Purrmaids #6

by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

  Coral gulped. It was never good when Angel looked scared. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she said.

  Shelly looked nervous, too. But she shook her head. “We’ve been all over Tortoiseshell Reef,” she said. “We haven’t seen a trace of Sirena all afternoon. I think Coral was right when she said the mermicorns would probably be hiding.”

  “Except for that tangle of kelp, this is the best hiding spot I’ve seen all day,” Angel added.

  Coral looked down the tunnel again. She thought, Why do we always end up in the spooky places? But she squared her shoulders and turned to her friends. “We’ll take a quick look,” she said. “And we’ll stick together.”

  The girls entered the tunnel. “It’s really hard to see,” Shelly said.

  “I swam through too quickly last time to notice how little light there is,” Angel said.

  “Follow me,” Coral purred. She moved slowly, touching the wall as she went. Suddenly, she shrieked, “I can’t believe it!”

  “What?” Shelly asked.

  It was so dark it looked like the wall of the tunnel was right there. But when Coral reached out to touch the wall, there was actually a hole in the side of the tunnel. “I think I found…a secret entrance!”

  “What do you mean?” Angel asked. “I don’t see anything.”

  “It’s hard to see because there’s no light,” Coral replied. “But there’s no wall here.” She floated forward. And she was right! “There’s another tunnel!”

  “Should we explore?” Shelly asked.

  “That’s what we’re here to do!” Coral laughed. She craned her neck. The water in the distance was brighter, like it was open to sunlight. “I think I see the end of the tunnel.”

  “Don’t leave us behind,” Angel said. She and Shelly hurried to catch up to Coral. “We all do this together.”

  The purrmaids used their paws to feel for the walls of the secret tunnel. They reached the end and swam out slowly.

  The girls knew the other tunnel led to a geyser. But this one took them to a large cave. The rock walls reached the surface of the ocean. But it wasn’t dark because sunlight filtered in through openings at the top.

  “This looks almost exactly like Tortoiseshell Reef,” Coral said.

  “That’s because it’s a part of Tortoiseshell Reef,” someone said.

  Coral thought she recognized the voice. But she spun around quickly to make sure. “Sirena!” she cried. “We’ve been trying to find you. But you found us!”

  “We found each other!” Sirena giggled. She hugged each of her purrmaid friends. “I’m so happy you came to see me. Welcome to Ponyfish Grotto!”

  Coral’s eyes grew wide. “This is Ponyfish Grotto?” she asked.

  “There are no other caves in Tortoiseshell Reef,” Sirena said.

  “We didn’t even know this cave was here!” Shelly said.

  “Purrmaids think Ponyfish Grotto is the area outside the tunnel,” Angel added.

  Sirena looked confused. “Then how did you find me?” she asked.

  “We discovered the entrance to the grotto!” Coral laughed. “We’ve been searching for things all afternoon. Our homework tonight was a scavenger hunt,” she said. “Mermicorns weren’t on the list, but we looked for you anyway.”

  “I’m glad you did,” Sirena replied. “I want to introduce you to my parents. And to my little brother, Clyde. He’s just a foal. He can be annoying, but he’s really cute.”

  “I understand.” Coral giggled. “I have a little brother, too.” She put a paw around Sirena’s waist and squeezed. “It’s paw-some to see you again!”

  Just then, someone shouted, “Get away from my daughter!”

  The girls spun around. A mermicorn was speeding toward them. Her red-and-gold mane flowed behind her, and her coppery scales glistened in the light. Coral would have thought she was beautiful—if she didn’t look so scared! “Please don’t hurt her,” the mermicorn cried.

  Sirena darted in front of the purrmaids. “Mom!” she yelled. “No one is hurting me!”

  “I saw her grab you!” the mermicorn replied. She pulled Sirena away from the purrmaids. “I was so frightened!”

  “She’s afraid of Coral?” Angel whispered. “No one’s afraid of Coral!”

