, and it tips, but doesn't tip back. That's right, they've sprung a leak! Time for Tamara's big moment. She flips, and claws her way outside (they're in the passenger room I think). Her eyes are wild, and she's screaming about not being trapped inside. She lurches outside, which is obviously dangerous, and of course Liz goes after her.
Liz tries to calm Tamara down on the deck. It's pouring down, and the wind is knocking them around. She coaxes Tamara with the lure of hot chocolate and marshmallows. Tamara foolishly believes her, and starts to make her way back. However, just as Tamara reaches safety, an enormous ten foot wave knocks Liz off her feet and sweeps her toward the ocean. She tries to grab the rail but there's no Jessica to save her this time, and into the ocean she goes. She tries to swim back but obviously the boat is still moving and the sea is washing her around. She starts to get sleepy, and relaxes. She closes her eyes and, 'the next time a wave washed over Elizabeth's head, spreading her long blond hair around her like a golden sunburst, she didn't struggle. There, in the darkness of the ocean storm, she gave up the fight.'
What will happen to Elizabeth and her classmates on the Island Dreamer? Read Sweet Valley Twins 92, ESCAPE FROM TERROR ISLAND, the exciting conclusion of the Nightmare at Sea miniseries, to find out.
Well, what will happen? Will Alice go mad and clean the beach? Will Jessica attack Bruce with the suntan lotion? You'll have to ask
daphne_23 as it's her turn :-)!
P.S. I do apologise for the wait for this recap, as I know I said I was doing it mid December. My only excuse is Christmas, so, I'm sorry :-)!
daphne_23 and myself are both recapping a book in this two part arc, aptly named, 'Nightmare at Sea.' It's good to see the ghostwriters were so original with the arc titles.....'Nightmare Mansion', 'Nightmare at Sea,' you get the drift (heh, get it?)
The first cover is, well, umm, green! About the best I can do I'm afraid. We have Elizabeth being hold against the edge of the boat. I know it's Elizabeth because I've read the book. Yes, this scene actually happens! Read that again. This scene actually happens. Sorry, it's just such a non event usually. Also, she is wearing a white and grey stripy top, and in true Liz fashion, it's about ten sixes too big for her graceful bodied figure, and with the added hair up style, it just has to be her really. There are also sharks in the water, see those Jaws like fins? Very very dramatic. I hope none of you have had a manicure lately, as you will be gripping the edge of your seats so hard.....Yawn.
The second cover is b-o-r-i-n-g. We have a CB radio (featured in plot again, wow), and a fifty dollar bill. I have this cover. Man, why do I have all the shit covers for my books? *Sigh.*
The first part of the dramatic 'Nightmare at Sea' sequence....
Elizabeth is in bed. Not so unusual, except Jessica is trying to wake her up. At Seven am. On a Saturday. OK, very unusual. Jessica then starts bouncing on the bed. Liz still doesn't get up (maybe she had Magical Vodka in her bedtime cup of cocoa) so Jessica tells her she is going to borrow her scuba fins for the field trip. That soon perks Lizzie right up - the field trip, not the threat of losing her fins, I think she'd be used to that by now! She snarks at Jess about being up so early - "You got up early on a Saturday? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Jessica?" Jessica is so not amused, and starts hunting for the fins in Liz's closet, as they have a neon purple streak on them. We then hear about the field trip - selected sixth, seventh and eighth graders are going on an all day field trip to Santa Maria Island, which is half an hour away by boat, to spend the day observing wildlife and exploring the uninhabited coastal island. They also get extra credit in science class. Liz is all excited about the work involved, whereas Jess is more excited about tanning herself and snorkeling. Here we have the twin description. Liz thinks of Jess as a, ' small, cheerful hurricane.' Heh. She also says being in Jessica's messy room makes her 'twitchy.' OCD not much, Liz! She then surveys her own room with pride as it's so neat and tidy. No kidding. Jessica breezes back in and asks Liz for fashion advice :-/! Liz is wearing a flowered blue and green tank suit for swimming in, whereas Jess is wearing, "my brand new purple bikini," Jessica said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "The one with the unicorn applique." Suggestively wiggling her eyebrows? What? At her sister? OK, then! Alice then calls the twins down for breakfast. Elizabeth stuffs some notebooks and pens into the handy waterproof backpack she has, and thinks to herself, 'today was going to be an unforgettable day - she could feel it.' Darn tootin'! All this excitement over a science field trip.
