Fish Kid and the Mega Manta Ray Read online

  I looked up and down the beach to make sure no one else was around.

  “It will be fine,” said Emely. “Nothing bad will happen. Your nan’s accident was exactly that – an accident. YOU have fish powers to get yourself out of trouble. You’ve swum with hammerhead sharks, for goodness sake!”

  Emely was right. Besides, it had been ages since I’d had a chance to use my powers.

  “Okay, okay! But just a quick zoom,” I said.

  “Awesome!” said Emely.

  We raced down the dune then headed further up the beach. Pops’ fishing spot was pretty much straight out from that point. I decided we’d swim until the houses on the beach were white specks. If they disappeared, we’d turn back.

  We put our wetsuits on and left our T-shirts and towels on the sand. I looked around to make sure the beach was still clear, checked that Nan’s bottle was safe inside my wetsuit, then waded in. Emely held onto my shoulders.

  “Okay, Fish Kid, let’s see if you’ve still got it,” she said.

  I took a deep breath.

  “Here we go!” Emely rode on my back, just like she had in the Galapagos Islands. I kept my head down and kicked my legs fast. After a minute I felt the cool fish powers tingling through my body. Faster and faster I sped.

  Emely squealed like she was on a roller-coaster.

  It felt so good to power through the water again. I gained speed with every kick. Fish blurred by. Faster, faster . . .

  “Look out!” called Emely.

  I swerved just in time to miss a sleepy turtle, then continued on.

  Soon the dunes melted away and the houses became tiny dots. I slowed down. We hadn’t seen a single manta ray yet.

  A rift line of reef appeared deep below and we followed the long crack in the sea floor. It was amazing how many fish were about.

  “Your pops should fish here,” said Emely. I realised we were still in the sanctuary.

  We headed out a little further, then Emely spotted the yellow marker. We swam past it until we could no longer see the bottom. It felt like we were close to where we’d seen the manta rays, but we couldn’t find any.

  “They don’t seem to be here,” I said. Emely let go of my shoulders.

  “What do you think your nan’s bottle has to do with the manta rays?” she asked.

  “No idea,” I replied. “And we won’t find out unless we see some.”

  I pulled the little corked bottle out from under my wetsuit. It floated on the surface, the rope keeping it safely attached to me. I shook it, listening to the strange tinkling sound it made.

  “We’d better get going,” I said, about to tuck the bottle away. “Pops might wonder where we are.”

  Suddenly, a rush of water surged past us.

  “What was that?” I said. I put my face in the water and shook the bottle again.

  Whoosh! A huge black shape whizzed past me, then the massive manta ray arced right in front of us. Emely grabbed my arm. The manta ray was mega-huge up close, like a flying trampoline mat. I wondered if pterodactyls were as big.

  My heart was pounding out of my chest. Just chill, I told myself. It circled us again, getting closer with every turn. I rattled Nan’s bottle, hoping to calm it, but the rattling only seemed to call more rays in. Soon there were six.

  The large ray opened his mouth, like a castle drawbridge lowering. Two flaps hung down either side of his wide mouth, like a gladiator helmet, filtering the ocean as the ray cruised along. Then I noticed his injured eye.

  “Ray?” I said. Emely nodded. I felt much more comfortable knowing these were the manta rays that Nan used to swim with.

  I dived below the surface, and another ray followed me down. Her belly was dotted all over, just like the one in Nan’s painting. Freckles, I thought to myself.

  Freckles dived deeper, then zoomed straight up past me, hurtling towards the surface.

  WHOOSH!

  The huge creature vanished . . . then crashed back into the water.

  I rushed to the surface.

  “You missed it!” said Emely. “It flew! Right out of the water!”

  The manta ray dived deep again and we treaded water, waiting . . .

  “Next thing she shot up through the air, like a giant flying pizza! She flew right over us, Dad. It was like magic!”

  It was so good to FaceTime my parents. I’d been busting to tell them about the manta rays.

  “Wow,” said Dad. “It’s rare to see a manta ray breach. How far from shore?”

  “A little way out,” I said.

  Mum turned the camera back to her.

