by Cary Fagan
“But pretending is fun. You mean that you never do it?”
“I don’t even know how. It’s for kids.”
“We are kids. Besides, would you really send me back out there when my brother’s still mad about his baseball? Let me stay a little longer and I’ll show you how to pretend. You might like it.”
How had this happened? Renata had been looking forward to a nice long stretch of time by herself. And here she was dealing with Livingston Flott. Still, it couldn’t hurt to try just once. Then she would send him home.
“Okay, fine,” she said. “What do we do?”
“First of all, we make you the captain.” Livingston saluted. “Permission to board the Submarine Super Cool, captain?”
“The Submarine Super Cool? We never agreed to call it that.”
“But the words are right on the side. See?”
Livingston took a black marker out of his pocket. He went over to the box and above the words Super Cool he wrote “Submarine” in crooked letters.
Renata sighed. “Oh all right. I’ll go in first.” She got down on her knees and crawled inside, with Livingston coming up behind her. She sat with her legs crossed. Being near the front, Renata was sitting at the steering wheel while Livingston sat next to the control panel.
“Now give me an order,” he said.
“Um, let me think. Okay, check the old radio dial.”
“You mean the pressure gauge?”
“Fine, the pressure gauge.”
“Pressure normal,” Livingston said.
“And the one next to it.”
“Oxygen tanks full.”
This pretending still felt kind of silly to Renata. What should she say next? She scratched her head. “Since this is the first run, we want to go easy on the sub. We’ll head out from shore and go twenty feet down, make a circle and come back.”
“Aye aye, captain.”
“Main engines on.”
Livingston snapped a switch. “Main engines on!”
Renata heard a low rumble. That was strange, she thought. Maybe someone outside was starting up a lawn mower.
The rumble got louder.
The box began to tremble.
“Fly, stop shaking us.”
“I’m not. I thought you were doing it.”
“You’re so fidgety, you don’t even know when you’re bouncing up and down! Now what’s that sound?”
Renata could hear a gurgling noise and then a sort of rush. She leaned toward the porthole and stared. Water was pouring into the house through the open windows! How could that be?
“Uh, Fly, would you look out there and tell me what you see.”
“Sure.” He peered out the porthole. “I see water gushing into your house. Cool!”
“Cool? My parents aren’t going to think so! Look, the water is rising over the porthole! Are we leaking anywhere?”
“Negative, captain. We seem to be in ship-shape. May I suggest we start the propeller?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Propeller on!”
Livingston pressed a button. There was a sort of whirr and then the cardboard box began to move through the water. When Renata next looked out the porthole, she saw their coffee table float by. The water was rising quickly.
“We’re going to smash into the ceiling!” Fly said. “You better steer this thing.”
Renata was going to say that the steering wheel didn’t really work. But instead she grabbed it and turned it to the left, aiming the box, or the submarine, or whatever it was, toward the open window. They did move left! Was the window big enough for them to pass through? As they moved forward, she could hear them bang into one side of the window. But a moment later they were through. Renata looked through the porthole again.
She saw a school of silver fish swim by.
They were being followed by a squid. A big squid.
“Fly,” she said in a hushed voice. “Do you see what I see?”
“Man, do I ever, Wolfie. A pretty nice view of the ocean.”
CHAPTER 5
Something Out There
“Nice view?” Renata looked at Livingston. “You really don’t think this is weird? We were making a pretend submarine. How can a refrigerator box travel underwater?”
“How do I know? It’s not like this has ever happened to me before, either. But I say we should just go with it.”
“But this isn’t logical,” Renata protested. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Who cares if it’s logical? It’s fun! Look outside, Wolfie. It’s amazing.”
Renata leaned toward the porthole and together they gazed out. “Hey,” she said, “a clown fish!”
She and Livingston watched as the orange- and white-striped fish darted back and forth. “It’s so beautiful,” said Renata. “They live among poisonous sea anemones. The poison doesn’t affect them. Isn’t that cool?”
“This is such a special moment,” Livingston said. “I feel a song coming on.”
“Please don’t, Fly.”
But he was already strumming his guitar.
I think the ocean is really swell
Even if no one can hear you yell.
This is the place where lobsters dwell,
And what they’re thinking,
I sure can’t tell…
“Uh, that’s great, Fly, really,” Renata said. “But maybe you should go easy on our oxygen supply.”
“True. How about we have a snack? Ocean travel makes me hungry.” He picked up the lunch box and opened it. “Cookie?”
“No thanks.”
Livingston took a bite. “Are you sure?” he mumbled. “It’s good.”
“All right, then. Pass me one.”
Livingston took out the other cookie and held it like a Frisbee. He threw it toward her and she just managed to catch it. Renata took a bite. Livingston was right, exploring the ocean did make a person hungry. Just then something bonked her on the head.
“Ow!”
It was a juice box.
“Sorry, Wolfie. I thought you were looking. I bet we’re the first kids ever to eat cookies in a submarine.”
