A Strange July Day

    It was a warm summer day. A brother and sister planned to skip rocks by there favorite lake, Shimmer fields, it was also the closest. Am would watch her brother Johnny while he skipped. Johnny prefered to skip three rocks, his absoloute favorite number, Am simply stood by. The sparkling waters danced as Johnny tossed his first stone, Johnny watched as it skipped across the water and sank down. Johnny wasn’t impressed so he threw with all his might, this time was worse.

    So for his lucky number three stone he through with all his might but the third stone came skipping back.  Am was shocked, Johnny was amazed and threw it again, delighted he watched as it returned again.  Back and forth, back and forth came the stone when Johnny became curious  and looked for this action. There were only ripples in the clear waters, but as Johnny looked into water he stayed clear of the drop off.  Johnny and Am grew tired of the search and went back to picnic with their  parents.  A good meal was made, they returned home with enlarged stomaches and sleepy eyes. Am prepared for rest in their summer home on Aska island, located between Alaska and Hawaii.
    The small island was almost a ghost town, having only three families with small children and four other people working in town.  Am and Johnnys’ house was far from town, way up on a hill close to the sea of Shimmer feilds.

    Am and Johnny went to bed, the beds seperated only by a lantern.  The room was quite big and was at the very top of their huge house, there room even had a bathroom.  Am woke up from her slumber an hour later, she began to scream as her pillow was thrown across the room.  Johnny new what it was, as did Am.  The same disturbance happned just the night before, it was Aunt Annmarie.  Aunt Annmarie died the day they left British Columbia, their real home.  Aunt Ann died of a stroke and was said to be stuck on earth, terrified, wondering where she was. Am didn’t sleep for the rest of the night, poor Johnny was kept up too.  Johnny and Am both agreed that the creature that threw back the stone was Aunt Ann.  But Johnny wasn’t exactly sure it was Ann because he was never haunted by her, but Am kept his mind into that thought, until the next night.

    It took awhile but both siblings fell asleep, an eerie  sleep, both haunting and delightful.  Johnny dreamed he was swimming, glideing in Shimmer feilds over sparkling rocks.  It was amazing for Johnny when he found out another amazing thing, he was breathing under water!  Johnny began to panic, he squirmed and kicked but it was no use, he couldn’t reach the surface. Johnny just floated, then he looked down and saw a hand gripping on to him in pure darkness.  Johnny screamed but all that came out was bubbles.  Johnny couldn’t take it any longer and awoke.

    Am’s dream was a bit different, not at all enjoyable.  Am’s dream was about  Aunt AnnMarie, she chased Am around, trying to reach her, trying to tell her somthing, but Am was to affraid to stop running.  Ann began yelling, Am screamed and woke up as well.

    Both siblings were determined to save Aunt AnnMarie from being stuck on earth forever.  And in order for that they had to use the technique that they saw on television, simply asking her to leave.  They planned it the next full moon, but until then the nightmares would have to contiue.

    The siblings arrived at their summer home July 1st at 7:30 a.m and rested, later they went to Shimmer feilds when the stone was thrown back.  Now Am and Johnny anxiously await from July 3rd (today) to July 12th, Wednsday 10:51 p.m.  During those  Am’s dreams got worse and Johnny’s became more pleasant. Johnny swam with the creature in the lake, he didn’t think that it resembled Aunt Ann, also he didn’t see it very well either.  Am stopped sleeping at night so she never came to watch Johnny skip rocks.

    Finally the night arrived.  Am was excited, Johnny prayed Ann wasn’t the creature, they began.  They talked to the open air as if it were a person.  They grew tired and went.  Am fell asleep that night, dreamless, finally a happy slumber until she heard her brothers voice.

    “Am, I think you should see this.”  Am didn’t know what she was looking for until boom, the bedroom shook, the lamp fell off the dresser and smashed into tiny bits.  The room was full of light, blinding .  They hid under the covers till there covers were blown off the beds.

    It was quiet and dark, Aunt Ann was gone.

    Johnny told Am about seeing the words on the ceiling.  When they both looked up, there were the words warning.  Warning about what?  They wondered, and as they did miracusly  fell asleep.  

    Am woke up sick.  Vacation was over, Johnny new if his parents wouldn’t take  her to an unknown doctor they were leaving at the end of the month, sooner if Am got worse.  

    Johnny stomped down to the lake and pouted.  He sat there for awhile then sighed.  Johnny thought he heard sonething tell him to pick up a stone he thought it was just the wind but liked the idea.  He heard it again he stared at the sky.

    “There’s no stones!”  it spoke again.  “There isn’t any st___”  Johnny looked down at the beach and there was the purfect stone.  Johnny was confused, there hadn’t been one there before.   He quickly went to go throw it.  It went farther than he had ever thrown.  Johnny closed his eyes and spun aroud, yelling in triumph until he tripped and kneeled in the shallow water. He opened his eyes and saw the most beautiful stones ever.  Quickly he began throwing till there was no more left.  Johnny was surprised they were not thrown back.  Johnny was exhausted, his arms were sore.  Johnny wanted to throw one more but he didn’t see any in the shallow end.  He said to himself, “I’ll get it tomorrow” and he walked away.

    “And that’s what I plan to happen.”  whispered the creature.

    Johnny returned home.  Am had the room all to herself which she didn’t like, and neither did Johnny.  Johnny slept on the couch that night with a heavy heart, but his dreams made him feel better.

    Johnny’s days stayed the same, the same routine.  Get woken up by Am and don’t see her till the next morning, get breakfast, go to beach but forget to bring rainboots, eventually forgetting about the stone by the drop off.

    They were leaving in two days.  Johnny was one-hundred percent sure he would remember to bring rainboots, but better a net and swimming trunks.  Johnny’s mother didn’t approve of him swimming near the drop off, so he hid his trunks under his raincoat.

    When Johnny arrived, he went quickly to the edge of the drop off.  The water rippled which startled Johnny but he  didn’t quit.  He used the net to grab the stone when it was knocked from his hands.  He almost fell over, but stood his ground.  Johnny reached for the net and was pushed over, he landed in the water with a big smack.  Johnny took off his rain coat and flung it to shore.  Johnny quickly reached for the stone and grasped it in his hand, a smile crossed his lips when finally he came face to face with the creature as it smacked the stone out of his grasp and dragged him to the drop off.  Johnny saw the stone but, he couldn’t get to it, he just wanted to wake up, the creature yelled.

    “Breath!  Breath!”  Johnny wanted to say he couldn’t but he didn’t want to die either.  Finally Johnny was free, grabbed the stone and ran home.  At 10 o’clock the next day he would leave Shimmer Fields and return British Columbia.  But his dream said otherwise.  

    There it was, there she was, Lylac, the newly named sea creature he dreamed of jumping into the drop off and swimming and breathing under water with Lylac.  For Lylac told him how this was a big committment and that there was possibly no changing back.

    Johnny woke up and told Am about his decision, and Am agreed to the idea.

    The next day a sister saw her brother disappear beneath the waves, nobody knows what happend that day at Shimmer Fields.

    Aska Island became a ghost town when nobody could find it, or him.  Everybody knows he is happy now.

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