Turns out Alice is one of the parent chaperons for the trip. Something we find out in the Wakefield minivan, as Jessica won't let them leave before she checks she has all the essential items for the trip - 'extra lip gloss, mousse, tanning lotion.' Liz is annoyed, though not as annoyed as Alice is when Jess tells her she has promised to give Lila, Mandy Ellen and Janet rides to the marina. Jessica stands her ground, 'It was just this kind of unnecessary nitpickiness that Jessica refused to give into. People should be more flexible, in her opinion.' Alice is irritated by Jessica's blase attitude, and tells them of a nasty storm thats expected to hit Sweet Valley and the surrounding area late afternoon, therefore the boat has to be back by dinnertime, and therefore has to leave on time. Jessica feels hounded upon, and thinks, looking out the window that 'some TV weatherperson was overreacting to some satellite picture somewhere. Typical!' Well, she does have a point...Alice nags a bit more about asking next time, and Jess thinks, 'It was amazing how people got upset about the least little things. She noticed this all the time.' Kettle, pot, black, mayhap?!?
They pick the Unicorns up and Lila has bought the latest Jonny Buck album, 'Bucking the System,' and the latest Melody Powers album, 'Power to the People,' with her. Jessica is so excited. bless her, although I think her enthusiasm is dampened slightly by Elizabeth's speech about the animals, "I can't wait to see some of the sea lions and otters. I just wish it was the right season for gray whales." Gray whales. Todd & Elizabeth, OTP 4EVA! The Unicorns feel sorry for Jess having such a boring sister, and we hear about how Jess forced Liz into attending a couple of meetings but they were boring. Wait a sec, didn't Liz force herself along in 'Best Friends' so she wouldn't lose Jessica's love or something. Jess boasts about her bikini, Alice parks and the kids get out for 'the best field trip ever.'
Liz hears someone calling her name. It's Amy, dull as always, and nagging Liz about being late. Liz snarkily blames Jess for the mass Unicorn pickup making them late, and they while away a couple of minutes ragging the Unicorns. Todd joins them, and we are treated to an explanation of how Todd and Elizabeth have become 'sort of boyfriend and girlfriend' over the last couple months. Liz thinks Todd looks, 'really cute in fluorescent jams down to his knees and a black T-shirt with the arms cut off.' Zippyladoodles thinks Todd sounds really stupid. And what are jams, anyway? Todd then goes on to spout about how he's, "never seen elephant seals up close before. Sometimes the males get into fights over the females." Sounds to me as if Todd has been taking lessons from these seals. Like I said earlier, Todd & Liz = OTP 4EVA! Just as the others are all getting way too over excited about this information, Randy staggers up carrying the nerd's equivalent of a bag ready for a day on the beach: a box stuffed with metal antennas, wires and coils. He is even described in the book as, 'boy genius and science nerd of the sixth grade.' Harsh! The box contains science equipment, apparently, which I would have thought Elizabeth Wakefield, girl genius and bad writer of the sixth grade, would have figured out. Randy is planning on sucking up to Mr Siegel and running some tests on wind direction and so on. Liz offers to interview him for the super duper Sixers special she is putting out concerning the field trip (sounds like a real thrill of an edition), so all the kids who didn't get selected can feel jealous and lament about their lack of extra credit, and the ones who did go can feel superior and relive the experience, I presume.
The kids' attention then turns to the boat, the Island Dreamer. It is white, wide and flat, with a general room and a pilothouse. 'Elizabeth knew the pilothouse was where the Captain steered the boat.' Someone get this girl a banana!I It has wide decks back and front, too. Oooh! Liz, Todd, Amy, Maria and Randy all decide to board the boat, even though Mr Siegel and the rest of the parent chaperons, including Alice, haven't said they can or indeed, boarded themselves yet.
Jessica and the Unicorns are watching Bruce and Jerry show off. Janet snarks about the size of Bruce's duffel bag, not liking it when Jessica then snarks about the size of hers. Jessica is much abashed, however, when Janet snootily informs her the bag actually contains 'important Unicorn stuff - like the latest copy of Teen Dream magazine, and other cool stuff.' Belinda then comments on Bruce's cuteness in his surfing jams, which aren't described but we can only hope they aren't fluorescent, except they all think Bruce is a snob. Bruce and Jerry take the piss out of the Island Dreamer (poor boat - still, it's in for a much worse fate than name calling), and Bruce boasts about his rich father's cabin cruiser, much to Lila's disgust. Jess sees people loading the food (including some JEM cookies - we also get the JEM cookie tale but I'm not repeating it here unless requested - please ask in comments), so the Unicorns decide to board the boat too. Except Kimberley, who isn't allowed on because her mom forgot to sign the permission slip or something. Jess takes a photo for Liz to run in the Sixers - Unicorns on Board apparently, and they all, bar Kimberley, board the boat.