  “Sounds incredible, Bodhi. You weren’t out too deep or alone, were you?”

  “No, Emely was with me,” I said, knowing that wasn’t what Mum meant.

  “Bodhi, remember, no fish powers till you get back here,” said Dad. “What if something happens? You didn’t let anyone see, did you?”

  “Don’t worry, no one saw us.” I replied.

  “And promise us you’ll stay close to shore, okay?” said Mum.

  “Yes, Mum, I promise.”

  “Would you say the manta rays had a four-metre wingspan or eight?” asked Dad.

  “I didn’t have a tape measure!” I joked. “But one was twice the size of the others. They looked like spaceships. They had all these gills on their bellies, like a huge rib cage. And two flaps hanging down either side of their mouths.”

  “Cephalic lobes,” interrupted Dad.

  “Bodhi,” said Mum. We have a surprise for y –”

  BOINK

  Our connection dropped out.

  I tried calling them back.

  BLEEEP . . . BLEEEP . . . Connect.

  “There you are!” said Mum. “We lost you for a minute. Wait there.”

  Mum bent over to pick something up.

  “Guapo!!” I cheered. “Hi buddy!”

  “He visits us every day,” said Mum.

  I pulled some funny faces to see what Guapo would do. He snorted a salt booger all over the screen, and I laughed.

  “Good to see he’s still up to his old tricks,” I said.

  “How is Pops doing?” asked Dad, wiping his screen.

  “He’s okay,” I said. “But he doesn’t play or joke around much any more.”

  “And all he eats is toast,” said Emely, walking in and squishing her head into view.

  “Hi Emely!” said my parents.

  While they talked, I ran to my room to grab Nan’s bottle. When I got back, I swung it in front of the screen.

  “Sweet squid of Madrid!” said Dad. “That bottle was your great grandpa’s.”

  “Pops gave it to me” I said. “I think it calls the manta rays. Do you know what’s in –”

  BOINK!

  The call cut out again, and this time I couldn’t get my parents back online.

  I woke up early the next morning and peered out my window. The sun was just sneaking over the dunes. I took Nan’s bottle from the window sill and tiptoed down the hall to Emely’s room. “Hey,” I whispered through the doorway.

  “The bee’s ankles?” mumbled Emely.

  “What?” I replied. “Hey, do you want to . . .”

  “No, they’re the pyjaaaaaamas’ pussycat,” interrupted Emely. That’s a weird thing to say, I thought. I squinted to see if Emely’s eyes were open.

  “Get on my plate,” she mumbled.

  “Emely, wake up,” I said, a little louder.

  “Huh?” said Emely, sitting up fast. “Go away!” She threw her pillow at me.

  “You were talking in your sleep!” I laughed.

  “No I wasn’t. I was dreaming about pancakes. Now you’ve ruined it.” Emely rolled over and pulled her blanket over her head.

  That gave me an idea. I knew exactly how to get her out of bed!

  Nan and I used to make pancakes together all the time, so I didn’t even need a recipe. Six heaped spoonfuls of self-raising flour, two of sugar, an egg and milk. Whisk, cook and done!

  I tr
ied to waft the smell of freshly cooked pancakes down the hall. My flapping tea towel moved just like a manta ray. I definitely had mantas on my mind.

  Soon Emely appeared in the hallway.

  “Have you got maple syrup?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

  “Vegemite is the best,” I replied.

  “What’s that?” asked Emely.

  “Here, try it,” I said, handing her a pancake topped with a thick layer of Vegemite.

  “It’s black!” said Emely, screwing up her face. She took a bite and spat it across the room. “That’s disgusting!” She reached for the orange juice.

  “Mmmm, my favourite,” said Pops appearing in the kitchen. Sea Biscuit pounced on the bit Emely had spat out. “Lemon and sugar for me.”

  I tried to flip a pancake the way Nan used to – no spatula, just a flick of the pan. The pancake flew up, just like a breaching manta. Then a fuzzy blur shot by, snatching it in mid-air!

  “I think Sea Biscuit misses Nan’s pancakes too!” I laughed.

