Song: "Siren's Call" - Gabriel R. Shadid and Tobias Marberger

        Selene waited for a while before she communicated with Makenna in her dreams. If she was to do that then she too would have to fall asleep. Right now, it was hard to fall asleep when you had your hands full with a really sick fairy. Also, there was a lot of noise outside. Soon after Makenna left, a group of people came to the end of Kiawah Island to have a cookout and admire both the shipwreck and sunset. These people made Selene nervous. She didn't want them to come out to the boat and discover both she and Tracey. Besides, noise wasn't good for a sick fairy.

Before the group of people could even look at the boat, Selene quickly closed the hatch, locked the door to the lower deck, and pulled shades down over the portholes. Then, she killed the lights. Now, from the outside, the boat looked deserted again.

In the lower deck, after Selene finished, with the help of her cane, she sauntered over to Tracey and whispered,
"All right, Tracey, let's figure out what's wrong with you." She carefully dragged him out of the front berth and over to the berth Makenna had been resting on where it would be easier to work on him. Tracey had woken up, due to the noise, but not much. His wings, which had lost the shine in them, hung limply behind him. He was very pale. Even his clothes had turned pale. When fairies turned pale, including their clothes and wings, it usually meant they were dangerously drained of magic. Tracey's right arm, the arm that had been punched, was back in a sling. It wasn't broken; it was just pretty banged up. Selene set him down on the new, couch-like berth and put a pillow under his head. Then, she tossed a blanket over him. Before starting to search for the problem, she rested her hand on the towel over his forehead and said, "Your towel's pretty dry. I'm going to re-soak it for you." She carefully took the towel off and left him for a bit. She stopped at a bucket of water that was resting on the boat's wooden table and soaked the towel.
While she was working, from where he was resting, Tracey weakly lifted his head and asked, "Where's Makenna?" to Selene.
"Shh," she told him, "She's going to be back tomorrow. I need to keep you overnight so I can figure out what's wrong with you."
"I want to go home." Tracey mumbled, "I want to see Gina."
"I know," spoke Selene, and she took the towel out of the bucket and started to squeeze the water out, "You're going home tomorrow." However, Tracey didn't want to wait that long. He wanted to go home now. He's had enough of Makenna's world of bullies. Weakly reaching for the mask he wore, he pulled it off and tossed it onto the front berth. Immediately, he started having trouble breathing, and his skin, wings, and clothes grew even paler. However, for Tracey being Tracey, he refused to just lie down on his job. He pulled off his blanket and tried to get up, but he couldn't. He was way too weak. He just rolled off the berth and fell. His face and arm hit the rug on the floor of the boat, and Tracey flinched.

Selene heard the thump and whirled around, gasping,
"Tracey! What are you doing?"
She finished squeezing the water out the towel and hurried toward him. "I want to go home," whimpered Tracey again, and he attempted to stand but only fell again, "Gina. I miss her. I want to see her." He breathed heavily on the ground and tried to lift his wings, but he failed. Coughing, for the third time, he yelled, "I want to go home! I don't belong here!"
Selene pressed her finger up against his lips and whispered, "Shh. I know how you feel, my dear, but you can't go home yet. Here." She took him by the uninjured arm and lugged him to his feet.

Selene dragged Merlin's apprentice back over to the berth and helped him lie down.
She pulled the blanket over him and added, "Sleep. Just sleep. You need to sleep." Picking up the mask he had pulled off, she put it back over his nose and mouth, and immediately when she did, Tracey started to relax. The sleeping potion in the mask started to seep into his body. He stopped thrashing and just breathed deeply. As he was falling asleep, Selene next put the towel over his forehead. Then, she got straight to work. She felt him up and down and tried to figure out what was wrong with him. However, the Octopus Man's curse was a complicated one. It wasn't easy to find. Really, the only way Selene could find it was if the mark appeared on Tracey's arm again. However, it didn't. This only made the job more complicated.

The group of people having the cookout at the end of Kiawah Island was a noisy bunch. Lots of chitter-chatter was going on, and a few people were drinking wine and beer. There was a total of twenty people in this gathering, and believe it or not, but in this gathering, was Peter Nelson! Yes! Peter Nelson! You know, Tracey's best friend. This gathering was actually a gathering that was celebrating his aunt's, Aunt Mimi's, fiftieth birthday. She was the sister of Liana, Peter's mother, and for her birthday, she decided to have a little family reunion at the end of Kiawah Island. Unlike Peter and his parents, she lived on Kiawah Island, not Seabrook Island. The other people in the gathering included grandparents, cousins, and other aunts and uncles. Peter Nelson actually had a pretty large family. However, for the party, his parents also let him bring a friend along, to keep him away from them while they chatted, and guess who he brought? None other than Mr. Bruce, the one who had hurt Tracey in school! Ah, fun times. Peter and Bruce had gotten all their homework done before coming, and they had no assessments the next day, so they were pretty much free birds. Peter had not yet told his father about Tracey being the fairy he saw seven years ago, but he was going to, and he was going to tell him tonight during the party.