  “We were just talking, Mom,” Sirena said. “These are my friends Coral, Shelly, and Angel. They helped me get home to Seadragon Bay when I was lost. Girls, this is my mother, Mrs. Cheval.”

  Coral, Angel, and Shelly waved at Sirena’s mother. “Sirena did tell us that purrmaids helped her get home,” Mrs. Cheval said. “But we weren’t sure what she saw.” She shrugged. “I always thought creatures who are half-cat and half-mermaid were just make-believe.”

  Coral grinned. “That’s what we used to think about mermicorns!”

  Mrs. Cheval smiled. “I owe you girls an apology,” she said. “I’m sorry I thought you were hurting my daughter. It’s just that mermicorns have to be so careful. We usually stay hidden away from other sea creatures. There are so many dangers in the ocean.”

  The purrmaids nodded. Angel said, “Sirena told us that when we met.”

  “That’s why we didn’t tell anyone else in Kittentail Cove about Seadragon Bay,” Coral said.

  “We didn’t even tell them about meeting a mermicorn,” Shelly said.

  “That’s really kind,” Mrs. Cheval said. “Sirena has very good friends. I’m glad you found each other.”

  “Mom,” Sirena said, “I want my friends to meet Dad and Clyde. Where are they?”

  Mrs. Cheval thought for a moment. “They went out earlier to collect silver tower shells,” she said.

  “I love silver tower shells!” Sirena exclaimed. “They’re fin-tastic. They look just like mermicorn horns. But they are very rare.” She turned to her mother. “How many did Dad and Clyde bring back?”

  “I don’t know if they are back,” Mrs. Cheval said. She frowned. “I hope nothing happened to them.” She swam out into the tunnels with Sirena on her tail. The purrmaids left their bags against the grotto wall and followed the mermicorns. Out in Tortoiseshell Reef, Mrs. Cheval asked, “Do you see any mermicorns?”

  Sirena, Shelly, and Angel said no. Coral didn’t see anything, either—but she thought she might have heard something. “Quiet!” she cried. “I think someone is shouting.”

  Coral held up a paw for silence just like Ms. Harbor did at sea school. After a moment, Angel whispered, “I hear it, too.”

  “It sounds like it’s coming from that kelp,” Coral said. She pointed to the seaweed they’d noticed earlier.

  “Let’s go check it out,” Shelly said.

  But Mrs. Cheval held the girls back. “There could be anything in there!” she said. “What if it’s dangerous?”

  Whoever was stuck in the kelp shouted again. But this time, he was louder. “Help!” he cried.

  Someone else yelled, “I’m trying, son!”

  “That sounds like Clyde and Dad!” Sirena cried. “We have to go to them!”

  This time, Mrs. Cheval nodded. The group raced toward the kelp tangle. It was so overgrown that it looked like a solid wall.

  As they got closer, Coral noticed something else. There were plastic straws, bags, and nets twisted into the seaweed. “Look at all this garbage,” she said.

  “I never noticed any of this stuff before,” Angel said.

  “Me neither,” Shelly said.

  “Can we clean up later?” Sirena asked. She was close to tears. “I want to find my family!”

  “Of course,” Coral purred. “That’s what we’re here for.”

  The yelling started again. The group followed the sound and swam around the tangle of seaweed. When they turned the corner, they saw a flowing silver mane. A mermicorn floated near the kelp, pushing at it
with his hooves. “Dad!” Sirena exclaimed.

  Sirena and Mrs. Cheval darted toward the silver-maned mermicorn. They pulled him into a hug. “Where have you been?” Sirena asked.

  “And where is our son?” Mrs. Cheval asked.

  Mr. Cheval was about to answer when he noticed the purrmaids. He looked just as scared as Mrs. Cheval had been. “Watch out!” he warned. His nostrils flared and he snorted. “I’ll try to chase them away!”

  “No, Dad!” Sirena yelled. “We don’t have time to explain right now. Those are purrmaids. They’re my friends.”

