Treasure Shell of Old Orchard Beach

Part 2

"Now how are we going to get back?" Perrin asked. He watched as the raft drifted further and further away. "How did it even get loose? I thought it was stuck in the sand," he said, kicking sand into the ocean.

Rand just shrugged. "Maybe Dad will notice we've been gone and he'll come looking for us," he suggested.
 "But how will he even know where to find us?" Perrin threw his arms in the air. "We found the shell. We found the raft." He sighed and plopped down onto the sand. "We're stuck here."

 Rand plopped next to him and threw his arm around him. "It'll be okay, Perrin."

Perrin looked at the melted chocolate coin stuck to his hand. "I sure hope you're right, Rand." Jumping up, Rand almost knocked Perrin face first into the sand. "Did you hear that?" He was looking behind them, at the woods. "I think I heard the trees whispering."
 Perrin raised an eyebrow and looked up at his brother. "Trees don't talk, Rand. You know that."
 "Yeah, but I thought..." his voice trailed off as Perrin's ears perked up at the scratchy sound coming from the woods.
 "Was that a girl whispering?" Perrin tossed the coin onto the sand and licked the chocolate off his hand. "Do you think there's someone else here with us?" Rand shrugged in response. "You should go check it out."
 Rand looked at Perrin like he had grown an arm out of his head. "No way, Perrin. You should go. It was your idea."
 "Yeah, but you heard the voice first," Perrin said. "That means you should go check it out."
 "No way. Rock, Paper, Scissors?" Rand held his right hand out over his left palm.
 "Fine." Perrin took a deep breath.
 "Rock, Paper, Scissors, shoot!" both boys shouted.
 Both played rock.
 "Rock, Paper, Scissors, shoot!"
 Double paper.
 "Oh, come on!" Rand furrowed his eyebrows.
 "Rock, Paper, Scissors, shoot!"
 Perrin threw scissors. Rand threw rock. "Yes!" he said as he pumped his fist victoriously. "You go first, I'll follow."
 Perrin slumped his shoulders. "Oh, man." He made his way for the trees, dragging his feet, and looking back once to see if Rand was following him. He was sucking on his fingers, but he was behind him.

 Perrin placed a hand on the first tree he came into contact with. It felt as rough as it looked. The salty smell of the ocean mingled with the woody, earthy scents of the forest. He felt calm, even though he should be a little scared. "Hello?" He tried to look between the other trees for movement.

Nothing.
 "Show yourself!" he shouted. "We heard you saying something, so come on!" He picked up a rock and hurled it into the woods hoping it would catch the voice's attention. "We know To Shin Do!" Perrin shouted. "So we're not scared of you!" Perrin stuck his tongue out towards where the voice had come from.

 They waited a few moments that seemed to stretch on forever. They heard nothing more than the sounds of insects.

Perrin kept his gaze focused on the woods. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
 "There's nobody there, Perrin," Rand said, breaking the silence.

 "I guess we were hearing things." Perrin felt a little disappointed that there was no response. His shoulders slumped. "We're the only ones alive here."

"Alive, yes," the voice called out. "I haven't been dead for long, but that doesn't mean you're alone."

 Out of the shadows of the woods came the form of a little girl. She was ghostly white. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and her floral dress stopped just past her knees. She was completely barefoot.

"Hi," she said, waving excitedly with both hands. "My name's Penny, what are your names?" Rand and Perrin exchanged glances. Perrin wasn't sure what to make of her. He almost felt dizzy, and he saw Rand's eyes were as big as dinner plates. Neither of them was able to speak. The ghost girl smiled.

 "I know a way to get you off of this island," Penny said, not waiting. "Follow me." Turning, she skipped back into the shadows. "Don't be afraid," her voice called, echoing off the trees. "I'm friendly."