When together with family and friends, Peter actually seemed like a nice guy. He and Bruce had taken their shoes off, and they were wandering down at the end of the beach, picking up seashells. Behind him, all his family members were together and chatting. A few chairs had been set up as well as a few tables and a grill. The whiff of hamburger patties invaded the air, and a few of the family members' mouths watered, especially two of Peter's youngest cousins, two girls, Jane and Elizabeth. Both of them were sisters and both of them were seven years old. They were the daughters of Peter's other aunt, Aunt Jennifer. The two children had brought some fairy dolls with them to the beach, since both of them were into fairies too, like how Makenna used to be in them when she was little. They chased each other around the beach with their dolls and laughed. Whenever they got too far away, Aunt Jennifer would call them back.

Peter Nelson's father, Cody, was standing at the very end of Kiawah Island, with his bare feet in the warm Atlantic seawater, and he was taking a few photos of the shipwreck with the sunset in the background. He actually was a pretty good photographer. After taking a few photos, he would next pull out some binoculars and search the sky with them. He was looking for the fairy he saw seven years ago. He knew he was out there. He could feel it.

Peter Nelson and Bruce were further away from him, still picking up shells. While they added to their collections, they didn't speak.
Peter stuck shells in a bucket he had, and moving his eyes away from the sand, he lifted his head and peered out to the shipwrecked sailboat instead. "How long do you think that sailboat is going to stay there?" he asked Bruce.
"Who knows?" Bruce answered, and he picked up a couple of sand dollars, "It could be there for days, weeks, months, years! One never knows about these things. Pete, watch out!" Peter's hand had almost hit a dead jellyfish that had washed up during high tide. He looked down and saw the pink, squishy body of the sea creature and gasped, quickly pulling his hand away from it.
He chuckled, "Well that's not something you see every day eh, Bruce?" He poked the jellyfish's body with another shell he had picked up, "Just like how it's not often we see someone collapse during a school activity."
"Do you think he's okay?" Bruce asked him, "Makenna looked pretty freaked out."
Here, Peter scoffed. "Okay?" asked he, and poked the jellyfish again, "I don't mind him not being okay. As long as it keeps him away from Makenna and me, I don't care. That boy's nothing but a smart aleck anyway."
"Yeah." Bruce scoffed, "Who needs him? He deserved that after replacing your position as top student in class and somehow covering you in paint."
"Jerk," mumbled Peter. Suddenly, he gasped, "Oh yeah!" and remembered that he had something "special" to tell his father, "I just remembered! I have to go tell my father something, Bruce. I'll be right back."
"What?" Bruce asked his friend. Peter hesitated.
Then, shrugging, he said, "Just something important."
"Oh. Okay then. I'll keep your shells for you." Bruce reached forward and picked up Peter's bucket of shells. He thanked him and stood up, brushing sand off his pants.
Then, he asked him, "You'll save some of those for me, right?" and he jogged in the direction of his father who was still searching the sky with his binoculars.

Seventeen-year-old Peter Nelson soon reached his father, and he stopped next to him, waving. However, Cody didn't see him.
He stood on his tiptoes and yelled, "Oh, I see something! I see something! Aw man, it's just a pelican." Birds were soaring across the sky and heading toward Bird Island to settle down for the night. Mr. Nelson saw something else, "No wait! There's something else!" He pushed by Peter and said, "Excuse me," and searched the sky again. Peter stared at him. His father wasn't paying him any attention. Suddenly, Mr. Nelson passed him again and went right back to the tip of Kiawah Island. He was mumbling and talking to himself, "Let's see, if fairies can get away fast, then maybe I should set up a trap. What kind of trap though? Hm."
Peter approached him from behind and said, "Hi, Dad."
Mr. Nelson heard his voice and gasped, dropping the binoculars, "Whoa!" Quickly, he whirled around, and his eyes landed on Peter. He squinted. Then, he said, "Peter!"
Peter nodded, "Yeah it's Peter. I have to talk to you about something I saw today."
"Oh, really?" asked Mr. Nelson. He rubbed his nose, "All right. Does this have something to do with the boy who was taken off to the hospital?"
Hesitating, Peter answered, "Sort of. Yes."
"What's up?" Mr. Nelson questioned. He turned and put the binoculars to his eyes again. He walked forward, and Peter followed him.