Bruce has sneaked his Boogie board onto the boat - his master plan is to let everyone else go off on the island and he and Jerry will spend the day surfing. Bruce is also wearing Ray Bans. So you know. We hear a bit more dialog between Bruce and Jerry about Bruce's dad's super new boat, and Bruce boasts he could drive the Island Dreamer one handed, what with the 'chipmunks down below, pedalling to keep the screws turning.' I wonder if Hank's boat has a 1Hank1 numberplate? Bruce then boasts how he could run the Island Dreamer with one hand tied behind his back, only to be interrupted by Donald Zwerdling saying, actually, because the boat is so old he probably couldn't due to it's lack of computer equipment and so on. A piece of subtle foreshadowing there. Janet, Tamara, Liz, Jess and Aaron have drifted over to listen in, and Bruce gets a bit rattled. Liz comes out with a cutting speech about how Bruce couldn't run anything bigger than a Sunfish, which is a tiny sailboat apparently, and Bruce thinks, very correctly, 'it was just like that goody goody Wakefield to stick her nose onto someone else's business.' YES! Bruce, you have nailed it on the head. Someone who recognises Liz for who she is! Doesn't stop you trying to date rape her in four years time but still. 10 points to Bruce. Bruce and Jerry then 'ditch the geeks' and sit down.
Liz snarks to everyone about how Bruce's bragging could fill the sails with hot air all day (very true - sorry Bruce) and they all snark impatiently at how long it's taking to leave the marina. This is probably why, when Aaron is told by a man who sticks his head out of the pilothouse to cast the boat off, he does without questioning why Mr Siegel, the parent chaperons and some of the kids still aren't on board. They all get excited as Aaron casts the heavy rope off, and take some pictures for the Sixers. Nerds on board, perhaps? Or, umm, Whale Lovers Anon? Liz brings up something about robberies at the Valley Mall a few months ago in relation to Maria's photographing skills, which is obviously a ploy to read previous books in the series. Which book is this, anyway? Todd comes up and takes a picture of Amy, Liz and Maria, telling them to say 'extra credit' at the camera. *Shakes head* he is such a geek! They go and sit down, talking about the animals on the island, again - porpoises and starfish and jellyfish' - oh my! Heh - I hope everyone got that reference....! The boat shudders and Liz grabs the railing. Looking down, she realises the boat has left the dock! Oh Noes! What to do! Her mother and the other adults are still on shore, and the boat is leaving......."mom," she cries. To no avail, however, and off they chug...
Maria & Todd join in shouting to the adults but the adults can't get on board in time as the boat leaves the dock. The kids convince themselves that the captain is just going for a warm up lap (?? yeah I know, I know) and will return to pick up the adults. Jessica, however, is having a whale of a time. Of course, she isn't aware the adults aren't board, but would she care? Nope! Liz, Maria, Amy, Todd & Aaron then come running down to the Unicorns, panicking about the lack of adults on the boat. The Unicorns aren't quite as worried, however, they think it's awesome that the captain has left and they will have a whole day on the island without having to do the work. Figures! Elizabeth takes the other view, obviously, and marches off to tell the Captain he has left without the chaperons, and to turn back double quick time, much to the Unicorn's disgust. Jessica thinks Elizabeth can be 'such a stick-in-the-mud sometimes.' Hmm, I dunno, I'm kinda with Liz on this one.
The Captain is obviously in the Pilothouse, as we heard earlier, which is locked with curtains drawn over all the windows. Dunno if that seems odd to any other readers but the kids don't seem to think so. Anyway, Liz tells the Captain he has left without half the people. 'She wrung her hands.' Good grief, that's going a bit far, it's not personally her fault (though we all know she has to be responsible for like, everything, so possibly it is anyway). The Captain tells them to sit down and be quiet as they'll be at the island soon. Liz gets angry (can imagine that may be like getting hit with a rubber mallet) but the Captain tells her the adults will take another boat and meet her there. As the door is locked and she can't get in there to use patented St Liz charm, she has to be mollified at that and sit down. She does however say it's odd he won't come out and talk to them (but maybe he doesn't think you're worth talking to, Elizabeth). Janet tells Elizabeth to "just relax and stop trying to run everything for once." HEH! If it wasn't so badly pot and kettle black I would award Janet ten points, but, as it is, she can have seven. OWNED, Elizabeth!! "I don't always try to run everything, " Elizabeth protested, feeling stung by Janet's remark. She didn't usually try to run everything, did she? Then she cleared her throat. The situation still seemed kind of worrisome, but she knew she'd get nowhere trying to explain that to the Unicorns.' The ghostwriter = clearly not an Elizabeth fan. She agrees to relax and enjoy the ride, and Jessica gets in a dig about her being a worrywart (two points). Don't worry, Elizabeth fans, she does get some good scenes later on in this book.
