Cerulean Found

Chapter 60 - Dying in the Desert

Things Needed:

One Crespid Blue Winged Butterfly, from the heart of the Apachabo Forest (near the Great Falls Waterfall)

One Yellow Ramble fish, lives near the ocean floor in the underwater caves off of the coast of Lukka Pointe

One Rapturive, snake-like creature that lives in the holes of the Bushbrilo trees at the top of Mount Jalukka.

Kelp from the sea

Venom from the orange Quisido tree frog

Two small flat gray rocks that look identical. Each must have a large black dot in the center.

Rain water gathered from the Pennial tree (must be done during a full moon).

Blood from an innocent

Bones of the Willyfrillow fish that lives in the lagoon by the Great Falls

Juice of the Hubbleberry flower

Two glass mason Jars

Twine or hemp

The first time I read over Josh's note containing the list of strange items that we need to get, I thought that it's a joke. Most of the stuff on the sheet of paper are items I have never even heard of before.

Maybe he is right, I can't help but think. Maybe it really is just a wild goose chase? That would explain why none of the stuff on the list sounds familiar and why Josh is so willing to help, because he knows it is a lost cause.

I decide to take matters into my own hands and do some research online.

About an hour later, after sitting in front of the computer in the study, I am even more convinced that it is going to be next to impossible to collect all of the items needed. Every single one of the creatures and plants are real, but all are highly rare or close to extinct. Some of the tiny animals have not been seen for years. My confidence in our scavenger hunt has shrunk dramatically since I began my online investigation.

The trip to Menna couldn't have involved just a map and a compass? No, that would have been way too easy! But I understand why. In order to keep the island secret, the journey has to be extensive and require a homemade potion made up of next to impossible to obtain items like various rare animal bones and hard to catch reptile venom!

The impossibility of our quest begins to make me anxious. Despite my growing apprehension, this journey has to take place. We have to somehow find a way to gather everything, no matter how strange or rare the items seem to be.

I am growing more and more anxious by the moment. I need to distract my mind and fast.

I decide to check my email in an attempt to try and clear my head. I honestly can't remember the last time that I have logged into my inbox, so I am not surprised to find that I have about three dozen new messages, most of which are from my friends back in Massachusetts.

They want to know what I have been up to, if I am still white as ever, what Justin is doing, how Gram and Abbo are, why I hadn't written to them and so on and so forth. I respond to the emails and delete the spam. I tell my friends what I have been doing, thank them for the swim suits, share with them that me and Justin are surprisingly getting along (I omit the part about his new love interest, no need to ruin their summers), how Cameron surprised me for my Birthday by coming down, and finally about Josh. I know they will love to hear that I have met someone while on vacation. I smile as I recount our initial encounter at the beach.