He started the explanation off kind of slow.
"Well," he spoke, "when he collapsed and was being carried away, I noticed something about him. Something quite unusual."
"Mm-hm." Mr. Nelson said. He wasn't really listening. He was searching the sky again. Peter sighed.
He knew his father wasn't really listening, but he carried on with the explanation, "He wears a lot of green and purple. The shades of green and purple he wears are similar to the shades of green and purple that are seen in the photo you got of that so-called fairy's wings you saw seven years ago."
"Mm-hm," repeated Mr. Nelson. He continued to scan the sky like a hawk.
Peter sighed. "Dad," he slowly spoke, and he smiled, "It's him."
"Him?" asked his father who still wasn't really paying attention.
Peter nodded, "Yeah. I saw him. I saw him shoot a spell with my two own eyes. He's the fairy you're searching for."
"Fairy?!" Mr. Nelson yelped. He dropped the binoculars into the ocean and whirled around to face his son, "Hold on. Can you repeat that please?"
Peter nodded, "Sure. Dad, Tracey's the fairy you saw seven years ago. The boy who was carried off to the hospital today is a fairy."
"You found him?!" Mr. Nelson grinned.
"I did. He's real. You really did see a real fairy seven years ago."
"I knew it!" yelped Mr. Nelson, "Eee!" He jumped ten feet in the air, pulled his hands together, and started to dance, "We've found him, we've found him, we've found him! Now all we have to do is catch him!"
"That's right." Peter smirked, "I'll help you get him, Dad. I know how to speak Makenna."
"We're going to be famous!" yelled Cody, and he danced some more, "A real fairy!"
Suddenly, Aunt Jennifer's little girls, Jane and Elizabeth, approached them, and they started tugging on Mr. Nelson's arm. "Uncle Cody, Uncle Cody!" they announced, "Can you play with us?"
Smiling, Mr. Nelson answered, "Of course," and he took each little girl by one of their small hands and led them toward the rest of the bunch and their mother. Peter Nelson was left behind, and he smirked evilly.

Bruce soon approached his friend, and he was carrying his bucket of seashells as well as his own bucket.
Stopping next to Peter, he focused his attention on Mr. Nelson dragging the two little girls down the beach and chuckled, "Aw, they're so adorable at that age." Unlike Peter, he liked kids. Peter scoffed and turned toward the shipwreck again.
He nudged his friend and asked him, "Hey, Bruce, do you want to get a little closer to that shipwreck?"
"Closer?" Bruce questioned, and both he and Peter studied the wreck, "Sure."
It was low tide now, so they would be able to access the wreck. "I want to see it up close." Peter told his friend, and from his pocket, he drew his iPhone 6, "I'd like to get a few pics."
"I'll get a few pics too," said Bruce, and he drew his own phone. Together, they slipped their phones into their back pockets and peered back to the family gathering further away from them. They were too involved in conversation. They wouldn't notice the two boys going out to the shipwreck. It didn't matter though because they'd be back as quick as a flash. When they were ready, they focused their attention on each other and nodded.
Peter clenched his fist, "Let's go."
"Yes." Bruce said, "Let's."

Chuckling, the two seventeen-year-olds jogged into the ocean and headed toward the wreck. The deeper they got in the water, the harder it was to run. Soon, they were just walking instead of running, and the water went up to their knees. Both of them were having a good time. They weren't nervous. They were having an adventure! They were totally unaware that further out in sea, the Octopus Man was watching them, literally watching them! Half his shadowy head was poking out the water, and his glowing blue scleras were on the two boys. He looked like a lion getting ready to pounce on its prey. The Octopus Man wondered if the fairy he wanted was in that shipwreck Peter and Bruce were going toward. Bubbles escaped his lips, and he slipped his head underwater.

Within just a few more moments, Bruce and Peter reached the shipwreck.
Together, in the rays of the setting sun, they were looking up at it and scanning the barnacles on its hull. "Whoo-wee." Peter said, and he drew his phone, "This is one fancy boat. It's huge!"
"Do you think anyone's inside?" Bruce asked him.
"Ah for crying out loud," said Pete, "it's a shipwreck! Do you really think people would be inside?" Bruce shook his head. Warm seawater splashed them on the legs, and some of the water that hit the boat's hull sprayed onto them. After a bit, Peter leaned into his friend's ear and whispered, "Let's see if we can find a way to get onto the deck."
Bruce smiled and said, "All right. Sounds good to me. We can probably get better pictures on the boat itself."
Pete smiled and gave him orders, "Let's circle it. If you find a way to get onto the deck, call me."
"And you'll call me if you find a way on, right?" Bruce wanted to know.
"Of course," his friend responded, "All right, let's search." They went their separate ways and started searching the boat.

