Creature III

By Joan Bush

The adventure continues as Beth, Mike, Cameron, and Caroline embark on a trip to visit Beth's mother at her beach house in California. During their stay, the whole family enjoys some fun at the beach, and Cameron meets a fascinating sea creature who also has a dual nature. He doesn't fully realize it at the time, but he will play a critical role in helping this creature just by filling out his own destiny back at home. This tale spins a web of connections that start when Dr. Mike finds an old file on a shape-shifting creature that he treated at the clinic long ago. This discovery leads him to look up the individual that brought the creature in. When he pays him a visit other clues come to the surface including a mysterious map that leads to a crystal cave, and a cryptic poem that speaks of a prophecy. The prophecy declares that the arrival of a king at a place of destiny will awaken and summon the thunder cats. While Mike and his family are puzzling over these mysteries, back at the reservation, their revered Native American guide, Sleeping Bear, joins his son in searching for the remaining stones that are marked with the thunder cat symbol. When Cameron and his family return to the mountain for their summer vacation he finds that Little Bear and his father have selected him for a unique and exciting task, and he begins his training right away. Cameron's training is challenging, and maybe a bit dangerous, but ultimately it leads him to his place of destiny. Will he awaken the thunder cats? Will this result in self-discovery, or will he learn to trust in someone greater than himself? Read and find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781644682012

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Pacific

The tiny shells crunched under Elmara’s bare feet. The sea breeze gently lifted the long blonde curls that hung around her shoulders and down her back. Her dress was the color of the sea with a mix of blue and green, and she liked the way the breeze made the light layers of fabric lift and ripple along like the gentle swells of the sea. Regala was lounging on a pile of stones that stretched out into the water. She had plaited her long black her into an elaborate braid adorned with pretty little seashells in pastel colors of peach, pink, and lavender that stood out dramatically against the dark background of her hair. Her skin was also dark, tanned by the sun, and to accentuate it, she wore a thick web of woven pearl strands that hung from her neck and dropped down nearly to her middle.

Once she had secured the end of the braid with a bit of seaweed she tossed it over her shoulder and directed all of her attention to Elmara. You will be lonely when you are the only one left, she said as she looked at Elmara with great intensity in her dark brown eyes. Elmara cast a glance in her direction but then turned slowly taking in the beauty of the small island that she loved. How can you give this up? she asked. Look at the green palms against the blue sky. Don’t you love the color of the flowers?

The colors under the sea are just as vibrant, Regala replied sharply, and she punctuated her statement with a firm slap of her tail fin against the shallow water around the stones where she lingered. Regala was of the royal line and she was used to being heard and respected. Elmara appreciated that, and she loved the sea more than any of the sea people, but she just wasn’t ready to transition into being entirely fish-like. She enjoyed the feel of the sand under her toes, she liked to run down the beach and climb the palm trees. She knew that many of the sea people had let themselves drift into a coma like slumber until they had shifted completely into fish. They could live on forever as fish but could not awaken again to walk the sandy beaches of the island. It had been months since Elmara had dared to walk among humans on the shore. She knew she could never integrate, but she had learned so much on her visits to the mainland. She looked east toward the shore where she had learned to read, and where she had heard music and tasted different foods. Regala knew what she was thinking.

Don’t you love the art and music of your own people? she asked.

Of course I do, said Elmara, but it will be lost when the transition is complete.

Don’t you see that it is a gift to be able to enjoy both the sea and the land? she asked.

It will end in heartache, you will become too involved or you will fall in love and want to join them and you cannot, responded Regala. Elmara knew that she was probably right about that, but at the same time, she just wasn’t ready to give it all up entirely.

I will not continue to try to convince you, said Regala. Loneliness will teach you what you should have learned already.

I have only tried to prevent you from feeling that pain.

