Ch10-Into the Dawn

CHAPTER TEN Into the Dawn "Not again!" Jack cried. "Didn't Heart-of-the-Wind wish for a safe ride?" "I don't know!" said Annie. "I thought I made it clear!" The shark fin sliced through the sea, following the swiftly moving raft. Jack didn't know what to do. They'd used their last coin! He stared in shock at the huge fin.

Though the shark seemed to be keeping its distance, it swam steadily after the raft. "Maybe he won't attack!" said Annie. Annie had barely said these words before the shark shot forward, its humongous body rising above the surface of the sea. It was as big as a whale! Its brown skin was speckled with white spots. It had a flattened head with a blunt snout and a huge mouth at least five feet wide! The shark dipped under the raft! Then the raft was lifted into the air and held aloft. The raft was sitting on the back of the shark! "AHHHH!" screamed Jack and Annie. They grabbed each other and held on tightly. As the raft teetered back and forth on the shark's back, Jack expected to be hurled into the waves. He closed his eyes, waiting for the worst. But nothing bad happened. The raft kept going, and the wind kept blowing. "Open your eyes, Jack!" Annie said. Jack opened his eyes. Swimming close to the surface of the water, the shark perfectly balanced

the raft on its back.

"What is he doing?" said Jack. "I don't know!" shouted Annie. "Maybe he's taking us to Cozumel! Maybe that's what Heart-of-the-Wind wished for!" "What?" cried Jack. "For a shark to help us have a fun, safe ride!" shouted Annie. "That's crazy!" cried Jack. "It's wonderful!" said Annie.

Wonderful? thought Jack. Riding on the back of a monster shark? "I'll bet he's a friendly shark!" cried Annie. "Look up sharks in the travel guide!" "Oh, brother," said Jack. But as the shark gently carried them across the waves, he reached into the bag and pulled out their travel guide. With the wind whipping the pages, he looked in the index for shark. His eyes caught two words: shark, whale. "Whale shark! That's it!" Jack shouted. He found the right page and read aloud: The whale shark is the biggest fish in the world. Every year, hundreds of these gigantic creatures migrate to waters off the Yucatán. Whale sharks eat only sea plants and fish and do not harm people. In fact, sometimes these gentle giants allow divers to hitch a ride. "See! I told you!" cried Annie. "Whale sharks don't harm people. This is the miracle Heart-of-the-Wind wanted to give us!"

Holding the raft on his back, the giant shark kept swimming across the Caribbean, heading into the light of the sunrise. Overhead, seagulls, terns, and pelicans careened and cawed raucously. They seemed to be laughing at the shark swimming with the raft on his back. Jack began to relax and enjoy himself. The nutty seabirds, the salty air, and the giant shark's speedy rolling motion through the water, rising and falling with the waves, made the ride extra spectacular. Jack wanted it to last forever. "Land ho!" Annie shouted. Jack shaded his eyes and squinted at the horizon. In the distance he could see Cozumel— the sugary-white sand, the stone pyramid, and the palm trees. When they drew close to shore, the shark dipped lower in the water, leaving the raft floating on the surface for a moment. Then the raft began skimming across the sea on its own, heading for the beach, until finally it came to rest on the hard, wet sand.