Dragon: Myth of the Bermuda Triangle

Chapter Eight: Wound

Song: "Logo Te Pate" - Moana

        "Attention, passengers of the Carnival Ecstasy. The storm knocked us off course yesterday, and we will now reach Nassau tomorrow. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience."

The captain's voice is gruff but gentle and loud enough to wake me in the morning.

Maddie and her parents are already up and dressed. They are disturbed by the announcement.

"Aw man, seriously?" Maddie asks. "I want to go snorkeling!"

Mrs. Carter smirks. "Well, look on the bright side, dear. This means you'll get to spend the whole day with Will."

"Mom!"

I'm starting to think that's the only word Maddie knows.

She looks over her shoulder at me, and I give her a nervous smile. I have no qualms about spending the day with her.

Sighing, she adds, "Fine," and gestures for me to join her. "Come on, Will."

I have negative thoughts, but I can't let them bother me. I still don't know if Maddie has the same feelings for me as I do her, so this is nerve-wracking. Will she accept me into her family when I marry her, or will she toss me out in the street like Mom and Dad?

We grab breakfast at the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet behind Ecstasy's pool deck. The dish is a delicious pancake.

Maddie shows me how to use a fork and knife. You use the knife to cut the pancake and the fork to pick up a piece of it.

Okay, I hate to be honest, but I find human technology quite interesting.

After breakfast, Maddie takes me to the water park at the Ecstasy's stern. Within it are fountains that squirt you with water and pool chairs, but the main attraction is the yellow and blue, twisty slide with a pool at its base.

Since it's early, only a few more children are in line, so Maddie and I make it to the slide's top in minutes. It's a small area, and a single man sits in a chair beside its mouth. I have no idea what I'm doing, so I watch Maddie.

She cheers and plops down on her butt with her feet before her.

The man gives her back a gentle push. "Have fun," he laughs.

The slide has a flowing river, and the current grabs Maddie like the chilly hands of a ghost. Before I know it, she disappears into the Depths of Despair! That dawg gone slide ate her! Don't worry, Maddie! I'll rescue you!

I hesitate, but then I yell and dive headfirst after her.

The man yells at me. "Hey!"

Oops. Was I not supposed to do that?

I'm sliding on my front, with my arms before me and my knees bent. There are so many twists and turns. My head is spinning, but there's Maddie.

"Will! What the heck are you doing?" she shouts.

I don't know!

The river spits us out of the slide and into the pool. Maddie's first, and I fly over her. The impact knocks my hair out of its ponytail and tosses it before my face.

Swimming to the surface, Maddie and I exchange looks with one another.

She brushes hair out of my eyes and admits, "I think we should try something else."