I thank you, Regala, you have been considerate and kind, said Elmara as she made a graceful bow in her direction. Regala nodded to her and then she slid off the rocks and slipped under the water and swam away. Elmara saw her fin above the water for a second just before she made the deep dive that would take her down to the depths of the sea where she would gradually drift into the life of a fish. Elmara felt disgusted at the thought of swimming along forever thinking only of the next bit of kelp or tiny krill that she would eat. She felt she would rather feel the pain of loneliness than to lose her sense of beauty and understanding. It was a shift that had been coming for a long time. She understood why the royals had chosen to embrace the fish life; it was simpler that trying to straddle both worlds and deal with the discontinuity. Maybe it was sensible, but Elmara couldn’t help but feel that there was a blinding sickness to it. She just could not accept it. She would wait and continue to live between the two worlds, and she would deal with the emptiness and hope for a miracle. It was what she had to do.

Chapter 2

The Beach House

Cameron pulled his Spiderman suitcase along behind him through the airport. He liked the way it sailed along so smoothly on just two little wheels. He kept looking back to admire the clever design. Caroline followed after him with her pink Hello Kitty suitcase. She had ceased to be amused and she was asking Beth if they were there yet.

Almost, Caroline, said Beth as she followed along just behind her. Mike was out in front leading the way. They were going to spend four days with Beth’s mother at her beach house. Beth had wanted Mike to come along and since Mark would be leaving in the fall this was his last chance to do it. He was going to lose Mark, and also his long-time secretary Ms. Williams. She had been his secretary since he opened the clinic, but she was going to have a grandchild in the fall and she wanted to move to where her daughter lived in Minnesota so she could be there for her when the baby came.

Beth saw their gate up ahead, There it is Caroline, C-13, and now we’ve made it and we can take a break.

They settled into some seats to wait for the boarding call. It wasn’t long before they were boarding the plane. It was a first flight for both Cameron and Caroline, so Beth had made sure that they would have the seats next to the window. Once they were in their seats and the other passengers were settled in, the stewardess went through the demonstration on how to locate life preservers and oxygen masks and Caroline looked at Cameron with big eyes. When the plane began to move Beth did praying hands and winked at Mike which made him laugh. The plane taxied down the runway and took off with a roar much to Cameron’s delight.

That was so cool! he exclaimed.

Caroline kept her eyes glued to the window and Cameron looked over her shoulder. After their ascent had elevated them up above the clouds Cameron began to look away from the window because there was nothing notable to look at, just the clouds. Caroline continued to stare out with determination. Finally Cameron asked her, Caroline what are you looking for?

She whispered back, We’re pretty high up, there might be angels.

Cameron just shrugged. It was a lengthy flight and eventually they both fell asleep. Beth looked over at Mike and said, I appreciate you doing this.

Well, Beth, I enjoy doing most anything with you and the kids, and I haven’t been to the ocean in a very long time.

Mike was aware that she would probably need the moral support that he could provide considering the prospects of spending four days with her mother on her turf. It would probably also be helpful to have another able bodied swimmer around if the kids went swimming in the pool, or in the ocean. Mike was setting off with a great attitude. He meant to thoroughly enjoy his stay with total disregard for any awkwardness they might encounter. Beth was extremely grateful that he was coming. She knew that she was doing the right thing in going to see her mother, but she had just a little bit of fear about feeling inferior and out of place there. Having Mike around would be a great comfort. Cameron and Caroline woke up to the roar of the landing gear hitting the runway. They had arrived! Beth’s mother had arranged a ride home for them, so they just had to collect their baggage and make their way to the exit. Beth texted her mom when the driver said they were ten minutes from her driveway, so Barbara was waiting at the gate when they pulled in. She looked genuinely happy to see them. Her house was not hugely enormous, but it looked tall and very modern. She had a beautiful stone staircase that curved around three tiers of ornamental pond and garden and wound up a rocky hill to her front door, but they opted for the garage entry because it was easier to pull the suitcases in that way. The house had three levels. The garage opened into a recreation room that had sliding glass doors at the far end through which Cameron immediately spotted the swimming pool.

Is that your pool? he asked with a tone of admiration.

That’s my pool! said Barbara with a wink. It might be nice for these two to go for a swim after supper unless they’re too tired from the flight, suggested Barbara.

No, they took a nap on board so I think they would love that, Beth responded.

