House of Forbiddens [COMPLETE NOVEL]

1: Well... That was Unexpected

Kaden

"Heads up, I'm horrible with names." I warned the younger mariner who climbed into the the small sailboat with me. That wasn't completely true- it was easy to remember names of the people who showed up at my home- but she didn't know that. She laughed at my statement, though I didn't think that there was much to laugh about.

"It's fine, I'm Christine." She said as we headed out onto the water. I nodded. It was a beautiful day to sail, the water just slightly higher than normal and the winds blowing just enough to go fast but not enough to capsize you. After we got out a little ways I handed her the tiller, letting her get a little bit of practice in as I slid to the front of the boat.

"Audrey! Having fun over there?" I shouted across the water to the blonde haired girl racing her boat on a run. She whipped around, tacking the boat flawlessly to pull up beside us at a beam reach.

"Nope, none at all!" She shouted, her smile a wide as ever, her sailing partner on the other hand looked terrified.

"She trying to kill you?" I asked glancing at the girl next to her that nodded.

"I think she might be." She said quietly, causing a general round of laughter between the boats.

"Y'all have fun." I said pulling away from the other boat. "See yall later."

The weather stayed nice for the next forty-five minutes and gave Christine a good amount of time to practice, along with giving me time to think.

Then the waves got bigger. "Want me to take over?" I asked seeing the rising waves and the unsteady expression on the other girl's face.

She nodded and we quickly changed positions. Though the waves had picked up a little it wasn't anything major enough to keep us from sailing. At least that's what I thought before one of Scylla's monstrous heads emerged from the water.

"Time to go in," I muttered more to myself then Christine as a huge wave, formed from her head breaking the surface, almost capsized our boat. Christine gasped and grabbed onto the side. "We're fine, we're fine." I told her, once for her the other for myself. So in all honesty I am not that great of a Mariner; I passed my test and that's just about it. But I had the most experience on the boat so I was skipper. Then the rain started, the clouds coming up out of a crystal clear sky, pounding us with heavy rain. At this point the red flag had gone up and the adults were feverishly trying to get the girls to shore in the midst of this unexpected, unexplainable storm.

The majority of the girls had headed in and it took all of my concentration to focus on getting us to shore instead of thinking about the monster head the size of me. In front of us a sunfish capsized, and whether that was due to the rain or the monster I couldn't be certain.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when another one of Scylla's massive head revealed itself, devouring the small sea craft with one massive bite.

"Christine, help them up." I called sailing in as close as I dared to the girls near the monster.

"Got it!" She replied pulling, the two girls out of the water- and to my surprise, one of the girls was Audrey. There was a massive cut down her arm where Scylla's tooth had tried to snag her.

"Audrey!" I called, struggling to focus on steering, "I need you to count to six!" The wind was picking up at an insanely fast pace. Though the rain I could see her nod slightly.

"On it." She replied, keeping watch for Scylla's six heads as I got us to shore finally.

Getting to shore, we quickly learned that it wasn't much better on land then it was in the gulf. The grass covering the ground around the shore was moving with a passion trying to get the boats, girls included, back into the water. After several failed attempts at getting the boats out of the water the adults finally made the call to leave them and get all of the girl back to the dorms and the galley.

"Any idea what's going on?" Audrey muttered as we walked back to the dorm. I shook my head softly.

"None. Scylla isn't even supposed to be in the gulf right now; there isn't enough to feed her out here." I said, thinking aloud. "And even if she was, storms aren't associated with Scylla, so I haven't the slightest clue what that's all about." Audrey nodded at that, and I noticed Christine, who had been walking a little behind the two of us watching us curiously. She might be one of us, I thought to myself as we approached the walkway on the top of the hill.

"Let's go to the dorms and get changed, then we can talk." I said. Now that the danger was over we would be able to think this craziness through, and when Audrey and I went home tomorrow, it would be even easier with our team.

The hot showers and clean outfit felt wonderful against the cold, harsh, watery wind that was making its way around us outside. Audrey and I sat inside the dorm watching the storm that seemed to show no signs of slowing down. As it was, we were the only two in there, with the exception of Christine who seemed to be lost in her own world.

"Do want me to give my dad a call?" I asked, "Jack is visiting family, and Riley has school till late tonight, but I could call him and see what he can dig up and everyone at home can dig up."

"So him and Ian?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah, I replied, "just him and Ian."

"Yes please."

I pulled my phone out, getting out my contacts.

"Hey dad," I said as he answered, "any idea what Scylla would be doing out in the gulf?"

By: Marie Fay