Author's Note:

Hi, guys! I've decided to share Dragon's first draft with you. I wrote it in 11th grade for my Creative Writing class. My teacher loved the concept so much that she gave me extra time to finish this story. I want you guys to see how much my writing has improved over the years. I also want to share Will and Maddie's original journey with you. As you can probably tell, I made it a bit more complex in the rewrite. I hope you enjoy the story and then check out the first novella of the re-write.

Catherine Victoria Christie/Viktoria Fyodorova

Before my parents dumped me onto that tropical island far out in the Bermuda Triangle, they said I would one day become known as the "Guardian of the Seas''. What is the Guardian of the Seas? Mom and Dad never answered that question. They merely said I am special and that the Bermuda Triangle needs somebody like me. Aside from that, they also dumped me because they wanted me to perfect my skills over water. They gave me a magic necklace with a blue seashell pendant when they left and explained that I will be able to change my form with it on. How young I was at the time, I thought that was pretty cool. Since then, I have never taken the necklace off.

My parents said they would be back, but it has been seven years, and I can't find them anywhere. I am alone–me, Will–a twelve-year-old who isn't even human. I am a shapeshifter, but I am mostly a beast. I am known as the "Beast of the Bermuda Triangle". But I am not evil. I care greatly for marine animals and the ocean. I also can change my form from the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle itself to a twelve-year-old human boy. I can only do this, though, if I'm wearing my necklace.

The island I lived on was the closest thing I had to my former home, even though I didn't remember it all that well anymore. It's small and a perfect size for me. The sand was white, and the reef and ocean surrounding it were very blue. My home was located in the middle of the island. I slept in a large tree. That tree was where I kept all my belongings. Every day, I loved to run out to the beach and collect seashells.

I may be a beast more than a human, but that doesn't mean I don't have a lot of humanlike abilities. When I change my form into a boy, I do look like a boy. I have long, scraggly, brown hair that I wear pulled back in a ribbon and blue eyes. In terms of clothing, I usually wear a white, puffy-sleeved shirt with a brown vest over it and brown, torn-up pants. I never wear shoes, and my skin is tanned due to all the years I've lived alone in the sun. I can't talk as a human, because I don't know any of their languages, so I am technically a mute, but that's not all bad. While I don't know human language, I do know how to communicate through sign language.

I thought I was ready for anything, but then one morning, I saw a mysterious figure on the ocean's horizon.

***

I had awoken in my tree to the bright rays of sunshine. They were warm and comfortable. That is how I always see sunshine, especially in the Bermuda Triangle.

Yawning, I sat and stretched my hands over my head. It was a brand-new day. I love waking up not knowing what's going to happen.

Before heading out to the beach, I knocked down some bananas and ate them for breakfast. Bananas are one of my favorite fruits. I finished three of them in a short amount of time, but I was still hungry. That time, I decided to head out and search for some coconuts.

Standing up on my branch, my tanned, dirty hands grabbed a vine, and I hopped off the tree. I swung to the jungle's bed and let it go the second I landed. However, my feet accidentally hit a hill, and I ended up taking a tumble. See, the jungle was so overgrown with ferns that I sometimes couldn't see what was in front of me. The hill I rolled down led to the beach.

Within a minute or two, I flew out of the ferns and landed face-first on my island's beautiful sand. It tickled my fingers and toes, and I couldn't help but chuckle. Man, was that fun!

I soon lifted my head and rubbed down my sand-covered face. The tide was going out, so the beach looked huge.

My eyes landed on the sandbar, which stretched out to a coral reef and deeper water. I smiled just seeing it. I forgot about the coconuts and decided to start my exploration for shells. I first checked to make sure I had my leather satchel, where I held all my shells. I did. I wore it over my shoulder and patted it. The sea breeze invaded my nose, and I took it in.

The day was gorgeous, with blue skies and cumulus clouds. The sun's rays caused the Bermuda Triangle's wonderful water to sparkle.

I leaped to my feet and jumped up and down with excitement. My feet moved by themselves. They took me in the direction of the sandbar. While I ran in the fluffy, white sand, I smiled, and my blue eyes did not leave the ocean. It called my name. It knew I was the Guardian of the Seas.

I ran closer to the water, which sprung to life.

The clear water lifted into the sky and started to dance around me.

I have the power to control it.

When I approached the sandbar, I stopped to catch my breath and started to play with my friends. First, I leaned down, for I saw a shell buried in the sand. It was a small, beautiful, orange conch shell. Tittering, I brushed the sand off it and picked it up.

