Mermaids: The Arrival

By K M Lunn

Kali led a quiet, normal life, she had no reason to suspect she was anything but a human. A much needed vacation turned into a mysterious journey of magic in an underwater world.
Now, along with a small group of merpeople including a powerful aunt, an implacable leader, an adventurer, a recluse and a protector, Kali was setting out to stop a powerful merman known as 'The Destroyer'. The outcome would forever change the lives of all mers and humans alike.
Will Kali accept the changes in her and embrace this mysterious, magical world in order to save her kind, or would she forsake her true self?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: Aug 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9780228811633

Book preview

Mermaids_HC_19-05-24.jpg

Mermaids

The

Arrival

K M Lunn

Mermaids

Copyright © 2019 by K M Lunn

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-1162-6 (Hardcover)

978-0-2288-1161-9 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-1163-3 (eBook)

Chapter 1

Twenty-five-year-old Kali Willis was tossing and turning in her sleep in her resort room with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. Her wild, curly hair was strewn across the pillows and, while it was not a nightmare she was having, it was disturbing. She was dreaming of being carried by her mother as a baby underwater and hearing her father say in a low voice, It is not far now; just a few more leagues until we are at the lake. In the dream, she started to whimper as alarming booms and cracks sounded around them. Kali knew she was a baby in the dream, yet she was aware of a sheet of ice above them shifting and moving, causing these loud noises, and she knew they were underneath it in a river. Her mother held her close and smiled down at her as they traveled through the water, and it was such a beautiful, confident smile that it reassured her and she quieted. She caught glimpses of pale-blue and dark-green scales as she dozed in her mother’s arms. When she opened her eyes, she saw a dark expanse of water ahead, and she looked up at her mother with her light blond hair gently floating around her face and a warm smile lighting her light blue eyes. Kali smiled. Her mother laughed delightedly and gave her a kiss, then handed her over to her father, whose green eyes crinkled with laughter as he kissed her next. Kali giggled and her father held her up and swung her around in the water.

Kali, awoke suddenly and sat up in bed, slightly disorientated from the dream. She looked through the mosquito netting covering her bed at the bright sunlight streaming through the window of her room, as the pain of her parents’ death three years ago washed over her and the disturbing dream lingered in her mind.

Her mother had been scared of the water and wouldn’t let her swim in any lakes or rivers because she said they were unclean and full of bacteria. They had always lived in a land-locked province and she had never been to the ocean before now. Kali had never understood her mother’s fear, but her father had agreed with her mother that swimming was unsafe unless it was in a pool. This knowledge made the dream even more surreal. Kali loved the water, but she rarely got the chance to swim. She was so busy with work and school and she never went on vacation. Her parents didn’t travel as her mother didn’t like crowds.

Then, one winter night, while Kali was in her second year of university, she got the police visit that shattered her world: her parents had been killed in a car accident. The car had spun out of control on some ice and hit a semi truck. Both were killed instantly, the impact breaking both their necks.

Kali had left university, taking a leave for the rest of the year to go home and prepare for the funeral and try to heal. The insurance policy allowed her to keep her family home, and gave her enough funds for school and to start her business. The neighbors were great, always watching out for her, helping in the garden and yard, but Kali felt loneliest when she was at the house. Her mother had loved to garden, so not seeing her mother’s excitement and sunny smile as flowers bloomed and vegetables grew was hard on her. She missed her father puttering away in his work shed, sculpting and carving and making general repairs or doing projects around the house.

Everywhere she looked, there were reminders of her parents and it soon became unbearable. So, Kali closed up the house, she could not bear to sell it, and moved back to the city that fall to resume her veterinary studies, taking evening and summer courses to shorten the five years she had left in her doctoral program, volunteering at a veterinarian clinic and working some shifts at a local coffee shop. She worked till exhaustion consumed her to help her deal with her grief, but over time her body started to burn out.

Shaking off her sadness and the surreal dream, she got up, took a shower and got dressed, looking forward to seeing the sights of Costa Rica and relaxing in the sun. Kali was feeling less apprehensive about being on her own after she had met the other tourists on the drive to the resort from the airport. There were other single people on this trip and some older couples, so she wasn’t as worried about being judged for traveling on her own. It was why the travel agent had suggested this smaller, quiet resort in Costa Rica that catered to singles. There were tours into the surrounding jungles and some boat adventures, yoga classes and single rooms that were truly single—no overpaying or sharing with a stranger. As she walked into the dining hall, she took note of the big, round tables, and she saw some of the other tourists who had arrived last night wave her over. Normally shy, she smiled and went to join them, sitting down between two older couples.