Great, let’s get you settled in upstairs and then we’ll have a bite. She had an elevator in addition to stairs, so they just piled in and headed to the third floor where the bedrooms were located. There was one of descent size for Mike and Beth, with a smaller room across the hall which was fitted out for Cameron and Caroline. It had one single bed, and a futon which Beth guessed she might have ordered in light of their visit. They quickly unpacked and then followed Barbara down to the middle floor where the kitchen was located. She had a lovely dining room with a balcony that afforded a nice view of the pool and beyond it, the sea. Mike stood starring through the glass doors, exclaiming, Wow!

Beth laughed, Hey, Mom, do you think we could step out there for a minute just to take a look?

Oh, of course, dear, how silly of me I’m sure you’re all excited to see the beach! She slid the doors open with ease and they all stepped out on the deck.

Thanks for having us, Mrs. Gibson, this is incredible! said Mike as he made his way to the railing. Caroline bent to peer through the slats, but Cameron was tall enough to see over the top rail. He felt a thrill of excitement as he looked out over the blue green water that stretched out endlessly before him. It wasn’t the woods, but there was a wild freedom to it that resonated with him.

I like it here, he said.

I like it too, said Caroline. Beth could tell that her mother felt flattered by the look on her face. She was beaming. Have these two been to the beach before? asked Barbara.

No, this is their first visit, said Beth. Mike had already noticed the stairs that led down to the pool and deck below, and the wooden path that led out from there to the beach.

If you want to run down there and let them take a look, the pizza won’t be here for another twenty minutes or so, suggested Barbara.

I like that idea, said Mike.

I like the idea of pizza, said Cameron.

Pizza was a great idea, Mom, said Beth.

Oh, good! said Barbara. I have a tray of fresh sushi if you’re interested, but I thought pizza and wings would be a great back-up plan.

That’s an excellent back-up plan, said Mike with an approving nod.

Well, let’s go, said Cameron. He gladly led the way down the stairs, across the pool deck, and over the wooden pathway, but he stopped at the end. He’d seen this kind of fine ground sand in movies on TV, but he’d never felt it before so he stopped to take his shoes off and savor the sensation. Mike laughed, and he and Caroline took their shoes off too. As soon as Mike’s feet hit the sand he was off at a run and he kept it up all the way to the water’s edge. Cameron quickly learned how to slide his foot over the water’s surface to kick up a shower of sea spray. Caroline was dancing on the beach with great leaps and twirls until she looked down and noticed the shells.

Oh, they’re such pretty colors and shapes! she exclaimed.

Yes, I thought you might like those, said Mike. Beth had stayed back at the house with her mom.

Well, what do you think? said her mother.

I think it was extremely generous and thoughtful of you to invite us, said Beth. She hadn’t fully realized that her family was getting a free beach vacation out of this visit.

Well, you know it’s good for me to see people really enjoying this setting, and I thought it might be nice for you to get out of the woods for a time and see something different.

It is, said Beth, I didn’t realize how much we needed this.

Can I help you set the table?

Sure, said Barbara and she showed her where to find the plates and utensils, and by the time they had the table set the bell rang.

That will be the pizza and wings, said Barbara I’ll go get it, but you had better go bring your family in off the beach, she said with a laugh. Beth headed down to the beach and she was just as excited to see it as the rest of her crew. She went the whole way out to where the waves were reaching up over the sand just to get her feet wet.

Supper has arrived! she called out to Mike and the kids. She remembered to have them rinse their feet off at the pool shower before they headed in. They rolled up their wet pant legs, washed off the sand and headed in for supper. It was delicious with a deep dish pizza topped with mushrooms, olives, and pepperoni, and perfectly paired up with crisp salty wings.

Have you ever seen any sharks out there? asked Cameron as he sunk his teeth into a thick slice of pizza.

No, responded Barbara as she delicately sliced into a sushi roll with her fork and knife "I see dolphins out there pretty regularly, but I have found a few shark teeth on the beach."

Cool! exclaimed Cameron.

So they’re out there, said Mike.

Yes, we haven’t had any shark attacks reported recently, but it is the ocean, so I guess there’s always that possibility.

Just think of all the creatures that might be out there, said Cameron.

Right, but you can’t see them because they’re under the water, added Caroline. Beth didn’t like thinking about shark attacks, When is the best time to look for shells?