Stung

Rude Awakening

The next morning, i woke up to Henry sleeping next to me, i remember when Henry was a baby, and how he could only ever sleep unless he was in my arms. We've always been so close. Our relationship wasn't like most siblings, where we would fight and bicker. I never really found him annoying or anything less than everything. I've just always felt this overwhelming urge to protect him. But i guess that's normal for an older sister and a younger brother. That was when my mind drifted to the conversation we had after dinner last night. Henry and i were in the family restroom at the restaurant together, as i was washing my hands, Henry was sitting on top of the sink counter. 

"Maybe since you're giving up swimming, then i should give up surfing too" he said, as i turned off the faucet and went to dry my hands. I never liked how Henry always wanted to copy me, when it came to things like this. But i could see why he looked up to me, and as much as it was flattering, it still scared me. "Henry, if you wanna surf, then there shouldn't be a single thing in this world, trying to stop you." i said, as he smiled. I then helped him off the counter, as we left back into the restaurant for dessert. My mind then brought me back to reality, as i climbed out of bed and looked out the small window from the ship in our room. I could of sworn i saw land ahead. 

A smile spread across my face, as i saw how beautiful the island was in front of us, and i ran over to wake up Henry. "Henry, wake up! come here, you've got to see this!" i said, as he yawned himself awake and climbed out of bed, as i took his hand, while he followed me over to the window. "Wow" he whispered, as he looked up at me. "Let's go wake mom and dad" i said, as he nodded. Once we did so, my family and i went downstairs to enjoy a complimentary breakfast buffet, and explore the island ahead of us. We took our time hiking through and renting out bikes to ride. "Hey, can we take a picture of you guys, no charge!" a photographer said, as we walked by. "Please!" my mother said, as i laughed. 

We then huddled together, as the photographer took our photo, while we continued walking afterwards, we came across a beach. Nightmares from that night, start to resurface, but i held them back. Found a lounge chair near the beach and set down my tote bag as i pulled out my earbuds to listen to music. I kept an eye on Henry, as he picked up seashells on the shore of the beach in front of me. My parents were off getting us some smoothies, as they were chatting to strangers on the land and enjoying the heat from the sun. I felt content in this moment, as i closed my eyes. My phone than rang through my earbuds, as i jumped. Before looking over at my mom's bag in the sand next to me, as i took out my cell and answered the call. 

"Abby? you know i'm not suppose to be talking on the phone.." i said, as she sounded frantic. "No, yeah, i know, but this couldn't wait..i with Thomas and Samantha" she said, as it felt like my heart dropped into my stomach. "What? why? are they okay?" i ask, as i was eager to know if they were. "Yeah, they're fine. It's just they've been helping me with a lot of research about the Atlantic shipwrecks you guys found and there's a pattern that i noticed" she said, as my heart started to race. "What do you mean, a pattern?" i asked, as she sighed. "Thomas and Sam helped me map out the next shipwreck, and it turns out it's already happened, it's just been covered up and buried by the government" Abby said. 

"What are you saying?" i asked, so confused and terrified at the same time, "we tracked the pattern and the shipwreck has happened.. on the island you and your family are at" she said, as i lost my breath. Looking over at Henry and my family, as everyone else was in this content blissful bubble, that i was no longer a part of of anymore. "Abby maybe you're mistaken, perhaps you're reading too much into this. I'm doing great, i haven't lost control of my abilities and everyone is okay. I know you're probably saying all these things as a test or something to see if i lose control. Or cause you care, but i can assure you, i'm fine" i said, as i was talking too fast. 

"No, Jenny you're not listening to me! on the island there was a shuttle accident from NASA, four years ago, a group of astronauts discovered another species out there in space, while on another planet. And they named it Calvin. They assumed it was friendly, cause it was in it's fetus stage of development. They thought it was some... ground breaking discovery and was going to bring it back to earth, and be billionaires or something. But the entity took out the crew members, on that shuttle, one by one. They agreed on trapping it in space for all eternity, so it could die of starvation but it ended up being in the wrong shuttle, which landed on this part of the world. After the village that lived here, went into poverty, the place was rebuilt into an island over the mistake they were trying to cover up." Abby said, as my fear vanished. 

"Abs, that was a very great story, but it sounds like a movie i've seen before. Don't believe everything you see on the internet. Plus the government would have said something if it was serious and people's lives were in danger. Why else would this island be available to live on or visit?" i asked, "the government is known to cover up things that are inexplainable and dangerous. The reason why they haven't closed down the island is because, the people on the island assume the story of Calvin, was ancient history, as if it were a myth. So since they have no proof it exists, there's no need to be scared" Abby said, as i nodded. 

"So there you go!" i said, as Abby didn't stop. "Jenny please listen to me and get off the island! before something terrible happens to you, your family, or anyone else for that matter" Abby said, as another voice then came through the phone. "Jennifer, she's telling the truth" i knew who's voice that was. Samantha. "Sam?" i asked, "it's me.." she said. As i sighed, "are you okay?" i asked, "i should be asking you that, after all, i'm the one who just left you at the hospital that night" she said, as i shook my head. "It's not your fault, you did everything you could." i said, as it sounded like she was about to cry. "Just listen to Abby and be careful okay, i almost lost you once, i can't go through that again" she said, as i could hear the hurt in her voice. 

"Thomas is here too.." she says, seeming as though she was handing the phone to him. "Jenny, listen to us. The reason why there's so many shipwrecks is because Calvin was feeding all over the Atlantic Ocean" he said, as i tried to hold back a laugh. Cause quite frankly this sounds ridiculous. "Guys.." i started, as i rolled my eyes, i then checked on my parents making sure they didn't see me on the phone. My eyes then found Henry's, as he came running over, "Jenny come on! let's get in the water!" he said, as i smiled. "Abby, Thomas, Sam, i gotta go" i said, as Abby tried to say something else but i hung up as my parents were walking over. 

They gave me my smoothie, and i took a sip before taking off my cover up and running over to the water with Henry. He took my hand, as we tread through the water, waist deep. We started splashing each other, as it felt great to be out here with my family, in the place where i feel like i belong, the ocean. Then within a split second, screams were coming in all different directions and bodies started floating up on shore in front of us, as my parents were screaming my name. "Jenny, get Henry and get out of the water!" my mom screamed, as my dad's arm was around her neck and she was helping walk to shore. His other leg seemed broken. I didn't know how. 

I didn't think twice, i ran over to Henry, as i watched him cry out in pain, which sent fear and guilt down my spine. I grabbed him and tried to get out of the water, passing all the bodies around me, as i splashed through the water, trying to run. As i did so, i saw something alien like wrap around Henry's ankle, with it's tentacles crushing it. He hollered, as i lifted him out of the water, laid him on the sand and pried off the alien, tossing it back in the water. It then slithered, floating back over, as i stood in front of Henry, and zapped it with electricity. Making it explode to death. I then eyed the perimeter, as i saw so many people running for there lives, or disappearing into the water. My parents came running over to me, "are you okay? oh my gosh, Henry!" she said, as she ran to his side. "Something's in that water" my dad said, as i glared at it. 

"I know.." i said, as a siren sounds nearby, an alarm for everyone stay out of the water. The skies above us were now becoming gloomy. Thunder stirred in the distance, my family and i watched, as the creatures that attacked us, emerge from the ocean and slithered on to the ground after other people, who were screaming for there life. I was conflicted, Abby was right. And i should have listened, but it was too late for that now. I had to do something, i was the only one capable of doing something to stop this. To keep my family safe, but that meant showing everyone who i really was. I couldn't stop questioning what would be more frightening, me... or the aliens?