Bruce and Peter didn't see this, but further away from them, waited the Octopus Man. He had released a few of his minions and told them to bring back the fairy he wanted. Makenna wasn't with him, so he was an open target. Two, watery figures of mermaids, sirens, leaped out of the ocean, creating small splashes, and they headed toward the shipwreck. They looked like the mermaids in Narnia, except unlike them, they were evil.

Selene, the wisest, oldest fairy in the world was nervous. She heard Bruce and Peter on the outside of the sailboat. They were splashing through the water and constantly thumping it. Snap, Selene was in a tight spot. She gulped and tried to think of something to do. She thought and thought and thought. Then, she got it. Selene got an idea.
She rested her hand on Tracey's shoulder and told him, "I'll be right back." Suddenly, Tracey started to twitch! He got another massive headache, but he was too weak, so he couldn't grab his head. Selene saw this, and her eyes widened. "What's wrong, Tracey?" she asked. Her eyes rolled down to his left arm, and she gasped when suddenly, the mark of the Octopus Man appeared on it again! The closer the mermaids got to him, the brighter the mark glowed. Suddenly, Selene gasped again, "Of course!" She had figured out what was wrong with him, "The Octopus Man! The Octopus Man has cursed him! Oh no." She felt the presence of the approaching mermaids. Selene quickly came up with a plan to drag them and both Peter and Bruce away from the sailboat. Before leaving Tracey, she rubbed his head and said, "Don't worry, I'll be right back. You're going to be okay. You're not going to be taken away." With that, she held her cane over her head, and it turned back into a wand. Then, she turned herself into a ghost-like figure and sank through the bottom of the boat! Tracey was left behind. He was safe below deck. However, he was still twitching, and holding out his hand, he weakly called for water. He wanted water. The curse. The curse was really starting to affect him now. Where was Makenna when you needed her?

Further away from the boat, in the ocean, Selene was floating, with a light green bubble around her, and she kicked her legs, swimming forward. Since it was sunset, the ocean bed was getting dark. However, Selene's eyes caught a rock resting on it, and she smiled. She swam down to the rock, and her bubble sat down on it. Selene prepared herself. She cleared her throat and got ready to put her plan into action.

Above the waves, Peter Nelson and Bruce, who were totally unaware of the approaching mermaids, were continuing to search the boat for a way to get onto the deck. After a bit, Peter found something. He found an old, run-down boarding ladder that blended in with the boat's wood.
Smiling, he took the ladder and called, "Bruce! Bruce! I've found a ladder!"
"A ladder?" asked the voice of Bruce. He appeared from behind the stern of the boat, and he approached his friend. "Ah, what do you know?" he asked when he saw the ladder, "Aren't we lucky?"
"We sure are," spoke his friend, "All right, Bruce, I'm going to climb up and check it out. Can you hold the ladder for me?"
"Sure," said Bruce, and he grabbed hold of the ladder. Peter thanked him and started to climb. He actually was a really good climber. He moved very fast. Down below, Bruce smiled and said, "Peter climbs just like a monkey."

Peter soon reached the top of the ladder, and he hauled himself onto the boat's front deck. He landed on the torn sail.
He said, "Wow," when he saw it. Peter quickly jumped to his feet and pulled out his phone. He wandered up and down the front deck and took photos. Wow, this was remarkable. Peter had been on a sailboat before but never a shipwrecked sailboat.
Bruce soon called to him from down below, "Hey, Pete, what do you see?"
"It's very interesting." Peter called back, "Come on up!" He scurried over to the ladder and grabbed it, steadying it for his friend. Down below, Bruce too grabbed it and started to climb. He too climbed just like a monkey. Soon, he joined his friend on the front deck of the boat, and together, they started to explore it. While they explored, they chuckled and chatted with one another.

Below deck, inside the lower deck, Tracey heard them, and he again woke up slightly.
He recognized the voices and gasped. "Oh no," he whispered.

"Hey, Pete," spoke the voice of Bruce from outside, "let's see if we can get below deck." Tracey heard them thump down the side of the boat, and he took deep breaths. He was nervous. Even though Selene had a plan, he too had to do something. Outside were the two bullies, his worst enemies. The sirens were getting even closer now. The mark on Tracey's arm was flashing 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 he only rolled and fell again.