Everyone has a kind of party on the boat - Bruce pretends to ride his Boogie board on one of the seats (*cough dork cough*) and the Unicorns say it's even more fun that a Unicorn meeting (that probably isn't hard). Liz wanders over to Randy who says his instruments are messing up and it seems as if the distance and direction is all wrong (HINT HINT HINT SOMEBODY). Liz looks for the island but all she can see in the distance is the sea.
After a while, the kids start to get bored. Cammi Adams, useful-only-for-this-plot character, starts talking about a movie about a shipwreck, much to Bruce's disgust. 'She was a sixth-grader, and she looked it, Bruce thought dryly. Straight up and down.' Hmm, I'm torn. +3 points for making me laugh, or - 2 for being a pig. Hmm, I'm feeling generous; +3 points to Bruce. The girls all start talking about how romantic it would be to be shipwrecked and wear grass skirts ("there's no way you're getting me into a grass skirt" - Bruce). He tells them about a book he read about cannibals from a shipwreck (hmm, sounds like Lost). Wait, Bruce read a book? What?
Jessica and Lila are dancing but a strange banging noise is putting them off beat. They determine to find the noise and stop it, as it's ruining the new Melody Powers song. They go inside and see two bathrooms, marked 'Bouys' and 'Gulls' (groan) but the banging is coming from a supply cupboard. The door is jammed, however, which Jessica amends by slamming her shoe against it. Jessica looks inside and let out 'a sharp, horrified gasp.''What's inside, people? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's.......wait and see....
Todd & Liz are sharing a soda outside on deck. Young love, bless! Liz is finally having fun, even though she realises it's taking a rather long time to reach the island. This is all ruined, however, when she goes inside with Winston and Amy to find Jessica. Jessica points at the supply closet and backs away slowly. Before you get excited, there's no illegal dragons or anything in there. Inside the store room are....two men, tied up. The Captain and crewman, both unconscious. Liz has a moment of 'I knew i was right all along' but then the Captain wakes up and tells her that he is Captain Thomas Moreland, and his boat, the Island Dreamer, was hijacked by two men, and him and Walt Luftkin, the crewman, were knocked out. He also tells them that the two men aren't headed for the island at all (no shit, sherlock) but for Mexico instead as they need to flee US waters. This of course means that the adults in fact haven't been notified, and no one knows where they are. It will take about ten hours to get to Mexico, but they won't make it as the big storm will hit them in the afternoon, and destroy the boat. He tells them to find a CB radio he keeps in his private quarters, and to Mayday SOS for help.Then the Captain passes out. The kids make the two men as comfortable as they can inside the store room, and shut them back in to sleep off whatever drugs they've been given. Jessica asks Liz what to do now, but Liz's brain has frozen, for about the first time ever I might add. Apart from when she's writing, in which case that's permanent. 'They're counting on you, she thought. You're the level headed one who always has great ideas, remember. You have to think of something.' Not big headed much, is she!
