Excerpt
Deep-Sea Disaster andlt;link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../styles/9781481406802.css"andgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_1"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;andlt;img width="550" height="460" src="../images/ch01.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Iand#8217;m having my favorite dream againand#8212;the one where Iand#8217;m about to be crowned Greatest Underwater Wrestling Champion of the World, Ever. I swim up to the top rope of the ring and prepare to launch.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;I think heand#8217;s going for a dropflick!and#8221; andlt;a id="page_2"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;a jellyfish commentator shouts into his microphone.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="205" height="93" src="../images/f0002-01.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Thereand#8217;s no stopping this hammerhead shark tonight,and#8221; adds his partner, a bright orange clown fish.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Har-ry! Har-ry!and#8221; the crowd begins to chant.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;One diving dropflick and the blue shark Iand#8217;m fighting will be fish food and the underwater wrestling belt will be mine. I dive down from the rope and pin my opponent to the canvas.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Har-ry! Har-ry!and#8221; The crowdand#8217;s voices get louder and louder. And louder. And then too loud. Like they are shouting right in my ear.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_3"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;andlt;img width="550" height="393" src="../images/f0003-01.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;HARRY-GET OFF!and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I open my left eye and swivel it around. The wrestling ring disappears and I am in my bedroom. Next to my bed. And Humphrey, my humming-fish alarm clock, is pinned to the floor under me.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Let me go!and#8221; he yells.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;All right, all right,and#8221; I mutter, swimming andlt;a id="page_4"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;back into bed. and#8220;Why did you have to wake me up? I was having a really cool dream.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Donand#8217;t tell me, the one about the wrestling match?and#8221; Humphrey says grumpily.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Yes.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;I hate that dream.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Why?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;I always end up getting hurt.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I open my right eye and glare at him. and#8220;Only because you try to wake me up.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Humphrey starts swimming around in circles above my head. and#8220;Itand#8217;s my job to wake you up-Iand#8217;m your alarm clock, and youand#8217;ve got school.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I groan. From almost being crowned andlt;a id="page_5"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;Underwater Wrestling Champion of the World to having to get ready for school, in less than ten seconds.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;So, are you awake, then?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Yes!and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Cool. See you tomorrow.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Canand#8217;t wait.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Humphrey swims off out the window to go and get his breakfast.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="285" height="78" src="../images/f0005-01.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I swivel my right eye around until I can see the huge poster of Gregor the Gnasher hanging on the rocky wall at the end of my bed. Gregor the Gnasher is the actual Underwater Wrestling Champion of the World. In the poster, heand#8217;s holding his winnerand#8217;s belt high above his head and smiling so widely you can see all of his 3,017 teeth.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Gregor is a great white shark and as well as his rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth, he has a long pointed snout and a humongous body. Heand#8217;s exactly what a shark should look like. And heand#8217;s scary. Super scary. Even my poster of him makes my pet catfish poop itself.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;If they made a poster of me, my catfish would probably just laugh. You see, Iand#8217;m a hammerhead shark, which, for those of you who havenand#8217;t already figured it out, andlt;a id="page_7"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;means I have a head thatand#8217;s the shape of a hammer. With goggly eyes so far apart they look like they donand#8217;t even talk to each other. Itand#8217;s not a great look. Especially if you want to be taken seriously in the shark world.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="293" height="400" src="../images/f0007-01.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I once made a list of the five coolest sharks in existence. It went like this:andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_8"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;1.and#160;The great whiteand#8211;obviously.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="231" height="170" src="../images/f0008-02.jpg" alt="Image"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;2.and#160;The blue sharkand#8211; the fastest fish in the sea.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="295" height="127" src="../images/f0008-03.jpg" alt="Image"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;3.and#160;The tiger sharkand#8211;scary and stripy.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="226" height="112" src="../images/f0008-04.jpg" alt="Image"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;4.and#160;The whale sharkand#8211;its mouth is so huge it can swallow a dolphin in one gulp!andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="346" height="249" src="../images/f0008-05.jpg" alt="Image"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;5.and#160;The bull sharkand#8211;it can swim in rivers as well as the sea, which is very handy if youand#8217;re going on vacation and stuff.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="186" height="127" src="../images/f0008-01.jpg" alt="Image"andgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_9"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;You may have noticed that the hammerhead shark isnand#8217;t on the list. Thatand#8217;s because the hammerhead shark is seriously uncool. In fact, the only shark less cool than a hammerhead is the nurse shark. Nurse sharks are the girliest sharks in the ocean-which is fine if youand#8217;re a girl and everything, but Iand#8217;m not.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Gregor doesnand#8217;t just look cool, he can do lots of cool stuff too. Then I have an idea. I might not look like Gregor, but that doesnand#8217;t mean I canand#8217;t be like him. I swim out of bed and over to the old treasure chest where I keep my collection of shells shaped like famous sports andlt;a id="page_10"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;stars and all my lists. I once made a list of all the cool stuff Gregor can do. I take it out and study it.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="262" height="69" src="../images/f0009-01.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Number one is out, obviously.