Scales and Secrets (Rough Beta Version)

Chapter 2

We fell asleep not to long after we claimed our beds, still exhausted from poor sleep from the long drive. When we all managed to wake back up, mom suggested we go check out the boardwalk.

"Don't blow your money on something stupid!" My mom warned me as she and Paul walked towards an antiques shop. "Be back here at one, I want to go to lunch."

"Don't worry mom." I said putting my bag around my shoulder.

"Love you have fun!" she called as we walked away from the water and onto the board walk, which was littered with shops, and different carnival rides.

"So where should we go first?" I asked as we started walking.

"How about this one!" Nikki asked pointing to a rustic looking surf shack ahead with shells and other sea related knick-knacks in the front window.

"Why not!" Hannah said opening the door.

A bell rang as we entered the shop, we were the only people in there besides the elderly clerk behind the register at the back of the shop. The shop smelled of seawater and old books. The wallpaper was a peeling green-blue color and the floors looked like they had seen better days. There was a large bookshelf pressed again the wall, and assorted tables around the store with cheesy souvenirs.

"Welcome to my shop." The clerk said in a raspy voice, she waved a wrinkled hand, gesturing to the room. "Feel free to look around."

"Thanks." I said cautiously walking over to the bookshelf.

A bright green book with gold lettering stood out on the shelf, of old tattered books. I pulled it out and inspected it.

"Shell Identification." I muttered turning the book in my hands I felt rather drawn to it like I was supposed to buy it. I turned it over looking for a price tag, but there wasn't one to be seen.

"How much is this?" I asked the clerk showing it to her.

"20 dollars." She croaked.

I bit my lip, "Ok, deal." I said giving her the money.

"Thank you for you service, and just remember no refunds!" She cackled as we walked out of the store.

🐚🐬🐚🐬🐚🐬🐚🐬🐚🐬🐚🐬🐚🐬🐚🐬🐚🐬🐚

"Stop it!" I giggled as my friends splashed salty water on me. I crouched filling my water squirter and squirted Nikki in the face. She cringed in and spit out the water in disgust. When we had finished our shopping and had found these water guns on sale and decided to buy them.

"Girls! Paul and I are going to the snack bar to get us all some lunch!"

"Okay!" I called, as Lauren pointed her water gun at me, prepped to shoot.

I put my hands up in surrender and laughed, "Let's go ahead and get dried off so we can eat."

We trudged up to the towels and chairs we had retrieved from the condo and put away the water guns. I plopped down in my dull blue beach chair, ready to relax for a minute.

I spotted the book I bought at the shop on the boardwalk stuffed into my bag. I reached over and picked it up.

"Looking at that book you bought?" Lauren asked sitting in the chair next to me.

"I guess." I said absently tracing my finger over the gold letters on the cover, a wrinkled piece of paper fell into my lap when I opened the book.

Mermaid spell:

Instructions:

Sit in the ocean with water covering your legs and repeat the following spell while imagining yourself as a mermaid.