Ocean water soon hovered next to me, and it checked the shell.

I wondered if it liked it. I held the shell in front of the water and let it examine it up and down.

After a bit, water droplets came together to form a thumbs-up.

I thanked the water and scratched it under its chin-like feature. I then slipped the shell into my satchel and peered out to the ocean again. Water touched my toes. I sighed when I felt it. In my opinion, water is the best therapy in the whole world.

As soon as I reached the sandbar, I started my trek for more shells. During my trek, I found a bunch of cool, new ones to add to my collection back home. With every new interesting shell, I picked it up and put it in my satchel. I even got down on my knees and started to crawl.

It wasn't long until I heard a small shrill. "He-Help!" it called.

I put down my satchel and quickly turned my head in the direction where the shrill came from. It came from a starfish.

It rested in the sand, further away from me, and again called, "Help!"

I hated to see my friends in distress, so I decided to come to its aid. I, twelve-year-old Will, stood and approached the marine creature.

It wiggled in the sand, begging for me to help it. Of course, I did. After all, the ocean is my friend, and I don't want a friend of it to die.

Therefore, I knelt over the starfish and carefully picked it up in both hands. Sand fell from it and got on my skin, but it didn't bother me. I merely wanted to save the starfish's life.

Once I had it in my hands, I brought it to my face, and it gently said, "Thank you, Will! Please, I have a family in the ocean! I can't die!"

Every creature in the Bermuda Triangle can communicate with me. That is how smart the ocean is.

I nodded, to show the starfish I understood what it said, and prepared to let it go. My feet pushed me toward the blue sky, and I brought back the hand that held my friend.

The starfish waited for my throw, and finally, I did. I tossed the marine creature back into the ocean and waved goodbye.

The ocean waved back.

I heard the starfish say goodbye next. I could finally return to my shell hunting! Cracking a smile, I hurried back over to my satchel and picked it up, putting it over my shoulder. Once it was nice and snug, I continued down the sandbar and collected more shells.

My journey took me to the end, right at the line of deeper water and my favorite coral reef. I plopped down on the sand and sat cross-legged. Still smiling, I pulled one of my star shells out of my bag and brushed the sand off with my thumb. While I worked, I heard the screech of a seagull overhead and peered up to it.

In the blue sky, a seagull soared in circles and waved its wings at me. Suddenly, it swooped down and shot by my face. The gust given off by its wings caused my messy hair to wave. The seagull soared over the ocean.

While I watched it, I noticed a large, mysterious figure on the horizon.

The seagull pointed at it with its wing.

I turned on a bewildered expression and slipped the shell I was working on back in my satchel. I stood up and stared out to the horizon. Sure enough, a large, white figure rested perfectly at the end of the Earth. What was it? I had never seen something like it before. Not once in all my twelve years of living. I didn't like this, though. The figure looked like it was coming in the direction of my island.

I was desperate to find answers. I knew it was risky, but I decided to get a closer look at the large, floating island. I thought it had a very unusual shape, and yep, it definitely was huge. The figure/shape looked like a messed up rectangle. At the end of the rectangle stood a tall, whale-tail-shaped second figure.

I honestly didn't know what other choice I had. I had to stop the mysterious figure from invading my island.

I inhaled a breath of air and clenched my fists. I stared at the floating island for a little bit longer, and then, I made up my mind. Shakily standing, I stepped forward, and my bare feet touched the warm water at the end of the sandbar. I went knee-deep.

The ocean sprung to life again. Small waves sloshed against me. I let them dance around me like a group of little children playing "Ring Around the Rosie".

I soon lifted my hands high over my head, and my eyes landed on the swaying water. I nodded, and then I dove off the sandbar into the deep water–the waves dove after me–and landed with a small splash. Soon, the waves circled me, and my eyes adjusted to the salt water.

Since I am the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle, I can breathe underwater. However, I am not a merman.

I saw the coral reef in front of me and decided to take off. I kicked my legs and started to swim in a whale-like fashion toward the reef and mysterious figure. Shadows engulfed my body, and my blue eyes glowed. It wasn't long until I opened my mouth and started to sing the lullaby of the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle. Mother and Father taught me it soon after I was born.

Since we can't speak in human language, there are no words with this song. It's just a mysterious tune. The tune is how creatures like us tell others we're coming.

Thanks to the ocean and current, I was able to swim quickly in the sea. Looking all around, my eyes landed on some of the Bermuda Triangle's graves. I saw sunken ships and planes. A lot of them were in pieces. What was happening was not the work of my parents and I. At least, I hoped not. Nevertheless, I couldn't look for answers. I had to get in the mysterious figure's face and order them to leave my island alone. Without further ado, I reached for my necklace pendant and grabbed it.

