Beautifully Unnatural: A Young Adult Paranormal Boxed Set Read Online Free

sketchpad then set it down on the sand beside her beach towel. The clear ocean rolled onto the beach again. She rose and shuffled across the damp, packed sand, then dove into the cool surf, washing away the memories of that night.
    Once beyond the break zone, she floated on the surface, letting the ripples soothe her blazing skin. She stared at the expanse of light blue above her, reminiscent of her mother’s bright eyes. “I miss you,” she whispered.
    Droplets of water fell from Gabby’s fingertip as she reached back to trace the other burn mark on her shoulder.
    Water swooshed and bubbled in her ears. The bathtub-like temperature of the water massaged the tension from her aching body and she felt each muscle relax. It was a welcome change after being cooped up in the tiny, broken-down shack her dad referred to as home.
    Yeah, some home , she thought. She glanced back at the empty beach. Kemp, Florida, located north of Tampa and south of Tallahassee, but west of nowhere. She was determined to make it work this time.
    Dark, swollen clouds rolled toward the Florida coastline, shrouding the warmth of the sun, but she continued to float on her back and ignored the oncoming storm. It was nothing to be concerned about after all. Like clockwork, a storm threatened every other late summer afternoon in this desolate place.
    Treading water, she slicked loose strands of her hair back from her face, noticing someone with light hair on the beach watching her with a dog by his side. A wave swelled and she lost sight of them.
    She scanned the wave. A shadow swirled through the white-crested water and darted below her. She blinked, narrowing her gaze as her heart pounded against her ribs, thumping in time with the swelling surf. She closed her eyes for a second. Just your psychotic brain at work again . She held her breath and forced her gaze back to the water, catching a glimpse of the sea creature before it plunged into the depths of the ocean.
    Her lungs clamped down on the air and wouldn’t release it. The hair on her body bristled, feeling like thousands of mosquitoes nipping at her for the last ounce of her blood.
    Mouth open wide, she gasped for any oxygen that the vision had trapped inches from her body. Just your imagination, nothing more , she reminded herself, willing the pounding in her ears to slow. That was what the shrink had said when she’d told him about the images of monsters and demons she kept seeing.
    Forcing her shaking limps to steady, she inhaled deeply, refusing to panic this time. Every little bump in the night had paralyzed her since the dreams had started nearly a year ago, but not this time. A new year was starting, a new phase of her life. It was time she faced her fears and made a plan.
    A slight tickle against her feet sent a charge up her leg and she gasped in surprise, but no sharp teeth or fangs pierced her skin. It’s just seaweed . Shaking her head at her own ridiculousness, she calmly started a modified breaststroke toward shore. Her arms still shook, but at least she’d avoided a full-on panic attack, which usually left her in a crippled heap on her bedroom floor. Swimming in the ocean was no place to have one of those.
    After four or five strokes, her breathing returned to normal. The waves were picking up, pounding against the back of her head, but she continued to swim, riding the surf and letting it carry her toward shore when possible. The water tugged, pulling at her body from below with each retracting wave. Pushing all her strength and energy into her limbs, she picked up speed, fighting the undertow her father had warned her about.
    As she kicked feverishly against the current, something rough, like sandpaper, brushed against her leg. She caught a glimpse of a large shadow as it torpedoed away and turned, just as the next wave crashed over her head, sending her underwater. Water sent her body into a spin, disorienting her. Flailing arms overhead, feet to the side, she twisted and