  “Cheeky cat – that one was mine!” said Pops. The cat bolted away with her prize. Emely and I thought it was hilarious, but Pops still didn’t crack a smile.

  I made another huge stack of pancakes then dashed to my room to get Nan’s bottle and tucked it under my shirt.

  “We’re going down to the beach,” I announced as I skidded back into the kitchen. I grabbed Emely’s hand and dragged her towards the door. She still had half a pancake in her other hand.

  “Righto. Look after each other,” said Pops, rolling up his fourth pancake. “I need to go into town to do some shopping so I’ll see you when I get back.”

  The ocean was as flat as the pancakes I’d just made.

  “What’s with all the fli –” Emely broke off, coughing wildly.

  “Eeuw!” She choked. “A . . . fly . . . went down my . . . windpipe!”

  “Gross!” I said, swatting a million more.

  “It tastes revolting! Like metal,” said Emely.

  “It’s probably flying around in your lungs now,” I joked.

  Emely looked like she was about to vomit. I tried brushing an army of flies off my chest, but they clung to me like dung beetles to kangaroo poo.

  I couldn’t wait to dive into the water.

  We pulled on our wetsuits and ran in. Suddenly, I felt something moving through the water between us.

  “OCTOPUS!” said Emely.

  “Ahhh,” I squealed and raced back to shore. “Where? Where?”

  Emely laughed.

  “Right here,” she teased, shaking a handful of seaweed at me.

  “That was mean!” I said, feeling my cheeks burn.

  “I’ve never heard of a scaredy-cat superhero!” she giggled.

  “I’m not a scaredy-cat!” I said, wading out again. “Besides, SOME occies are deadly, you know. Ever heard of the blue-ringed octopus?”

  We walked out till the water was up to our tummies, then I rattled Nan’s bottle below the surface.

  “Come on, Fish Kid,” said Emely. “We won’t find any manta rays this close to shore.”

  I carefully tucked the bottle into my wetsuit, remembering how I’d promised Mum and Dad I wouldn’t go too deep. But I desperately wanted to see the manta rays.

  Emely grabbed my shoulders. “Let’s go!”

  I took it easy to start with, gliding over the smooth, slick surface.

  “Faster!” begged Emely. I sped up, whizzing through the calm seas. Emely held on tight as I flew through the water, reaching the manta spot in no time.

  “Woohoo! That was super!” said Emely, letting go of my shoulders.

  “Shhh,” I whispered. “I see something.”

  “A manta ray?” asked Emely.

  I peered closer. “No, I think it’s a . . . shark! SWIM!” I yelled, kicking away fast.

  “Come back! Help me!” Emely shrieked.

  “Start swimming! Hurry!” I called back.

  “Ahhhh!” Emely screamed and swam like crazy. The shark was right behind her, gaining on her.

  “HURRYYYY!” I called. But Emely had stopped swimming.

  “Eeeeeee!” I heard Emely squeal. “Come and look! It’s a whale shark!”

  I swam back towards her and the gigantic, harmless creature cruised by us. It was as long as a bus. Its blue skin was speckled with a pattern of lines and dots that reminded me of stars in a clear night sky.

  The whale shark dived deep, then disappeared completely.

  “Amazing!” I said. “Ningaloo is famous for whale sharks.”

  “I can’t believe you did that to me!” Emely looked furious.

  “Did what?” I said innocently, struggling to keep a straight face.

  “You let me think that was a deadly shark!”

  “I’ve never seen you swim so fast!” I laughed. “Who’s the scaredy-cat now?”

  “You little brat!” she said, smacking water into my face. “I peed in my wetsuit, I was so scared!”

  “Well, at least you’ll stay warm,” I laughed.

  Once Emely had stopped trying to drown me, we started to look for the manta rays.

  I reached into my wetsuit and carefully pulled out the bottle. Gently, I shook it in the water.

  Minutes later, a dark shape swooped below us. Emely lunged for the bottle and shook it faster, giving me rope burn.

  “It works! It works!” she said.

  More manta rays flew in below us. The closest did a spectacular barrel roll. I pointed to her spotted belly and Emely nodded. It was Freckles.

