Creep from the Deep Read online

  “Goldy and I would be the most famous photographers in the world!” Roger said.

  They continued to the motorboat, which was rocking gently on the waves. “We have our diving equipment onboard. Think you two can find the old sunken ship again?”

  “Maybe,” I said. “It’s right under our mini sub.”

  Sheena frowned. “But that doesn’t help us with our problems,” she said. “How do we rescue our uncle George from the pirates?”

  “Let’s make a deal,” Goldy said. “You guide us to the Scarlet Skull. We’ll haul the treasure chest onto our boat. We’ll bring it back for you to give to Captain Ben.”

  “Then we’ll take the three of you wherever you want to go,” Roger said. “Deal?”

  They both stared at us, waiting for our answer.

  “What are we waiting for?” I said. “Let’s go.”

  Goldy and Roger splashed into the water, holding their camera cases high. Sheena and I followed. We waded to the boat. The warm water lapped over our waists.

  Howls rang out from the beach. I turned and looked back. The pirates were coming after us, clambering into the water. They were shrieking like wild animals, swinging swords above their heads.

  Goldy and Roger reached the boat. They grabbed the deck railing and hoisted themselves inside. Sheena climbed in easily. I tossed my walking stick onto the deck.

  The motor started with a roar. I reached for the deck rail — and missed. I tumbled face-first into the water.

  The pirates’ howls grew louder. Closer. I floundered in fear, slapping at the water, struggling to stay on the surface.

  The motor churned up the waves, sending a spray high in the air. The spray washed over the charging pirates.

  Sputtering, I reached for the deck rail again. Caught it! I lifted myself — soaking wet — onto the deck.

  Bony hands shot up from the water. Grabbed the deck rail. The pirates were climbing onboard!

  The motor roared. The boat shot forward. We lifted off the water and zoomed away from the shore.

  I struggled to keep my balance. I turned to the deck rail and shuddered. Their bony hands were still gripping the rail.

  “Sheena — look!” I pointed to the hands, eight or nine pairs. “We didn’t lose them. They’re — they’re coming with us!”

  The boat lurched — and tilted to the side. I went stumbling to the rail. I couldn’t stop myself. I grabbed for the rail — and my fingers wrapped around the cold, clammy hand of a skeleton pirate!

  Unable to let go, I opened my mouth in a cry of horror.

  Gripping the rail, I stared at the hands.

  Just hands. No arms attached, or bodies.

  The bony fingers clung to the rail, taking a sea ride with us. The arms and bodies, detached now, floated and bobbed in our wake.

  Sheena pulled me away from the side. “Billy, sit down,” she said. “You’re drenched and you’re shaking. You look totally wrecked.”

  I sat down and hugged myself. “I’m okay,” I said weakly. “It’s just … those hands.” I shivered.

  “Cheer up,” Sheena said. “Roger and Goldy are going to help us. We’ll get the treasure to Captain Ben. He’ll set Dr. D free. And they’ll take us to the Cassandra.”

  I forced a smile to my face. “Sounds like a plan,” I told Sheena. And then I gasped.

  One of the skeleton hands was gripping my ankle!

  Sheena pulled it off and tossed it into the water.

  * * *

  The boat rocked and tossed as it pushed through the waves. The evening sun sent stripes of deep red through the water. It would soon be dark.

  Goldy carried a couple of long duffel bags from the cabin.

  “The Scarlet Skull can’t be far from here,” Sheena said. “Billy and I swam to shore from the sub.”

  Goldy heaved the two bags to the stern. “One is our diving gear,” he said. “The other is our cameras. We’ll find the ship first, then come back for our photo equipment.”

  He walked to the rail. He plucked the skeleton hands off — one by one — and tossed them in the sea.

  I climbed to my feet and watched Roger in the cabin. He stood behind the wheel, his cap pulled low over his eyes.

  “There it is!” Sheena’s shout made me jump.

  Yes!

  Our tiny sub bounced in the dark waves just ahead of us. The yellow hatch gleamed in the dying sunlight.

  “Time to dive,” Goldy called to Roger. “Anchor the boat.”

  Roger came bolting out of the cabin. “It’s right down there?” he asked, pointing. “Captain One-Leg’s old ship?”

  “Yes, it should be close,” I said.

  The two men pumped their fists in the air. They lowered the anchor over the stern. Then they pulled out scuba tanks and began tugging on wet suits and fins.

  Goldy turned to Sheena and me. He flashed us a thumbs-up. “This is a great day,” he said. “Roger and I are going to photograph that shipwreck and find the treasure so we can rescue your uncle.”

  We both returned the thumbs-up.

  They flashed on the halogen beams on their masks. Then the two men dove over the side. They disappeared quickly into the black, rolling waters.

