8 Another Adventure

Chapter 8 Another Adventure Back on Wind Rider, Sofia went below to find a safe

place to put the broken turtle egg Laila had given them. She chose one of the wooden shelves next to the carved sea chest. The eggshell would be safe there, and she knew that every time she and Max saw it, they'd be reminded of this magical trip to Hawaii. When Sofia climbed back up the steps, she saw that Wind Rider was sliding slowly out of the cove and back into open water. She joined Max by the deck rail. The beam from the lighthouse flickered on the waves ahead, but no land was in sight. "Are you sure we can get back home like this?" she asked Max. He stepped up to the rail beside her. "The boat knows what to do. I can feel it," he said.

Moments later, a familiar gust of wind sent Sofia's

hair blowing across her face. When the deck beneath her feet lurched, she smiled widely. "Here we go," she said. Max had already gripped the rail. As the helm began to spin, he crouched low and called out, "Time to ride the wind!" As the deck rocked and the wind howled, Max squeezed his eyes shut and imagined the marina at Starry Bay. It had been an amazing adventure, but he was ready to go home. Then, just as suddenly as it had whipped up, the wind died down, and the boat was still. Max opened his eyes to daylight drenching the deck. But the boat's smooth planks looked weathered and warped again, and the tattered sail hung at a tilt. They were back where they'd started, in the mangrove forest. Sofia shielded her eyes and looked up at the sky. "The sun hasn't moved," she said. "It's like no time has passed at all." Max's freckled face broke into a smile. "Maybe it hasn't," he said. "Anything is possible when you've got a magic boat." As they climbed off Wind Rider's deck onto solid

ground, Max turned to give the hull one last pat. "I hope we can go on another adventure soon," he said. "Yes!" cried Sofia. "And maybe we can help other animals in trouble. But... how will we know when they need us?" Caw, caw! The seagull flew over her shoulder, so close that she felt the flap of its wings. As Sofia ducked, she laughed out loud. Max grinned. "I'm pretty sure our feathered friend will let us know when it's time to come back to the

boat." With one last caw, the gull flew over the mangrove forest toward the marina. Max and Sofia followed, pushing their way through the tangle of trees. When they came out into the open, everything seemed to be exactly the way they'd left it.