Todd paces and decides they need a plan. Why? Big head Wakefield is right next to you, Todd. She won't let your dumb plan override her idea, when she has it. Liz thinks she is very glad to be surrounded by her best friends, 'it even helped to have Lila around.' Of course it does, no doubt you can shove her in front of you when the hijackers appear. Janet and Bruce walk in, followed by the rest of the kids, and Liz fills them in. ' Seeing her classmates' eyes go wide, their mouths drop open, made her more determined to keep herself together. Maybe later, when she was safe at home, she would panic and fall apart. But right now, she just didn't have time.' ~rolling eyes~. Who does she think she is, anyway! Super Liz! This is followed by an even better speech by Bruce - 'Bruce narrowed his eyes strategically (great adjective - err, right) "I'd hate to subject anyone to my karate moves, but it looks like I might have to. Desperate times call for desperate-" Liz interrupts saying that won't be necessary (but better than your nonexistent plan, Elizabeth) thinking Bruce is a 'fathead'. Correct, but so, oh, 1992 insult. Even though the book was written in 1995. But, sigh, I digress. Liz suggests working together to think of an escape plan (jump into the ocean?) and Ken tells Bruce it's good he knows how to sail the boat one handed, remember, as it might be handy, to which Bruce foot shuffles and doesn't say anything. As a side note, Geeky Randy gets all excited saying how happy he is his instruments weren't wrong, after all, as they are heading in the wrong direction. 'Elizabeth sighed. That wasn't any great consolation to her, but if it made him feel better, who was she to argue?' Indeed. Very sanctimonious, Liz! Jess suggests they elect a leader, obviously the great Janet Howell. Janet brags for an entire paragraph and how great she is, then goes blank when asked for ideas. Elizabeth, obviously feeling upstaged (and by her very own twin, for a change. Who would have thought it!) suddenly has a fully formed master plan, which is.........a small group will go and look for the Captain's CB radio, and the rest of the kids will go back on deck and act normal to avoid raising suspicion. She, naturally, will be radio hunting, along with Winston, Amy & Maria. So...three girls and one weedy boy against two men. Yep. Maria's going because she feels better when she's with Elizabeth, apparently. No. Comment!
Back on deck, then, Jess and Lila try to act normal, even though nobody else seems to want to. Hmm, I wonder why. 'Jessica had seen more excitement at a Social Studies exam.' They turn on the radio only to hear an emergency news flash concerning a bank robbery in Sweet Valley that morning, of almost $5000. The robbers are apparently armed, unkempt and dangerous. So if you don't brush your hair at least two times an hour, it makes you dangerous. I'm screwed! It goes on to say they may have escaped in a charter boat from SV marina....wonder which boat that is. The Island Dreamer, perchance? There's also a $1000 reward on their heads. Jessica looks round and notes everyone is wearing a 'dying-cow face.' Better get a moooo-ve on and liven things up then, Jess. Heh, that was just my little joke. Heh...no? Ellen asks that as she knows their whereabouts and location, does she get the reward? Heh. Jessica thinks to herself that, as future president of the Unicorns, she better show of her qualities to motivate everyone. She bosses everyone around and lies down to sunbathe, thinking, 'Jessica Wakefield, born leader. She liked the sound of that. Too bad she was too scared about being hijacked at sea by two armed and dangerous men to appreciate it completely.' That's my Jess!
Back to the fearless quartet of Liz, Amy, lesbianic Maria and Winston. They get into the Captain's quarters and search for the radio, even though Liz feels 'kind of weird' going through his belongings. Just this once Liz, I'm sure he wouldn't exactly mind. They can't find it, and Liz feels jumpy. She soon peps herself up though by telling herself not to be a total wimp. Now, Liz, just act upon it, yeah! Winston finds the radio and they search for a channel. He calls Mayday and explains their situation, but, of course, because he's shouting into the radio, the hijackers hear them and come bursting in. Uh-oh. WHY didn't they take the radio to the toilets or something! The hijackers chuck the radio away and drag them onto the deck. FAIL, saint Liz!
Meanwhile, the kids on deck have been 'living it up' as best as they can. The Unicorns are planning the next Unicorn extravaganza, a Unicorn appreciation week at school (*splutter* - spitting out my tea in mirth). Bruce and Jerry are practicing karate moves. Everything is going, well, swimmingly, until the hijackers drag the rescue group onto the deck. Jess rushes to Liz's side to defend her, and we find out the men's names are Jack and Gary. Gary tells everyone to line up against the guardrail, and then walks up the line of kids poking them. No kidding. Bruce and Jerry, not standing for this, turn round and execute a karate kick, except for they miss and fall over. Bummer. 'Jessica cringed. It has been kind of birdbrained for them to try that stupid kick, but she hated to see them get hurt.' You just wait til SVH, Jess, you won't be cryin' then! Also, I'm lovin' the insults in this book. Birdbrained. Fathead. Heh, priceless. Jack starts tying all the kids to the rail with some conveniently placed rope. Bother those hijackers, don't they know how uncomfortable that is! Jessica imagines spending the rest of her life on a boat with the evil hijackers. Either she's planning a very short life or she's a bit delusional when it comes to how long the hijackers will be spending on the boat. Jack ties up Liz, who winces at the rope hurts her. Jessica tells Jack to stop hurting her sister, so he just ties Jessica up tighter. 'She hated these two hijackers. She hated them more than math class. She hated them more than hockey. She even hated them more than black jellybeans.' That's pretty strong hate there! Also, continuity from Jessica's Blind Date in which she hates black jelly beans as well. Randy helpfully points out to the men that, if the boat were to sink, the kids would drown, but, funnily enough, they don't seem bothered. The men then proceed to eat all the food left over from the kid's lunch, and drink all the soda. Liz calls them stupid jerks. Yay. I'm compiling an insult list :-)! Liz tells Jess (they are next to each other I gather) that they will work out a plan between them, and they remember their other rescue/saving adventures, such as the psychic sisters disaster and the JEM cookie scenario. Such a book selling ploy.