There is no turning back, Will. You are brave, and you will do everything in your willpower to protect the Bermuda Triangle and ocean from harm.

Immediately at my touch, my necklace pendant started to glow. I stretched my arms and waited for my metamorphosis into the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle.

My arms changed to long, white wings, and a long tail appeared behind me. My neck stretched out, turning into a long neck that was smooth and slender. My mouth became rigid, similar to that of a beak, and two sets of fangs appeared in it. Finally, six blue fins appeared on my tail.

This form has a dragon/avian-like appearance to it. I think it is very beautiful. I love my beast form just as much as my human form.

After changing forms, I had a feeling I was close to the mysterious, floating island.

It is time, Will. It is time for you to figure out what it is.

Flapping my wings, I carefully swam to the surface and poked my head out of the ocean.

There was the figure. It was huge! It was a carnival cruise ship–a cruise ship known as the Carnival Ecstasy. She had fourteen decks and was mostly white on the outside, just like me. Her lifeboats were orange, and her funnel was red and shaped like the tail of a whale. The funnel was the tall thing I saw.

My curiosity hit a home run. I had to find out more about the ship. Diving underwater, I swam to its bow and ordered the ocean to spring to life again.

A huge whirl of water surrounded my body and lifted me out of the ocean.

Immediately, I saw I had made a huge mistake. I hovered in front of the Ecstasy's mini golf course, and I was staring straight at a human!

Oh snap, Will, what is wrong with you?

The human I met eyes with was a young girl who looked about my age. She wore a flower in her long, blonde hair, a blue bathing suit, a hat, and some flip-flops. In her hand, she held a golf club. Luckily, it looked like she was the only one who saw me. The rest of the mini golf course and bow were empty.

The human girl cautiously started to make her way toward me. She reached the ship's railing and lifted her free hand, moving it toward me.

It was strange. I felt no fear around the young girl. Instead, I felt peace, affection, and curiosity. To show her how I felt, I brought back my head and opened my mouth. My song escaped it for the second time. For a bit, I sang for the girl, but when I stopped, I stuck my shadowy head out of the whirlpool and sniffed her hand.

"What are you?" she gently asked me.

I wanted to say, "I'm a friend," but because I couldn't speak English, I said it by closing my eyes and putting my muzzle against the child's palm.

Her jaw fell open. She was just as fascinated by me as I was by her.

After a bit, I felt she would no longer be alone, so I took my leave. I pushed my muzzle off her palm and stuck my head back into my whirlpool.

"Wait!" I heard her yell.

I wanted to stay, but I couldn't. Before I could put myself in danger, I flapped my wings and dove back into the ocean. I knew the ship was most likely returning home from the Bahamas, but what I didn't know was that sudden storm clouds had appeared overhead, and soon I would be a passenger.

When I hit the ocean, I changed my form back to a boy. I popped my head out of the Bermuda Triangle's turquoise water and studied the leaving cruise ship. Lifting my hand, I rubbed salt water out of my eye and nodded. I dove underwater, while the ocean continued to dance around me. I quickly swam to the Ecstasy, and my eyes landed on her spinning propellers. Seeing them, I immediately knew they were dangerous, so I moved out of their way.

I prepared to swim under the ship and follow it back to wherever it was going, but I wasn't able to because before I knew it, the storm came.

It's amazing how fast the weather changes sometimes!

The current picked up, and it jerked me forward, right toward the ship's propellers. I gasped when I noticed that and instantly turned. The current was too strong, though. I couldn't fight it. Not as a boy.

Everything surrounding me turned dark as night. The current continued to push me closer to the propellers.

This really scared me.

I did not want to get chopped into liver kebabs, so I changed my form. The second I had my wings again, I pulled them to my sides. Another whirlpool surrounded me. I hurried out of the ship's path and peered up to the surface. Even down there, I could hear thunder booming, and lightning flashes lit up the whole ocean.

The force of a huge wave crashing hammered me. It slammed down on my whirlpool and broke it. I had to get back to my island before it was too late, but the storm forbade it. I started to regret my decision. My mistake was leaving my island right before a storm.

A second wave slammed me. That one threw me into a sunken boat. I hit it with so much force that it snapped in two. Two skeletons flew out from the bow into the open sea–a life preserver, too, and I felt myself change back into a boy. I swam toward the life preserver and reached for it, but the current pulled it away from me. My hands managed to grab it, but as soon as they did, everything started to spin. The life preserver had been caught right in an enormous whirlpool.