Kali, is it? an older lady named Joan asked.

Yes, and you’re Joan, right? Kali said. Joan nodded, and the others at the table introduced themselves.

Well, I’m glad we’re just doing some yoga this morning and being beach bums. I, for one, need a day to recover from the long trip before we go touring around. Are you all in the same boat, or do the rest of you have more energy than Henry and I do? Joan asked the group.

As the others around the table started discussing their agendas for the day, Kali sat back and sipped her coffee.

What about you, dear? Joan asked her directly.

I have yoga this morning, as well, and I’ve booked a small trek through the jungle after lunch. I thought I would rest for most of the first day, too, Kali replied, smiling at the older woman who was clearly the extrovert of the group. Starting tomorrow, I have a major excursion booked every day.

Make sure you leave room for some down time, too. The beach here is lovely—it’s our second time at this resort, Joan said.

Kali smiled and nodded. I will, she replied.

Joan smiled as breakfast arrived. The conversation at the table centered on the sights everyone hoped to see. Kali hoped she would get to see some animals—a sloth or maybe even an ocelot. As a veterinarian, she had a great love for animals, and that was another reason that she’d chosen this resort—it offered many opportunities to explore the surrounding natural environment, guided by experienced locals.

Joan’s husband Henry asked, Are you doing any of the scuba diving outings?

Kali shook her head. I’ve never even gone swimming in the ocean, so I didn’t sign up for any of that.

Well, you have to learn before you go back. It’s relatively safe in this little inlet where the resort sits, and it is quite beautiful under the ocean here. The resort hires people to herd the caimans out of the area. There are some smaller sharks around, but they tend to stick to the reef. There’s nothing too dangerous in the water—though you should shuffle your feet in the sand when you get in the ocean, just in case there is a stingray sitting on the bottom, Henry explained.

Kali nodded, keeping her thoughts to herself; it certainly sounded a little risky to her, but it might have just been her unfamiliarity with the ocean that was making her hesitate.

Is it safe for swimming here, then? she asked.

Yes, Henry said. Like I say, the staff here are very diligent, and the reefs beyond the inlet keep the larger sharks out.

Joan commented excitedly, Wait till you swim here—the water’s so warm and inviting, truly beautiful. I wade in about waist-deep and swim or just float and relax. I’m in and out of the water all day!

I have to drag her out sometimes, Henry smiled and affectionately held Joan’s hand. Come on, let’s go to yoga. The quicker we get the kinks out of our joints, the quicker we can go to the beach.

They all laughed and most of the group had made the same plans, so they trooped down to the outdoor yoga pavilion and the instructor took them through several poses, ending with a bit of meditation. Sitting there with the cool breeze from the ocean and the fresh air, Kali began to truly relax. Her veterinarian practice would be fine without her. All her clients knew where to take their pets in the event of an emergency, so she let herself forget about the outside world.

After yoga, Kali changed and met Joan and Henry on the beach. Henry was dragging a lounger over for her so she bent to help him. He then brought over an umbrella. When you want some shade, just adjust this lever, Henry told Kali.

Thank you. You certainly know what you’re doing, Kali said.

I tried to convince my wife to rent a cabin in the Alps, but she won’t have it, so I’ve become a master at the beach umbrellas. Henry’s eyes crinkled, betraying his complaint.

Hmph. Joan waved her hand. We have plenty enough snow in our winters. Why would I want to see more of it? Did you know they’re having another snowstorm back home today? My sister is so jealous of us!

Kali laughed. Being from a cold climate herself, she didn’t blame Joan for wanting to go somewhere warm and get away from the ice and snow. Kali agreed with Joan. It’s not like I don’t enjoy winter, but sometimes it just goes on for too long!

Outnumbered again. Henry sighed as he reclined in the sun, not looking a bit put out that he was lounging in the sun instead of whiling away in some snowbound cabin.

As others joined them and set themselves up on the beach, Joan jumped up and whipped off her wrap. Time to go in! Let’s go, Kali.

