"...and then, the sea monster took off my head with a single swipe!"
Sam rolled his eyes. All of his dad's stories ended in a similar way.
"Cut it out, Billy," groaned Sheena.
"But it's true," insisted Billy.
"If it was, how would it be alive right now?" retorted Sheena, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, right," admitted Billy, grinning. "Wait, maybe they reattached my head back on."
"You're so lame," groaned Sheena. "All of your stories are made up."
"No they aren't," protested Billy. "Not all of them."
"Well, they're severely embellished," said Sheena. "You make them sound way cooler than they are."
"I think his stories are plenty cool," Sam's mother, Sari, said. She brushed back her long black braid, the bangles on her wrists jangling.
"Thank you, Sari," Billy said, looking at his wife appreciatively. "Remember all the adventures we had together, Sheena? Traveling the seas, exploring the vast deep-"
"Most of your stories are from the daydreams you used to have," said Sheena. "Remember how you'd pretend to be a famous undersea explorer? You'd always pretend when we were snorkeling or swimming."
"Aw, really? That's so cute," smirked Sari.
"Really, Dad?" asked Sam eagerly.
Billy blushed. "I was only twelve! Anyway, I don't have to pretend anymore."
"I had daydreams like that as well, about being a famous archaeologist," admitted Sari. "I don't have to pretend that anymore now, either." Billy smiled at her and pulled her into a kiss. Sam looked away and pretended to gag.
"Tell me the mermaid story again, Dad," urged Sam.
"Ah, you like that one the best," said Billy. "So do I."
"It's one of the only completely true ones," quipped Sheena.
"It all started when I was scouring the seas, hunting for famous creatures," started Billy.
"I take that back," said Sheena. "Even that one's not completely true."
"It was so noble how you saved the mermaid," said Sam admiringly. "And how you tried to free her. Then you let her free. That was so selfless of you."
"It nearly broke my uncle's heart," said Billy. "I know he didn't regret it, and did the right thing in the end, but it was still hard for him to tell the zookeepers that mermaids didn't exist."
Billy went silent, remembering his uncle. They were on the Cassandra, which had belonged to him before he passed away. At least his other great uncle, Uncle Ben, was still alive. They could feel the waves rocking under them as they sat in Sam's bedroom on the boat that night.
"It must've been horrible for the mermaid to be locked up like that," said Sam.
"No wonder you like the story so much," said Sheena. "You saved an injured bird last summer and helped nurse it back to health."
"You don't like any of my other stories," said Billy, frowning.
"Can you blame him?" quipped Sheena. Billy shoved her.
"I'm sick of hearing about the ocean," groaned Sam. Before his mother could say anything, he added, "And I'm sick of hearing about Egypt and pyramids too."
"Geez, you're such a spoilsport," quipped Sari. "And I thought Gabe was a stick-in-the-mud. At least he liked listening to Uncle Ben tell stories."
"I'm not a stick-in-the-mud," retorted Sam defensively. "I just don't like hearing the same stories over and over again." Sari told equally incredible stories about her expeditions in Egypt. It almost made Sam wish he had adventures like that, but only for a moment. He was fine with reading about it in his books.
"Then maybe you should experience them yourself," Billy suggested. "I don't think you've even left your room the entire time we've been on the boat, let alone gone into the ocean."
"You do the same when we visit Egypt," Sari quipped. "You stay inside the whole time, reading your books and eating room service. Even Gabe was less boring than you."
"Thanks, Mom," muttered Sam.
"She's right, Sam," said Billy. "Where's your sense of adventure? Even Sheena is more fun than you, and that's saying a lot." Sheena shoved him.
"Give me a break!" Sam cried. "Why are you two always making fun of me?"
Their expressions softened. "Sorry, honey," said Sari, running a hand through his dark hair. "But I really think you should give things a chance."
"Come on, Sammy," urged Billy. "This is the last day before we head back to land. You have to go into the ocean at least once."
"I just don't want to," said Sam.
"Then how will you have stories to tell about all your undersea adventures as well?" asked Billy.
"He just needs an imagination for that," quipped Sheena.
"I don't think he even has that," said Billy. "All he does is stick his nose in books."
