Before my parents dumped me onto that tropical island far out in the Bermuda Triangle, they said I would one day become known as the "Guardian of the Seas''. What is the Guardian of the Seas? Mom and Dad never answered that question. They merely said I am special, and the Bermuda Triangle needs somebody like me. Aside from that, they also dumped me because they wanted me to perfect my skills over water. They gave me a magic necklace with a blue seashell pendant when they left and explained that I could change my form while wearing it. How young I was at the time, I thought that was pretty cool. Since then, I have never taken the necklace off.
My parents said they would be back, but it's been seven years, and I can't find them anywhere. I am alone—me, Will—a twelve-year-old who isn't even human. I am a shapeshifter, but I am mostly a beast. I am known as the "Beast of the Bermuda Triangle". But I am not evil. I care greatly for marine animals and the ocean. I can also change my form from the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle itself to a twelve-year-old human boy. I can only do this, though, if I'm wearing my necklace.
The island I lived on was the closest thing I had to my former home, even though I didn't remember it all that well anymore. It's small and a perfect size for me. The sand was white, and the reef and ocean surrounding it were very blue. My home was located in the middle of the island. I slept in a large tree. That tree was where I kept all my belongings. Every day, I loved to run out to the beach and collect seashells.
I may be a beast more than a human, but that doesn't mean I don't have many humanlike abilities. When I change my form into a boy, I do look like a boy. I have long, scraggly, brown hair, pulled back in a ribbon, and blue eyes. In terms of clothing, I usually wore a white, puffy-sleeved shirt with a brown vest over it and brown, torn-up pants. I never wear shoes, and my skin is tanned due to all the years I've lived alone in the sun. I can't talk as a human because I don't know any of their languages, so I am technically a mute, but that's not all bad. While I don't know human language, I do know how to communicate through sign language.
I thought I was ready for anything, but then one morning, I saw a mysterious figure on the ocean's horizon.
***
I had awoken in my tree to the bright rays of sunshine. They were warm and comfortable. That is how I always see sunshine, especially in the Bermuda Triangle.
Yawning, I sat and stretched my hands over my head. It was a brand-new day. I love waking up not knowing what's going to happen.
Before heading out to the beach, I knocked down some bananas and ate them for breakfast. Bananas are one of my favorite fruits. I finished three of them in a short amount of time, but I was still hungry. That time, I decided to head out and search for some coconuts.
Standing up on my branch, my tanned, dirty hands grabbed a vine, and I hopped off the tree. I swung to the jungle's bed and let it go the second I landed. However, my feet hit a hill, and I took a tumble. See, the jungle was so overgrown with ferns that I sometimes couldn't see what was in front of me. The hill I rolled down led to the beach.
Within a minute or two, I flew out of the ferns and landed face-first on my island's beautiful sand. It tickled my fingers and toes, and I couldn't help but chuckle. Man, was that fun!
I soon lifted my head and rubbed down my sand-covered face. The tide was going out, so the beach looked huge.
My eyes landed on the sandbar, which stretched out to a coral reef and deeper water. I smiled just seeing it. I forgot about the coconuts and decided to start my exploration for shells. I first checked to make sure I had my leather satchel, where I held all my shells. I did. I wore it over my shoulder and patted it. The sea breeze invaded my nose, and I took it in.
The day was gorgeous, with blue skies and cumulus clouds. The sun's rays made the beautiful water of the Bermuda Triangle sparkle.
I leaped to my feet and jumped up and down with excitement. My feet moved by themselves. They took me in the direction of the sandbar. While I ran in the fluffy, white sand, I smiled, and my blue eyes did not leave the ocean. It called my name. It knew I was the Guardian of the Seas.
I ran closer to the water, which sprang to life.
The clear water lifted into the sky and started to dance around me.
I have the power to control it.
When I approached the sandbar, I stopped to catch my breath and started to play with my friends. First, I leaned down, for I saw a shell buried in the sand. It was a small, beautiful, orange conch shell. Tittering, I brushed the sand off it and picked it up.
Ocean water soon hovered next to me, and it checked the shell.
I wondered if it liked it. I held the shell in front of the water and let it examine it from top to bottom.
After a bit, water droplets came together to form a thumbs-up.
I thanked the water and scratched it under its chin-like feature. I then slipped the shell into my satchel and peered out to the ocean again. Water touched my toes. I sighed when I felt it. In my opinion, water is the best therapy in the whole world.
As soon as I reached the sandbar, I started my trek for more shells. During my trek, I found a bunch of cool, new ones to add to my collection back home. With every new interesting shell, I picked it up and put it in my satchel. I even got down on my knees and started to crawl.
