Deep Trouble Read Online Free PDF

to swim safely
over the fire coral.
    I saw another splash. Across the lagoon. Near the shore.
    That’s got to be the mermaid! I thought excitedly.
    I stared hard, trying to catch a glimpse of her.
    I thought I saw some kind of fin.
    I made my way past the reef into the deep, still waters of the lagoon. I
strained to see the mermaid, but my mask had fogged.
    Rats! I thought. What a time for my mask to start leaking!
    I came up for air and pulled off the mask. I hoped I wouldn’t lose sight of
the mermaid because of this.
    I wiped the water from my eyes and, leaving the mask wrapped around my wrist,
stared toward the lagoon.
    That’s when I saw it. A few hundred yards away.
    Not the green fish tail of a mermaid.
    The fin I saw was a gray-white triangle sticking straight up in the water.
    The fin of a hammerhead shark.
    As I stared in horror, the fin turned in the water, and then ripped toward
me, moving steady and straight as a torpedo.

 
 
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    Where was Sheena?
    Was she still behind me?
    I glanced back. I could see her in the distance, splashing back to the boat.
    I was forced to forget about Sheena as the gray fin swiftly moved closer.
    I thrashed my arms in the water, trying to swim away.
    When the shark swam right past me, I stopped thrashing.
    Would it go away? Would it leave me alone?
    My heart in my throat, I started swimming in the other direction, toward the
reef. Away from the shark.
    I kept my eyes on that fin.
    It began to turn. The shark’s fin streamed toward me in a wide arc.
    “Ohhh.” I let out a terrified groan as I realized it was circling me.
    Now I didn’t know which way to go. The shark swam between me and the boat. If
I could turn around and climb on to the reef, maybe I would be safe.
    The huge fin slid closer.
    I plunged toward the reef. I knew I had to keep distance between me and the
shark.
    Suddenly, the fin shot up in front of me—between me and the reef.
    The shark kept circling, closing in, swimming faster and faster, making the
circle smaller as he swam.
    I was trapped. But I couldn’t stay still. I couldn’t just float there,
waiting for the shark to eat me.
    I had to fight. I kicked my legs in a panic as I swam toward the reef.
    I was nearer to the reef now. But the shark’s circles grew smaller, smaller.
    I breathed in quick, shallow gasps. I couldn’t think clearly. I was too
terrified. The same two words echoed in my brain: The shark. The shark.
    Over and over again. The shark. The shark.
    The shark swam around me in a tight circle. His tail swished, sending up
waves of water over me.
    The shark. The shark.
    I stared at the monster in wide-eyed horror. He swam so close, I could see
him clearly. He was big—at least ten feet long. His head was wide and hideous, long like the
head of a hammer, with an eye on each end.
    I heard my voice quivering, “No… no…”
    Something cold brushed my leg.
    The shark. The shark.
    My stomach lurched. I threw my head back and let out a howl of sheer terror.
    “Aaaaaiiii!”
    Pain jolted down my spine.
    The shark had bumped me with its snout. My body rose out of the water, then
hit the surface with a smack.
    I froze.
    The shark was hungry.
    It wanted to fight.
    It circled me again, then zoomed straight for me.
    Its jaws opened. I saw rows and rows of sharp teeth.
    I screamed out a hoarse, “NO!” I thrashed, panicked. I kicked with all my
strength.
    The razor teeth brushed by, just missing my leg.
    The reef. I had to get to the reef. It was my only chance.
    I dove for the coral. The shark plunged toward me. I dodged it once more.
    I grabbed the red coral. Pain shot through my hand. The fire coral.
    I didn’t care.
    The top of the reef sat just above the surface of the water. I tried to pull
myself up. My whole body stung.
    I had almost made it. Soon I’d be safe.
    With a mighty kick, I hoisted myself onto the reef—and was yanked back into
the water.
    My stomach slammed against the side of the reef. I felt a sharp stab