I tightly closed my eyes and hugged it while I waited for the spinning to stop.

The whirlpool chucked me out of the ocean into the storm-polluted air. Immediately after it did, a thirty-foot wave slammed me and knocked me back down. From there, my world went black.

The only thing I heard after that was a yell. It sounded like it belonged to a human: "Man overboard! Pull him aboard!"

My mind entered a state of deep unconsciousness.

***

Voices. I heard voices. They muttered, grumbled, and chuckled. What were they? I had never heard them before.

My mind slowly returned to the real world, but I did not feel good. I was so tired.

A hand pulled the hair off my face.

Feeling it, I immediately woke up. When I opened my eyes, everything was a blur, but gradually, my vision cleared and I saw myself staring straight into the eyes of the same girl I met on the Carnival Ecstasy mini golf course.

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She took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry. You're okay. I don't bite. Mamma! Papa! He's waking up!"

My vision started to blur again. What on earth was going on? Why wasn't I on my island? I searched my surroundings and found I was in a small room. It definitely was not my island.

A human man wearing a white coat approached me. He wore a strange device around his neck. Next to him appeared the young girl, another man, and a woman, who I assumed were her parents.

The white-coated man pushed them away. "Give him some space, guys." He put his hand on my own and asked, "How are you feeling, son?"

I feebly shook my head, and it dropped to the right.

"Do you have a name?" was the white-coated man's next question.

Just like the young girl, I could understand him. Lifting my hand, I spelled out my name–Will–through sign language.

"Will?" asked the white-coated man. "Just take it easy, Will. We're going to get you to a hospital when we pull into port."

Hospital? What the heck is a hospital? Where am I?

"Whew," the young girl's father said, "that was quite a storm earlier. It's a miracle the Carnival Ecstasy made it through with very little difficulty."

Hold on, I recognize that name. Carnival Ecstasy.

Dreaded thoughts invaded my mind. I really did make a huge mistake. Even though I was weak, I attempted to get out of that room. I leaped off the table I rested on and sprinted by the humans.

"Wait!" they yelled behind me, but I refused to turn back.

I threw open the door to the small room and dove into a hallway.

I can't even explain how terrified I was.

My eyes landed on a staircase, and I wasted no time. I sprinted up the stairs, only to find more staircases. The further I climbed, I noticed the stairs changed from steel to carpet. It wasn't long until I reached another room, but that room was huge! A red and white, striped flag hung in the middle of it, there were two strange, glass objects that moved up and down, and humans were everywhere! Just seeing them filled me with horror. I had to get out of there and back to my island!

I don't belong here! I belong in the Bermuda Triangle! I am the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle!

Quickly, I ran by humans and headed toward another door.

Most of them stared at me while I ran like I was crazy.

Humans coming in and out of the room blocked the door when I reached it. I was forced to climb the staircases two more times. The second staircase led to a hallway that took me outside.

I rushed out the door, before any humans could block me again, and found myself on a crowded, wooden deck. There was so much going on there. My level of fear increased when I saw all the humans. You see, my parents told me terrible stories about them when I was little, so I refused to trust them.

My feet soon left the wood and hit wet tile, instead. I ended up falling and splashing right into a pool of clear, salt water people waded in. It was there I discovered another problem. I didn't have my necklace. Normally, it would float in front of my face underwater, but nothing did.

Gasping, I frantically felt my neck up and down, but sure enough, my necklace was gone.

Oh, this is bad. This is so bad! Without it, I can't transform! I can't fly! Until I find the necklace, I am stuck on the Carnival Ecstasy!

Man, that just was not my day.

Underwater, I met eyes with a child wearing something strange over her eyes.

She stared at me, and I stared back. It wasn't long until she had to return to the surface to grab a breath of air.

I could see people hovering all around me through the clear water. The figure of the girl I met at the mini golf course joined the huddle. I was surrounded. Could I escape? There was only one way to find out.

I decided to wait until the humans left and then I would leap out of the water and make a run for it. However, the longer I waited, the more the huddle grew. Why weren't the people leaving me alone?

Finally, I was given no other choice. I hurried to the surface and burst my head out of the water.

Within the crowd stood the white-coated man. Aside from the strange thing he wore around his neck, he also held a defibrillator. I knew what a defibrillator was because I had seen them in a few of the sunken planes and boats I explored. No way was that dude going to use one on me!

I climbed out of the water and tried to push through the crowd, but the white-coated man stopped me.

"Hold on, son! Stand still!" He moved the defibrillator toward my chest.