“Especially one they built themselves.” They ate their cookies and sucked on the bent straws. Just as she finished, Renata saw something through the porthole. She wasn’t close enough to see well so she nudged the submarine forward.
“There’s something out there. You better come and look. It’s white and round. What is it?”
Livingston came over. They waited for whatever it was to come into better view. “Unbelievable,” Livingston said. “That’s my brother’s baseball!”
CHAPTER 6
Taking a Swim
Renata and Livingston watched the baseball as it floated along. It was going in the same direction as them at the same speed.
“But how did it get in the ocean?” Renata asked.
“Well, it was stuck under the house.” Livingston shrugged. “Maybe the water dislodged it. This is a great chance.”
“A chance for what?”
“A chance to get the baseball back, of course. Then I can give it to my brother. It’ll save my life.”
Renata shook her head. “The baseball is out there. And we’re in here. How do you propose we get it?”
“Simple,” Livingston said. “You take a little swim.”
“Me?”
“You want to see what the ocean is like, don’t you?”
“I’m pretty sure you need oxygen tanks to stay underwater.”
“We can fix some up. There must be something in that plastic bin of stuff. Let me check.”
Livingston pushed himself over to the bin. He began tossing things out—a Ping-Pong paddle, a cowboy hat, a hand puppet, swim fins. “Hmm, none of these things are right. Wait a minute, what about the bin itself?”
He dumped everything out and turned the bin upside down. “It’s even clear so you can see through it. Just put this over your head.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
<
br /> “Hey, if a cardboard box can be a submarine, I don’t see why a plastic bin won’t work as a diving helmet. And while you’re at it, you might as well put on these swim fins.”
Renata had to admit that it did make a strange kind of sense. She put the bin over her head and then pulled on the swim fins. “Wait a second. What if I float too far away?”
“Good point.” Livingston began digging in the pile of stuff. “Aha!” He pulled out a long plastic skipping rope. “Tie one end to your ankle. I’ll hold onto the other end so that I can pull you back into the sub.”
So Renata tied one end to herself, making sure the knot wouldn’t come undone. “I have to go out through the back flaps of the box. You close them up again fast so the water doesn’t come in.”
“Will do, Captain Wolfie. Might I suggest you take one last thing with you?”
“What’s that?”
From the pile Livingston took out a baseball glove. She nodded and slipped it on her hand. Then she moved toward the back of the box. She held up one finger. Two fingers. Three fingers. Then she pushed through the flaps and dove into the water.
What was the ocean like? Cold and wet. Renata let herself float. Yes, she really could breathe in the junk-bin helmet.
Renata looked up. She couldn’t see the surface, which meant that they were deep. Turning over, she saw something moving slowly along. She wondered if she ought to be scared, and then she saw what it was. A sea turtle! Slowly it moved its flippers like the oars of a rowboat, turning toward Renata and bobbing its head as if in greeting as it went past. Amazing!
She turned to see if Livingston was watching from the porthole. He was making faces at her and pointing. Oh right—she was supposed to get the baseball!
The baseball had floated farther away. Renata kicked with her fins and glided toward it. But something tugged at her, holding her back. It was the skipping rope. She had stretched it to the limit.
She reached out her hand with the glove on it as far as she could toward the baseball. Still she couldn’t reach it. She stretched even farther, afraid the skipping rope would snap, but it was just enough for the ball to float right into the glove. She looked back at Livingston, who gave her a thumbs-up.
Still holding the ball, she let herself drift. After all, Renata loved to be alone and this was about as alone as a person could get. And it felt good, at least for a while. And then it didn’t feel as good. In fact, it felt kind of sad. The ocean, Renata thought, is really, really big. Could she actually be feeling…lonely? That feeling other people said they had all the time?
She turned to the porthole and was glad to see Livingston still there. She motioned for him to pull her in. The skipping rope yanked at her ankle, pulling her backward. She felt like a fish on a line. The flaps opened and one last yank pulled her inside. Livingston closed them again.
Renata pulled the bin off her head. She shook herself like a dog coming in from the rain.
“You did it!” cried Livingston. “You got the baseball. Way to go, Wolfie. But now you’re dripping all over the place.”
“I can’t do much about that. I’ll just have to drip dry.” She took off the fins and untied the skipping rope and put everything back in the bin. Meanwhile, Livingston was looking out of the porthole again.
His eyes grew wide.
“Now what?” Renata asked.
CHAPTER 7
Flying Breakfast!
Renata joined Livingston at the porthole. Sure enough, there was something moving toward them.
Something big.
Something really, really big.
It was definitely another submarine, made of gleaming metal. But it was a submarine in the shape of what, exactly?
“Hey, Wolfie,” said Livingston. “Does that look like a giant toaster to you?”
That’s exactly what it looked like to Renata. All she could do was nod as she watched the giant toaster sub get closer.
