Emily Windsnap and the Monster From the Deep (18 page)

“I won’t.”

I swam all the way up to the surface. I was inside a cave, in a tiny pool. Gray pillars lined the edges, their reflections somber in the greeny blue water. A tiny shaft of sun lit up the stalactites hanging from the ceiling like frozen strands of spaghetti. Where was she?

I swam between the pillars, where the pool opened out. Slimy brown rocks lay all around. Thick clusters like bunches of candles protruded upward from the water, black, as though they’d been singed.

“Shona?” I called.

And then I saw her. Sitting on one of the rocks, her back to me.

But it wasn’t Shona.

Her hair was short and black. She turned around. For a moment, she looked shocked. Then she forced her angular face into a twisted smile.

“Hi there, fish girl,” she said. There was a smug look on her face, but I was pretty sure her voice wobbled a little. “Long time no see.”

“Mandy!”

“Having fun?” she asked with a smile.

“Having
fun
? You think being captured and locked in an underwater tunnel is
likely
to be my idea of fun?”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize.” Mandy examined her nails.

“Didn’t realize what?”

“That they didn’t like you as much as me. Should have guessed, though. I mean, people never do, do they?”

“What are you talking about?” I gasped.

“Oh, aren’t they looking after you nicely? Haven’t they promised to take you home?” She glanced at my face. “Oops. Obviously not. Sorry. I always seem to say really hurtful things,
totally
by accident! Don’t worry. You can’t help it if people don’t like you, can you?”

“Yeah, right, Mandy. I don’t think so,” I said, clenching my hands into tight fists.

“Whatever.” Mandy picked up a stone and
threw it into the water. I watched the ripples grow wider and more faint. Then she stepped back up the rock and twirled around the pillars, prancing around the place as though she owned it.

“Why would they like you?”

She stopped prancing and glared at me, eyes wide open and innocent. “What’s not to like?”

“Where do you want me to start?” I spluttered.

Mandy frowned. “Anyway, they’re stupid,” she said quickly. Then she turned to look at me. “Hey, that’s a point.
They’re
stupid and so are you. Isn’t that funny? You’d think you’d get along better, having something in common like that. Anyway, I don’t care. They’re taking me back to the boat soon.”

“Your boat? You didn’t sink?”

“Not that old washed-out lump of tin.” She laughed. “No, our new boat. Oh, did I forget to mention that we got saved by a luxury cruise liner? Funny enough, they want to treat us like royalty, too! A shame, isn’t it?”

“A cruise liner?” My voice suddenly shook. “What cruise liner?”

“The one that we should have been on in the first place. The vacation we were
destined
to have. But not to worry. It’s all okay now. They’re taking me back later today.”

“Taking you back? But why?”

Mandy bit her lip before turning away. “Told you. They like me.”

“Mandy, you can’t trust these —”

A sound of metal on metal clanked below me. Mr. Beeston appeared. “Five minutes is up.”

“Why are you taking her to the ship?” I demanded.

“Think we want to be poor forever?” he asked, adding, “Anyway, we’re going together.”

“Why? What do you mean about being poor? What aren’t you telling me?”

“You know all you need to know,” he said. “Let’s go.”

“That’s not her!” I yelled, pointing at Mandy. “
She’s
not my friend!”

Mr. Beeston glanced across at Mandy as she turned around. Seeing her face for the first time, he suddenly faltered. “But that’s — but you’re —”

“You!”
Mandy spluttered, looking up to notice him for the first time too. “Mr. Beeston. From Brightport! Does someone want to tell me what’s going —”

Just then, a huge wave rushed into the cave, filling it almost to the ceiling. Mandy lost her footing and slipped into the water beside me. I grabbed her.

“Get your hands off me, fish girl,” she spat. “I can look after myself!”

“No, you can’t. You don’t know what you’re involved in!” I shouted.

Mr. Beeston had disappeared under the water. A moment later, he resurfaced, fighting his way back up against the tide. I turned to face him. “I’m not doing anything for you till you tell me exactly what’s going on.”

“Want to bet?” he replied. Mandy opened her mouth to speak, but a wave washed her words away. She spluttered and swam for the edge of the pool. Mr. Beeston lunged toward me, grabbing my arm. I tried to struggle, but he tightened his grip, his fingers scorching into my flesh as he pulled me back toward the grille at the bottom of the cave.

Mandy was shouting something as Mr. Beeston pushed me out, fighting against the raging water. I couldn’t hear her words anymore.

“What are you doing with me?” I cried as a wall of white water rushed toward us, flinging me against a wall. “What’s going on? Tell me!”

“Don’t you understand?” he shouted. “We’re
all
in danger here. Look at this. We can’t live like this. You’re the only one who can fix it.” We’d reached my cell. He yanked on my arm, pushing me inside. “And you
will
!”

Without another word, he turned and left. I heard the bolt slam across the door.

I slumped back against the wall and closed my eyes. How had it come to this? All I’d wanted to do was fit in. How had I managed to cause such devastation? I looked around my dark cell. Shadows came and went on the walls as the hours passed and daylight faded, along with my hopes.

“Emily?”

Who was that? It sounded like . . .

“Emily!”

Dad? I swam to the door.
“Dad!”
I screamed.

The door burst open. It was! It was him. He wrapped me in his arms.

“How did you find me?” I asked, pressing into his chest.

“I —”

“Wait!” I pulled away from the door as I heard a noise outside. “There’s someone out there,” I whispered. “How did you get past them?”

Dad took hold of my hands. “Emily,” he said in a tight voice. He wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“What? What is it?”

