30
Her sneakers thudded over the wet sand. The low red sun made the ocean water glow with color. Hovering over the water, two gulls squawked and fought over a silvery fish.
The beach was deserted. No sign of Marlin.
As April drew near the blue rocks, a strong wind came up suddenly, howling and swirling. It swept sand high into the air—sheet after sheet of sand—and blew it against her as she jogged.
Coughing, blinking, April lowered her head and struggled on. But the sudden wind came in powerful gusts, sweeping the sand at her. Pushing her back…Pushing her.
As if trying to keep me away, she thought.
Holding her hands in front of her face, she lowered her shoulder into the wind. Slowly, painfully, she made her way forward.
The wind died as she approached the rock hills. April shook sand from her hair as she began to climb.
The rocks were slippery and wet beneath her shoes. And so cold. She could feel the cold shimmering up from the rock surface.
Her legs ached from her long night of hiking. She felt dizzy, off balance. But she pulled herself higher. Higher…
The caves stood just above. April opened her mouth to shout Marlin’s name.
But her breath caught in her throat—and she gasped as she saw the woman on the rocks above her.
Yes! A woman!
April could see the woman’s long, brown hair falling over her black cloak. She had pale white skin.
A mist rose up over the rocks. A cold, dark mist.
The woman appeared to be floating in the mist. Rising from it, as if the mist were part of her body.
A woman! A woman!
There is someone else on this island! April realized.
Josh said he heard a woman humming. He was right!
And what is she doing? April wondered.
Surrounded by the heavy, dark mist, the woman was bending over something.
April climbed higher, struggling to see. There were no shadows to hide in, no trees. She just had to hope that the woman didn’t look her way.
The woman bent low. April squinted hard, trying to see clearly in the bright glare of sunlight.
Someone else was up there, April realized.
She could see a figure lying on the rocks. Sprawled on his back, half covered in the swirling, dark mist.
Marlin!
Yes. April recognized Marlin.
The woman in the black cloak leaned over him. She pressed her face against Marlin’s.
April’s whole body trembled, partly from the icy cold of the rocks, partly from what she was seeing.
Was the woman blowing air into Marlin’s mouth? Was she trying to revive him? Was it CPR?
Her legs shaking, chill after chill raced down her body, April edged closer.
Close enough to see Marlin’s chest heave. And his stomach go in when the woman lowered her lips to his.
Oh, wow, April thought. Oh, wow.
She shuddered again as the horror swept over her.
The woman was sucking out Marlin’s breath!
Marlin let out a hoarse cry of pain. The cry was muffled by the woman’s lips. She lowered her head over his.
Now Marlin let out a weak cry. And another. Another. Each cry grew weaker.
He raised his arms as if to fight her off. But his arms fell limply to his sides.
Again she lowered herself to him.
Sucking out his breath…Sucking away his strength…
“NO! STOP!” The cry burst from April’s throat.
The woman raised her head. Her hair flew up about her, disappearing into the mist. Her dark eyes glowed like fiery coals.
She turned—and raised her hand.
And pointed her finger at April.
April froze and couldn’t move.
31
“What took you so long?” April asked Marlin. “We got back to the village, and you weren’t there.”
“I—I don’t know,” Marlin replied, shaking his head. “I don’t remember. I—I just feel so weak, so tired. And my chest—it aches.”
It was a few minutes later. They were walking side by side along the beach. The waves lapped gently at the shore. April carried her shoes in her hand. The wet sand felt good on her hot feet.
“How did you find me?” Marlin asked.
April thought hard. “I don’t remember,” she said finally. “Weird! I remember running from the village to find you. But after that…it’s all a blur.”
She turned and gazed back at the blue rocks. They glowed like jewels under the morning sun.
No one there.
Why did she have the feeling she had seen something back there? Why did she have the feeling that something had happened, something unpleasant?
Something lingered in her mind. Something she knew she should remember.
Something too frightening to remember?
Suddenly, her head felt as if it would split in two. She rubbed her temples. “Whoa. I have a major headache,” she murmured.
“Me too,” Marlin said. “I guess it’s because we were up all night. And all the craziness…”
April saw Marks waiting for them near the dock.
Uh-oh, she thought. Am I in trouble?
To her surprise, Kristen and Anthony appeared beside Marks.
As Marks jogged out to greet April and Marlin, a smile spread over his face. “Congratulations!” he boomed. He shook hands solemnly with April, then with Marlin.
“What did we do?” Marlin asked, confused.
“Your team has just won the loyalty contest,” Marks announced.
All four kids let out cries of surprise.
“We won? But how?” Kristen asked.
Marks put a hand on April’s shoulder. “Actually, April won the competition for you. She knew she wasn’t supposed to go out looking for Marlin. But she did it anyway. She put her loyalty to a teammate above everything else.”
Anthony’s face twisted in confusion. “April won the competition for us?”
Marks nodded, still grinning.
“Way to go, April!” Marlin cried. He slapped her a high-five. And then there were cheers and high fives all around.