Outside, Peter Nelson 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 of them leaped into the back deck, and Pete smiled, but Bruce was a little nervous. It was starting to get dark out. Pete started rummaging around the back of the boat, and he pulled out old nets, soda cans, beer bottles, and lures.
While he was rummaging, Bruce finally just approached him and said, "Pete, maybe we should start heading back. It's getting dark."
"Oh please, Bruce." Peter said, and he continued to rummage around, "Don't tell me you're scared of the dark too, like Ninja Boy."
"I'm not. I just don't like the fact that it's getting dark and we're out in open water."
"I thought you said you wanted to check out the lower deck." Bruce's friend responded with, "How about let's check it out and then go back? Oh hey, hey, hey! Look what I found!" Peter chuckled. Bruce peered down on him and crossed his arms. Peter had pulled out a raggedy, old wedding dress. He stood up 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 both he and Bruce approached the door that led to the lower deck. Peter tried to open the door, but because it was locked, it wouldn't budge.

Behind the door, in the lower deck, Tracey was whimpering and shaking with fear. Waves of sweat fountained down his temples and face. He was very hot. Tracey was also very scared. It was not only because his worst enemies were trying to break in, he was also frightened by the fact that it was getting dark. He also knew he was seriously ill. Tracey wanted to turn on some lights, but he knew he couldn't.

Soon, from outside, he heard Peter banging on the door, and he told Bruce,
"It's locked!"
"Oh well that's too bad," said Bruce, "It looks like it's time to go back." Outside, he tried to walk away, but Pete grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him back.

Inside the boat, Tracey begged, "Makenna. Makenna please," in a soft voice. He grabbed the wet towel he dropped when he fell and pressed it up 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. However, things only got worse from there. The mermaids.

Out in the ocean, they 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 now really close to the shipwreck. They had the voices of angels, and their singing went all the way to the boat and beach. Peter Nelson and Bruce heard them. Tracey had fallen asleep.
On deck, Peter asked, "What's that?"
"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 yelped back, and he shoved the dress into Peter's own chest, "You fancy it more than me!" They started to fight over it.

On the beach, where the family reunion was taking place, they too heard the sirens.
Everybody turned toward the shipwreck and asked, "What's that sound?" Before long, the sirens started to pull the men into their spell.
All the men, including Mr. Nelson, stepped toward the ocean, but their wives grabbed them and pulled them back. "Such beautiful singing," spoke Mr. Nelson.
"Cody!" yelled his wife Liana, "What's wrong with you?!" She gasped, "Peter!"

Back on the boat, Peter and Bruce also started to get drawn toward the singing. They stopped tugging on the dress, and it winded up in Bruce's hands. They together stared out into the ocean. They were really starting to slip into the siren's spell now. Not Tracey though because he was already under the Octopus Man's spell, but there was also another reason why the sirens did not affect him as much. Though he was asleep, he could still communicate with somebody through telepathy. Knowing that Makenna would not be coming, he called for Selene and Gina instead.

Selene was waiting for the perfect time to put her plan into action. She actually seemed to be a little excited.
Soon, she received Tracey's call, and she said, "Hang in there," back to him, "I have an idea." And she did. She had a really good idea. Selene continued to wait.

On the shipwrecked sailboat, Peter suddenly heard a splash, and he asked,
"What was that beautiful splash?" in a trance-like voice. The singing had stopped. It was now strangely completely quiet on the ocean. It was so quiet and so still, it was weird. Peter Nelson soon asked, "What happened to the beautiful singing?" and he approached the boat's side, getting down on his knees. Curious about figuring out who the lonely woman was who had sung for her dress, he gripped the side and peered into the darkening Atlantic Ocean.
Bruce soon snapped out of his doze, and he shook his head, "Peter, we should really be getting back now."
Totally ignoring him, Peter asked the ocean, "Where are you, my dear?" He leaned over the boat's side and continued to peer into the ocean's shaking waters. Then, it happened.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, 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 finally, he realized what had happened, he yelled, "AH!! PETER!!" and a great wave of seawater splashed the side of the boat and sprayed him. "Here, here!" Bruce added with. He held the dress out to the ocean, "Take it! 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. Suddenly, a watery hand appeared over the side of the boat, and it grabbed Bruce by the ankle! He screamed as he was thrown to the ground and was also pulled overboard! The sirens had succeeded! They had pulled the two boys off the boat! Now the coast was clear for Tracey!

Both the sirens 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. Prison bubbles. They stuck both boys inside their own bubble, and something inside the bubble caused them both to fall asleep. However, there was air inside the bubbles, so they wouldn't drown.

Once the sirens stuck the boys in the bubbles, they next swam up toward the surface and targeted Tracey. Together, they slammed themselves into the hull of the sailboat and caused it to rock!