We skip to Mrs Wakefield and other parents. They don't know, as yet, about the hijackers, and Alice isn't, as yet, cleaning everything in sight. This is until a Captain Robert Burkes walks in and tells them about Winston's aborted Mayday call. Mr Siegel vouches for Winston's seriousness, saying he wouldn't have done it as a hoax (ah,but isn't he the practical joker? Also, could it have been Bruce, pretending. Ah, so many flaws....) and Alice goes all pale. First OCD sign coming on I bet.
Back to Liz. She wonders what Christine Davenport would be doing in this situation, who is apparently the heroine in the ever popular Amanda Howard books. This is REAL LIFE, LIZ!! Wake up and smell the ocean! In books, the heroine always escapes and defeats the evil hijackers, aided (or often hindered) by her twin sister.....oh....wait! She hopes Captain Moreland is now awake and is putting some grand plan into action. The men buggar off to 'take care' of the Captain and Walt, and Liz forces everyone to make a one-for-all-and-all-for-one pact. Very helpful, I'm sure. The men come back pushing the captain and Walt, and force them into a lifeboat, which they then set adrift with only a couple bottles of water. Elizabeth gives the Captain a sympathetic glance, which apparently makes him look even worse. The lifeboat drifts off, and the kids are truly alone.
The kids wait. Well, they can't do much else. Looking into the distance, Jessica sees a dark bank of clouds. Oh Noes, the storm. Not just an overreacting weatherman then, Jess! Tamara, who has been increasingly distraught ever since Janet couldn't think of a plan, starts crying. I've omitted Tamara's whinging because, frankly, this recap is getting long enough and she bores me, but it's important you know that she's losing grip. Not yet, for later. Just remember, OK! Janet is scandalised, anyway, when she tells Tamara to stop acting un-Unicorn like, and Tamara tells her the Unicorns aren't important, it's just a 'school club for girls.' Belinda backs Janet up, and tells Tamra that being a Unicorn will help her through the crisis. Janet tells her to have a 'stiff upper lip', and Tamara touches it to stop it quivering. Heh, I had to add that cos it made me laugh. Long as Bruce isn't having a stiff upper anything, we'll be fine. Jessica sighs and thinks about the morning, when Liz almost overslept, and they were late because of the lifts she promised the Unicorns. She feels guilty, of all things. If she hadn't made Alice late, Alice would probably be on the boat too. But, that wouldn't be convenient for the plot now, would it. Besides, just cos she's a GROWN UP doesn't mean she could have done anything. Mr Wilkins (be it Jim or Bert, as they seem to be the same man) would have been better, and of course Todd has to get his Todd Punch technique from somewhere, although it seems sadly neglected on this trip.
Back to the parental units, who now seem a tad worried ('but if our daughters die, who will we have to neglect?'). Ned is being firm, apparently. He's telling Captain Burkes what should be done, when it, in fact, has already been done. Typical! However, a slight problemo! The storm heading toward the Island Dreamer is making it far too rough to send out search helicopters or anything, and so what does this mean for the boat? I'm thinking maybe R.I.P boat! Oh, and kids of course.
Back on the boat, Ken points out what he thinks are dolphins skimming alongside. However, these are actually sharks, as pointed out by one Elizabeth Wakefield (just to make sure everyone feels better about it, ya'know). Randy spouts some nerdy information about how great whites are really common, and they attack unprovoked, a fact which does not go down at all well with Lila. Bicker bicker follows, interrupted by a 'psst.' Liz looks round and sees Cammi Adams (straight up and down, remember) and Donald Zwerdling crawling out from underneath a bench (and just what were they getting up to down there, I might ask?). Turns out the stupid hijackers didn't notice when they sat on the benches there were two kids underneath (d'oh, they really are thick aren't they)! Donald takes Winston's convenient pocket knife and stabs the hijackers, thus saving the kids. Honest. Lol, no, OK, he doesn't really, but I would. He cuts Winston loose, even though Janet demands all Unicorns first (pfft). Cammi tells everyone they are only going to cut a few people loose, St Liz of course high on the list, so the men don't notice, which actually, yep, makes sense. Jessica threatens to faint if Liz doesn't cut her loose, but oddly Liz refuses. I think even I'd rescue my own twin sister. They start to argue but the men reappear so the kids who are free run and hide.
