Ch3-Attack!

CHAPTER THREE Attack! The underwater coral reef was huge, and the world around it was teeming with life. Seaweed waved in the gentle current. Pink and orange coral branched out in all directions. And hundreds of fish, as colorful as jelly beans, swam among the plants and the lacy coral. Jack saw sleek, skinny fish, spiny fish, and flat fish. He saw fish that looked like butterflies, porcupines, and spindly stars.

As he kept swimming and looking through his mask, Jack saw green turtles feeding on algae. He saw huge crabs, jellyfish, and even a stingray among the wavy grasses. But nothing Jack saw scared him, and none of the creatures seemed afraid of him, either. With his mask and flippers, Jack figured he looked like just another strange sea animal. A yellow-striped fish darted directly up to his mask, looked him in the eyes, then darted off again. A school of tiny

white fish swam over his body, tickling him like feathers. As he drifted around the reef, Jack saw orange starfish clustered over the coral ridges and tiny yellow sea horses bobbing near the coral branches. Annie would love those little horses, he thought. Annie! Jack had been having such a great time, he'd forgotten all about Annie! Treading water, he pulled the snorkel out of his mouth, lifted his mask, and looked around for her. The raft was far away. The offshore breeze had pushed it farther out to sea. Jack waved and shouted, "Annie!" Annie waved back. She paddled toward him. "Your turn!" Jack said, gasping, when he reached the raft. "How was it?" said Annie, pulling off her tunic. "Unbelievable!" said Jack, climbing aboard. "You're going to love it!" He put his glasses back on and pulled off his flippers. "It's like a beautiful garden! Turtles! Starfish. And look for the tiny yellow sea horses around the coral!"

"I can't wait!" said Annie, cramming her feet into her flippers. "Here." She handed Jack the paddle. "You have to paddle pretty hard—the wind's pushing the raft." "I noticed," said Jack. "Swim toward the beach, and you'll see the reef. I'll paddle after you. Then we'll head back to shore." "Good plan!" Annie pulled on her mask and stuck the snorkel in her mouth. Jack balanced the raft as Annie sat on the edge. "Have fun!" said Jack. The raft rocked as Annie slid into the water. She started swimming back toward the reef. Jack tried to follow close behind her, but the current kept pushing the raft farther out to sea. For a long time, he paddled hard just to stay in place. At one point, the current was so strong the raft turned sideways. Jack struggled to turn it back toward the beach. When he got the raft under control again, he looked back toward the reef area. He couldn't see Annie. The waves had gotten higher. The sea seemed vast, and not nearly as safe and friendly.

Jack looked in every direction. Finally he saw something farther out to sea. Can that be Annie's snorkel? Why would she swim so far out? he wondered. "Jack!" He turned around. Annie was bobbing on a wave not far from the raft. "It is incredible!" she shouted, holding up her mask. "Totally incredible!" "Come on! Get aboard!" Jack yelled. "We have to go back! The current's too strong! Or maybe the wind! Whatever, we have to get back!" Something else was bothering Jack—really bothering him. What was that thing I saw? He wondered. He turned and looked out to sea again. Jack froze in horror. That thing was still sticking up out of the water. Now it was closer, and he could see what it was. It was a fin, a large fin. The fin was slicing swiftly through the water, heading straight for them. "GET ON THE RAFT!" Jack screamed to Annie. "HURRY!" He began frantically paddling

toward her, struggling against the current. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw the huge fin still zigzagging toward them. "HURRY!" Jack shrieked. Annie flung herself toward the raft. Grabbing the side, she gasped for air. "What's wrong?" she sputtered. "Why are you freaking out?" "Just get on board!" he cried. "Why?" "Don't ask! Get on! Or die!" he yelled. Annie clambered aboard. "What is it?" she asked, pulling off her mask and snorkel. "What did you see?" "Look behind us!" Jack shouted. He was still struggling with the paddle, trying to point the raft toward shore. "Ahhhh! Shark!" Annie cried. "Jack, a shark!" "I know!" said Jack. "Let's go! Go!" cried Annie. "I'm trying!" said Jack. He looked over his shoulder. The shark fin moved toward them. Then it started to circle the raft.