Inside the boat, Tracey snapped 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 side of 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 own bubble and went into Bruce's instead. Bruce was the first one she rescued. Selene grabbed his wrist, and right when she did, Bruce woke up and opened his eyes. Selene next stretched out her other hand, and she grabbed his other wrist. She started to pull, and as she pulled, she ferociously flapped her wings. She managed to release Bruce. With one last wing flap, Selene lugged him out of the bubble, and it disappeared behind him. Then, she took him to the surface and dropped him off at the end of Kiawah Island. Bruce was coughing, and his eyes were closed again, so he didn't see Selene. He collapsed onto the sand on his front and gasped for air. From head to toes, he was dripping wet. Selene next went and got his friend. With her bubble still surrounding her, she dove into the channel again and swam down toward Peter Nelson. She reached him, and for a minute or two, she studied him. Then, she stretched out her hands and grabbed him by the wrists too. Selene pulled. She pulled and 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 just getting ready to give up though when suddenly, a white blur appeared, and it zoomed through Peter's bubble and popped it! Peter was released, and Selene gasped. What was that white blur? She turned her head and gasped again. Guess who it was she was looking at? It was Gina! Yes, Gina, Tracey's tern friend! She had returned! It was unbelievable! Makenna had succeeded in summoning her back! It was really Gina! Selene nodded her thanks to her, and Gina nodded back. Then, Selene tilted her head in the direction of the shipwreck, and she started lugging Peter to the surface. Gina didn't waste any time. Kicking her webbed feet, she folded her wings to her side and zoomed to the surface. Gina appeared above the waves, and she screeched at the sirens attacking the shipwreck. They paid her no attention. They continued to attack the boat. Gina screeched again, and flapping her wings, she hurried toward the wreck. Selene had managed to pull Peter out of the ocean too, and she dropped him off next to Bruce. Then, as quick as a flash, she dove back into the water and swam toward 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 was starting to make Tracey seasick. He quickly 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 just 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 during it, she popped legs, watery human legs! With her legs, she kicked open the door that led to the lower deck and landed right in front of Tracey!

He gasped when he saw her. The watery siren stood in front of him, and she showed off her glowing red eyes and extremely sharp fangs. They had him! This time for sure, they had him! The siren looked very scary. With the little strength he had, Merlin's apprentice dragged himself to the bow of the boat, but his back hit the front berth. He attempted to climb up on it, but he slipped and fell. Tracey grabbed hold of his injured arm, closed his eyes, and curled into a ball. From head to toe, he was shivering, and again, his head burst into searing pain. Yelling weakly, Tracey coughed and covered his nose and mouth with his hand, breathing heavily into it. He couldn't breathe. The siren was coming toward him, and she shoved Selene's tea kettle off the stove and out of her way. The kettle hit the ground, and tea spilled out all over the rug and onto the tips of Tracey's boots. The watery siren continued to approach him, and soon standing directly in front of him, her hair suddenly blew out all over the place, and she roared a screeching roar, so loud that the entire boat shook. Tracey was done for. He knew it. This was the end. This was the end for sure. 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 succeed, this time, Gina came to his rescue! Gina! Her white blur suddenly appeared in front of him, and screeching, she shoved the siren out of the lower deck and onto the top deck! Behind her, due to lack of oxygen and magic, Tracey passed out. Literally passed out. His wings, skin, and clothes were so pale that they almost looked white. Tracey looked like a ghost. The siren was not yet off the boat. It was Gina's turn to shine. Flapping her wings, she soared out of the lower deck, and she and the siren became involved in a fight. The entire time they fought, Gina screeched and ferociously flapped her wings. Finally, she pecked and swatted the siren off the side of the boat, and she landed with a splash in the ocean. Immediately when she hit the water, she popped her tail again. Gina screeched for her and her partner to leave them and that they had no right to attack her friend! The sirens roared, but they listened to her. They dove underwater and left the shipwreck. Right when they did, Gina landed on the side of the boat and watched them swim toward the open ocean again. What do you know, Gina had saved the day!

As the sirens swam away, they talked with each other and tried to come up with another way to get Tracey.
However, they were forced to stop when suddenly, a deep, booming voice came from out of nowhere and told them, "Sirens! Sirens! This is the Octopus Man speaking!" However, it wasn't the Octopus Man. It was Selene who was communicating with the sirens! She was imitating the voice of the Octopus Man! This was Step 2 of her plan. From the shipwrecked sailboat, Gina curiously leaned toward the ocean and listened to her. Selene was resting back on her rock from before, and she was smiling. "Sirens!" spoke she, "Leave the shipwreck. Trust me, I just found another fairy we could catch instead of this one. You really 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 were floating, they smiled and nodded quickly. Their fangs disappeared, and their eyes stopped glowing. They were now just beautiful sirens. "I thought you might be." Selene told them next, "Once again, my fellow minions, leave the shipwreck. Come to me." Here, she yelled, "IMMEDIATELY!!" The sirens jumped. Quickly, they saluted and zipped forward in the direction of the open ocean. Before long, they vanished, and all became calm again.

