Above the waves, Peter and Bruce, unaware of the approaching mermaids, continued searching the boat for a way to get onto the deck.
After a bit, Peter found an old, run-down ladder that blended with the boat's wood. Smiling, he gripped it and called, "Bruce! Bruce! I've found a ladder!"
"A ladder?" Bruce appeared from behind the boat's stern and approached his friend. "Ah, what do you know?" he asked when he saw the ladder. "Aren't we lucky?"
"We sure are," Peter said. "All right, Bruce, I will climb up and check it out. Can you hold the ladder for me?"
"Sure," said Bruce, grabbing the ladder.
Peter thanked him and started to climb. He was an excellent climber.
Bruce smiled below, saying, "Peter climbs just like a monkey."
Peter soon reached the top of the ladder and hauled himself onto the boat's front deck. He landed on the torn sail. "Wow," he said when he saw it. Peter quickly jumped to his feet. He wandered up and down the front deck, taking photos. Wow, this was remarkable. Peter had been on a sailboat before, but never a shipwrecked one.
Bruce soon called to him from below. "Hey, Pete, what do you see?"
"It's fascinating," Peter replied. "Come on up!" He scurried to the ladder and grabbed it, steadying it for his friend.
Down below, Bruce began climbing. He soon joined his friend on the boat's front deck, and they explored it together. While they studied, they chuckled and chatted with one another.
Below deck, Tracey heard them and woke up a little more. He recognized the voices and gasped, whispering, "Oh no."
"Hey, Pete," spoke Bruce's voice from outside, "let's see if we can get below deck."
Tracey heard them thump down the side of the boat and took deep breaths. Even though Selene had a plan, he needed one, too. Outside were the two bullies, his worst enemies.
The sirens were getting even closer now. The mark on Tracey's arm flashed like crazy.
He had to do something, but what could he do? He was weak. Still taking deep breaths, he tried to get up but only rolled and fell again.
Outside, Peter and Bruce heard the thump.
"What was that?" Bruce asked.
"Shh!" said Peter. He and Bruce continued to trek down the side of the boat. Soon, both leaped onto the back deck. Pete smiled, but Bruce was a little nervous.
Pete began rummaging around the back of the boat, pulling out old nets, soda cans, beer bottles, and lures.
While rummaging, Bruce finally approached him and said, "Pete, maybe we should start heading back. It's getting dark."
"Oh, please, Bruce." Peter continued rummaging. "Don't tell me you're scared of the dark, too, like Ninja Boy."
"I'm not. I just don't like that it's getting dark and we're out in open water."
"I thought you wanted to check out the lower deck. Let's check it out and then go back. Oh, hey, hey, hey! Look what I found!" Peter chuckled.
Bruce crossed his arms.
Peter pulled out a ragged, old wedding dress. He stood and held it out to him. "Looks like a lonely woman lost her dress!" He whistled and sniffed the dress.
"Pete, please," said Bruce, "you're making me uncomfortable. It's just a dress."
"Let's hurry below deck!" Peter announced. He tucked the dress under his arm, and he and Bruce approached the door leading to the lower deck. Peter tried to open the door, but because it was locked, it wouldn't budge.
Behind the door, Tracey whimpered and shook with fear. Waves of sweat fountained down his temples and face. Not only were his worst enemies trying to break in, but he was also frightened that it was getting dark. He also knew he was seriously ill. Tracey wanted to turn on some lights but knew he couldn't.
Tracey soon heard Peter banging on the door outside. "It's locked!" he complained.
"Oh, well, that's too bad," said Bruce. "It looks like it's time to go back."
"Makenna, Makenna, please," Tracey softly begged. He grabbed the wet towel he dropped when he fell and pressed it against his burning forehead. He rested his cheek on the floor and breathed deeply under the mask he wore. He was starting to fall asleep again.
Out in the ocean, the mermaids again leaped out of the water and dove back in. Then, the watery figures started to sing. They sang the siren's call and were close to the shipwreck now. They had the voices of angels, and their singing traveled to the boat and the beach.
"What's that?" Peter asked on the boat's deck.