“Do you think it’s friendly?” Livingston asked nervously. “After all, everybody likes toast. How could a toaster sub not be friendly?”
“I hope you’re right,” Renata managed to say, “because it’s coming directly at us.”
At that moment a screechy sound came from somewhere inside their own cardboard submarine. Renata and Fly both turned toward the toy television screen.
Bright lines shot across the screen. The screeching got louder. And then an image appeared. It was the image of a face. It was round and bald and had a black patch over one eye, a scruffy beard and a three-cornered hat.
The awful screeching changed. It sounded like words coming from the face, but the words were impossible to understand.
“Archoo…vizzy…shooop…”
“What is that thing?” cried Livingston.
“It looks just like my Uncle Bob,” said Renata. “Except my uncle doesn’t have a beard or an eye patch.”
“Is your uncle a pirate?” asked Livingston. “Because that’s what he looks like to me. Only I never heard of a pirate in a submarine before.”
“Attention,” said the face on the screen. “I am Pirate Bob. I control this ocean and you are not welcome here. But you have something that I want. I will not destroy you if you give it to me.”
Renata asked, “What do you want?”
“I search the ocean for treasure but I’m tired of gold and silver. You have something special. It is white and round.”
“The baseball?”
“Exactly.”
Renata wiped her forehead in relief. “Well, if that’s all you want, you can have it. We’ll throw it out to you.”
“No we won’t!” shouted Livingston.
“Yes we will!” Renata hissed at him.
“That’s my brother’s lucky baseball. He caught it at a real baseball game. I have to give it back to him.”
“You would rather we have to fight that sub? It’s a hundred times bigger than ours.”
“I’m telling you, Wolfie, you don’t know my brother. He’s even scarier than that guy.”
Renata sighed. This is exactly what happens, she thought, when you agree to play with somebody else. “Fine,” she said out loud. “But don’t blame me for what happens. Sorry, Mr. Pirate, but we’re keeping the ball.”
The most horrible screech yet came from the screen. “What! You defy me? You will regret this.”
“Actually,” said Renata, “I regret it already.”
“Prepare for an attack!” cried the face. The face broke up and disappeared from the screen.
“Maybe he’s bluffing,” said Livingston. “I bet he just goes away.”
They both turned to look out the porthole. All the lights on the toaster sub turned red.
“Do you want to bet?” Renata asked.
Two objects flew out of the top of the sub. They were tall and thin and square. They looked like…giant pieces of toast! And they were moving through the water right toward them.
“The S.S. Super Cool is under attack!” cried Livingston. “What should we do, captain?”
“How do I know? Hold onto something!”
The first piece of toast sailed right past them. But the corner of the second one banged against the box, sending it into a spin. “Ahh!” cried Livingston as he was thrown to the floor. “Hit by breakfast food!”
Renata grabbed the steering wheel and managed to hold on, although she got banged about. “I don’t see any other way,” she said. “We’re just going to have to work together.”
“You mean like a team?” Livingston clasped the edge of the control panel. “You mean like friends?”
“This is no time for a discussion. I’m going to point us toward the ocean surface. We’ve got to outrun that giant sub. When I say so, you hit the main engine and the toilet paper rolls—I mean the boosters—at the same time. If we can take him by surprise, I think we’ll have a chance.”
“You mean we should just run away?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Sounds go
od to me.”
“On my count,” Renata said. “One, two—”
“He’s firing more toast!”
“THREE!”
Livingston hit buttons. He hit switches. He hit everything. There was a tremendous groan and roar as they shot forward and up. Both of them were thrown backward. Renata had to make her way back to the wheel.
The Submarine Super Cool powered up through the ocean, leaving the giant toaster sub behind.
CHAPTER 8
Floating Furniture
Renata and Livingston continued at top speed, eager to get away from the maniacal pirate with his deadly toast. Renata held tight to the steering wheel. How did she know the way back to her own house? She didn’t. All she could do was head for the surface. She watched through the porthole as they passed a hammerhead shark and a giant jellyfish. Every so often she had to maneuver around pieces of junk that thoughtless humans had dumped into the ocean—an old DVD player, a sofa and even a toilet.
“People are such slobs,” she said. “We make the ocean our garbage can.”
“True enough, Wolfie,” said Livingston. “Hey, my guitar wasn’t hurt by all that bouncing around. I think this calls for a new song.”
“That’s really not necessary.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” He began to strum.
He had a beard and an eye patch too,
And for all I know, he wore one shoe
And ate for his lunch a bowl of goo.
But our fearless captain knew what to do!
We hit the gas and away we flew…
“I hate to interrupt,” said Renata, “but isn’t that the surface above us?”
They looked out the porthole. Yes, there was the surface of the ocean with the sun glinting off it. To Renata, it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.
“You know what they say about voyages,” said Livingston. “It’s good to go and it’s good to come home again. That is, if we can find our way home. Hey, here’s one switch I haven’t tried. I wonder what it does.”
“I don’t think it’s the time to find out.”