On Kiawah Island, the party commenced, but Peter and Bruce were together staring out into the ocean, and they quickly pulled each other into a hug. Both of them were left in shock. What just happened?
Where Selene was, underwater, she chuckled and said, "Ah that always works. Sirens may be good attackers, but boy, they sure are dumb." Selene was a little bit like Peter Pan. She liked to have fun and make fun of her enemies. She continued to chuckle from where she waited. Then, suddenly, she gasped and yelled, "Tracey!" Quickly, she kicked her legs and hurried toward the shipwrecked sailboat.

Gina took deep breaths. She was a little bit tired, despite that she had flown here all the way from Merlin's Island and had to fight a siren, but hey, she still got here. Here she was. She was here with her friend. Gina ruffled water out of her feathers, and she stretched her wings. Then, flapping them, she lifted off the edge of the boat and soared back into the lower deck. She stopped and hovered when she saw Tracey.
In her head, she asked, "Oh, Tracey, what has Makenna done to you?" Tracey was still passed out. He wasn't moving. He looked dead. However, he wasn't dead. He was alive but just barely. If he was dead, then he would be turning into ash, but he wasn't. Gina hurried to him and landed. Folding her wings, she whimpered and grabbed hold of a tuft of hair that rested on the left side of his nose. She pulled it out of his face, so she was now able to see it more clearly. Gina whimpered again. Then, approaching Tracey, she plopped down and cuddled up to him. She rested her neck and beak on her wings and closed her eyes. Gina yawned, and just like that, she fell asleep.

Selene finally visited Makenna in her dreams that night. Although, it started off as a normal dream. It started off as a dream about Peter Nelson. In the dream, Makenna was a fairy, and she was hovering in a bright, sky-blue room.
In front of her, stood Peter Nelson, looking as handsome as ever. "Makenna," he called, and he gestured her over, "Come here."
"Peter Nelson!" Makenna gasped. She chuckled flirtingly and blushed. For the time being, she forgot all about Tracey. Her mind was instead focused on Peter Nelson. Flapping her wings, she soared toward him and waved, "Hey, Peter!" However, just before she could approach him, suddenly, there was a blast of wind and a flash of light. Makenna closed her eyes against them and yelled, "Peter!"

When the wind died and she could open her eyes, she gasped. Instead of now hovering in a sky-blue room, she was now hovering over a graveyard! Makenna gulped. She was surrounded by tombstones, and all around her, it was dark.
Makenna asked, "Where am I?" and she peered forward, gasping. In front of her, hovering, was Selene! Peter was still there; he was just standing frozen in a running position. Time had frozen. Only Selene and Makenna were the ones talking. At the sight of Selene, Makenna said, "Selene!" and her mind left Peter and returned momentarily to Tracey.
"Sorry it took me so long to communicate with you," Selene apologized, "but I've been very busy." Again, Makenna gulped. She wanted to go ahead and get this over with so she could be with Peter.
She asked Selene, "Selene, how's Tracey?"
Selene sighed. She knew that would be Makenna's first question. "Miss Delling," she told her, "I'll be honest. He's not doing so well. We had a little incident after you left that stripped him of even more magic and literally almost did kill him." Makenna felt a lump in her throat.
She asked, "What happened?"
"A siren attack." Selene answered, and she shivered.
"Siren attack? What siren attack? Sirens aren't real!" Makenna was super, super bewildered.
"You're wrong, Makenna," said Selene, "Sirens are real. There were two sirens. They were the Octopus Man's minions."
"Minions?" Makenna questioned, "The Octopus Man? Why is he so desperate to get his hands on Tracey?"
"It's because he's Merlin's apprentice," answered Selene, "He's very, very knowledgeable about magic. He knows pretty much all about it. The Octopus Man believes that if he gets him, then he will be able to take all his magic and learn from him ways he can take over the ocean. Makenna, I hate to say this, but he will eventually get him."
Makenna shivered, "He will?"
Selene nodded, "Yes, Miss Delling. It will eventually come down to just you. I've figured out what's wrong with your friend."
"What?"
"The Octopus Man has cursed him."
"Cursed him?!" Makenna yelped, "So he was spelled?"
"He was, and he still is. When you and Tracey had that first encounter with the Octopus Man on Merlin's Island, that was where he was first spelled, and you thought he was suffering from a magic overload. For the last couple of days since then, the Octopus Man has slowly been draining him of magic until finally, this happened. Now, I've given him something that will help ease out the effects of the curse but won't cure him. For the time being, Tracey will be fine. However, he needs a few days to recuperate. His magic level should return to base level though by Friday. Right now, I don't want you to worry about him. I want you to focus your attention on becoming a Level 3 Metamorphic Fairy and helping Merlin. Currently, he needs you more than Tracey does."
"How am I doing, Selene?" was Makenna's next question, "How am I doing with the test?"
Here, Selene again sighed. "You're doing okay, Makenna," she admitted, "but not great."