The kids left tied all bicker, with Bruce bigging up his karate skills AGAIN and calling Liz 'wimpy Wakefield.'' Lila and Bruce get into a row about who's parents are richer, and who will have the bigger ransom and so on, except this attracts the men, who, realising they have 'valuable cargo' on board, threaten to keep Bruce and Lila for ransom purposes and chuck everyone else overboard. This sets Tamara off again. Bruce feels all upset inside, especially when he sees how close the storm is getting. Jessica reassures everyone, however, by saying how Liz and the others are working on a rescue plan, and, "if anyone could pull off a really good plan, Elizabeth could." Bruce couldn't think of a snappy comeback to that. Strangely enough, it did make him feel better.' Oh dear, Bruce, you've been hoodwinked as well!
Meanwhile, Liz, Cammi, Donald and Winston are plotting in the Gulls bathroom. Donald wants to flood the pilothouse with poisonous gas (just open Bruce's mouth and let him flow, guys), which seems a bit far fetched considering he's all of twelve years old. Obviously, that's not going to happen, so they let Miss Brains Wakefield take over, and suddenly, she has an idea.....
Phase One
Cammi dashes onto the deck when the guys are in the pilothouse and grabs Winston's Walkman from his bag. Aww, a Walkman. I had one of those when I was about ten or so :-)! The nostalgia! She takes it and goes back to the bathroom.
Phase Two
They sycnchronise watches to all make sure they read 2:45. Liz goes to the galley, Cammi and Donald wait behind the door to the Captain's Quarters, and Winston to the top of the pilothouse.
Phase Three
Liz gets to the galley and fills the coffeepot with water, which she then boils. She then pulls down a seat to get near the porthole, which is where Winston is waiting. He opens it from outside, and Liz gets the Walkman and turns it on to radio. When it's static, she turns it up and yells Mayday into it, pretending it's a CB. The hijackers of course hear her, which is what she wanted, and come bursting in with their guns. Liz throws the hot water right at them (go Liz) and climbs on the chair to get out of the porthole. Good job she's so graceful bodied, isn't it! Except - one of them grabs her foot (even though they should be in agony after being burnt but OK). She kicks off her sneaker, and wriggles through with Winston's help. Winston wedges the porthole shut with a handy screwdriver, and the men are trapped, as Cammi and Donalds have blocked the door from outside with two broom handles (like that'll hold).
They start cutting everyone loose. Everyone is excited and elated, and start planning to throw rotten eggs at the hijackers when they get out of prison, even though Liz thinks it's mean to do that. *rolleyes*. Suddenly, thunder rolls. The storm is here, guys! Why is it it only ever storms in Sweet Valley when there's a dramatic scene going on. It's like that storm in Terry Pratchett's 'Lords and Ladies,' where the storm practises over lonely moorlands so one day it can be a big dramatic storm for scenes such as these. Have I lost you yet? Moving on. The kids realise they need to get the boat closer to shore, and Donalds plans to go down and look how to steer it, with Elizabeth (Todd won't like that). But, shock horror I-didn't-expect-this, the hijackers manage to escape from their prison, and come bursting onto the deck. Jessica is still left half tied to the guardrail (nooooo!), and Liz tries to free her manually. Doesn't work, and Jess tells Liz to run, because the men are going to be plenty mad she locked them up. Liz runs, chased by Gary.
He chases her round the perimeter of the boat, but doubles back and catches her. Pushing her against the rail (see the cover), Liz sees that Jess has managed to untie her ropes and get free. Haha, Todd is still tied up, and he sees his beloved being pushed but he can't help her! Gary suddenly grabs Elizabeth's legs and starts pushing her upwards, shouting "thar she blows." Hehe! Liz tries to kick him off but over she goes. 'Strength was slipping away from her muscles just as her own body was slipping away from the boat. There wasn't much more she could do to save herself now. I don't want to die, she thought. Jessica, please help me.' All V dramatic!
Jessica escapes and sees Gary chasing Liz. She instantly comes up with a plan (meaning she is the cleverer twin, really, as we all knew), and goes and grabs Lila's suntan lotion, ('don't waste it, it's very expensive' - Lila). She also gets Bruce's boogie board. What is she going to do?
