'Urgh,' said Lucas, sitting up on a hard metal bed he didn't remember falling asleep on. 'Where are we?'
'Looks like a prison,' said Clara, from the neighbouring cell. She sat on the edge of her bed, quite unconcerned and gazing around with apparent interest. 'Although not like any prison I've seen before.'
'How many have you seen?'
She paused, thinking. 'You probably don't want to know.'
Lucas looked around. Everything was white and bright, silvery metal. The bars were made of an odd light emitted from the ceiling and floor. They looked like he could walk straight through them.
Something told him it would be a bad idea to try.
A very, very bad idea indeed.
'Have you looked outside yet?' asked Clara. 'I bet you haven't, because you're not screaming.'
Ice slithered down Lucas' spine.
'Why,' he said carefully, 'why would looking outside make me scream?'
'Just look.'
Lucas braced himself and peeked out of the window.
They weren't in Castlebury Magna anymore.
In fact, he'd never seen anywhere like it.
Red, dusty rock spread for miles around, and buildings entirely of glass and metal stood on the horizon. The light was dimmer than daylight, but not silvery like moonlight.
Besides, the moon wasn't that small.
Or green and blue.
'Clara,' he said, panic making his voice skip upwards an octave over the word. 'Where are we?'
'I'm not sure,' she said. 'I tried reading the graffiti in my cell, but it’s just squiggles. Apart from the pictures, but you probably don't want to know about those.'
'Correct,' said Lucas.
'And I don’t know why we're in prison either,' she continued. 'The guard - big chap, green skin,'
'Green?'
'None of us can help how we're born,' said Clara. 'And the antenna suit him. Anyway, my point is, I couldn't understand a word he said.'
'It’s that stupid challenge again, isn’t it?' said Lucas.
'Probably,' said Clara, swinging her legs happily. 'So I say we wait it out.'
'You would.'
'It's an experience we'd not normally have -'
'Good!'
'And it'll be interesting,' Clara concluded. 'So let's make the most of it.' She pulled a piece of chalk from her pocket. 'How about a game of Hangman?'
How did they end up on Mars? No idea, but they'll get home again tomorrow, I expect.
See you then! Love, Saff x
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