"I don't know," Bruce nervously spoke, "but I don't like it!"
"Here!" yelped Peter. He shoved the dress into Bruce's chest. "You take the dress! It's probably the lonely woman who lost it!"
"No, you take it!" Bruce pushed the dress into Peter's chest. "You fancy it more than I!"
Everybody on the beach turned toward the shipwreck and asked, "What's that sound?"
Before long, the sirens started to pull the men under their spell. All the men, including Mr. Nelson, stepped toward the ocean, but their wives grabbed them and pulled them back. "Such beautiful singing," said Mr. Nelson.
"Cody!" Liana yelled. "What's wrong with you?" She gasped. "Peter!"
On the boat, Peter and Bruce began to feel drawn toward the singing. They stopped tugging on the dress, which wound up in Bruce's hands, and stared at the ocean together.
Although Tracey was nearly asleep, he could still communicate with somebody through telepathy. Knowing that Makenna would not be coming, he called for Selene and Gina instead.
Selene waited for the perfect time to put her plan into action. She soon received Tracey's call and said, "Hang in there," back to him. "I have an idea." And she did. She had an excellent idea.
On the shipwrecked sailboat, Peter heard a splash and asked, "What was that beautiful splash?" in a trance-like voice.
The singing had stopped. It was now strangely quiet on the ocean. It was so peaceful and still—it was weird.
Peter soon asked, "What happened to the beautiful singing?" and approached the boat's side, getting down on his knees. He gripped it and examined the darkening waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Bruce snapped out of his doze and shook his head. "Peter, we should really be getting back now."
Ignoring him, Peter asked the ocean, "Where are you, my dear?" and leaned over the boat.
Suddenly, there was a splash and a roar, and one of the watery sirens leaped out of the ocean and grabbed Peter, tackling him overboard on the boat's other side. It happened so fast that Bruce was left in shock.
When he finally realized what had happened, he yelled, "Ah! Peter!" A great wave of seawater splashed the side of the boat and sprayed him. "Here, here!" Bruce held the dress out to the ocean. "Take it! Take your dress!" He was close to the boat's side but not as close as Peter. However, that didn't stop the sirens from taking him, too.
A watery hand grabbed Bruce by the ankle. He screamed as he was thrown to the ground and was also pulled overboard. The sirens had succeeded, and now the coast was clear for Tracey.
They pulled Peter and Bruce to the bottom of the channel, but they didn't drown them. Not yet, at least. For now, they waved their hands and created two green bubbles. The sirens stuck both boys inside, and something inside the bubbles caused them to fall asleep.
Once the sirens stuck the boys in the bubbles, they swam toward the surface and targeted Tracey. Together, they slammed into the sailboat's hull, causing it to rock.
Inside the boat, Tracey snapped fully awake and yelled. However, he couldn't get up and fight back, not in his condition. He just listened as the sirens repeatedly crashed into the boat.
***
Selene had put her plan into action. She wanted to wait until Peter and Bruce were off the boat. Then, she would go in for the kill. However, before going into the fray where the sirens were, she swam to the bubbles Peter and Bruce had been put in. Stretching her hand forward, it came out of her bubble and entered Bruce's. Selene grabbed his wrist, and Bruce woke up and opened his eyes when she did.
Selene next stretched out her other hand and grabbed his other wrist. She started to pull, and as she pulled, she ferociously flapped her wings, releasing Bruce. Selene lugged him out of the bubble with one last wing flap, and it disappeared behind him. Then, she took him to the surface and dropped him off at the end of Kiawah Island.
Bruce coughed. His eyes were closed, so he didn't see Selene. He collapsed onto the sand and gasped for air. From head to toes, he was dripping wet.
Selene dove into the channel again, her bubble still surrounding her, and swam toward Peter next. She reached him and studied him for a minute or two.
Finally, Selene stretched out her hands and grabbed Peter's wrists, too. She pulled, pulled, and pulled, but Peter was too heavy.
Selene flapped her wings harder. She was starting to wear herself out, though. However, Selene did not give up. She continued to pull, but then again, she was 8,000 years old.