It wasn't long until I heard a small shrill. "He-Help!" it called.
I put down my satchel and quickly turned my head in the direction from which the shrill came. It came from a starfish.
It rested in the sand, further away from me, and again called, "Help!"
I hated to see my friends in distress, so I decided to come to their aid. I, twelve-year-old Will, stood and approached the marine creature.
It wiggled in the sand, begging for me to help it. Of course, I did. After all, the ocean is my friend, and I don't want a friend of it to die.
Therefore, I knelt over the starfish and carefully picked it up in both hands. Sand fell from it and got on my skin, but it didn't bother me. I merely wanted to save the starfish's life.
Once I had it in my hands, I brought it to my face, and it gently said, "Thank you, Will! Please, I have a family in the ocean! I can't die!"
Every creature in the Bermuda Triangle can communicate with me. That is how smart the ocean is.
I nodded to show the starfish I understood what it said, and prepared to let it go. My feet pushed me toward the blue sky, and I brought back the hand that held my friend.
The starfish waited for my throw, and finally, I did. I tossed the marine creature back into the ocean and waved goodbye.
The ocean waved back.
I heard the starfish say goodbye next. I could finally return to my shell hunting! Cracking a smile, I hurried back over to my satchel and picked it up, putting it over my shoulder. Once it was nice and snug, I continued down the sandbar and collected more shells.
My journey took me to the end, right at the line of deeper water and my favorite coral reef. I plopped down on the sand and sat cross-legged. Still smiling, I pulled one of my star shells out of my bag and brushed the sand off with my thumb. While I worked, I heard a seagull screech overhead and peered up at it.
In the blue sky, a seagull soared in circles and waved its wings at me. Suddenly, it swooped down and shot by my face. The gust from its wings made my messy hair wave. The seagull soared over the ocean.
While I watched it, I noticed a large, mysterious figure on the horizon.
The seagull pointed at it with its wing.
I turned on a bewildered expression and slipped the shell I was working on back in my satchel. I stood up and stared out to the horizon. Sure enough, a large, white figure rested perfectly at the end of the Earth. What was it? I had never seen something like it before. Not once in all my twelve years of living. I didn't like this, though. The figure looked like it was coming in the direction of my island.
I was desperate to find answers. I knew it was risky, but I decided to get a closer look at the large, floating island. I thought it had a very unusual shape, and yep, it definitely was huge. The figure/shape looked like a messed-up rectangle. At the end of the rectangle stood a tall, whale-tail-shaped second figure.
I honestly didn't know what other choice I had. I had to stop the mysterious figure from invading my island.
I inhaled a breath of air and clenched my fists. I stared at the floating island for a little bit longer, and then, I made up my mind. Shakily standing, I stepped forward, and my bare feet touched the warm water at the end of the sandbar. I went knee-deep.
The ocean sprang to life again. Small waves sloshed against me. I let them dance around me like a group of little children playing "Ring Around the Rosie".
I soon lifted my hands high over my head, and my eyes landed on the swaying water. I nodded, and then I dove off the sandbar into the deep water—the waves dove after me—and landed with a small splash. Soon, the waves circled me, and my eyes adjusted to the salt water.
Since I am the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle, I can breathe underwater. However, I am not a merman.
I saw the coral reef in front of me and decided to take off. I kicked my legs and started swimming in a whale-like fashion toward the reef and the mysterious figure. Shadows engulfed my body, and my blue eyes glowed. It wasn't long until I opened my mouth and started to sing the lullaby of the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle. Mother and Father taught it to me soon after I was born.
Since we can't speak in human language, there are no words in this song. It's just a mysterious tune. The tune is how creatures like us tell others we're coming.
Thanks to the ocean and current, I was able to swim quickly in the sea. Looking all around, my eyes landed on some of the Bermuda Triangle's graves. I saw sunken ships and planes. A lot of them were in pieces. What was happening was not the work of my parents and me. At least, I hoped not.
Nevertheless, I couldn't look for answers. I had to get in the mysterious figure's face and order them to leave my island alone. Without further ado, I reached for my necklace pendant and grabbed it.
There is no turning back, Will. You are brave, and you will do everything in your power to protect the Bermuda Triangle and the ocean from harm.
At my touch, my necklace pendant immediately started to glow. I stretched my arms and waited for my metamorphosis into the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle.