My eyes widened. I shoved the man away from me and ran toward the edge of the ship. Without my wings, though, I couldn't fly. That means that if I jumped, I would crash with a splat in the ocean. I didn't think that through because I was so terrified. I started to dive off the ship.

Before I fell, somebody grabbed me and pulled me back. It was the girl I met on the mini golf course. "Calm down!" she yelled. "We're not going to hurt you!" She grabbed my wrists and pinned me down.

I breathed heavily and watched as my chest moved up and down at a fast pace.

"Shh, shh," softly spoke the girl. "You're okay. You're safe. You're sailing on the Carnival Ecstasy."

I didn't want to sail on the Carnival Ecstasy. I wanted to go home. Lying down soon made me realize how tired I was. I didn't stay conscious for much longer after the girl pinned me. I felt her put her hand on my bare neck and dropped my head to the side. Everything faded to black again.

***

"Will, wake up. Wake up, Will. You've been asleep for eighteen hours."

It was her. The sound of her voice soothed me. The girl I met on the mini golf course... Who was she? I opened my eyes and met her own.

She smiled down on me. "You definitely look better today than you did yesterday."

I certainly felt better. My strength was slowly coming back. Sitting up, I saw I rested on a bed in a fairly small room that had a huge window. It wasn't the room I woke up in the day before.

I curiously climbed out of bed and approached the window. My blue eyes landed on the gentle ocean water slapping against the ship. Only, that water wasn't blue like the Bermuda Triangle's water. It was much darker. Great, now I knew I was far from home.

The young girl soon joined me at the window. We met eyes again. For a bit, there was silence between us, but then she introduced herself: "My name is Madeline, but my family calls me Maddie. We're from Charleston, South Carolina, which is the city the Ecstasy's pulling into port tomorrow. My parents and I are returning home from a five-day cruise to the Bahamas. What about you? Where are you from?"

Even though I knew she wouldn't believe me, I went ahead and made a triangle out of my hands.

Maddie glanced at it and asked, "Triangle? You're from a place called Triangle?" She was half right but not entirely.

I turned my hand to the side to show her that.

"Don't you speak English?" Maddie asked me.

I shook my head and pointed at my mouth.

"You're a mute?" Maddie wondered. "Really? How am I supposed to know where you're from, then?"

I held my finger up to her lips. It's a gesture I make when I tell others to watch closely.

Maddie did.

I made the triangle out of my hands again.

"Triangle?" she asked for the second time.

Nodding, I drew an outline of Bermuda Island in midair.

Maddie squinted her eyes. "Bermuda?"

I smiled and clenched my fists, pulling them together.

This is my way of telling someone to put two words together.

"Triangle Bermuda?" Maddie confusingly asked. "The Bermuda Triangle?"

I nodded.

Maddie suddenly gasped. "The Bermuda Triangle? Oh man, kid, you're worse than I thought! You need to lie back down."

I huffed and puffed out my cheeks.

Maddie took my shoulders. She tried to sit me down on the bed, but I pushed her away. I felt fine. She didn't need to help me. If I lived alone on a deserted island in the Bermuda Triangle for seven full years, then I knew how to take care of myself.

Just as I prepared to leave Maddie, my eyes caught something sparkling around her neck. My necklace! It was my necklace! Maddie had it. I gasped and quickly whirled back around.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Do you want me to get the doctor?"

No, I wanted her to give me back my necklace. Why did she steal it? What sort of cheap trick was that? Lifting my hand, I pointed at the necklace around her neck.

She peered down on it. "The necklace? Is this your necklace?"

I placed my hands on my hips and nodded.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Maddie quickly apologized, and she pulled the necklace off her neck. "I thought somebody on the ship lost it. Well, technically, you are on the ship. I found it rolling around on the deck when we fished you out of the ocean yesterday."

So, Maddie didn't steal it? Aw, now I felt bad for getting mad at her.

I felt her take my hand and jumped. "It's okay," Maddie spoke. She opened my palm and set my necklace down in it. "Here you go. This belongs to you."

Just seeing my necklace safe and sound made me smile. I could finally change my form again! As a way of saying thanks, just like on the mini golf course, I sang for Maddie.

Her eyes widened when she heard my voice. "Wait a minute. I know your voice."

Oh snap, now thinking about that, I just made another mistake! Immediately, I cut my song short and shook my head.

No, no, Maddie! You didn't hear anything!

She chuckled and brought her hand to her lips. "Why don't I show you around the Carnival Ecstasy, Will?"

