Page 162 of Bewitched By the Sea Monster
“Alistair would never hurt me.”
“Aye, I wasna talkin’ ‘bout him. But, as ye said, ye dunna what they’re doin’. Might be drivin’ him mad, whatever it is.”
“He still wouldn’t hurt me. Heknowsme. And he won’t hurt me.”
The same probably couldn’t be said for the people on those ships, unfortunately.
But I didn’t say that.
Caleb was already looking none too pleased at this arrangement.
But he let me go. Alone.
He helped me into the water, making sure the life vest was fitted properly, and then he stayed on the isle, watching from the dock with Melany, Sarah, and Marvin as I waged war with the sea.
“Ye’ll have to fight it, lassie,” he called.
The surf bit at my ankles, trying its darndest to rip me off the floater I clung to. And the rubber floaty hummed and burned red hotbeneath my arms and chest as it shimmied, trying to take me back to the isle.
“Push, girl. Show that fucker who’s boss.” Sarah whooped.
Water slapped my face, making me cough.
The boiling floater smacked my stomach as it tried to spin around. Like, “Hey, you coo-coo crazy chick, land is this way.”
I kicked. Hard. Pummeling my legs through the water. But it was like trying to move a brick wall.
The floater dipped sideways with a wave and did a quick turn and burn, whipping me around to face the isle again.
My little cheering squad waggled their arms, motioning for me to keep going. But it seemed impossible.
Everything did.
Swimming out to sea. Winning against this stupid floater. Getting to Alistair in time. Hauling Jackson and the others off him.
It all seemed too big.Too much.
But then Alistair’s fear clawed at my belly again. Viciously, this time. And I couldhearhim. Whispered words of confusion. Of hurt.
I ground my teeth and shoved my full weight into the floater, forcing it away from the isle.
“Attagirl!” Melany whooped.
Hold on, Alistair.
I’m coming.
My legs propelled me through the water.
When the floater scorched my skin and started to rattle, angry at my disobedience, I smacked one hand over its rubbery surface and cursed at it to stay straight.
Onward we went, slowly, the floaty whining in protest the whole way.
The fog swallowed the end of the dock, taking my cheering squad with it. I could still hear them for a while. And I grasped on to their voices, their encouragement, suckling them up. Fuel to keep me moving.
Until the fog stole that too.
I was alone. Out in the middle of the ocean, where the curdling fog drooped low over the undulating hills of pewter green, making it seem as though the sky and sea were converging.