My arms changed to long, white wings, and a long tail appeared behind me. My neck stretched out, becoming smooth and slender. My mouth became rigid, similar to that of a beak, and two sets of fangs appeared in it. Finally, six blue fins appeared on my tail.
This form has a dragon/avian-like appearance to it. I think it is very beautiful. I love my beast form just as much as my human form.
After changing forms, I had a feeling I was close to the mysterious, floating island.
It is time, Will. It is time for you to figure out what it is.
Flapping my wings, I carefully swam to the surface and poked my head out of the ocean.
There was the figure. It was huge! It was a carnival cruise ship—a cruise ship known as the Carnival Ecstasy. She had fourteen decks and was mostly white on the outside, just like me. Her lifeboats were orange, and her funnel was red and shaped like the tail of a whale. The funnel was the tall thing I saw.
My curiosity hit a home run. I had to find out more about the ship. Diving underwater, I swam to its bow and ordered the ocean to spring to life again.
A huge whirl of water surrounded my body and lifted me out of the ocean.
Immediately, I saw I had made a huge mistake. I hovered in front of the Ecstasy's mini golf course, and I was staring straight at a human!
Oh snap, Will, what is wrong with you?
The human I met eyes with was a young girl who looked about my age. She wore a flower in her long, blonde hair, a blue bathing suit, a hat, and some flip-flops. In her hand, she held a golf club. Luckily, it looked like she was the only one who saw me. The rest of the mini golf course and the bow were empty.
The human girl cautiously started to make her way toward me. She reached the ship's railing and lifted her free hand, moving it toward me.
It was strange. I felt no fear around the young girl. Instead, I felt peace, affection, and curiosity. To show her how I felt, I brought back my head and opened my mouth. My song escaped it for the second time. For a bit, I sang for the girl, but when I stopped, I stuck my shadowy head out of the whirlpool and sniffed her hand.
"What are you?" she gently asked me.
I wanted to say, "I'm a friend," but because I couldn't speak English, I did so by closing my eyes and pressing my muzzle against the child's palm.
Her jaw fell open. She was just as fascinated by me as I was by her.
After a bit, I felt she would no longer be alone, so I took my leave. I pushed my muzzle off her palm and stuck my head back into my whirlpool.
"Wait!" I heard her yell.
I wanted to stay, but I couldn't. Before I could put myself in danger, I flapped my wings and dove back into the ocean. I knew the ship was most likely returning home from the Bahamas, but what I didn't know was that sudden storm clouds had appeared overhead, and soon I would be a passenger.
When I hit the ocean, I changed my form back to a boy. I popped my head out of the Bermuda Triangle's turquoise water and studied the leaving cruise ship. Lifting my hand, I rubbed salt water out of my eye and nodded. I dove underwater, while the ocean continued to dance around me. I quickly swam to the Ecstasy, and my eyes landed on her spinning propellers. Seeing them, I immediately knew they were dangerous, so I moved out of their way.
I prepared to swim under the ship and follow it back to wherever it was going, but I couldn't because, before I knew it, the storm hit.
It's amazing how quickly the weather can change sometimes!
The current picked up, and it jerked me forward, right toward the ship's propellers. I gasped when I noticed that and instantly turned. The current was too strong, though. I couldn't fight it. Not as a boy.
Everything surrounding me turned dark as night. The current continued to push me closer to the propellers.
This really scared me.
I did not want to get chopped into liver kebabs, so I changed my form. The second I had my wings again, I pulled them to my sides. Another whirlpool surrounded me. I hurried out of the ship's path and peered up to the surface. Even down there, I could hear thunder booming, and lightning flashes lit up the whole ocean.
The force of a huge wave crashing hammered me. It slammed down on my whirlpool and broke it. I had to get back to my island before it was too late, but the storm forbade it. I started to regret my decision. My mistake was leaving my island right before a storm.
A second wave slammed me. That one threw me into a sunken boat. I hit it so hard it snapped in two. Two skeletons flew out from the bow into the open sea—a life preserver, too, and I felt myself change back into a boy. I swam toward the life preserver and reached for it, but the current pulled it away from me. My hands grabbed it, but as soon as they did, everything started to spin. The life preserver had been caught right in an enormous whirlpool.
I tightly closed my eyes and hugged it while I waited for the spinning to stop.
The whirlpool chucked me out of the ocean into the storm-polluted air. Immediately after it did, a thirty-foot wave slammed me and knocked me back down. From there, my world went black.
The only thing I heard after that was a yell. It sounded like it belonged to a human: "Man overboard! Pull him aboard!"
My mind slipped into a deep unconsciousness.
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and then Add to home screen.