  The rays started swimming in formation, each one following Freckles in a manta ray conga line. Freckles zoomed around, twirling and flipping and the other rays copied her as they danced along behind.

  “I’m going down,” I told Emely. “Wait here.”

  Emely spat out her snorkel. “Huh? What am I supposed to do?” she said, frowning.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be quick,”

  I dived down after the rays. Although they only seemed to be cruising, they were actually moving quite fast. After a minute, cold pulses began spreading through my lungs. I could feel the magic of the fish powers working.

  I finally managed to catch up, then tucked into the slipstream of the last ray. We looped up and over into a giant backflip. It felt incredible not having to surface for a breath. More mantas fell in behind me as we continued our chain of underwater acrobatics.

  Freckles beat her wings, leading us in a downwards spiral. Whoosh! My arms beat strong like manta ray wings. They were super bendy, like I was made of rubber!

  When the rays split up, Freckles began swimming doughnuts around me. She looked into my eyes, the way Guapo did when I first met him. A strange sensation pulsed between us, like our energies were connecting. This really is super, I thought.

  Although I wanted to stay longer, I soon kicked back up to check on Emely.

  “That was epic!” I said. “Did you see me spiral?”

  “Did you see ME?” asked Emely. “I was swimming with Ray! The MEGA manta ray!”

  I ducked back under to see Ray glide past and move into a lazy barrel roll. What a magnificent creature, I thought.

  I wished we could stay all day, but it was definitely time to head back. As Emely gripped my shoulders, Freckles flew past us, bursting out of the water like a rocket.

  “The Flying Pizza Flop!” I said as Freckles crashed back into the blue.

  “Bet YOU can’t do that!” dared Emely.

  For the next four days, Emely and I swam with the manta rays every morning. Pops took us out in his fishing boat twice, and each time I secretly called the rays in with Nan’s bottle.

  Whenever Pops went in to town, we would zoom out to sea. I’d practise the Flying Pizza Flop with Freckles, flapping my super-rubber arms. I almost managed to get air once!

  Freckles was an expert, and a good teacher too. I was sure I’d land it the next day, but when I woke up, something seemed wrong.

  I didn’t feel right. Perhaps it wa
s the fish curry I ate the night before? Sally had brought it over for us. I decided to skip breakfast and head down to the beach anyway. Freckles would be expecting me.

  The emus were back and Emely wanted to take more photos, so I went to the beach by myself.

  It was windy and sand stung my face. Waves crashed over one another. I knew it was going to be a rough swim.

  Once I’d fought my way through the breakers I dived down below. The visibility wasn’t good, but it was much easier swimming beneath the angry surface. Thanks to my fish powers, I could stay under the whole way out.

  After I’d passed the sanctuary I finally came up for air. As soon as I reached the surface, waves tossed me around violently. I dived back under, then got Nan’s bottle out of my wetsuit and rattled it.

  Within minutes, Ray the mega manta ray appeared. I didn’t see him until he was right under my nose. More mantas quickly followed. Each ray had a different pattern and on most, lazy sucker fish were hitching free rides – one manta ray had about ten stuck to it! But none had super spotty bellies.

  I followed the manta rays for a while. They didn’t seem interested in playing or rolling today. Maybe the water was too murky for them.

  Freckles was nowhere to be seen. I rattled Nan’s bottle again, and Ray hovered right in front of me. He seemed to be trying to tell me something. The wrong feeling returned to my stomach and chest and suddenly I just knew: Freckles was in trouble.

  I wished I’d stayed longer looking for Freckles, but I had to get home before Pops. All night I worried about the manta ray, so I hardly got any sleep. When I woke up, early the next morning, the terrible feeling was still there. I looked out to see the sun just peeking over the dunes. Within seconds I inhaled a muesli bar, threw on my wettie and dragged my mask over my head. I didn’t bother trying to wake Emely. It was way too early for her.

  I put Nan’s bottle around my neck and scurried down to the beach. For a second I wondered if I really should go out. The sky was still dark. But my gut told me Freckles needed help. So I leaped into the water, pulling my mask down over my eyes.