Bruce is sitting on deck feeling miserable. He soon bucks himself up by thinking his mere presence is helping people remain calm, (thanks to good ol' Bruce'). He starts bragging about how he could have figured out to run the ship, but Donald is no doubt working it out (oh right, so Donald is in the pilothouse is he. Glad we clarified that). Lila ignores him, and he brings up cellular phones. Cellular. Lolz, mobiles these days, much more hip way of speaking! Lila then realises that her Daddy lent her one this morning for use in case of emergencies. Bang. Head.On.Wall. Bruce calls her stupid, idiotic and lamebrained, and I have to say he has a point. Lila is worried in case the toll charges are too steep, but she agrees to use it anyway, to ring......her dad. Helpful! Bruce screams at her to ring the police, and snatches it away to ring 911. He gets through, but Lila starts screeching about how they need to contact Mr Fowler of Fowler Enterprises. The operator thinks they are pranking the line, and as Bruce keeps the phone out of Lila's reach, she snatches at it and it sails out of his hand and into the ocean. Sorry Lila fans but KILL HER!!! Bruce can't even shout at her, because he now knows their one chance of rescue has been destroyed.
Back to Jessica. She creeps up behind Gary, who now has Liz over the rail, and sprays suntan lotion all round his feet. She then squirts it at him and shouts at him. Whirling round, he slips and falls onto his back. Jessica then gets the boogie board and slams it down on his head. Awesomeness exemplified! Go Jess!!! He's knocked out cold (hmm, would she really be strong enough?), and Jess helps Liz back over the rail. We get a touching, "you're my only twin," moment, and then they are surrounded by the other kids, including Todd, who has finally managed to free himself (just a bit too little too late if you ask me). They tie Gary up with some handy rope, and Bruce stands guard to whack him again (stealing Jessica's glory I'll be bound). Liz chucks Gary's gun into the ocean, even though really she should have kept it. They all think they're safe, until a gust of wind reminds about the storm! Oh Noes, the storm!
Now they have to trap Jack. Winston comes up with the idea of trapping a Styrofoam life preserver around his body, by getting him under the pilothouse door and Winston will throw it on from above. So Winston climbs up, and the others taunt Jack into going underneath him. Winston throws the life preserver down, and the kids tug it over his body, imprisoning his arms. They take HIS gun from his back pocket (which, sadly, did not shoot any of his buttocks off), and Bruce hits him with the boogie board as well, except with less Jessica awesomeness. They tie him up, and drag him off. Donald and Cammi emerge from the pilothouse (no comment) and say that, bad news, the sea charts are useless and, as the boat has no satellite tracking system, they are utterly lost. The radio is also broken, as the hijackers spilled coffee into it. Uh oh.
Tamara gets all seasick as the boat is rolling about wildly on the choppy waves. Lila has some, actually. Hmm, redemption, maybe! The sky is completely black and it's raining hard. The waves are hitting the boat hard. Everyone puts a life jacket on, but everyone is depressed. No food, no charts, no hope of rescue :-(! Suddenly, a huge wave hits the boat, and it tips, but doesn't tip back. That's right, they've sprung a leak! Time for Tamara's big moment. She flips, and claws her way outside (they're in the passenger room I think). Her eyes are wild, and she's screaming about not being trapped inside. She lurches outside, which is obviously dangerous, and of course Liz goes after her.
Liz tries to calm Tamara down on the deck. It's pouring down, and the wind is knocking them around. She coaxes Tamara with the lure of hot chocolate and marshmallows. Tamara foolishly believes her, and starts to make her way back. However, just as Tamara reaches safety, an enormous ten foot wave knocks Liz off her feet and sweeps her toward the ocean. She tries to grab the rail but there's no Jessica to save her this time, and into the ocean she goes. She tries to swim back but obviously the boat is still moving and the sea is washing her around. She starts to get sleepy, and relaxes. She closes her eyes and, 'the next time a wave washed over Elizabeth's head, spreading her long blond hair around her like a golden sunburst, she didn't struggle. There, in the darkness of the ocean storm, she gave up the fight.'
What will happen to Elizabeth and her classmates on the Island Dreamer? Read Sweet Valley Twins 92, ESCAPE FROM TERROR ISLAND, the exciting conclusion of the Nightmare at Sea miniseries, to find out.
Well, what will happen? Will Alice go mad and clean the beach? Will Jessica attack Bruce with the suntan lotion? You'll have to ask
daphne_23 as it's her turn :-)!
P.S. I do apologise for the wait for this recap, as I know I said I was doing it mid December. My only excuse is Christmas, so, I'm sorry :-)!