The Adventure of the Missing Trident

By Olivia Belcher

When fourteen year old Madison gets invited to stay in the coastal town of Seahorse Bay with her aunt and uncle, she can hardly hold in her excitement. She has always wanted to be near the ocean. She is introduced to siblings Dylan and Marin, who soon become her closest friends.

One evening after spending all day having fun swimming at the beach, the two girls get the shock of their lives! They find out they are mermaids! Then the two girls find out that each of their families are mer-folk.

Little do the adults know, that the very next day, while Dylan takes the two girls to try out their 'new tails', the teens would find themselves caught up in an exciting underwater adventure of danger, secret plots, hidden cave passages, midnight meetings and some unexpected surprises, while exploring the The Great Barrier Reef and its underwater city (Barrier City). Dylan gets kidnapped, they all get trapped, and there are two hench-fish called Spike and Claw after them! All because King Neptune lost his Trident!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Nov 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477153208

Olivia Belcher

Is the oldest of five children and a mother of two boys. She has been telling and writing stories since she was ten, for friends and family members when they were sick. She is passionate about the Queensland bush and coast, her love for animals and fishing.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

The Beginning of Things

But dad, you promised that I could… Madison moaned.

I said you could go to the beach when you were fifteen. He snapped.

But dad…

Look young lady, we have had this talk so many times before, why are you pestering me? Now don’t ask me again otherwise you will be grounded! He sighed.

He cleared the dishes from the table, made himself his morning coffee, and then sat down to finish reading his paper. Madison stalked off to her room in a huff and slammed the door.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO SLAM THE DOOR? Her father roared. It’s like talking to a brick wall, he muttered to himself.

Madison Keely was a fourteen-year-old girl who had long dark brown hair, hazel eyes and an olive complexion. She lived with her father in the town of Haddleywood. It was a nice, small but busy community, which suited Madison’s father Greg just nicely. Their house was situated in a quiet street called Garden Rise. Like the name of the street, it looked like a large garden.

Madison looked out of her window and decided that she really hated living there. Their house was ok she thought, but she really hated living in a town where you couldn’t see the ocean. There was no water anywhere! She was positive, that was it.

I can’t stand living in a place where there is no beach! she thought and stamped her foot.

Dad just doesn’t understand at all! I’m not a baby! It’s not fair!

She just couldn’t work out why she wanted to go to the beach so badly. Greg had never let her go to the beach, even when her friends would ask her to come along. She would always say no thanks; she knew her father would just say no if she asked him. Eventually her friends stopped asking her to come altogether, and when she would ask them what they got up to over the weekend or holidays, they would look uncomfortable and change the subject.

Madison’s mother (Arriana) had died when she was little, in a boating accident, and ever since then Greg had never let his daughter go the beach or have anything to do with the sea.

‘It’s not fair,’ she thought again as she looked out her window for the fifty-millionth time.

Just because mum died in a boating accident, doesn’t mean that dad has to keep me from going to the beach! It’s not like I’m going sailing or anything like that. She fumed to herself.

She sat on her window seat looking out the window as the rain started to pour down outside and run like little rivers down the glass of the window.

Great, she fumed It WOULD have to start raining on a Saturday, and it being the first Saturday of the end-of-year school holidays too. Tears started falling down her cheeks, as the rain got slowly steadier.

Greg just couldn’t get into his paper this morning, after his argument with his daughter. ‘Why me?’ He thought, looking up at the ceiling. He suddenly missed his wife terribly.

‘She would have known what to do in this type of situation’. He let Madison stew, while he opened the mail.

This morning’s mail was interesting, and he gave a wink of thanks to his wife’s picture, that sat on the side table in the dining room. The mail had given him an answer to his problem. He wearily got up from the table, slowly climbed up the stairs to Madison’s room and cautiously knocked on her door.

Come in called Madison as she quickly wiped her tears away.

Hi Madi her dad said as he sat on the edge of her bed. Truce? He asked hopefully.

Yeah ok, truce. she said plopping down on the bed beside him.

