Claxton 2: The Curse of Poseidon

Chapter Fifteen: Concussion

        It didn't take long for Makenna to reach the boat. She popped up behind its engine in the warm, calm water and shook water off her hair. The moon's rays showered over her and acted like a flashlight. As she floated, Makenna lifted her hand out of the water and studied her wound again. She then lifted her other hand and checked out her find next.

Her hand gripped the necklace's loop, and Makenna held it in front of her face. "What is this?" she asked herself. She knew it was a necklace, but what kind of necklace was it? Was it a magic necklace or just a regular necklace? How did it wind up in Coutarine Island's sand? Weren't costate shells from the Caribbean and not Charleston? Just seeing the necklace, Makenna felt like she knew it from somewhere. She didn't know what it was, but something about it seemed very familiar. She wrapped her fingers around the necklace and kept it close to her. Everybody aboard the boat were inside, including Alice, so she was the only one outside it right now...or was she?

        She wasn't.

Makenna suddenly heard, "How ya doing down there, kid?" and gasping, she looked up. Ash had suddenly appeared over her! Ash!

"Ash!" Makenna whispered, and he nodded. No, seriously, he just appeared from out of nowhere!

The Wizard Fairy crossed his arms and asked, "Are ya comfortable down there?"

"What are you doing here?" Makenna growled, "How did you get here? For Pete's sake, Ash! Why can't you leave me alone?"

"It's just so much fun watching ya attempt my trial," he admitted, "I'm not here to intrude, Makenna. I'm only here to guide ya."

"Well it's not working!" Makenna angrily whispered, "Now get out of here before somebody sees you!"

Suddenly, she heard Alice's voice from below deck, "Hello?" and gasped, glaring at Ash,

"Great! Now look what you did! Some Wizard Fairy you are, Ash!" She quickly hid behind the engine, but Ash remained on the boat. "What are you doing?" Makenna whispered, "You're going to get seen!"

He smiled and asked, "Am I?" Stepping off to the side, he approached the boat's edge and sat down on it.

"You're crazy!" angrily whispered Makenna. She shut up and hid herself even more behind the engine when the door to the lower deck opened, and Alice stepped out with her mother and father.

"I'm not crazy," she told them, "I know I saw a boy floating in the water earlier." Makenna took this in. A boy? The teenager mentioned a boy. Was she talking about Tracey?

"Alice, honestly," her mother spoke, "you must have been imagining it." Makenna glanced from her to Ash and then back to Alice's mother. She turned her shoulder and faced the edge of the boat so she could examine Coutarine Island. She was looking straight at Ash, but she didn't see him! To her, he was invisible!

Makenna noticed this and asked, "What on Earth? She can't see him? How?" Ash started to have a little fun. While Alice's mother looked through him, he lifted his hands and made goofy faces. This was just part of his big-hearted personality. Makenna wasn't as big-hearted as him though. She glared and clenched her fist at him, but Ash continued to play, and neither Alice, her mother, or father noticed him. Were humans really that blind? Alice's father soon passed his daughter, and he started to approach the area where Ash sat. He quickly and quietly slid down the railing and moved out of the way.

Alice's father made it to the railing, and he clutched it. "We motor in tomorrow morning," he spoke after a bit, "That island is a perfect place for us to spend tomorrow." Makenna's eyes widened when she heard this.

"But, Father." Alice protested, "Don't you find it a little odd that a random island, as beautiful as Samoa, is just resting in the middle of the ocean when obviously the Charleston area isn't tropical? There could be terrible creatures on it."