Manateeween and The Witch Switch

By Magdalena Rodriguez, David Romero and Shabbir Hussain

There is a magical portal behind a witch's house in Manateeville Key. This wonderful "almost-island" sits in the South Florida waters. On Halloween night the portal can magically transform Witches. They can switch to become water creatures (specifically sharks). Also, manatees can switch to become kids during Halloween night. The manatee kids do

• Language: English
• Publisher: Magdalena Rodriguez
• Release date: Oct 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781737861126

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Copyright © 2021 by Magdalena Menchaca Rodrigez

All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Book cover and interior design: Shabbir Hussain

ISBN: 978-1-7378611-2-6

C O N T E N T S

Chapter 1: Manatees:Manatee and Shark

Chapter 2: Manateeville Key

Chapter 3: Manatee Meeting

Chapter 4: Witches

Chapter 5: Witch Coven House

Chapter 6: Miami: Warlock

Chapter 7: Girl Witches Want to Have Fun

Chapter 8: October 31 Halloween

Chapter 9: Girl Witch Soap

Chapter 10: Still Halloween: Witch Coven Preparations

Chapter 11: Halloween Night; The Portal

Chapter 12: Manateeween: Treat Time

Chapter 13: Mako Shark Adventure

Chapter 14: Bad Chica Witches

Chapter 15: Cake at Manateeville School

Chapter 16: Portal Block

Chapter 17: Flash Mob, Lost

Chapter 18: Go Scrapper Sheriff, Go

Chapter 19: Cat Thief

Chapter 20: Portal Rumble

Chapter 21: Queen Star

Chapter 22: Purple Moon Ceremony

In the clear waters of Biscayne Bay in South Florida, a small silver-colored bull shark spotted his target: a large grey manatee, approximately 800 pounds. The shiny little shark stealthily approached, moving his head side to side to feel the changes in current and chemicals. He crept his way forward behind the manatee. He was highly hydrodynamic, meaning water resistance was minimal. His long bullet shape allowed him to silently advance closer and closer for the surprise attack. Then, once within one inch, he quickly reached forward with his fin and touched the unaware manatee on the back of his shoulder!

Woah! blurted the manatee as he swung around in surprise and let out a line of very large air bubbles behind him.

Oh no! the small bull shark yelled.

He laughed and rolled with the force of the air bubbles pushing him away.

You are such an easy target, Speedster. But ya got me with that blast. Your grassy diet makes you so gassy.Hey, get it grassy gassy? continued the little shark, still laughing away.

Hey wait a minute. Yuk that was stink bomb dude. Now I smell, blurted Scrapper.

Got ya back buddy. You totally surprised me. Gotta learn your stealthy moves, sneaky Scrapper, smiled Speedster the manatee.

Speedster was a four-year-old boy manatee about nine feet long. He had chosen not to migrate north in the summer, like his mother, when he was weaned two years ago. Thus, Biscayne Bay in South Florida was his home.

Scrapper was a two-year-old bull shark about three feet long. Even though his family was in the vicinity, he was left behind to fend for himself. His family ignored him for being a runt. They liked to make believe he was not part of their large family out of embarrassment. Scrapper observed Speedster constantly on the go. He saw him go this way and that. He first tagged along stealthily behind him. After just one conversation, they became good friends. The odd pair were frequently found in these waters. Their friendship was well known to many, manatee, and shark alike.

Speedster looked out east toward the horizon. He smiled at the dark, rolling clouds coming into view.

Hey, speaking of moves, look, there is a storm about ten miles east. Let’s go practice our moves for our Team Go East Pack. We must keep challenging our swimming, diving, and surviving abilities to someday venture out East. We can go to the distant islands, but the ocean is much deeper than our bay. I hear it is worth the trip. It would be such an adventure. said Speedster.

He chuckled as he led Scrapper east. They were heading directly towards the dark, active clouds.

The two swam into the much deeper Atlantic Ocean. The water was quickly becoming tumultuous with the incoming storm. They continued heading east directly towards it. The ocean now had ten-foot waves. Their two shadows could be seen just underneath the surface. The clouds were rolling in darker and darker.

Hurry, Speeds, hurry! Look, a lightning bolt! Let’s countdown! One…two…three…four… (KABOOM the thunder sound boomed)!Oooh, that thunder sound was close. Five seconds isonly a mile away. We will just touch the edge of the rain wall and then head back, OK? said Scrapper.

He swam with all his strength towards the wall of rain. Since Scrapper was not an air breather, he swam under Speedster. Speedster plowed forward moving his paddle up and down with his strong muscles. However, he still had to surface to breathe. He was making very slow progress through the incoming waves.

These waves are really working me, but gotta do it!It’s good exercise. This kinda stuff will prepare us for that long journey across the Gulf Stream. I would like to go visit them cool Caribbean islands, they call them. Someday we will venture on that expedition, but for now…. Umph, here comes a big wave; let’s dive deep! yelled Speedster.

Speedster tucked his head and kicked his paddle to head straight down. They both descended deeper and deeper. Speedster gradually slowed down and rested in a calm current about one hundred feet underwater. He looked towards the direction of the bolts of lighting and the swirling clouds storming in.

Speeds, you, OK? It’s pretty deep, asked Scrapper as he stuck underneath Speedster.

Since Scrapper was a shark, he was quite fine in deep water, but Speedster usually stuck to the shallower waters.

Doing good, buddy. This is a good workout. But those bolts are coming in fast. They might get here before the rain. You know what they say: the hardest lightning strikes can be just before and just after a storm, not necessarily during it, finished Speedster.

Look, there is the wall of rain. Let’s go touch it and hurry back, said Scrapper.

They directed their bodies upwards. They both surfaced into a waterfall of hard rain. The rain was coming down so hard it hurt their faces like millions of tiny slaps.

Touched it! they both yelled.

Scrapper submerged rapidly. Speedster exhaled forcibly. He then proceeded to take several deep breaths. An extra-large rogue wave picked him up from his paddle. It took him about twenty feet high and flipped him over backwards. Going backwards in the air, he tucked his head back and his flippers snuggly onto his body midflight. This allowed him to dive straight down, deep into the water.

Scrapper watched with his jaw popped out. He darted down to where Speedster was.

Dude, that was totally a TEN! That was so cool! But…you’re OK, right?asked Scrapper.

HA HA HA! That felt spectacular! Oh, the rush. Yes, I am quite OK. Winded though, so let’s hightail it outta here. I don’t want to have to breathe under bolts of lightning. I think we got a supreme workout for our Team Go East Pack! said Speedster.

He slapped his paddle hard to get speed back home. The two swam rapidly to get as much distance in between them and the thunderbolts. They swam at a low depth where the waves were having little impact on them. As they reentered Biscayne Bay, they took a hard turn south to get cover from the storm. They headed to one of the large islands at the border, Manateeville Key. Once they were safe underneath a long wooden pier, they stopped to rest. Scrapper had been waiting to ask Speedster something and now was a good time.

Hey, Speeds, do you think I will be able to go to Manateeween this year? That Halloween thing a couple of days from now. I saw when you all got back last year and everyone was laughing, and the stories sounded really awesome, asked Scrapper with pleading eyes.

Well, buddy, this year I will ask the council, well not really a council, just us manatees. I will ask if you can go with us. You know Manateeween is pretty top secret. Even our good human friends that live in Manateeville cannot know. Also, you must follow all the other rules for this one night, said Speedster.

"Got it: follow rules or