Kali shook her head at Joan’s impulsiveness, but joined Joan at the water’s edge. As she waded in, shuffling her feet as Joan instructed, she felt a large lump rise in her throat and for some reason she felt like crying. Thinking of the dream she’d had, she blinked back her tears and looked out at the ocean. She felt sad, but at peace. Joan interrupted Kali’s thoughts as she asked, So what do you do for a living, Kali?

Kali smiled. I’m a veterinarian. I’m looking forward to seeing some of the animals that are native to here.

How fantastic. I was in the retail business before I retired. I love fashion and jewelry. If you get a chance to look at some of the jewelry that is made here, do it. There are some lovely artists here and they work with all sorts of materials and precious and semi-precious stones. You seem young for a veterinarian.

I took summer and evening university courses to get a little ahead. Between school, work and volunteering at a vet clinic, I was very busy for a long time, Kali explained. I opened a small animal practice last year. This is actually the first real vacation I’ve gone on in my life.

My goodness! That’s industrious. Your parents must be really proud, Joan said.

They died three years ago, but I think they would be, she said softly.

Joan patted her hand and said kindly, I’m sorry, dear. They most certainly would be very proud of how beautiful and smart their daughter is.

Kali blinked back her tears and tried to be stoic. This conversation was a depressing repeat she had to undergo every time she met someone new and was one of the main reasons she’d avoided making new friends these past few years. Family was important to most people, and she hated the pitying looks and awkwardness that were par for the course when people found out she had none. Kali was grateful Joan didn’t ask the usual next questions about any other family and instead asked, What were your parents like, if you don’t mind talking about them?

Kali looked at Joan and, seeing the caring and sincere expression on her face, said, They were great. My mother was a stay-at-home mom who loved to garden and cook. She was always in a good mood and upbeat. She was just one of those people who was naturally happy, so she was a lot of fun to be around. She wasn’t very adventurous and didn’t travel much, but she was always cheerful and we would play games a lot and take walks and short trips to different botanical gardens in the area, or just walk the streets of the small towns admiring other people’s gardens.

Kali smiled, remembering. My dad was a carpenter. He built houses, garages, decks and other things for people, but he loved to carve sculptures out of rocks and wood. He did carvings of the three of us—he said it was better than just taking pictures. He was also a history buff and we would spend hours discussing history and wars. He had me reading about different wars and conquerors all the time and we would argue about their methods.

Joan laughed. They sound like they were lovely people.

As they relaxed in the shallow water, Kali felt more and more at peace. She felt a little tingly, but she put that down to perhaps having a sensitivity to the salt. When they got out and lay in the sun, Joan chatted away and Kali’s eyes kept being drawn back to the ocean. They spent the morning going in and out of the ocean, and after lunch, Kali headed for her first tour, a short walk through the jungle.

The small group that gathered for the hike walked along well-used trails, and Kali admired the brightly colored birds and listened to the guide explain the various plants, trees and animals they saw. Every glimpse of ocean brought an inexplicable urge to go swimming, and as the day wore on, Kali had to force herself to concentrate on the guide to keep focused.

Back at the resort, Kali rejoined Joan and Henry at the same table where they’d had breakfast, and they ate their dinner while discussing all they had seen over the day and their plans for the next day. It was a fun and lively group, and soon they were all relaxing over cocktails and enjoying the evening breeze as they watched the sun set over the ocean.

On her fourth morning at the resort, Kali woke very early, feeling an intense longing to go swimming in the ocean. The light shining off the waves as the sun rose hypnotized her. She was watching the ocean from her balcony, trying to understand the fierce pull she was feeling. For the past four days, she had been on various excursions that had taken her off the resort grounds for the better part of the day, and Kali had found herself distracted time and time again by the ocean’s near-magnetic draw.

The ocean. A mystery she had never seen in person until a few days ago when she arrived in Costa Rica seeking relaxation and peace. Today, she was going to go for a real swim in the ocean.

Kali took a deep breath of the salty air the breeze blew toward her. After tossing a sundress over her bathing suit, she picked up her beach bag, which contained a novel, a towel and sunscreen, and left her room.