April felt happy to be the hero for once. Maybe now they will accept me and forget that other nonsense, she thought.
As they all started to walk to the cabins, Kristen turned to Marlin. “Where were you anyway?” she asked. “What happened?”
Marlin frowned at her. “I’m not sure,” he replied. “It’s all…kind of cloudy.”
“Well, what was he doing when you found him?” Kristen asked April.
April thought hard. A feeling of panic choked her throat. Why couldn’t she remember?
“I—I’m not sure,” she told Kristen. “He was still on the blue rocks. Near a cave. I remember that. But…”
“You’re just overtired,” Marks told them. “You’re exhausted from being up all night. And it’s playing tricks with your memory.”
They had reached his office. He waved them away with both hands. “Get some shut-eye. I’ll see you all later. Congratulations again. We’ll announce your victory at dinner tonight.”
Excited by their win, the kids trotted over the sand to their cabins. “What’s the next big competition?” Anthony asked.
“Honesty,” Marlin answered, yawning.
“No problem,” Anthony said, “We’ll take that one too.”
April followed Kristen into their cabin. The other two girls were sound asleep. They didn’t stir when Kristen and April entered.
April was too tired to change. She fell onto her bed with her clothes on. It took only seconds to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
April slept most of the day. It was late afternoon when she finally managed to climb out of bed, shower, and pull on a bathing suit.
She had a short, refreshing swim. Then joined a few other kids catching the late afternoon sun on the beach.
Where is everyone? she wondered. The village seems awfully empty tod
ay.
At dinner, she was surprised to find that one of the tables had been removed from the mess hall. April took a seat beside Kristen, then counted the kids at the table. Only eight.
“Where is Dolores?” she asked Kristen.
Kristen shrugged.
“Dolores and her whole team aren’t here,” April said.
April spotted Marks heading to join Rick and Abby at the staff table against the wall. She jumped up and ran to block his path.
“Mr. Marks, hi. Can I ask you something? Where are the other kids?” She pointed to the table.
Marks cleared his throat. He gazed past her. “They’ve been eliminated,” he said, almost in a whisper.
April swallowed. “Excuse me? I don’t understand. Are they somewhere else on the island? Did you send them home?”
To April’s surprise, Marks’s expression turned cold. And he fixed her with an icy stare. His reply was spoken through gritted teeth:
“I told you. They’ve been eliminated.”
32
All part of the games, April thought. Being eliminated is part of the competition.
But why does it sound so creepy when Marks says it?
She decided not to dwell on it. She and her teammates had to rest up for another competition the next afternoon.
“This is fun!” Kristen cried. She paddled her kayak beside April’s. “I’ve never done this before. These little boats are so cute!”
The waves banged the two kayaks together. “Careful!” April shouted. “The waves are pretty choppy this morning. I’m afraid of tipping.”
Kristen laughed as their kayaks bumped again. Then she paddled out toward their teammates. “Hurry, April. Line up. The race is about to start.”
“Ten more points! Ten more points!” Marlin was chanting. He waved for the two girls to hurry.
April had watched Rick and Abby pull nine or ten yellow kayaks from the supply cabin that morning. She didn’t know how well she would do in a race. But she was eager to take one out and try it.
This is what a fish must feel like, she thought. I’m so low in the water, and I can glide so easily.
A sharp wind tossed the green waves, making the kayaks rock. High clouds turned the sky pale, the color of skim milk.
April glanced to shore and saw Marks watching from the dock. She turned away from him and began paddling to the others.
“Whoa!” Jared, a boy on the other team, slid his kayak in front of her. The front of April’s kayak thudded into Jared’s side.
“How’s it going, April?” Jared called, bobbing in front of her.
“Fine. Till you got in my way,” April replied.
“What’s up?” Clark, a boy on Jared’s team, bumped up behind April. “Are you trying to ram Jared’s kayak?” he asked April.
“No way!” April said. “He bumped me!”
“I saw you—cheater!” Jared teased. “Bumping isn’t allowed—is it?” He dug his paddle furiously into the water—sent his kayak sailing forward—and bumped April’s kayak hard.
Both boys laughed.
“See if you’re laughing at the end of the race!” April declared. She slapped her paddle into the water and sent a spray of water into Jared’s face. Then, swinging her kayak around, she paddled away from them.
Bobbing in place in their kayaks, Rick and Abby waited for the eight racers to line up. “The race starts and ends here,” Rick announced. “All the way around the island, guys. The first team to make the complete circle wins the race.”
April’s heart began to pound. She felt her muscles tense.
I’ve never been in a kayak in my life, she thought. Can I really make it all the way around the island?
The whistle blew. The eight racers furiously pounded the water with their paddles. The kayaks slid easily, low in the rocking waves.
We’re going against the waves now, April realized. It will be easier and faster coming back, when we’re paddling with the current.
Marlin pulled out from the line of yellow boats to take an early lead. April saw Clark gliding close behind Marlin. The two kayaks were soon far ahead of the pack. A girl named Ronni was a distant third.