Okay, whew. I think I'm safe. No, Maddie, I am not the mysterious creature you saw on the mini golf course.

So that was that. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Maddie touring the Ecstasy, but why? Shouldn't I have come up with a plan to get off the ship and back to the Bermuda Triangle? Why couldn't I leave the girl? I felt strange around her. I actually enjoyed her presence.

Is a beast allowed to feel such things?

The first place Maddie and I went to was the Ecstasy's water park, which was located at the stern of the ship. Basically, there was a mini golf course at the bow, a pool in the middle, and a waterpark at the stern. Maddie and I took turns sliding down the water slide with other human kids.

At first, I was super nervous, but I could understand why. Once I hit the slide's water and started my ride, I warmed up to it. I met up with Maddie at the bottom, and we rode it a few more times.

When we left the waterpark, she next took me to the Ecstasy's cafeteria. We ate lunch there. That was my first time eating a hamburger and fries. It was pretty darn good. Maddie had the same. We chuckled while we ate. Lunch took up about forty-five of our day, but I didn't regret it.

Maddie took me to the library next. There, we worked on a Carnival Ecstasy puzzle. Maddie even tried to teach me how to say my name in English. She wrote it down on a piece of paper and held it up to my face. "Will," she sweetly spoke. "Say, 'Will', kid. Will is short for William. Will."

I opened my mouth and tried. I did it! I actually said my name! It was really stuttered, though. "Wi-Will."

"That's it!" Maddie cheered.

Hearing my voice sounded so strange to me. It sounded just like the voice of a twelve-year-old boy. My name was the only thing I learned how to say in the library.

Maddie and I went to the pool area when we left and danced to some tropical music on the stage.

Strangely, I actually picked up dancing pretty fast.

Maddie and I clapped our hands and danced around each other.

A crowd soon gathered around us. People started to clap to the music as well. A few of them laughed. Those humans seemed very nice. What were Mom and Dad talking about when they said they were evil? What a strange turn of events.

I had to spray myself with some water after the tropical concert. My body always needs to stay moist, because it will dry out if it isn't. That's one of the downsides to being the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle.

To achieve my goal, I sprinted to the bow of the Ecstasy, where the mini golf course was, and checked to make sure I was alone.

I was.

Smiling, I peered down on the ocean and opened my arms.

At my command, the water leaped out and sprayed me down. Ah, it felt so good. My full strength immediately returned the second the water hit me.

Maddie soon appeared next to me, and she asked, "Whatcha doing, Will? You know, you're a very mysterious boy. I like that. Do you by any chance want to play a game?"

Oh, I love games. Sure, Maddie.

The look on my face told her I wanted to.

Maddie chuckled. "All right then." She tapped my shoulder. "Tag! You're it!" She turned on her heel.

I watched as she began to sprint down the deck.

Behind me appeared more ocean water, and it pushed me forward in her direction.

Maddie and I spent another few hours playing tag and running all over the Ecstasy. The game took us inside. A few times, we hid behind doors. One of the doors I hid behind was the door to the tween room. On the ship was a children's room, a tween room, and a teen room.

When I opened the door, I saw Maddie searching for me, and I waved at her.

She turned and grinned when she saw me.

We sprinted through the corridors and went to a few of the Ecstasy's trivia games.

Maddie didn't win, but at least she had fun.

The final activity we did that afternoon was ice carving at the pool area at sunset. That was cool and everything, but I came so close to giving myself away.

A huge block of ice was put on the stage.

I begged through sign language to carve it myself. I used magic and my skills around water to do so, though. I turned the block of ice into an Indian chief's head.

Everybody on the deck was astounded when they saw it.

I have to admit, I was pretty proud of myself. That was until the ocean decided to pay a visit.

Before I knew it, a blanket of water crept over the edge of the ship and flew to me. I was curious about the ice carving and how I was doing, but still! It couldn't just approach the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle when he was surrounded by humans!

Their eyes widened as big as their heads when they saw the water. The crowd surrounding me immediately grew.

"Will!" I heard Maddie yell. "What on earth? What's going on?"

A few humans stuck their hands in my friend's tail. Their jaws dropped to the deck.

The water sniffed the ice carving and peered up to me.

Glaring, I clenched my fist and punched it on its head.

Right after I did, water droplets came together to form a hand. My friend rubbed its head with it.

The crowd kept on growing.

My nerves rattled like a rattlesnake. I stamped my foot and pointed my friend in the direction of the edge of the ship.

The water didn't want to leave me. It gloomily lowered its head and crept to my back. I felt it wrap its watery arms around me and press its face up against mine.