  “We’re only here to help,” Coral said.

  Mr. Cheval looked at his daughter and then at the purrmaids. Before he could say anything, the voice behind the kelp shouted, “Help me! I’m trapped.”

  “Please just trust me, Dad,” Sirena said. “We have to help Clyde now!”

  Mr. Cheval nodded. “You’re right,” he neighed. He pointed to the kelp tangle. “Clyde is behind this seaweed. He slipped in somehow, and now he can’t get out. I’ve been looking for a way to reach him. But I can’t find a hole big enough for me to fit!”

  “Clyde was able to swim in,” Coral said. “That means there has to be a way. Look for a secret entrance!”

  The purrmaids and mermicorns examined the seaweed closely. There were a few spots where a paw or a hoof could slide in. But no one could find the passage that Clyde must have used.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Coral saw some moving bottle caps near her tail. More hermit crabs, she thought. The crabs climbed up a frond of seaweed and then darted into the tangle. Then Coral saw more bottle-cap crabs near the top of the kelp tangle. They scrambled down the seaweed and darted inside as well—but in a different spot than the crabs from below.

  Coral swam closer. Then she gasped. “I found it!”

  Just like the tunnel to Ponyfish Grotto, the shadows in the seaweed made it look solid. But there was an opening leading to a narrow tunnel. “I think this is the way Clyde went,” Coral said.

  Everyone gathered around Coral. “You might be right,” Sirena said. She began to swim into the tunnel. But only her head and neck fit in the hole. “I’m too big!”

  “Then your father and I will never fit,” Mrs. Cheval whinnied.

  “Sirena? Is that you?” Clyde’s voice called. It was louder than before.

  We must be really close, Coral thought.

  Angel studied the opening. “This is too small for all of you,” she said. “Only a really small mermicorn could fit.”

  “Or maybe a purrmaid?” Coral suggested.

  “You’re closer to Clyde’s size than we are,” Mrs. Cheval said.

  “One of us can try to reach him,” Shelly said.

  “I’ll do it!” Angel offered. She tried to swim into the hole. She got farther than Sirena. But then she stopped. “It’s starting to get really tight. I hope I don’t get stuck.”

  Coral gulped. Angel was smaller than Sirena. But I’m even smaller than Angel, she thought. She knew which purrmaid had the best chance of getting through the kelp. She shouted, “Angel, stop!” She took a deep breath. “Let me try. I’m the smallest one here. If anyone can get to Clyde, it’ll be me.”

  Coral peeked into the hole in the kelp. There were more crabs scurrying into the opening. There were fish swimming inside, too. But more important, there were ocean creatures swimming out of the tunnel. Coral thought, If they can do it, so can I!

  “We believe in you, Coral,” Shelly whispered.

  “You’ve already saved one creature today,” Angel added. “We know you can do it again.”

  Coral smiled at her friends and purred, “I’ll be right back!” It sounded braver than she was feeling. But she knew she had to try to help Clyde. She entered the tunnel and called, “I’m coming to get you, Clyde!”

  “Who are you?” Clyde replied. “Where’s my family?”

  Coral listened to Clyde’s voice. It was even louder. She was getting closer. “I’m Coral,” she said. “Your family is outside. They were too big to reach you, so they sent me.”

  It was getting very dark in the tunnel. Coral felt her way through. Suddenly, her paw caught on something. “Eek!” she squealed.

  “Are you all right?” Clyde yelled.

  “I think so,” Coral answered. She brought her paw close to her face. There was a fishing net twisted around it. “More garbage,” she muttered. “It’s everywhere.” She ripped the net open with her claws and held onto the pieces. “Now no one else will get caught on this.”

  “Are you still coming for me, Coral?” Clyde asked.

  “Yes, I am!” Coral shouted. “I can hear you really well now. I think I’m almost there!”

