Kira's Secret Read Online Free Page B

wharf.
    â€œMaybe it was bad luck, but I don’t think it was because of something he said or did,” Cody said. “Bill told me how he lost his foot, you know.”
    â€œOh?”
    â€œYeah, they were fishing squid for bait, just the regular small ones, but they hauled up this really gigantic one by mistake, and it latched on to Bill’s foot. Just chomped on with all those claws and teeth in its mouth and wouldn’t let go. The other fishermen had to saw the squid off his foot, but it was fighting hard and they all got cut up before they freed Bill. His foot was all mashed up and shredded. Then it got infected, and they had to amputate before it spread to his leg.”
    Kira wrinkled her nose and shuddered. She could picture the fight, and wondered that he had even survived.
    â€œAnd another time he told me that they’d see the giant squid sometimes when they ran into a sudden fog. As if a cold wet cloud just fell out of the sky and swallowed them, like Jonah and the whale. Yup, those were his words. Odd fellow, that Bill,” Cody muttered and shook his head. “My dad says he’s senile, and he’s mixing up real events with fairy tales from when he was a kid. You never know what to believe when he gets going.”
    Kira said nothing. She was more confused than before. She decided she’d have to return to the library and do more reading. About squid, and seals. The merrows she’d leave to her crazy dreams. It appeared that Babbling Bill’s dream world had merged with his real life, past and present. A shame, she thought, but there was probably no more to learn from him.

Chapter Five—
Stormy Seas
    For the next two weeks, Kira remained in or near the house, doing all her chores faithfully and efficiently. She usually finished just before lunch, and spent the remainder of her day reading books from the library. She was trying to learn everything she could about seal life cycles, biology, and ecology. On one of her trips to the library, Kira was surprised to discover that Cody had checked out two of the books she was looking for. Mrs. Doyle peered down at her with her huge eyes and said, “You two must be preparing for a school project on marine life. I’m impressed. It’s the middle of July!”
    Kira only nodded her head. She didn’t feel like trying to explain her own interest in the subject. As for Cody, she found it odd that a science geek was also checking out fairy tales and folk legends. Maybe he was looking for evidence that selkies might be more than myth and fantasy. Or maybe he found it all a big joke.
    Besides learning new facts about the feeding habits and different varieties of seals and dolphins, the books increased Kira’s longing to be back on the beach. She yearned for the feel of silky saltwater on her skin again. Most days she saw Cody wander by, heading for the tide pools, she supposed. Each day she grew more restless and resentful that she was not free to go where she wished. She began to think more about her dream, and visions of Paradise Pond flooded her brain. She couldn’t possibly drown in a small puddle of water that only went up to her knees. Her parents were being over-protective, worrying about something that could never happen.
    Kira had to see the tide pools again. She convinced herself that her parents were being selfish and just wanted to keep her as a housework slave. “Maybe that’s why they adopted me,” she thought, feeling more and more sorry for herself.
    Kira made a plan. If she was careful about the time, she could slip away right after lunch. Chances were good that her parents would never know. And if they found out? She would simply have to deal with the consequences.
    Kira began to sneak out for an hour every other day. She became skilled at spotting movement at a distance and avoiding detection. The only people she ever saw out on the rocks besides Cody were occasional tourists. She