4 Under the Sea

CHAPTER 4

Under the Sea Lucas plunged deep into the sea. The water bubbled past him as he sank below the surface. Down and down he went. He opened his eyes as he fell, and what he saw was enchanting. There, on the ocean floor, stood a magical kingdom made of shimmering coral. I must be dreaming, he thought. He stared at the glittering towers, arches, and bridges beneath him. He noticed a young mermaid with long, flowing black hair peeking out from behind one of the windows.

His mouth dropped open. This must be the kingdom of the mermaids! he exclaimed to himself. The mermaid girl smiled at him. Lucas tried to smile back, but he needed to get to the surface—and fast. He was running out of air! He spied the bottom of the raft and began to swim toward it. It suddenly looked very far away. Then he felt something grab his arm. And there, next to him, was the mermaid girl from the window. She flicked her

tail and swam Lucas back to the world above. As soon as his head broke the surface, he heard Clara's cries. "Lucas!" shouted Clara when she saw her friend. Lucas grabbed hold of the raft. His clothes felt heavy as he pulled himself on board. "Oh, thank goodness!" she cried. "Are you okay?" "I think so," Lucas said, gasping for breath.

Then he looked toward the shore. Mermaid's Cove was almost completely out of sight.

"We need to get back before we lose sight of the mainland," he said. "Let's lie down on our stomachs and paddle with our hands." They both lay down and paddled like sea turtles. The little raft began to move forward. Then it began to pick up speed.