Selene was on the verge of giving up when a white blur appeared and zoomed through Peter's bubble, popping it. Peter was released, and Selene gasped. What was that white blur? She turned her head and gasped again. Guess who she was looking at—Gina, Tracey's tern friend. Makenna had succeeded in summoning her back.
Selene nodded to show her thanks to Gina, and Gina mimicked her. Then, Selene tilted her head toward the shipwreck and began lugging Peter to the surface.
Kicking her webbed feet, Gina folded her wings and zoomed to the surface. She appeared above the waves and screeched at the sirens attacking the shipwreck.
They paid her no attention and continued to attack the boat.
Gina screeched again and, flapping her wings, hurried toward the wreck.
Selene pulled Peter out of the ocean and dropped him off beside Bruce. She dove back into the water as quickly as possible and swam for the shipwreck, stopping. Step 1 of her plan was complete. Now it was time for Step 2. However, Selene would wait a bit before she put Step 2 into action.
The constant beating against the shipwrecked sailboat started to make Tracey seasick. He pulled the mask off his face and made another attempt at standing, but another bang knocked him to the ground again. He couldn't do it! He was way too weak. Without the mask, he wasn't able to get oxygen and magic, so he was getting paler by the second.
On the outside of the wreck, one of the watery mermaids continued to bang against the boat, but the other one left and leaped out of the ocean. She acted out a midair somersault and popped watery, human legs. With them, she kicked open the door that led to the lower deck.
Tracey flinched when he saw her.
The watery siren showed off her glowing red eyes and sharp fangs. They had him! This time for sure, they had him!
Tracey dragged himself to the boat's bow with his little strength, but his back hit the front berth. He attempted to climb up on it but slipped and fell. Tracey grabbed his injured arm, closed his eyes, and curled into a ball. From head to toe, he shivered, and his head burst into searing pain.
Yelling weakly, Tracey coughed and covered his nose and mouth with his hand, breathing heavily into it.
The siren crept toward him, shoving Selene's tea kettle off the stove in the process. It hit the ground, and tea spilled over the rug and onto the tips of Tracey's boots.
The watery siren soon stood before him, and her hair blew. From there, she roared a screeching roar.
Tracey was done for. He knew it. This was the end. He waited for the siren to attack.
She lifted her hand, and her fingernails turned into claws. She brought them down toward Tracey and prepared to slash him, but just before she could, Gina's white blur appeared. She screeched and dragged the siren from the lower deck onto the top.
Behind, Tracey went limp. His wings, skin, and clothes were so pale that they almost looked white.
The siren was not yet off the boat, but Gina was there. She flapped her wings and soared out of the lower deck. She and the siren became involved in a fight. The entire time they fought, Gina ferociously flapped her wings. Finally, she pecked and swatted the siren off the boat's side, and she landed with a splash in the ocean. As soon as she hit the water, she popped her tail again.
Gina screeched for her and her partner to leave.
The sirens roared but dove underwater and left the shipwreck.
When they did, Gina landed and watched them swim toward the open ocean. Now, that was more like it.
While the sirens swam away, they talked with each other and tried to devise another plan to get Tracey. However, they were forced to stop when a deep, booming voice came from nowhere.
"Sirens! Sirens! This is the Octopus Man speaking!" However, it wasn't the Octopus Man. It was Selene communicating with the sirens. She was imitating the voice of the Octopus Man.
From the shipwrecked sailboat, Gina curiously leaned toward the ocean and listened to her.
Selene rested on the rock she had been sitting on before and ordered, "Sirens! Leave the shipwreck. Trust me, I found another fairy we could catch instead of this one. You do not want him. He's already pretty much out of magic. Don't you want a fairy who's full of magic? Are you thirsty for magic?"
Where the sirens floated, they smiled and nodded. Their fangs disappeared, and their eyes stopped glowing.
"I thought you might be," Selene added. "Once again, my fellow minions, leave the shipwreck. Come to me." She yelled there. "Immediately!"
The sirens jumped. At once, they saluted and zipped forward to the open ocean. It wasn't long until they vanished, and all was peaceful again.