“They know I’m here.”

“They know? But how —”

“Archie,” Dad said simply. “I had to tell, Em. You knew that.” He looked briefly at my face and turned away again. He let go of my hands and
swam around the cell. “Mr. Beeston came soon after,” he continued. He ran a hand through his hair, pulling at it as he struggled to speak. Eventually, he looked up at me. “He told me you hadn’t been on your own.”

Suddenly it clicked. I felt as though he’d punched me. “So that’s why you’re here,” I said. “You just want me to tell you who I was with.”

Dad looked down. “We have no choice, Em.”

My throat ached. He hadn’t tracked me down, after all. He only came because he had to. Well, I didn’t blame him. Why would he want me back after what I’d done?

Dad swam back toward me. “Emily, I
begged
Archie to let me come. He wanted to do it himself.”

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. Lifting my chin, Dad spoke almost roughly. “Remember when you found me at the prison?”

I nodded, gulping a tear away.

“That was the happiest day of my whole life,” he said. “Did you know that? And you know what was the worst?”

I shook my head.

“The day I thought I’d lost you again.”

I held his eyes for a moment before falling back against him. “Oh, Dad. It’s been so awful!” I cried. “They want me to face the kraken again.”

“I know, little ’un, I know.” He held me tight while I sobbed. “I’ll be there.”

“But you won’t! I’ve got to do it on my own.”

“Not on your own, Emily,” he said, his voice stern. “You weren’t on your own.” He spoke slowly and deliberately. “You have to tell. You don’t know what it’s been like at the island. Typhoons, giant waves. One side’s totally devastated. All the trees knocked flat. Ships have come off their moorings, and it’s only going to get worse.”

“It was Shona,” I said eventually. I squeezed him tighter. Closing my eyes, I prayed I hadn’t just killed off any last chance of her ever making up with me. I couldn’t bear to lose her forever; I just couldn’t bear it.

Dad swallowed hard. “There’s something else I’ve got to tell you.” He held me away from him and picked up both of my hands. “It’s your mom and Millie. They went out looking for you, and we can’t find them. There’s folk out searching and I’m sure it won’t be —”

“Dad! I know where they are.”

He jerked backward. “What?”

“I’ve seen them.” I told him about everything: the ship, Mandy, Mr. Beeston.

Dad listened with wild eyes. “Emily, there’s no time to waste,” he gasped when I’d finished.
“We’ve got to do this. I’ll send a message to Archie.”

“Don’t leave me!” I gripped his arm. I couldn’t be left alone again now. I couldn’t lose Dad again. Please no!

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said firmly. “I’ll be by your side the whole time.”

“Do I really have to do this?” I asked, my voice quivering.

Dad held me close as he spoke into my hair. “I’m sorry, Emily. It’s the only way.”

That creepy Mr. Beeston’s pulling me along through the water on a kind of raft. I
never
liked him, back at Brightport. He’s even worse now. He keeps shouting things to me. “Where’s the ship?” he bellows.

“I — I think it’s —”

“WHERE’S THE SHIP!” he repeats, about ten times louder.

“It must have moved,” I call back to him. “It was somewhere over there.” I point vaguely ahead of us.

“You know nothing, child,” he says. “I don’t know why we even brought you. No matter, we’ll find it soon. It’s probably already there.”

“Already where?” Emily calls. She’s here too, with another merman. I think it’s her dad. They keep smiling at each other. Lucky them. My chest aches as I wonder if I’ll ever get to smile at my dad again.

“The edge of the Triangle. Same place we’re heading.”

“You have to
tell
me!” Emily’s screaming. “
Why
do you need the ship?”

“We’re just getting our bearings,” Mr. Beeston says.

Emily turns to the other merman. “He’s not telling us everything,” she whimpers. “I
know
he’s not. Why would they be taking Mandy home? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Shh, just let’s get there. We want your mom back. This is our best chance,” he replies in a quiet voice, glancing nervously at Mr. Beeston. What are they up to? “It’ll be okay,” he says, holding Emily’s hand. “I’m here to take care of you.”

We swim on. I keep having visions of seeing Mom and Dad again.
Please get me to the boat. I promise I’ll change. I won’t be horrible anymore.

The water breaks in sharp waves all around us. It’s getting really rough as we plow through enormous peaks and crash down into huge troughs. I’m grabbing the side of my raft, totally soaked.

And then I see it.

In the distance. On the horizon. I think it might be portholes, glinting in the sunlight. Yes, it is! A whole row of them! It’s the ship!

“That’s it!” I shout. “Over there!” I point to the right.

We speed toward the cruise ship. I’m going to see Mom and Dad again! I’m going to be safe!

As we get closer, I can see its shape more clearly. And then it goes out of sight. There’s something in
the water, in front of the ship. It’s like an island; a sickly khaki-green island with hills and bumps. And it’s moving. Long arms reaching up, propelling it forward, blotting out the sun. I grip hard onto the raft as my stomach turns over.

The monster’s going to get the ship.

I realize I’m screaming.

“Mandy, I can stop this!” Emily yells to me. “They’ve told me I can calm it.”

“Why should I believe you?” I shout back. “You think you’re so special, don’t you? Think you can do everything better than anyone else!” Tears are streaming down my face. Mom, Dad. They’re so near and I’ll never see them again.

“Listen to me!”

“No! I
won’t
listen to you. If I hadn’t been trying to find you, none of this would have happened! It’s all your fault! Every single thing that’s gone wrong here is YOUR FAULT!”