Family Vacation

I hate keeping secrets from my dad, I hate lying to him, and I hate looking like an ungrateful brat all because of a stupid rental boat. I wish I could tell him what happened to me that night at Mako Island, but I just can't. This secret's just too big to share with anyone.

I thought about all this as my father scolded me for being so rude to Sam. Sam is my fathers fiancée, and don't get me wrong I like her. She's really nice and is perfect for my dad in every way. But of course, Sam had rented a sail boat so we could all go and enjoy our weekend on the waves. But I know that I can't go, I can't chance getting wet.

Or my efforts to keep the secret would have been for nothing.

"Cleo Setori, I will not tolerate your behavior lately! Sam is a part of this family whether you like it or not!" My father yelled.

"I don't have a problem with Sam dad!" I defended "It's just…I mean I…Dad I just-"

"Alright I've had enough of this." Dad sighed and got up from his sitting position on the corner of my bed.

"Dad…" but it was no use, he had already peeled open the door and walked down the hallway to join Sam and my sister Kim for there day of fun.

I heard the front door open and the car engine start. Then slowly, the sound of the family car grew fainter as they drove towards the docks. I groaned and got up off my mattress.

Sighing I pulled my phone from my pocket. I texted my best friends Rikki and Bella, asking if they were up for a swim. Not too long after, they both responded that they were busy. I even called my boyfriend Lewis, but he was too behind on a biology paper to hang out.

Disappointed, I slipped my phone back into my pocket and started heading down to the beach. Just because my friends were too busy, that didn't mean that I couldn't go for a swim on my own. When I got down to the beach I slipped down behind some rocks to the far end where no one went. With a quick glance from side to side I ran straight into the waves.

I was disappointed with Cleo's behavior, but I wasn't going to let that ruin the weekend for the rest of us. Sam had rented a boat down at the docks so we could go sailing for a change. Kim wasn't all too excited, in fact she tried protesting to stay home like Cleo. But I wasn't about to let both my children show disrespect for their future step-mother.

When we got to the docks, we found our boat and piled on. Sam had packed a picnic for us so we could eat on board, so we all hauled that on as well. I had brought some fishing gear as well so I could take advantage of non-commercial fishing for a change.

Things went smoothly for the first few hours of the sail. We had eaten the sandwiches and apples that Sam had packed for lunch. I was waiting to catch a fish while Sam read a book and Kim snacked on some grapes. I felt myself begin to doze of when suddenly my line was jerked forwards. Frantically, I jumped up from my chair and began reeling it in. At first I was succeeding, but then it became apparent that whatever it was I had caught was not coming in willingly.

It must have been huge. I couldn't even reel it in. I kept trying to pull in my line, but the fish was struggling against it. Sam rushed to my side and began puling along with me.

It still wouldn't budge.

By this time Kim had run over and began helping too, and I could feel the line begin to give. With one last tug, the rod flew back and the line was reeled in. But where the fish should be…there was no fish.

Instead, The line had been snapped. The home-made lure gone.

And if I thought my luck was bad then, it only got worse.

Two hours later, and it was beginning to get dark we decided to head back to shore. But as I attempted to start up the motor, it wouldn't start. Fifteen minutes later we had decided the boat must not have been properly filled with fuel when we got it. In other words…

We were stranded.

We were too far out to paddle back to shore. "Maybe we should try for Mako island, it should only take about, maybe, twenty minutes." Sam suggested.

"Twenty minutes?" exclaimed Kim.

"Well, it would be faster than trying to make it to shore." I pointed out.

So me and Sam each took a paddle and began rowing towards Mako Island. We got passed the shark infested water and pulled up on shore safely.

"Kim do you have your phone with you? I left mine in the car." I said.

Kim nodded and pulled out her phone, she frowned "No signal though, maybe we should try to get to higher ground."

So that's what we did, we hiked through the rough terrain for about half an hour. Not even knowing where we were going, just that we were going up.

Finally we got to this stream which had eroded a crack into the ground. Kim jumped across with no problem. She turned back to me and Sam and said "Well, aren't you coming?"

I laughed and shook my head, but jumped across anyways. I looked back to see Sam just standing there, staring at the jump. "I'm not sure if I can do it." she said.

"Come on, it's not that hard. Just jump, you'll be fine." I reassured her.

She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the jump, but with her movement she lost her footing on a wet spot of rock and fell. I ran over to the ledge and watched as she fell through a hidden cave entrance.

"Sam! Are you ok?" I called down.

I heard a groaning noise from the cave "Yea I'm fine…but I think I might've sprained my ankle."

I turned to Kim "Stay here." I said before jumping down into the cave after Sam.

I skidded to a halt at the bottom of the cave floor, Sam was sitting a few inches in front of me. I crawled over to her and placed my hand gently on her ankle "Ow." she laughed.

"I don't think you can climb back up like this." and without waiting for a response I yelled back up the cave "Kim! Go back to the boat and wait for us there! We're going to have to find another way out of here!"

Kim grunted a response and I could hear her shuffling back down the island. Helping Sam to her feet I looked down the cave tunnel. We began walking, Sam using me as a support.

Not too long after we began walking down the tunnel, I thought I could hear faint voices echoing off the walls. I turned to Sam "Is that-"

"Voices." Sam finished with a nod of her head.

We began walking through the tunnel faster until I heard one familiar voice that made me stop in my tracks. First, I could clearly hear my daughter Cleo, wincing in pain. Then came another familiar voice "I'm sorry! I know it hurts, but the hook has to come out! You don't want it to get infected-"

"Fine Lewis! Just do it! OW!" Cleo cut him off, and then I could hear a weird sound like moving water. Then a splashing sound.

"Cleo! What was that for?"

"Because your hurting me!"

"What? Do you want the hook out or not?"

At that, I gripped Sam tighter and began walking as fast as I could without putting any strain on Sam's injury. I didn't know what was going on, but I what I did know was that my daughter was in some kind of pain, and that she needed me.

Suddenly we turned a corner and into the very back of the cave. I wasn't that big, but I could see the sky out the top of it. We were inside the volcano. And kneeling by a pool of water was my daughters, dripping wet, boyfriend Lewis. And in the pool, was non other than my daughter.

When she saw me, her eyes widened and she struggled to lower herself into the water as if to hide something. I looked from her face to the rest of her. Lewis was holding her right arm, but the way he was positioned hid it from me.

I glared at him "What is going on here? Cleo, how did you get here? Why did you sound like you were in-" but I stopped as I noticed the initial shock of seeing me leave Cleo's eyes. Now I could see she was trying to hide another emotion. Her eyes were wet, like she had been suppressing tears. And I could tell by the pout on her face, that she was still in pain from something.

I took a step forward, Cleo made an effort to hid herself even more. "Mr. Setori-" Lewis began, but it was too late.

With the new angle I was in, I could now see my daughters arm completely. It was cut open and bleeding, and lodged inside of it…

Was my homemade lure.

I gasped and shook my head "How…"

"Dad, I'm so sorry!" Cleo began to cry.

I just stood there silent, not knowing what was going on. But one thing I did know, it was no fish I had caught. It was my daughter.

"Lewis…" Cleo managed.

Lewis brought his hand back to Cleo's arm, she cringed as he slowly twisted the hook out from her shoulder. She looked back at me hesitantly "Dad, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you." Cleo cried.

And before I could say something, she dove underneath the water. A golden fish tail breaking the surface as she went.

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