"What?!" yelped Makenna. Her eyes widened, "What do you mean I'm just doing 'okay?!' I'm now a Level 2 Metamorphic Fairy!" The anger was really starting to boil in her system now, "You said yourself that my belief in myself and friendship for Tracey got me this new transformation!"
"It did, Miss Delling." Selene spoke, "Congratulations. However, you have not given your act of true metamorphosis yet. You're running out of time. The clock is ticking. You have until Friday to give your act of true metamorphosis, or, I hate to admit it, and I don't mean to scare you, Miss Delling, but you're going to be a dead fairy."
"A dead fairy?!" Makenna yelled.
She flew a few feet away from Selene, and her entire face turned blue. "That is correct." Selene said, and she nodded, "I'm sorry, Makenna. I don't mean to scare you, but I have to be honest. Since you haven't given your act of true metamorphosis yet, you don't even realize it, but you're dying. You're going down the same path as Tracey. Your powers are being drained and handed off to somebody else."
"Somebody else?! What are you talking about, Selene?! I'm not dying! I know I'm not dying!"
Selene shrugged, "Sorry, Makenna, but you are. You've been warned. You have until Friday to give your act of true metamorphosis, or else, things aren't looking too chipper for you."

"Okay, okay, Selene!" Makenna spoke, "Thanks for the warning, but I have a date with Peter Nelson! Eee!" She pushed by Selene and made her way toward Peter who was still frozen in the running position. While she approached him, she grinned and wiggled her fingers.
Behind her, Selene slightly glared, and she turned to her, asking, "Makenna, do you not even care that your friend is very sick?" Makenna stopped running, and she turned to her, jogging in place, "I do, Selene, but you told me not to worry about him. Honestly, I care more about Peter Nelson than Tracey, even if he is a little mean to him." Selene was upset with her.

She placed her hands on her hips, shook her head, and said,
"And I thought you changed, Miss Delling. Are you meaning to tell me that this is nothing but a game and you've only been using Tracey as excuses?" Makenna hesitated.
Then she nodded and answered, "Yep." She turned to Peter again and hurried toward him. Behind, Selene was glaring. Why was everybody so mean to Tracey? Makenna fooled her pretty good. Selene knew she cared about Tracey; she was just too cool to admit it. Tracey really had stumbled into nothing but a world of bullies.

Makenna reached Peter, and she touched him on the hand.
Where Selene was hovering, she told her, "Miss Delling, I'm very disappointed in you. This whole time, you really weren't Tracey's friend. Don't think this crummy attitude of yours though is going to stop you from taking him back to Merlin's Island though. You are going to take him back and protect him from the Octopus Man. Mark my words, if you don't show up tomorrow at the shipwreck, then I am going to find you."
Makenna rolled her eyes and asked, "Why can't Ninja Boy just fly back to Merlin's Island himself? He's a fairy you know."
Selene glared harder, "It's because he can't! He's very weak! He needs your help to get him back home! You're a liar, Makenna! This entire time, you've been lying to him, right?!"
Makenna again nodded, "Pretty much. You people keep on forgetting that I'm Makenna Delling. Why don't you fly Ninja Boy back yourself?"
"I'm 8,000 years old!" Selene snapped at her, "Besides, he feels more comfortable with you!"
"With me?" Makenna scoffed, "Why?"
"Because you're another teenage fairy!" said Selene, "Tracey thinks you're his friend, Makenna. He thought he found another fairy friend, but it looks like she turned into nothing but a jerk to him. Fine. If this is the way you want to play the game, go ahead. But you will regret it in the future."
Scoffing, Makenna crossed her arms and turned away, saying, "Whatever." She obviously didn't believe her.
"Goodbye, Makenna." Selene growled.
"Always a pleasure to talk to a fairy." Makenna said back in a snooty voice. She flipped her hair and huffed. Where Selene was, she closed her eyes, and suddenly, there was another blast of light. Right after that blast of light, Makenna Delling's dream ended, and all she saw now was just pitch blackness.