R. Stine - Eye Of The Fortuneteller

A jellyfish.

Yuck.

Kelsey swam in the ocean searching for a jellyfish until her lips turned purple and her skin shriveled like a raisin.

But she still didn’t have one when her parents called her in for dinner.

By the time she and Drew finished eating and headed back out, the sun was going down. And the beach was totally deserted.

“It’s pretty weird being out here all alone,” Kelsey commented. Then she thought about how weird it would be going out at midnight – when it was totally black outside. And a shiver ran down her spine.

“Yeah, it is creepy,” Drew agreed. “Let’s just hope our parents don’t catch us down here. If they do, Madame Valda’s curse is going to be the last thing we have to worry about.”

But Madame Valda’s curse was the only thing that Kelsey was worried about. And if she didn’t find a jellyfish, she was going to have to worry about it for the rest of her life.

Kelsey headed into the water.

Drew started to follow.

“You stay on the beach,” she ordered. “Where you can see me.”

“I think I should go with you,” Drew argued.

“You can’t,” Kelsey reminded him. “I have to get the jellyfish myself.”

s Kelsey started walking out into the ocean. She scanned every inch of the water around her.

No jellyfish – anywhere.

She waded in farther and farther. The water grew deeper. And darker. And colder.

It’s really scary out here, she thought as the water rose up to her shoulders.

She turned around to look for Drew. But she couldn’t spot him.

She took a few more steps into the ocean – and suddenly the ocean floor dropped beneath her feet.

She plunged down. Down. Down.

Her arms shot up, out of the water. But her head remained beneath the surface.

The current pulled her down – deeper and deeper.

Kelsey struggled to break the water’s surface. Struggled to breathe.

She kicked as hard as she could.

Her legs ached. Her lungs burned.

She needed air. She desperately needed air.

Coughing, gasping for breath, she finally burst free.

She gulped the cool night air, filling her lungs. Then she began to swim to shore.

But the water around her grew rough. She lost her rhythm and began to flail.

Concentrate! she told herself. Concentrate!

She kicked, hard. Her arms cut through the water.

She swam and swam.

I must be close, she thought, panting. I must be.

But when she lifted her head, she froze.

She couldn’t see the shore.

She couldn’t see anything.

She was lost in a sea of darkness.

“Drew!” Kelsey screamed. “Drew!” But her cries were drowned by the crashing waves.

Kelsey’s eyes darted around her. Trying to focus. Trying to spot a twinkle of light – any clue to show her the way to the shore.

But it was completely dark. So dark that she didn’t see the wave forming behind her. The huge wave.

It crested and broke, catching her in a cyclone of foam.

It spun her upside down.

Then it whipped her out of the water.

And she spotted it – the shore. The giant wave had carried her closer to the beach.

“Drew!” Kelsey tried to scream. But a wave washed over her, and she swallowed a mouthful of the salty sea.

Where was he? Her chest tightened.

Why couldn’t she see him? Did he go for help?

Kelsey began to swim again. She was surprised to feel her strokes propel her easily through the water. And as the shore line grew closer, she began to feel better. The tightness in her chest eased.

And then the current changed.

Now it thrashed against her, propelling her sideways.

Directly in the path of a huge stone jetty!

“Nooooooo!” Kelsey screamed at the sight of the jagged rocks.

The waves roared in her ears. Her heart thundered in her chest.

She tried to swim against the force. She cast a glance at the jetty.

She was so close to it now.

So close to being pounded against its pointed, rough rocks.

And then she spotted Drew. Running along the jetty. Jumping from rock to rock.

The waves crashed around her, tossing her body. Tossing her inches from the craggy wall.

“Kelsey!” Drew shouted down. “I’ll get help!”

“No!” she cried. “No time!”

A huge wave broke, thrusting her into one of the rocks that jutted out. And a sharp pain shot through her leg.

I can’t hold out any longer, Kelsey thought. She could feel the strength seep from her arms. Her legs.

Drew had to help her – now. In another moment she’d be smashed against the jetty.

She lifted her face to call to him one more time.

But he turned – and walked away.

The tide pelted Kelsey.

She threw her arms out – to soften the crash against the rough stones.

“Kelsey! Kelsey! Grab this!”

Drew!

He held out a pole – a pole with a red flag on the end. The kind lifeguards use to warn about rough seas.

Kelsey reached out. Stretching.

Grasping – grasping for the pole.

Drew held it out as far as he could.

Her fingertips grazed the end. She almost had it – but a wave broke over her, and the pole slipped from her hand.

She tried again – gripping it tightly this time. And Drew pulled her out of the churning sea.

As she sat on the jetty, gasping for breath, her fingers brushed against something. Something slimy.

She snatched her hand away.

A jellyfish.

She finally had her jellyfish.

“Drew,” Kelsey whispered. “Drew, wake up. It’s time to go.”

Kelsey stood in the doorway of his room. She was wearing black jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt.

Drew sprang out of bed. “I’m up! I’m up!”

He was already dressed, in black jeans and a black sweatshirt too. He even had his sneakers on.

“Come on,” Kelsey said as she tugged him out of bed. “It’s almost a quarter to twelve. We have to move fast.”

“Okay, okay,” he muttered. “Do you have everything?”

“Uh-huh,” Kelsey told him, patting her backpack. “Right here.”

“Is everyone asleep?” he asked.

“Yep.” Kelsey headed for the door. “So be quiet.”

Kelsey tiptoed down the stairs to the front door. Drew followed.

She opened the door slowly so that it wouldn’t make a sound. Then she and Drew stepped out into the chilly night air.

“Make sure you leave it unlocked,” Drew told her. “We need to get back in.”

Kelsey nodded as she pulled the door closed behind them. “Let’s go!” she cried, and the two started to run.

They didn’t stop until they reached the boardwalk. “The gypsy camp must be this way.” Kelsey turned to the left.

“Are you sure?” Drew asked.

“Well, it’s probably near Gregor’s fortunetelling place, right?”

“I guess,” Drew said. “You should have asked him.”

“No,” Kelsey snapped. “You should have asked him. I wasn’t allowed to ask any questions, remember?”

A flicker of light suddenly caught Kelsey’s eye.

“Look.” She pointed. “I was right!”

“Okay, okay,” Drew admitted. “We’d better hurry.”

Kelsey glanced at her watch. “Oh, no! It’s three minutes to twelve! Let’s-”

Drew grabbed Kelsey’s arm and tugged her back into the shadows. A dark figure approached.

As it neared, Kelsey could see it was an old gypsy man – dressed in colorful, ragged clothing.

Kelsey stepped forward. She forced a smile. “We’re looking for Gregor.” Her voice squeaked.

“Then you must come quickly, child,” he replied. He was missing almost all of his teeth, and his breath practically knocked Kelsey over. “Gregor is waiting for you. Come.” The old man beckoned her with a spindly finger.