  The tunnel was getting narrower. But Coral squeezed through toward Clyde’s voice. Finally, she reached a hollow part inside the kelp tangle. That’s where she found Clyde!

  “I’m here!” Coral called.

  Clyde’s eyes grew wide. “You—you’re a…purrmaid!” he stammered. “Sirena told me about you!”

  Coral grinned. “Sirena is my friend. That’s why I’m here to get you out!”

  Clyde frowned. “I’m stuck,” he said. “I can’t swim like this.”

  It was brighter in the hollow than in the tunnel, but Coral still had to swim closer to see. When she did, she gasped. There were plastic six-pack rings and fishing nets looped and knotted around Clyde’s hooves and tail. “What happened?” she asked.

  Clyde shrugged. “I was out with my dad collecting tower shells. That’s when I discovered the tunnel in the kelp. I thought it would be an adventure! But when I swam inside, I got all these things on me. At first, it was fine. But the farther I went, the more stuff got stuck. By the time I got here, I was in a twisted, knotted mess!” he moaned. He lowered his head. “I don’t have anything to cut through the plastic. I can’t get myself free.”

  “But I can do it!” Coral laughed. She flashed Clyde her claws. “I know what to do!”

  It took Coral a while to cut every piece of plastic that was tangled around Clyde. As soon as she was done, Clyde popped up and twirled in the water. “I’m free! Thank you!” he exclaimed.

  Coral carefully gathered all the plastic. She wanted to make sure she could throw it away properly later. Then she turned to Clyde. “There’s still a lot of trash in the tunnel. Be careful when you’re swimming out. Go slowly so you don’t get too tangled up,” she said. “Let’s get you back to your family!”

  Clyde nodded and followed Coral. The two moved carefully toward the open ocean.

  As soon as Angel and Shelly saw Coral’s face poking through the seaweed, they swam to her. They grabbed her paws and pulled her out. “Coral!” Shelly said. “We were worried!”

  Before Coral could say anything, Clyde wriggled out of the kelp. The mermicorns rushed over. They wrapped Clyde in a group hug. “Oh, Clyde,” Mrs. Cheval whinnied. “You’re safe!”

  Sirena let go of her family. “You saved him,” she said to Coral, hugging her friend.

  “Yeah, Coral,” Angel said. “You’re a sea turtle superhero and a mermicorn superhero!”

  “I think she’s just an ocean superhero,” Shelly said.

  Coral felt her face growing hot. “I’m glad I was small enough to help,” she said.

  “And I’m glad you were brave enough,” Sirena said.

  Mr. and Mrs. Cheval gave each purrmaid a hug. “We’re lucky that you three were here,” Mr. Cheval said. “Mermicorns can’t cut through plastic the way you can.”

  “We try to keep the ocean clean so we don’t get stuck like Clyde did,” Mrs. Cheval added. “You girls helped do that today.”

  Clyde swam up to Coral. “I want to thank you,” he said. “And I want you to have these.” He held something out to her.

  “Are these silve
r tower shells?” Coral asked.

  Clyde nodded. “They’re really hard to find. I want you to have these three for saving me.”

  Coral took the shells and held them for Angel and Shelly to see. They looked like purr-fect silver models of Sirena’s horn.

  “Since these shells are rare, can they count as our discovery?” Shelly asked. “That is the only part of the scavenger hunt we haven’t finished.”

  Coral scratched her head. “They are rare. But we didn’t really discover them,” she said.

  “But you did discover the mermicorns who discovered them!” Sirena said.

  “I think that counts!” Angel laughed.

  Suddenly, Coral had an idea. “You know what else?” she asked. “These shells will be purr-fect for our friendship bracelets.”

  “You’re right!” Angel said.

  “We can attach them as soon as we get back to Kittentail Cove,” Shelly said.

  “That way we’ll always remember this scavenger hunt,” Angel said.

  “What a day!” Coral exclaimed. “New discoveries, secret entrances, saving lives…and we even finished all of our homework!”

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