Ok, I have decided that seeing’s as you are going to be fifteen next month, I’m going to let you go to the beach for a holiday. He said.

Really? Madison asked happily, as her face lit up.

Now… her dad continued, "The reason I’ve changed my mind, is because I have just had a letter from your Aunty Flo asking if we would like to come and stay for the school holidays. They live in Seahorse Bay, right on the beach. I’ve decided that you can go if you would like to. I don’t mind this time, because you will be with family and I know you will be safe. But, I won’t be going, have too much work to do at home here, that I need to get done. I will drive you to the Haddleywood train station, and see that you get on the train ok.

I’m not sure if you remember Flo. She is your mum’s sister, and Ebb is her husband. They met you when you were little. Flo is kinda funny looking. So I want you to be polite." Greg said sternly noticing the grin arising on his daughters face.

Why is she funny looking? What’s wrong with her? Madison asked curiously.

Oh, there is nothing wrong with her, but she can be a bit strange at times, that’s all. You’ll find out what I mean when you meet her. Who knows? You might not find her funny looking at all!

Her dad laughed as Madison jumped around the room excited.

Oh dad, thank you, thank you, thank you! she squealed with delight and ran over to hug him as he pretended to duck for cover.

Now do you think that you could leave me in peace for half an hour or so? I want to finish reading my newspaper. Or do I have to hide in the loo until I’m finished reading? He joked and winked at his daughter.

Madison laughed, kissed her dad on the top of his head (where is bald spot showed) and flew out the door singing at the top of her lungs.

It’s a hap-hap-happy day!

She knew she was going to be fifteen in a months’ time. ‘It’s going to be sooo hard waiting!’ she thought.

All month, Madison diligently marked the days off her calendar, until the day for her to finally leave, came round.

When Madison woke on the day she was leaving, it was still dark. She quietly went downstairs made herself some breaky and then double-checked that she had packed everything. The day her father had said she could go, she packed her suitcase just in case he changed his mind. Then, as soon as she finished packing, she had rung and told her friends the good news! One of Madison’s friends invited her to go shopping for some togs at the Shopping Mall that weekend. Madison chose some lovely togs that went nicely with her olive complexion.

C’mon Madi we are going to be late if you don’t hurry her dad shouted. She had spent the last two hours putting on her make-up and had changed her outfit five times, trying to find the right one.

I’m coming! I’m coming! Madison called, grabbing her luggage and racing down the stairs like a heard of wild elephants were after her. She dragged her suitcase behind her as she raced down the stairs and it bumped down each step. She lugged her suitcase into the car and they were off.

What HAVE you got in this suitcase? Greg said as he heaved Madison’s suitcase out of the car at the train station and onto one of the trollies. . . . Never mind, never mind… I don’t want to know! he said shaking his head smiling as Madison opened her mouth to answer.

Ok, now remember what I told you Greg said to Madison as she boarded the train. Be polite, and be on your best behavior ok?

Yes, Dad! Madison promised rolling her eyes. I promise I will be on my best behavior! Like a good little girl! said Madison cheekily.

Don’t be cheeky! he smiled Now go and find your seat, you’ll be off soon. Greg said as the station guard blew his whistle.

Bye dad, love you! she called as she waved and went to find her seat.

Have a good time! And tell Flo and Ebb I said hi! Greg called as Madison smiled and nodded.

CHAPTER 2

Meeting Flo and Ebb

The train pulled out of the station with a long whistle. As Madison sat in her chair, she nervously looked around at all the different people who were travelling with her. There were business people who seemed to be going home from work, parents travelling with their children who of course, were arguing about who got to sit in the window seat, and young people like herself, who were either going to ‘dad’s place for Christmas’ or ‘mum’s place for Christmas’.

The elderly conductor made his way slowly over to Madison. His uniform was spotless and it seemed to almost crackle as he walked. He had a bushy ginger moustache, dark brown eyes and his leathery head was bald under his conductor’s hat. He reminded Madison of a walrus.