Gracie Jackson

~ Part 5 ~

I was so focused on my lunch that I didn't even notice the gigantic sea monster hurtling towards us.

"Guys, you might want to see this!" I heard Luke scream from the control room. Suddenly the boat lurched to a stop, causing me to fall forward. Me and Cleo raced above deck to find a red serpent circling our ship.

"Why did you stop?" Cleo asked. "It's smarter to keep moving and try to outmaneuver the serpent."

"Does it look like I can keep going? Gods Cleo, you can't keep overthinking every situation." Luke remarked. He rushed to the boat's edge, forgetting about the control panel and jumped overboard. For most people jumping out of the boat and charging towards the monster would have made them seem crazy but actions like this were normal for Luke. I took Cleo's hand and jumped overboard willing the waves to carry us both to the serpent.

"Wow look who finally made it!" Luke teased. Cleo jumped from my wave to Luke's pushing him off, which left me to have to catch her from falling in. Cleo is the only sibling that is unable to control water, she doesn't even like being in the water! When we were little some fishing net got caught on her foot and she got dragged under the surface. Being as she is unable to breathe underwater, it didn't go well. Dad immediately swam down to free her and luckily he did it just in time. Cleo has been afraid of the waves ever since.

While watching them bicker, I had somehow completely forgotten there was a giant sea serpent circling us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the serpent's head approaching us, too late I realized it's plan. I watched as the serpent snapped forward grabbing Luke and Cleo out of the water. Luke grabbed Cleos' side and willed the water so it would push against the serpent, to stop it from attacking them with its massive fangs.

"Guys!" I yelled above the chaos. I dove from my wave into the water swimming desperately to the serpent's side. I looked up at Luke and Cleo and we all had a silent conversation with our eyes. At last, Cleo counted down on three fingers to let me and Luke know the plan. When she put down her last finger, we both let out a howl that combined, sounded almost worse than one of Apollo's sonic arrows. Together me and Luke commanded the tides to wrap around the mighty beast and secure it in place. Cleo pulled out her shiny celestial bronze dagger and aimed for the serpents middle section. She pulled herself over to the bottom of the serpent's stomach and stabbed it directly in the heart. How she knew exactly where to find the serpent's heart was beyond me.

"Nice Cleo!" Luke yelled when the sea monster sank beneath the surface. Cleo was already back on the boat waiting for me and Luke.

"How did you know how to kill it?" I asked her in amazement while Luke and I got back on the boat.

"I didn't. Not until I realized it's skin was too tough to cut through everywhere but the skin around its heart." Cleo answered. Luke blinked absently from the conversation. He was almost an exact copy of our father. When he didn't understand something he probably never would.

"Ok imma go dock the boat you two have fun with your nerd chat," Luke said as he started towards the control room.

"Wait dock?" I asked.