As she walked the path to the beach, she watched for signs of caimans and jungle cats. She knew it was early and she shouldn’t go to the beach alone, especially not at dawn when the predators were active in and out of the water, but the need to go in the water was greater than the off chance she would be seen as food by some animal. It was already warm and impossible not to enjoy the sun as she walked along. She laid her things on the beach, took off the sundress and waded into the water.

Finally, Kali murmured as relief flooded her senses. Enjoying the feel of the warm water on her skin, she sank into the calm water and swam for a bit. Turning over on her back, she floated for some time, feeling at peace, the fierce longing she’d felt upon waking, satisfied. Taking a deep breath, she let herself sink underwater. She opened her eyes and looked up through the water.

Just as she let herself start to float to the surface, she felt a piercing pain on both sides of her neck below her ears. Gasping as water flooded her mouth and nose and choked her, Kali struggled to the surface in a panic. She broke through the water coughing; she tried to breathe but couldn’t draw breath and blackness edged her vision. She knew she was losing consciousness. She looked at the shore and tried to cry for help, but she couldn’t see anyone and she sank once more below the water.

She looked up through the sparkling water. She was out of breath, her vision blurred and she knew she was drowning. Reflexively, Kali inhaled and it didn’t hurt, so she felt better.

Thankfully, dying by drowning isn’t painful, she thought to herself and she inhaled again, feeling better.

Kali drew in a large breath and realized her mouth wasn’t filling up with water, and she wasn’t choking. Her vision cleared, and, miraculously, she was breathing. She reached up to her neck where the pain was and felt loose skin. To her horror, she realized the skin felt like gills. As she sank to the bottom of the ocean, she began to feel a strange stinging sensation all over her body. Looking down, she saw a greenish glow, like muted light around the lower half of her body, and once the glow cleared, she saw that her legs were no longer white, but bluish-green! Screaming, she hit the seabed with her rump, colorful fish scattering in all directions.

Finally calming somewhat, Kali looked up and saw the surface of the water at least a hundred feet up. Still unsure of what was happening, she looked around and finally glanced at her legs. They were still the same bluish-green, like the color of her eyes, and were covered in scales. Her arms and hands were covered in scales, but they were flesh-colored, same as her skin. Holding out her hands, she saw there was webbing between her fingers that stopped halfway up her fingers and thumb. She looked at her feet and there was the same webbing between her toes; there were also flowing fins below her knees and these were covered in blue and green stripes that faded into each other.

She was still wearing her one-piece bathing suit, so she pulled the fabric away from her body and saw the blue-green scales started just below her navel, continuing to her feet, and the flesh-colored scales covered the rest. She could feel the water slide through her nose and gills, and it seemed to fill her lungs.

Her black curly hair floated up around her as she sat on the ocean floor and started to cry. She didn’t know how long she sat there, but she finally started to settle.

Get a grip, Kali. It’s real—you’re not dreaming. It’s real. You’re a freaking mermaid, she said to herself, looking down at her legs and fins.

She touched her hair, and at least that felt normal for being underwater. Feeling her neck again, she felt the gills; by touch, she felt four on each side and they seemed to be about two inches long. Trying to keep calm and breathing deep, she touched her scales. They felt smooth and soft. She ran her hand along the scales, feeling her touch as you would with skin. She touched the fins at the backs of her calves and they felt silky, and there seemed to be small bones in them as only the tips of the fins flared, moving with the water. Weirdly, she could also feel her touch in them, as if they were an arm or finger.

Taking another deep breath, feeling the odd sensation of the water traveling through the gills, she realized it was starting to get uncomfortable sitting on the bottom of the ocean. Looking at her surroundings, she saw some large rocks behind her. She stood up and wondered why she didn’t float to the surface. Shrugging, she swam over to the large rocks and sat on one as if it was a chair.

Scared and a little amazed, Kali looked around. There were fish swimming by and a stingray in the sand below. She could see part of its body where sand had drifted off, partially uncovering it.

This is unbelievable. What am I going to do? What if I can’t turn back?

Kali sat, clinging to the rock, scared and alone. Looking down at herself, she examined her scales further: they were a soft triangular shape with very gentle curves at the tips and center point, with darker coloring at the edges, and they were layered tightly together like on a fish. The webbing on her hands was a soft, slightly transparent nude color, like her human white skin tone. Splaying her fingers in front of her, Kali started to cry, wiping her tears after a bit, she began to swim slowly. She was never a very strong swimmer, but the webbing seemed to make a big difference, making her feel as if she could swim for days. She swam following the shoreline, sticking near the bottom in case someone passing on a boat saw her.

