The wind blew strongly, but Bailey knew she had to venture. After all, in almost every story she's read the main character has to venture in order for the story to get anywhere.
She kicked off her sandals before running to the shore. The sky was filled with clouds as mist filled the air around her. Bailey was beginning to rethink her decision as she began to shiver in her jacket. She watched the waves as she remembered her mother. She felt she needed to help her, yet she still isn't sure how.
"Is anybody out there?" She asked as she got closer to the water.
"I need help, and I was wondering if you could help me?" She asked as she looked for someone.
Suddenly, she heard a soft voice in the distance.
"Hello?" Bailey asked as she looked around.
"Help! I'm over here!" The voice told Bailey as she noticed a creature lying in the ocean.
"Oh no! Are you okay?" She asked as she walked up to the creature.
"No, I'm stuck under this rock! Can you help me?" The creature asked her.
"Sure!" Bailey answered as she walked over to the rock.
She used all her strength as she tried to lift the rock.
"I can't do it, I'm sorry" she told him.
"It's alright. I guess I'll have to live here now.. do you have any snacks?" Said the creature.
"Well there's got to be some other way. Maybe you can get out by yourself! You look strong enough! Here, you try to crawl forward and I'll try to lift it really fast." Bailey told him as she gripped onto the rock.
"Alright," the creature replied as they used all their strength to get out from under the rock.
The creature crawled out as Bailey lifted the rock slightly enough for the creature to be freed. The creature made it out in time before Bailey let down the rock.
"We did it! Are you alright?" Bailey said as she approached the creature.
"I am now, thank you. Is there anything I can do to repay you?" The creature asked her.
"Well there is one thing, but I'm not sure if you can help with that." She told him.
"Well what is it? If I can't help, maybe my friend can." The creature replied.
"Alright.. well you see, my daddy just left to work and my momma is all alone with my family and she's scared because there's going to be a big storm. So I was hoping there would be some way of stopping the storm. Do you think your friend could help me?" She asked him.
"Why, of course! I always go to him whenever I need help. I'm sure he can help you as well!" The creature answered.
"Oh thank you so so much! By the way, my name is Bailey. What's yours?" She asked.
"Well hello Bailey, my name is Damian. I'm a manatee." He replied.
"Oh, I'm a human girl." She told him.
"Yes I know, I've seen your kind before." The manatee told her.
"But I haven't seen your kind before, where is your family?" Bailey asked him.
"I'm not sure. I haven't seen them since the last storm." Damian answered with a slight frown.
"Aw I'm sorry, Damian. They probably miss you." She replied.
"Yeah.." Damian said as they looked out into the ocean.
Thunder began to roar as lightning followed shortly after it. Bailey hung onto her warm jacket as the wind blew above the shore.
"We should get going before the storm gets worse. Follow me, I'll take you to him." Damian told her as he crawled back into the ocean.
"Oh but I can't follow you in there." Bailey told him.
"Why not? Don't have any fins?" Damian asked her.
"No, and I don't have gills either." She replied.
"Well that's alright, I can take you there above the surface. Hop on my back!" Damian insisted.
Bailey wasn't too sure of this at first but she knew she had to do something to help her family. So she hopped onto the back of the manatee before they set off into the sea.