"That's not true!" cried Sam. "The books I read are filled with adventure. I have plenty of imagination."
"That's true," admitted Billy. "But don't you want to experience it for yourself?"
"No thanks," said Sam. "I'd rather stay on land. And not on boiling hot land with sand and pyramids." His mother's face fell.
"Get into the water right now, Samuel," Billy scolded with mock sternness. "I'll push you in if I have to."
"Billy!" chided Sheena.
"Kidding, kidding."
"I didn't want to come onto the boat," complained Sam. "I wanted to spend my summer on the land."
"Don't say that," scolded Billy. "This was your great uncle's boat, remember?"
"That doesn't mean I have to like it," said Sam, wincing as he felt a particularly hard jolt underneath him. "Why do you always drag me to the ocean and Egypt?"
"At least the ocean is better, right Sammy?" asked Billy. "You can actually cool down, instead of trudging along under the boiling sun." Sari shoved him.
"At least you don't have to don a snorkel and getup every time you want to inspect a pyramid."
"I don't like either of them," Sam muttered, taking his book from under his pillow and beginning to read it.
"You're nothing like Billy," joked Sheena. "I think he'd drink Dr. Ritter's potion to become a fish if he could."
"I wish you would," retorted Billy, punching her on the shoulder. "I thought you were going to, when you joked about drinking it. That wasn't funny."
His mom, dad and aunt kissed him goodnight and left. Sam lay in his bed reading the book, feeling the ocean under him and hearing the splash of waves. His dad always insisted on visiting the Cassandra, and his mom to Egypt to visit his uncle Ben. He'd rather be inside an air-conditioned room reading, rather than getting soaking wet or boiling hot. He could experience all the adventure he wanted in the books he read. He didn't need more than that.
Slowly, Sam set his feet on the floorboards, feeling the boat rock under them, and headed out of bed onto the deck. The salty sea air hit him straight in the face, even though it was night. He walked over to the edge of the deck and peered down at the dark, crashing waves. They looked so deep, so ominous, even under the sunlight during the daytime. What was so great about it? Just looking at the deep sea filled him with fear. His dad's stories didn't help. His mom's stories about Egypt were almost as frightening. Actually, probably more so. Thankfully, she didn't go into details about the gory process of mummification, though his uncle Gabe occasionally did, to his chagrin, but her stories about mummies coming to live and her and Gabe almost being killed filled him with fear.
Suddenly, he spotted something flash on the deck, caught between a board and the edge of the boat. He thought it was just the floor shining at first, but bent down to look at it. It was a shiny gold flash of something, like a ticket. He gripped it and pulled hard, yanking it out from the floorboard. He thought it was a piece of junk at first, but examining the wrinkled surface, saw that it was a ticket. It was an invitation. An invitation, a "Very Special Guest" pass, to a theme park called Horrorland.
Sam's heart gave a jolt. Was this a joke? Had his mom or dad or aunt Sheena slipped it there to surprise him? Well, that was nice of them. Maybe they wanted to make up for dragging him on the boat. But he didn't want to wake them. He'd ask them in the morning. He returned to his chamber, slipped the ticket under his pillow, and fell into sleep, lulled by the rocking waves and sound of gentle splashing.
"It's strange. I've never heard of this place before. Horrorland?"
Sam shrugged. "It sounds cool. Are you sure you didn't drop it on the deck by accident and forget all about it?"
"Quite sure," said Billy. "Anyway, it sounds like an awesome theme park. I can't wait to go."
"Neither can I," agreed Sari. "I hope there are mummy-themed rides."
"There probably will be, in a horror theme park," Sam pointed out reasonably.
They were on their way to pick up Sam's cousin, the daughter of his mother's cousin, Gabe. Aunt Sheena's kids were going to be babysat by Gabe while they went to Horrorland. Sam pitied his uncle. His twin cousins were terrors from hell, despite being only four.
"Mine! Mine! Give it!" Robby whined, trying to snatch the mini water gun from his twin brother.
"Mine! Mine!" Ricky repeated mockingly, sticking his tongue out. He raised the gun and tried to squirt it at his brother, who ducked out of the way and ended up making the target Gabe instead.