As she swam, she looked at the fish but couldn’t seem to communicate with them. Then she realized how stupid that was—it wasn’t as if she could communicate with land animals when she was human. The same rules probably applied underwater. The fish weren’t going to break out in song like in a cartoon. Whatever she was now, she still thought the same as when she was human.

Kali decided she needed to go somewhere to try to become human again. She searched for the underwater caves she’d heard about upon her arrival. Navigating the shoreline, she realized she had good underwater vision and spotted a tunnel. As she swam over to investigate, the water became darker, but she could still see well enough so she followed the tunnel. It opened into a wide underground cavern. She swam cautiously up to the surface and poked her head out of the water. It was a cave and empty, but she still couldn’t breathe above water—her mouth wouldn’t bring in any air and her gills strained, but no air penetrated them.

Floating near the surface, Kali thought her transformation must be magical. Even though the initial change was involuntary, she was sure she could transform back to human. She hoped she could. She tried to picture herself as human, concentrated . . . and nothing, no change.

Okay, Kali, try to relax. Maybe it will come, she said to herself and lay on her back just below the surface, closing her eyes. She meditated, until she felt relaxed. It took a while for her to relax, but she finally managed picturing herself as human, she willed the change to happen . . . Nothing. She tried over and over to become human, but there was no change. She was still a mermaid.

Frustrated, she dove down and swam out of the cave, swimming fast and angry. As she came out of the cave, she entered dark waters—it was night! Feeling scared, she swam back thought the tunnel and into the cavern. The cavern had a faint greenish glow she mistook earlier for sunlight. She didn’t know where the glow was coming from but was glad for it. She started to think of all the fish in the ocean that could hurt her—the hammerhead sharks that these waters were known for came to mind. While she hadn’t seen any today, it didn’t mean that they didn’t exist.

Looking around the underwater cave, she searched for an opening, somewhere she could barricade herself in and be safe. She didn’t feel tired and wasn’t even sure she could sleep, but she didn’t want to be attacked by sharks so she found another tunnel, cautiously looked in and swam through. It was tight in one spot but she kept going, and soon it opened into another cavern. Sighing, she examined this second cavern; there were no more tunnels and if she could barely fit, certainly a shark couldn’t. It was dark in this cavern, and it was totally submersed in water. The greenish glow was gone, but she could see fairly well. Exhausted, Kali sunk to the bottom of the cavern and lay down. Too tired to care how it was possible that she didn’t float to the top, she fell asleep.

Kali stayed in the cave for three or four days, as near as she could tell. She ate kelp when she got hungry and it tasted okay. She found that even though she had scales, things were in the same locations south of the navel and her body seemed to function like normal except for the breathing. Kali was amazed she still had a sense of smell.

Kali had been alone for the last three years. With no siblings and no extended family, it had been a lonely time. Going to Costa Rica was supposed to be a vacation, a chance to forget about life for two glorious weeks. Four days into it, and now she was a mermaid. As she tried to come to terms with this unreal situation, her mother’s fear of the water haunted her and she wondered if she was the only merperson in the family. Had her mother been one? Her father? How was it that her parents didn’t have any family? Were they truly orphans?

There were too many questions running through her mind, and she needed to move. She decided that there had to be other mermaids besides just her. It seemed unreal and unbelievable, but it was happening to her so it was becoming harder to deny it, and she didn’t feel as though she was stuck in a dream. The water, the fish, rocks, sand, her—it was the realness of the environment around her that persuaded her this was not a dream. She left the cave determinedly in search of other mermaids.

Kali decided to search the coastline first. After about two hours, she saw a shark. Her instincts were to hide, so she hid behind an outcrop of coral and waited for it to swim by. After it passed, she continued on. As night approached, she found another cavern to wait out the night. It took her close to a week to explore the Costa Rican coastline, and possibly that of some neighboring countries. There were no sign posts underwater telling her where she was, and there was no sign of other mermaids.

Despairing, she faced reality. She was on her own, so either she could stay here, or continue her search in the ocean. The ocean was huge; it seemed futile. With all the technology available to humans, the other mermaids must hide deep and cleverly so as not to be discovered. Kali sighed, unsure of what to do and started thinking about all that she had left behind.

