Gramps’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. After a few seconds, he gently touched the shell.
“It couldn’t be the same one,” he muttered.
“What do you mean?” asked Mom.
“When Dunn was in the hospital, the medicine woman put a necklace like this around his neck,” said Gramps. “It was a long time ago.”
“It is the same one. Look.” I took the necklace from his hands. Pink light glowed through the shell, and then it began to blink.
“We’ve figured it out,” said Austin. “The shell glows like that when Luke is nearby. When he touches it, it begins to blink. It’s because Luke has been a Komodo dragon. The necklace will help us find the pink Komodo. I’m sure of it.”
“Luke will never make it past airport security,” said my mother. “I’m not sure we can get him on a ship either.”
“We’ll get on a ship,” said Gramps. “I have connections.”
“So do I,” said Austin. Mom rolled her eyes.
Gramps laughed. “Oh, there’s one other thing. Roy and Megan Gifford will be going with us to Komodo Island. And one other person.”
“Jake Parma? He can’t, Gramps,” I said. “He’s in jail.”
Gramps shook his head. “His dad is a lawyer. Jake is probably out of jail already.”
“What about Dunn?” asked Mom. “Will he go too?”
“He’s not invited,” said Gramps. “But if he morphed into an insect or a small animal, there are a lot of places on a ship that he could hide.” He put his arms around me and Austin. “Don’t worry, boys. Dunn won’t be allowed to bring a gun on board. And this time there will be three adults to keep an eye on him.”
“You and Mr. Gifford,” said Austin. “Who’s the third adult?”
“Me.” My mother grinned at us. “Your dad won’t be coming. He has to work. Now get upstairs and clean those bathrooms.”
I gaped at her. Why hadn’t I realized it before? Gramps was Mom’s dad. She must be affected by the curse too. Had she ever changed into an animal? I started to ask, but she just pointed to the stairs and said, “Laundry.”
I stopped on the stairs and looked back at Gramps. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but I’ll miss some of my animal traits.”
Gramps stopped clearing the table and turned to face me. “What will you miss?”
I thought back to the previous fall, when I’d first come home from the zoo. Like the Komodo, I could smell things that were far away. “The Komodo’s sense of smell helped me save that man when his boiler exploded, remember?”
Gramps nodded. “That’s true, but a real Komodo would never have gone into that house. Most animals are afraid of fire. Your human courage saved that man, Luke, not the Komodo.”
“Austin’s grizzly bear strength helped too,” I added. “While we were at camp, he saved me when four guys in my cabin all tackled me at once.”
Austin shook his head, trying to tell me not to talk about that. It was too late. Mom had already heard. “What’s this about four guys tackling you?” she asked.
“Football game,” Austin said quickly.
“Luke, when Megan fell from the tower,” Gramps said, “you changed into an eagle to catch her, even though you knew you might have to stay that way forever. Your instinctive courage made you do that.”
He pointed to my brother. “And you too, Austin. Camp isn’t your favorite vacation, but you went anyway, to be there in case Luke needed you. The grizzly bear didn’t make that decision. It was your kind and generous human heart.”
“He’s very generous,” I said. “He bought me this hoodie.” He’d bought a few other things too, but I decided not to mention those.
“We know about all the purple ponchos,” said Mom. “The man in the gift shop called us.” She gave Austin a hug. “We’ll have to talk about how you are using your money. Not now, though. We’ve had enough talking. Let’s get those bathrooms cleaned.”
Purple ponchos? Plural? How many had he bought? I wondered. And did that mean he wasn’t as stuck on Megan as I thought? Somehow the thought made me smile.
I followed Austin up the stairs. Even being ninety percent eagle wouldn’t get me excused from doing my chores. I didn’t mind. The heavy feeling was gone from my chest and I felt happy again. Austin and I were back with the family who loved us. I could sleep in my comfortable bed and have blueberry muffins for breakfast. We still had a month of summer vacation left. Soon we’d be taking an exciting trip together. Gramps would help us find a pink Komodo. We’d return it to the people of Komodo Island, and that would undo the curse. I wouldn’t have to look like this forever. Life was still good, even for a boy with feathers.
The End
About The Author
M.C. (Peg) Berkhousen wrote her first poem in sixth grade and has been writing all her life. She was raised in Three Rivers, Michigan, where she frequently visited the library and checked out Cherry Ames and Sue Barton nursing stories.
After graduation from Borgess School of Nursing in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Peg continued to write about her nursing experiences. She won Michigan Nurse Writer of the Year for her article on using journalism therapy with a psychiatric patient who was aboard the USS Hornet when it was sunk by the Japanese during WWII.
While working in Staff Development at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Pontiac, Michigan, she wrote, produced and directed staff training videos that were published by J.B. Lippincott, New York. She wrote the script and was Associate Producer for “Lincoln…In His Own Words,” a project for Lincoln Life Insurance Company, narrated by actor Hal Holbrook. On faculty for Trinity International Health Services, Peg provided management training and consultation to Franciscan Sisters at Matre Dei Hospital, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She ended her nursing career as Director of Clinical Services, Trinity Home Health Services, and is now writing full time.
90% Human, targeted to children in grades 6th through 8th, is her second published novel and the second book of the Komodo trilogy. The first book of the trilogy, Curse of the Komodo, was released by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press in 2017. The third book, Return to Komodo Island, is planned for publication in early 2019. Peg resides in Ottawa Hills, Ohio.
Progressive Rising Phoenix Press is an independent publisher. We offer wholesale discounts and multiple binding options with no minimum purchases for schools, libraries, book clubs, and retail vendors. We also offer rewards for libraries, schools, independent book stores, and book clubs. Please visit our website and wholesale discount page at:
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Progressive Rising Phoenix Press is adding new titles from our award-winning authors on a regular basis and has books in the following genres: children’s chapter books and picture books, middle grade, young adult, action adventure, mystery and suspense, contemporary fiction, romance, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and non-fiction covering a variety of topics from military to inspirational to biographical. Visit our website to see our updated catalogue of titles.
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