"Sorry," Ricky giggled, not sounding very sorry.
Gabe raised his eyes to the sky and closed them. "Sheena, please. Can't you take them with you?"
"They're much too young to go to Horrorland," Sheena insisted. She raised her voice as she addressed her children. "Cut it out, you two. Don't give Uncle Gabe a hard time."
They immediately turned their attention to her. "Mommy! Mommy!"
Sheena hugged them as they ran up to her. "Be good for Uncle Gabe," she whispered, kissing their foreheads. "And I might bring something back for you."
"Really?" Robby's eyes widened in delight.
"Ice cream?" Ricky added in glee.
"Something even better," Sheena said, winking. "But only if you behave for Uncle Gabe."
"We will!" they giggled at the same time. They turned to Gabe with angelic expressions on their faces.
Gabe rolled his eyes. "Good thing I don't really want to go to Horrorland."
"You mean you're too much of a wimp to," teased Sari. Gabe glared at her. "You'd probably be terrified by all the rides."
"Theme parks just aren't my thing," argued Gabe. "Not since you scared the death out of me on one of the rollercoaster rides." He glared at his cousin, causing her to laugh. Sam had a feeling he was missing something. "Bring me back some cool souvenirs, okay?"
"Yes, we will," said Sam. "I'll bring back another mummy hand."
Suddenly, Gabe's daughter, Alyssa, stepped out, beaming at Sam. She was actually adopted, rather than his biological daughter, but as far as Sam was concerned, she was his cousin. She was a tall, willowy, beautiful African-American girl, with confidence that matched her demeanor. Today she was wearing her long hair in cornrows against her scalp, and a T-shirt with a picture of a cartoon mummy on it.
"Hi, Sammy," she said.
"Don't call me that," Sam insisted. "I'm too old for it."
"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy," she recited, her dark eyes flashing as she grinned at him. He scowled.
"Sounds familiar," Gabe muttered.
"Gabey, Gabey, Gabey," Sari teased. He glared at her.
Sam actually liked his cousin a lot. She was tough and cool, and while she teased him a little - okay, a lot - she also always helped and complimented him. She was the coolest girl he knew. They got along a lot better than Gabe and Sari had at that age, they heard.
"Bye, Ally-doll," Gabe said, kissing her cheek. "Bring me back a mummy hand."
"Dad, don't call me that!" Alyssa whined. "I'm too old for it." Sam smirked.
But Alyssa kissed her dad goodbye after rolling her eyes and joined her aunts, uncle, and cousin in the car. "Bye, Dad! Bye, Ricky and Robby!" she called, waving frantically at them. "I'll bring you back lots of stuff!"
"So will I," Sam called, waving at them. "Shame they couldn't come," he said when they were out of sight.
"I guess," said Alyssa. "But it'll be fun with just the two of us. Well, us and your mom and dad and Aunt Sheena. But you're the coolest."
"Thanks. So are you," said Sam, smiling at her.
She punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Want to arm wrestle?"
"Sure," he replied, linking his arm through hers.
As they started wrestling, Alyssa said, "So what is this Horrorland place like, anyway?"
"How should I know?" Sam demanded. "I've never been there."
"But you got the invitation," Alyssa pointed out, squeezing his hand until it throbbed with pain.
"I found it on the deck of the Cassandra," Sam said, wincing. "Mom and Dad insist they didn't put it there."
"It sounds like the perfect place for us, though," said Alyssa. "My dad is always telling me stories about the terrifying adventures he and Aunt Sari got up to in their travels through Egypt."
"So is my dad about his travels through the ocean," said Sam weakly. His hand felt like it had lost all circulation.
"Horrorland can't be as scary as all of their stories," said Alyssa, not looking the least bit strained.
"Yeah," Sam squeaked.
Alyssa finally loosened her grip. "Oh, sorry. Too tight?"
Sam rubbed his aching hand. "Just a little."
Alyssa laughed, punching his shoulder. "Don't be a baby."
Sam punched her back, but he couldn't stop thinking about her words. She was probably right. Horrorland couldn't contain anything scarier, right?
This is way too diverse for Goosebumps, lol. I always lump the ocean and mummy stories together. Billy and Sari would make a good couple.