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;1.and#160;Wrestlingand#8211;heand#8217;s the Underwater Champion ten years running.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="120" height="135" src="../images/f0010-01.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;2.and#160;Eating boatsand#8211;which scares the life out of the leggy air-breathers.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="200" height="129" src="../images/f0010-02.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;3.and#160;Looking really meanand#8211;without even trying.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="220" height="171" src="../images/f0010-03.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;4.and#160;Swimming fastand#8211;as fast as any speedboat.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="300" height="89" src="../images/f0010-04.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;5.and#160;Ambushing preyand#8211;they never see him coming.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="350" height="144" src="../images/f0010-05.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;You canand#8217;t just be Underwater Wrestling Champion of the World in, like, two weeks or something. It takes years of deep-sea training: weight-lifting anchors, eating high-energy seaweed bars, and swimming laps around ocean liners.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Number two is a no-no as well. First of all, my mouth is way too small. Sometimes I find it hard swallowing a crab. Also, Iand#8217;m not allowed up to the surface without one of my parents being with me. I know that sounds really lame-I mean, Iand#8217;m ten years old. What do they think Iand#8217;m going to do? Go sunbathing on the beach?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;And Iand#8217;m not going to eat any strange food dangling from fishing lines either. Everyone knows what fishermen do to sharks when they catch them. They make their fins into soup, thatand#8217;s what. And thereand#8217;s no way Iand#8217;d risk losing my fins. Imagine what a laughingstock Iand#8217;d be then, with a head like a hammer and a body like an eel!andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I put on my school tie and blazer and then read number three on my list: Looking really mean. Hmm, now that sounds a bit easier. And if I looked really mean, certain sharks might not make fun of me anymore. I swim over to my mirror and scrunch my eyes shut. Then I make my andlt;a id="page_13"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;meanest face. I imagine Iand#8217;m giving the sort of scary scowl that Gregor makes when heand#8217;s entering the wrestling ring. It feels pretty good. I can already imagine Rick Reef and his goofy sidekick, Donny Dogfish, taking one look at the new me and speeding off to hide behind the school cafeteria.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="251" height="85" src="../images/f0012-02.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;But when I open my eyes and look in the mirror, I donand#8217;t see the mean monster of my dreams-and Rick Reefand#8217;s nightmares-I see a schoolkid who looks like heand#8217;s having trouble making a poop!andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="254" height="292" src="../images/f0013-01.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_14"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;I swim back to the list, feeling a bit worried. Iand#8217;m starting to run out of options. Okay, number four: Swimming fast. Iand#8217;m not bad at this, actually, but Iand#8217;m not clueless-Iand#8217;m never going to be as fast as Gregor. I look at number five: Ambushing prey. Aha-now, surely I can do that. I mean, how hard can it be? I scan my bedroom, looking for a victim. My eyes come to rest upon Lenny, my lantern fish, snoozing away above my desk, his antennae glowing softly in the dark. Being careful not to make a sound, I start to glide through the water, Gregorand#8217;s scary theme song playing in my head.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_15"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;DERRRRRRR-DUN! DERRRRRR-DUN! DER-DUN! DER-DUN! DER-DUN! DER-DUN!andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;But just as I get to the desk, disaster strikes. My tail gets caught in a strand from my seaweed blanket. I try to tug it free but end up getting even more tangled. I pull as hard as I can. The balled-up blanket sails through the water, hits the shelf above my bed, and sends my finball trophy flying.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Eh? Uh! Wass going on?and#8221; Lenny says sleepily as I try to untangle myself from the seaweed.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Hmm, not exactly the kind of surprise attack Iand#8217;d been planning. But the problem is, my roomand#8217;s way too small. You canand#8217;t really sneak up on something when itand#8217;s really close to begin with. You need a little distance from the target to be able to plan your attack. I decide to investigate the rest of the house to see what I can find.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;But as I swim through my bedroom door, I hear a really horrible noise. Itand#8217;s like a crab grinding glass with its pincers. Or a shipand#8217;s foghorn that has a seagull stuck inside it. It can only be one thing-my mom, singing while she makes breakfast. I start to grin. When andlt;a id="page_17"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;Mom is singing, she goes off into her own little world and doesnand#8217;t notice a thing. She will make the perfect target. Let the ambushing begin!andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;While Mom keeps screeching like a harpooned mermaid, I get to the kitchen door without being seen. Then I poke one side of my hammerhead through the door and swivel my eye around, trying to spot my prey. There she is, at the far end of the kitchen, putting breakfast things on a tray, still singing away. Now that Iand#8217;m closer I can actually make out some of the words in between the screeches:andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img width="205" height="87" src="../images/f0017-01.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_18"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;and#8220;Like an anchor-dropped for the very first time. Like an a-a-a-anchorand#160;.and#160;.and#160;.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Oh, please!andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I slink my way into the room and slide behind the giant glass vase of flower fish in the corner. Honestly, I donand#8217;t know why we canand#8217;t just have regular sea flowers like everyone else. It was my andlt;a id="page_19"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;dadand#8217;s idea of a joke. But the trouble is, my dadand#8217;s idea of a joke isnand#8217;t ever anybody elseand#8217;s idea of a joke. I donand#8217;t know how he managed to get elected as the new Shark Point mayor.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img src="../images/f0019-01.jpg" alt="Images"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I get myself ready to pounce. This must be how Gregor feels before a fight, I think as my heart starts to pound.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I hear my unsuspecting prey swimming for the door, her apron strings swishing in the water behind her. Closer and closer she comes.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Made of iron, shiny and fine,and#8221; she wails.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I tense my muscles. Closer she comes. I arch my back. And closer. I get ready to pounce. Closer. NOW!