"Will, look!" laughed Maddie. "The water! It likes you! How did you do that?"

A man sitting by the pool, with a tropical drink in his hand, asked me, "Are you even human, or did you crash into the Ecstasy from outer space?"

That question offended me.

I may not be totally human, sir but I am not an alien! I am a human in Maddie's eyes and my soul, so I would advise you to buzz off!

The water wrapped around me knew how I felt. We connected telepathically. We showed the human who offended me a lesson, through another one of Will's dumb mistakes.

I don't know why, but I didn't feel friendly at that moment. I felt like a beast–a true beast. I thought I was human in my soul, but I was wrong. What I didn't know was that my shift in behavior was caused by fear and the fact that I was outside my natural environment.

I opened my mouth, and my eyes glowed up.

The humans grew nervous.

A few of them asked, "What's wrong with him?" A few more cleared out of my way.

With my friend still wrapped around my shoulders, I hurried to the edge of the Ecstasy and lifted my hands.

"Will!" Maddie shouted. "What are you doing?"

Ocean water appeared behind me as I started to sing my lullaby.

"Brace yourselves!" yelled the humans.

A giant ball of seawater emerged in my hands, and I shot it toward the man who offended me. He, an open target, froze with fear, but then–

"Daddy!" shouted Maddie.

Wait! Daddy?

My new friend hurried to the man and shoved him out of the way.

My attack ended up swamping her instead, and Maddie yelled. The force from it was so powerful that it knocked her off the edge of the ship.

"Madeline!" shouted her father. "Madeline, no!"

"Man overboard!" humans screamed after him.

That was a total accident! I didn't mean to hit Maddie!

The ocean and I moved fast. We hurried toward the edge of the ship, and I picked up my necklace pendant.

"What are you doing, kid?" I heard Maddie's father yell behind me, but I ignored him.

My water friend whirled around me. That time, I did dive off the ship.

There was Maddie. She had caught herself on one of the Carnival Ecstasy's lifeboats, but I could tell she was terrified. "HELP!" she screamed at the tops of her lungs. She closed her eyes and held on for dear life, but she didn't stay that way forever. Her hand slipped, and she started to fall again.

My necklace pendant started to glow, and my hand tightly gripped it. With a swoosh, I popped my wings and caught Maddie just before she hit the water.

Gasping, she wrapped her arms around my body.

Flying again felt wonderful. I was wide open and free! I tilted my body, and the tips of my wings skimmed the surface of the ocean. The further I flew away from the Carnival Ecstasy, the smaller it grew. I hoped Maddie didn't mind if I went on a little flight. I craned my neck and peered back to her.

Maddie's jaw dropped, and she bravely pushed herself up on my back.

The two of us met eyes. We stared at each other for a long time.

"Wi-Will?" Maddie finally asked. "Is that you?"

Flapping my wings, I nodded and smiled at her.

Maddie's entire face brightened. "Will! Dawg gone it all! I knew it! I knew you were the mysterious creature I saw on the mini golf course yesterday!" She wrapped her arms around my muzzle. "Thank you. You saved my life."

I saw her eyes sparkle. A tear appeared in her left one. I couldn't believe it. She really did like me.

Maddie made me see humans totally differently. Mom and Dad were wrong. Humans weren't evil if they trained themselves not to be.

***

In the afternoon sun, I took my new friend for a ride. I soared over the ocean and peered down on the water.

"Will, look!" I heard Maddie yell, and she pointed down.

Beneath us appeared a pod of dolphins. One at a time, they leaped out of the ocean.

"Aren't those dolphins beautiful?" Maddie asked me.

They sure are, Maddie. The ocean, overall, is a beautiful place.

Pumping my wings, I next took her into the sky. Maddie and I had so much fun that afternoon. For once, I actually was glad I wasn't alone.

We couldn't stay out there forever, though. Eventually, I had to get Maddie back to the Carnival Ecstasy. Eventually, we had to part ways. That was really hard for me to do.

Maddie and I returned to the Ecstasy, scented with sea breeze and our eyes glowing.

Gently flapping my wings, I landed on the overlook in front of the mini golf course and slipped her off my back.

She landed on the deck and smiled up at me. "The legends are wrong, Will. You are nowhere near how the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle is portrayed. I still can't understand how you changed your form, though."

My eyes rolled down to my necklace. I nudged it with my beak-like mouth.

Maddie glanced at it. "Your necklace? Is your necklace the source behind your metamorphosis?"

It sure is, Maddie. Check this out.

I grabbed my necklace pendant and transformed into a boy again.

