The Dragon in the Sea Read Online Free PDF Page B

dense thicket of coral that was black, but the rocks and the sand from which it sprang were black, too. The water was murky withglobules of what looked like tar floating in it. The dark place extended as far and as deep as any of them could see.
    “Should we check it out and see if there’s some sort of a path running through it?” Jesse asked.
    “I’m game,” said Emmy.
    “Wait!” said Daisy, putting up a hand. “Something’s coming.”
    Jesse squinted into the murky underwater forest. “It looks like a merman. Emmy, just to be safe, maybe you should mask.”
    The next thing they knew, in place of Emmy was a red fish the size of a full-grown dachshund, half head with its gaping mouth jam-packed with needle-sharp fangs. The only thing familiar about her was her big green eyes.
    “I get it!” said Jesse with a grin.
    “Get what?” Daisy said warily. “That our beautiful dragon’s turned into a vampire fish?”
    “She’s not a vampire fish. She’s a
dragon
fish,” Jesse said. “And look! She’s got bioluminescence, too. See that row of lights along her body? That light could come in handy in the dark. Good thinking, Emmy.”
    “We’d better work out a system of communication,” Daisy said. When Emmy masked as a sheepdog, one bark was “yes” and two was “no.”
    “I an alk,” Emmy said through her fangs.
    “You can talk!” Jesse said.
    “Sort of,” said Daisy.
    “I alk ine,” said Emmy.
    She sounded like a kid who had just gotten braces. “Ook out!”
    The merman emerged from the depths of the underwater forest. Unlike the one who had attacked Daisy yesterday, this one was beardless, a teenager with fair hair, but he had the same greenish skin and red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes.
    “Eeeoooo,” said Emmy.
    “He looks creepy, all right,” Jesse said.
    “Wait, you two,” Daisy said. “Be fair. Maybe not all the merpeople are muggers and rock thieves. Let’s give the guy a chance.”
    Daisy swam to the edge of the dark area and said to the merboy, “Hi. I’m Daisy. This is my cousin Jesse and our dragon, Emmy.”
    “Dragon
fish
,” Jesse corrected her hastily.
    “Right,” said Daisy. “Can you tell us what this place is?”
    “The Coral Jungle,” said the merboy. Something about the boy’s voice was off. Even the bubbles that came out of his mouth were greenish. The merboy lazily extended a hand toward Daisy, but she pulled back.
    “Hey,” Jesse said to the merboy, “you didn’t happen to see a rock around here anywhere, did you?” He knew how ridiculous this question sounded as soon as it came out of his mouth.
    “It was about yea big,” Daisy said, describing it with her hands. “It looks like a ball of oatmeal with golden specks in it.”
    “Um, Daise,” Jesse said, “I don’t think they have oatmeal down here.”
    “You are welcome to enter the jungle and look for your oatmeal ball,” the merboy said. “Please, be our guests.” He swam slowly backward, urging them to come along with him.
    “Um, no, thanks! We’re good!” said Daisy, hanging back.
    “Maybe we’ll drop by some other time,” Jesse put in.
    “Eee you ater,” said Emmy.
    The three visitors started to backstroke, slowly and steadily, putting distance between themselves and the merboy and the Coral Jungle.
    The merboy called after them in his dreamy voice, “Stay and visit the Coral Jungle.” But he didn’t swim after them.
    “Maybe he’s stuck there,” Jesse whispered to Daisy and Emmy.
    “We can only hope,” said Daisy.
    “Good zombie
grief
!” Jesse cried out.
    The three of them stopped swimming and looked. Suddenly, the Coral Jungle was writhing with movement. Merpeople, male and female, all of them green-faced and red-eyed, were moving forward through the brackish water, beckoning to them with their limp, greenish arms.
    “Yikes!” said Jesse. “An
army
of water zombies!”
    The army emerged from the Coral Jungle in a long, ragged line and began to advance slowly toward Jesse