When Life Gives You Fins by Elaina H (classic books to read txt) 📖

It’s like a mad lib, Oh my _______!

            When I break out into open water I ‘skid’ to a stop. “Zak, I need to talk to Haden, okay. You can just go back to the castle and I’ll, I’ll meet you later!”

            “What is going on?”

            “I can’t tell you right now. Not one thing! I’m so sorry,” I rush off leaving Zak in the dust.

 

            I swim all around town looking for Haden. Where is Haden? I ask all around and nobody can help me.

            I see an older woman sitting on the ground playing some sort of harp instrument, “Excuse me? Have you seen a blond haired, blue eyed boy named Haden?”

            “You could have just said his name, but no I haven’t seen him. But I can tell you where he lives.”

            “Thank you so much!”

            “For two Clams,” she smiles a crooked smile.

            “Two! That’s two straight pieces of gold!”

            “I know my bets, lady,” she waits.

            I wave her off, “I’ll ask someone else,” I turn to leave.

            “No one else knows. He moves to different spots every week.”

            “Then how do I know you know?”

            “Trust?” her eyes do not say trust me.

            “How about,” I come up with an idea, “I pay you one before and one after. When I find him, I’ll bring you your second coin?”             She shakes her head, “How about not!” she holds out her wrinkled hand, “if you want to see Haden you have to give me two coins, now.”             “Fine!” I yell grabbing the coins, I mumble, “take all my money! Why not?”             “Thank you,” she gets up from her seat n the side of the road, “Follow me.” She starts off without me, I follow shortly after.

            “Wait up!”

            I catch up and she doesn’t even slow her pace. A man walks up in front of us, “Hola! Te gusta los libros? A mi me gusta los libros! Si?”

            The older lady ignores the man, but I glance back. Books? I halt, “What kind of books?!”

            The man turns to see if I’m talking to him, he raises his fingers as if to pinch the air, “Little English, si?”

            “Oh,” I point to myself, “Me gustan los libros!”

            He throws his hands toward the sky and begins blowing kisses up to heaven I suppose, “Gracias!” He shakes my hands, “Mucho gusto!”

            “Ecantada?”             He leads me over to a hole in the wall and he pulls out a few books. Why I came over here? I have a weird feeling about his place.

            That sounds corny, but I trust my instincts. I pick up some of the books, they’re history.

            “Do you have any books about Sirens?”

            “Si!!”             He hands me a worn, brown, leather book called The Ancient and Present History of Sirens and Their Kin. “I’ll take it! How much do you want?”

            “Dos Clams.”                           

            “Two! I have that. I go to grab two coins, but I turn to the old woman, still waiting, and she’s flicking my only money up into the air.

            “I need that! Sir, can you hold that book for me? I’ll be back, okay?”

            “Ya, ya, ya!” the Spanish speaking man waves me off.

            I catch up to the woman. She doesn’t speak to me, she just leads me closer to the edge of the city, the side I’ve never been to.

            She stops in front of a straight drop off cliff. “This is it. There’s an entrance to a cave about a hundred feet up. They’ll be a wooden door across the front, he should be in there. If he isn’t he’ll be back soon.” I stare up the steep cliff.

            “Why does he live here?” I wait for a reply, but hear none. She’s gone.

            I start swimming up, about a third of the way there I’m out of breath and my abs are screaming. No wonder Haden’s abs are awesome.

            I finally make it to the ledge and just about die there. Gathering all the energy I could I knock on the door.

            Haden answers giving me a funny look, “Why are you here?”

            “Because I need to talk to you about something!”

            “Sure, what’s up?” Haden asks nonchalantly.

            “Haden,” I pause, be brave I tell myself, “I know you’re the other half-mer.”

            Haden’s face isn’t smiling anymore.

Imprint

Publication Date: 12-03-2013

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
To my sister Lia.