"Wow," Maddie squeaked. "Will, I knew there was something special about you the second I laid eyes on you."

Thank you, Maddie. That is honestly the nicest thing any human has ever said to me, even though you're really the only human I know.

Maddie shrugged and hooked her fingers together. "So, um, I guess it's time we said goodbye?"

Goodbye? What are you talking about, Maddie? I don't want to leave you!

She understood what I was thinking by merely looking into my eyes. "Will, I see it in your eyes. In this short amount of time we've been together, I've gotten to know you very well. I know you don't want to leave me, but the thing is, we belong in two different places."

Maddie wrapped her arm around my shoulders and led me to a bench on the other side of the overlook. She sat me down and gently picked up my hands. "Will, you have amazing powers that need to be protected. If you come back with me to Charleston, then I'm afraid you're going to put yourself in danger. I don't want you to end up in a laboratory because you're the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle. You need to be free, not held in captivity like this. I hope you understand."

I did. Maddie's words pierced my heart but in a good way. She knew I belonged in the Bermuda Triangle.

The Atlantic Ocean paid another visit to us. It snuck onto the ship and appeared next to my head.

Maddie rolled her eyes over to look at it and chortled. "You see, Will? Even the ocean is telling you it is time to go home. Right, ocean?"

The water gestured yes and rubbed up against her cheek. It grabbed her hat and pulled it off her head.

Maddie and I watched as it set it down on its own head and struck a pose.

She again chuckled and asked, "Aw, how cute is that?" edging closer to the water. "Will, please, do me a favor." Maddie reached up and took the hat off my friend's head, offering it to me. "Take this hat for me. I mean, just so you won't ever forget me. I'm sure you can take much better care of it than I did."

Se-Seriously? No, Maddie, I can't accept this gift.

"Please, Will," she begged, and she held the hat up to my face. "Think of the hat as a remembrance of our friendship."

Maddie. Well, if you insist.

I finally accepted the hat. The water and I examined it.

"Thank you, Will," softly said Maddie. "Well,–" I heard her sniff, "you should get going. The ocean is calling you."

As soon as she said that, I heard the ocean.

"Will, Will, come home."

Maddie escorted me to another overlook one deck below. That one was a lot more open than the mini golf course's.

We stood in the sunset and watched the calm ocean.

Since Maddie gave me a gift, it only made sense that I should give her one, too. I gave her the orange conch shell I found on my island the day before. It meant a lot to me, but I knew I could trust Maddie with it. I set the shell down in her palm and feebly smiled.

She quietly gasped. "It-It's beautiful, Will. Thank you. You're a true friend."

I turned my head and smiled at the water hovering next to me.

"Oh, Will," Maddie choked out. She threw herself into my arms and gave me a long hug.

It took me a little bit to understand exactly what was going on, but when I did, I returned the hug. The warm feeling in the pit of my stomach grew the entire time we hugged.

Once we let go, it was time for the water and I to return to our natural habitats.

Powerful wind massaged mine and Maddie's scalp. The water, who again wore the hat, had to protect it from blowing off.

We turned and came within reach of the Carnival Ecstasy's edge. Glancing down to the gentle ocean, the water and I nodded at each other.

The water was the first one to dive. It patted my shoulder and leaped off the edge of the ship, landing with a splash in the Atlantic.

I sighed and pressed the palm of my hand up against my necklace pendant.

Maddie hugged my conch shell to her chest and watched as I took my leave.

I commanded for another whirlpool to surround me. When it did, I leaped off the Ecstasy and dove into the ocean after my friend.

It moved out of my way and watched as my wings came back.

I dove deep into the ocean before ordering my whirlpool to take me back to the surface. As a beast, I popped out of the ocean and appeared in front of Maddie.

We met eyes one last time.

She laughed and approached me.

We closed our eyes and leaned our heads close to each other.

Our foreheads bumped, and I heard Maddie whisper, "Goodbye, Will. You are not a beast. You are a guardian, and the ocean knows this. You need to take care of each other. I hope we will one day meet again. Thank you, Guardian of the Seas."

"Will," I whispered back. "Will, Maddie." Her name was the last thing I learned during my exciting time on the Carnival Ecstasy.

We pulled our foreheads apart and went our separate ways. Maddie waved from the Ecstasy's bow, and I waved, too.

My other friend, the water wearing her hat, tapped my shoulder and pointed in the direction of the Bermuda Triangle. We raced back to my island–the island my parents dumped me on all those years back. The entire way home, I sang my song. It was the song of the Beast of the Bermuda Triangle.