Shipwreck Island by S. A. Bodeen Page B

the careening motion of the boat, he wasn’t sure how safe being inside actually was.
    And what was that crash they heard?
    He swung his flashlight back down into the cabin. His mom’s face was pale, and her eyes were shut as her lips moved silently, praying, he supposed. She had an arm tightly around Nacho’s shoulder, his face hidden, buried in her chest, while Sarah sank down to the floor at the bottom of the stairs and cried.
    Marco felt a little like crying himself. He was scared, more afraid than he’d ever been. The unknown: that was the thing that made his heart pound; the unpredictable nature of … well … nature.
    And the helplessness. That frightened him too. No matter how skilled or experienced or talented Captain Norm was at sailing, it was possible the storm would win; take the boat down. And with it, all of them.
    He needed to help.
    Marco shoved his shoulder into the hatch, braced his legs, and pushed.
    â€œMarco!” his mom yelled. “What are you doing?”
    He didn’t answer. Instead he focused on the door and managed to crack it open enough to jam his foot in the door. He shoved his way through, and the wind slammed the hatch behind him.
    Rain and seawater pelted him in the face, forcing him to squint against the deluge. Suddenly, hands gripped him. John’s face was in his. “What are you doing?” he shouted. “You need to go back down!”
    With the back of his free hand, Marco swiped the water out of his eyes and peered behind John. The cracked mast had fallen sideways and lay across the deck. Ahab was there by the mast, perched over something.
    Something? Or …
    Marco couldn’t breathe and his eyes widened.
    Ahab was licking his master’s face. Captain Norm lay on the deck, motionless.
    Marco’s mouth fell open.
    John grabbed him by the shoulders. The storm was so loud he had to shout into Marco’s face to even be heard. “Norm is gone! I have to try and call for help.”
    â€œDidn’t he already do that?” yelled Marco, choking on the water that blasted into his mouth whenever he opened it.
    John didn’t answer. He grabbed on to the fallen mast for balance and made his way over to Ahab. He took hold of the dog’s collar and dragged him back to Marco. “Get him below!”
    Marco gripped him, but Ahab was determined to go back to Norm. The deck was glutted with water, and Marco’s feet slipped out from under him, but he held on to the dog’s collar. Ahab tried to drag him back over to the skipper, but John got behind the dog and pushed. Marco got to his knees, and they managed to pull open the door and get the dog inside before the hatch blew shut again. Marco stood outside, a fierce roaring in his ears as the storm beat at him.
    â€œMarco!” yelled John.
    Marco faced his stepdad.
    John said, “Don’t tell them! About the skipper. Not yet! Okay?”
    Marco nodded. They pulled the hatch open and Marco slipped inside. Sarah knelt beside Ahab, wiping him with a kitchen towel. His mom grabbed Marco’s arm, her eyes darting all over his face. “Are you okay?”
    He had barely nodded when she added, “Don’t do that again!”
    Nacho told him, “I thought you weren’t coming back!”
    Marco set a hand on Nacho’s head. “Sorry. Can’t get rid of me that easy.”
    A few minutes later, the hatch slammed and Marco jumped as Nacho cried out and both his mom and Sarah shrieked.
    John nearly fell back down the stairs, soaked to the bone, his eyes wide. “He’s gone.”
    â€œWho?” asked Sarah.
    John was panting, and had to stop and breathe before speaking again. “The skipper. Norm.” He shook his head, and droplets of water flew from his hair. “He’s gone.”
    Marco was confused.
    John had told him to wait, and now he was telling them? Before he could open his mouth, his stepfather looked at him.