What were her friends and neighbors going to think? Or her clients, when she didn’t show up for work? She imagined the short police investigation that would happen eventually, if it had not already been initiated by the resort. Surely, Joan and Henry would have reported her missing. When the local police didn’t find her body, it would be assumed she drowned at sea. They would find her bag on the beach and, with no signs of struggle, there would be no reason to suspect foul play. There was no one close to her who would push for further investigation. She had been so focused on her veterinary career and dealing with her parents’ death that she hadn’t put much effort into maintaining friendships or going on dates in the past three years.

She decided to stay in some caves she found on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, as she felt if there were any other mermaids, they wouldn’t be in the smaller Golfo Dulce. She needed time to get used to the underwater environment.

Maybe if I don’t think about it, my body will automatically transform, she thought. She decided to stay in the area for now, and tried to relax so her body might involuntarily change back. She looked around and decided to go toward the coral and observe the fish, and since she didn’t grow up near the ocean, she was careful not to touch much. She knew from a few documentaries and a few classes in university there were poisonous fish in these waters and she recognized some. There were stingrays that looked harmless, but they had that stinger on the end so she avoided them. She saw some scary-looking eels that she stayed away from and, thankfully, the sharks were small and she didn’t feel threatened by them.

As she was swimming, she came across some lost and discarded items on the ocean floor. She found a few necklaces, bracelets, some bits of change and a fishing rod, and she took these things to the cave, not really sure why, as they weren’t of much use to her. She gathered some kelp, as well, and ate that while she looked over the things she found. What she really needed to find, she decided, was a knife or spear gun of some sort for protection.

The next day she went out again, really noticing the sound of the ocean for the first time. The fish around her made various clicks and clacks as they moved up against the coral. Occasionally, she hear some rocks shifting, and if she went toward shore, she could hear the waves. It was peaceful underwater, though, and she realized that she was able to sense when a fish was near. She felt tiny vibrations in her chest area, like fluttering or the feeling of drums at a rock concert but not nearly as dramatic. She concentrated on that and tried to focus on the difference between a fish that was swimming fast and slow, and how to tell if it was a small fish or a larger one. She wondered if she had ampullae of Lorenzini now, which were electroreceptors around the heads of some fish that helped them sense electric and magnetic fields in other animals and the earth, as well as temperature gradients in the water.

She went a little farther out in the ocean, sticking to the bottom as she felt more secure there. She could hear the motor of a speedboat and felt the more intense vibrations as it came closer and roared over top of her. She could see the waves on the surface and feel the gentle ripples from it where she was standing on the bottom of the ocean.

Swimming even farther, she could see something gleaming in the sand and swam over to pick it up. Sure enough, it was a spear. It had a long plastic handle and was about three feet long with a steel point at the end. Feeling very pleased with herself and her find, she turned to go back but felt a strong vibration in her chest. There was no other sound, so she looked around and couldn’t see anything for a few minutes, and then, out of the deep blue, a huge shark appeared, swimming toward her. She was on the bottom and it looked like it was about forty feet above her. It started making a wide circle above her, and as the light hit the animal, she could see distinct bands on its skin. It looked about fifteen feet long. Dimly recalling a TV show on sharks, she thought this was a tiger shark because of its striping.

This isn’t good, Kali thought and gripped her spear tighter. As the shark circled, it was hard to tell if it was looking at her, but there was nothing else there of interest, so why else would it be circling? Deciding to stay still on the seabed, Kali waited, hoping it would go away. It didn’t; it was slowly getting closer, as if it was curious yet cautious, but one look at its huge mouth and black eyes and she knew it was eyeing her as a possible meal. Heart pounding with fear, she clutched the spear. Thinking she was no match for this shark, and despite knowing that she shouldn’t act like prey, she swam back toward the cave as fast as she could. She was going really fast and, as she looked behind her, it appeared the shark wasn’t following. She raced into the safety of her cave.

Trying to calm herself, she considered the situation. In her panic she didn’t know how fast she had been going, but it seemed quite fast—faster than running. She also had that instinct when something large was close, and she thought she had to develop that so she could, hopefully, sense danger in the water sooner. Thankfully, the shark hadn’t attacked right away, giving her time, and now she had a weapon.

Exhausted, she plopped onto