April paddled steadily, trying to get the right rhythm. The waves rolled high over the front of the kayak, sending a cold spray over her.
I’m falling behind, she thought.
She turned and saw a kayak behind her, moving fast to catch up. As it drew nearer, she recognized Jared. Paddling hard, his face was red, his features set in a determined scowl.
April turned away and concentrated on keeping her fast, steady rhythm. The kayak began to glide a little more smoothly.
“I’m not going to be last!” Jared shouted. “No way!”
She ignored him and kept to her rhythm. The palm trees on the shore slid past, giving way to the outcropping of blue rocks.
“No way I’m last!” Jared cried behind her. “No way!”
And then he wasn’t behind her. His kayak was beside her, high in the water, sailing fast. Again April saw his red face knotted in anger.
“STOP!” she shouted. “You’re going to hit me!”
They both screamed as Jared’s kayak slammed hard into April’s side, a vicious hit.
April’s scream was cut off by cold water—as her craft overturned and her head plunged below the surface.
Choking, flailing with the paddle, she hung upside down. The green water rushed around her.
And then she felt herself falling.
Falling from the kayak. Still gripping the paddle, she plunged down…down.
She could see so clearly. She could see a crusty wall of red coral rising up from the ocean floor. And yellow sunfish, dozens of them, hovering like butterflies on the coral.
Raising her head, she saw the kayak floating high above her on the surface.
Her chest felt about to burst. She let go of the paddle, raised her arms above her head, and felt the rubber life jacket begin to lift her.
Up, up. She burst through the surface of the water, gasping for air, choking, taking breath after breath.
Bobbing on the waves, she saw Jared’s kayak far in the distance now, rounding a curve of the island, vanishing out of sight.
That cheater! I am going to be last, she thought bitterly.
She turned to the shore—
—and opened her mouth in a startled scream.
A woman. Cloaked in black. A woman with pale skin and long, brown hair flying wildly around her head.
The woman stared coldly at April, then raised a hand. Pointed a long finger at her. Cried out words in a strange language.
April felt a tug at her feet. Something began to pull her. Pull her down. A powerful force.
She thrashed her arms. Tried to kick.
But she was sinking below the surface.
The last thing April saw before the water closed over her was the red-lipped grin on the woman’s face.
33
The water bubbled furiously around her. Her ears rang with the roar of the water.
She squirmed and struggled. Shot her arms up. Tried to kick free.
But the invisible force pulled her down and held her. And through the roar of the water and the thudding of her own heart, April heard laughter. The high, shrill laughter of the woman on the rocks.
What is happening to me? What is holding me down? Why can’t I float to the top? Is that woman doing this?
Desperate questions flashed through April’s mind as she kicked and strained. And felt the pain spread over her chest.
I’ve got to breathe…. Got to breathe…
The water suddenly appeared darker. She could no longer feel the cold. No longer see the surface…
Or feel the pain of her lungs about to burst…
I’m fading, she realized. Everything is fading away.
The water darkened more. Too dark to see.
I’ve got to breathe. Got to open my mouth now.
I’m fading…. She stopped squirming, stoppe
d struggling. April’s body went limp.
Total darkness fell over her.
And then…
She felt a tug.
Were those hands on her shoulders? Strong hands pulling her up?
April opened her eyes, but she still couldn’t see.
The water bubbled and churned.
Her arms hung limply at her sides. Her legs were useless weights.
But something was pulling her up from the bottom.
She reached the surface, choking and sputtering. Water spewed from her mouth as she struggled to take in air.
Her whole body shuddered. Her chest ached. She spewed up more water.
Where am I?
Feeling dazed, she raised her eyes—and saw Kristen. And realized she was sprawled over the front of Kristen’s kayak.
“I came back,” Kristen said, holding on to April’s arm. “I saw you didn’t make the turn, so I came back.”
April gazed at the rocks on the shore. No one there.
Had someone been standing there? She couldn’t remember.
Why did she have the strange feeling that someone had been there watching her?
She turned back to Kristen. “You—you saved me,” April choked out, her throat raw, her heart still pounding.
“No, I didn’t,” Kristen replied, studying April.
“Didn’t you pull me out?” April asked.
Kristen shook her head. “No. I saw you, April. How did you do it? I saw you pull yourself up. I saw you lift yourself right out of the water.”
April gasped. “Huh?” Her head spun. “Kristen—what do you mean?”
Kristen’s eyes narrowed on April. “I never touched you. But I saw you fly up over the water. You have strange powers—don’t you!” she said.
“N-no,” April stammered. “I—I’m so confused, Kristen. I really don’t understand.”
“Go ahead. Admit it, April. I saw you. I saw what you did. You do have powers—don’t you!”
34
A short while later, April saw Marlin and Anthony running to greet them as they made their way back to the village.
“What happened?” Anthony cried angrily. “Where were you two? We lost the race because of you.”