  Sheena and I leaned over the rail. We watched until the darkness swallowed them. Sheena shrugged. “Nothing to do now but wait,” she said.

  “You can wait. The Undersea Mutant must always be on the alert,” I told her. I turned and made my way into the cabin. I’ll man the wheel till they get back, I decided.

  I stepped behind the wheel. A high wave made the boat rock. I fell back — and kicked one of their duffel bags.

  It flipped on its side and fell open. “Huh?” I stared in shock.

  Two small silver pistols tumbled out. No camera.

  “Weird,” I muttered. I grabbed the other duffel bag and fumbled it open.

  Three pistols and a box of bullets.

  I had a heavy feeling in my stomach. My throat suddenly felt dry.

  I ran back onto the deck. I hurried to the stern and lifted one of the big duffel bags.

  “What’s up?” Sheena called, hurrying over to me.

  “Goldy said there was camera equipment in here,” I said. I tugged the bag open and dumped the contents onto the deck.

  Rifles. Six or seven long-barreled rifles clattered at my feet.

  I let out a shuddering sigh. “Sheena,” I whispered, “those two men … They lied to us. They’re not photographers.”

  My legs suddenly felt weak. I grabbed the rail. I took a deep breath and held it.

  Sheena pressed her hands to her cheeks. She stared at the rifles on the deck. “Billy … what are we going to do?”

  I had an idea. “The radio!” I said. “Maybe we can radio for help.”

  I raced into the cabin. The radio stood on a shelf beside the wheel. I threw a switch.

  A few seconds later, loud static poured from the speaker. I lifted the microphone to my mouth. “Can anyone hear me?” I shouted. “Hello? Can anyone hear this?”

  I turned a few dials. “Hello? Can anyone hear me?”

  Just static.

  “Come on, work! Please work!” I cried. I turned dials and threw switches.

  “Billy — they’re coming up!” Sheena shouted from the deck.

  My breath caught in my throat. Who were these two liars? What did they really want?

  I ran across the deck. I stepped beside Sheena at the rail. Roger and Goldy bobbed to the surface. Water dripped down their masks.

  I leaned over the side and squinted into the darkness.

  Between them they held a big black chest with a sparkling red jewel on the lid. Even against the night sky, the jewel glowed brightly.

  I could see it clearly. A glowing scarlet skull.

  They raised the chest high and hoisted it onto the deck. Then they lifted themselves onto the boat. They shook water off their wet suits.

  “We found the treasure!” Goldy said.

  “And we’re keepi
ng it,” Roger added. “It’s ours.” He started to pull off his mask. But he froze when he saw the rifles strewn on the deck.

  “Uh-oh,” he muttered. “I see you two have been snooping in places you don’t belong.”

  “You — you lied to us!” I cried.

  Goldy shrugged. “It’s a tough world, kid.”

  He pulled up his diving mask. Sheena and I both let out cries. His face came off with the mask!

  We were staring at a grinning skull. A skull with a gold tooth hanging from its mouth.

  Roger pulled off his mask and tossed it onto the deck. His face didn’t come off. But the skin came loose around his mouth. He tried to push it back into place.

  “Who — who are you?” I stammered.

  “We were on the ship that watched the Scarlet Skull disappear in a black cloud,” Goldy said.

  “Disappear with our treasure. Captain Ben stole it from us,” Roger said. “We dove into the water to get it back. But we never made it to the Scarlet Skull. That black cloud carried us away, and we’ve been lost — till now,” Roger said.

  “We’re rich!” Goldy said. “After over two hundred years of searching for this, it’s OURS again!” He tossed back his skull and uttered a dry laugh.

  “These outfits came in handy,” Roger said. “Goldy and I were so cold in our bare bones all these years. We stole the clothes from a couple of fishermen, and we took their boat, too.”

  A smile spread over his face. “Then we took their skin.”

  My stomach lurched. I had to force down my lunch.

  Sheena’s mouth hung open. She tugged at her long hair. “You’re really going to keep the treasure?” she asked in a tiny voice.

  “Yes. And thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” Goldy said. He gave us a two-fingered salute.

  “We owe you our gratitude,” Roger said. “And now, sadly, we must say good-bye to you both.”

  “Good-bye?” I cried. “What do you mean?”

  They didn’t answer.

  Goldy just shrugged.

  Roger moved quickly. He lifted Sheena off the deck — and tossed her overboard.

  I heard the splash as she hit the water.

  The sound sent chills down my back. “You can’t do that!” I screamed.

  I raised the driftwood stick and swung it at Roger with all my strength.

  Roger ducked. The stick grazed his back. It pulled off a big chunk of skin. With a grunt, he grasped me around the waist.

  I put up a pretty good struggle. But he was too strong. He shoved me against the rail — then flipped me into the sea.

  I hit the water hard on my stomach and went under. The cold sent a paralyzing shock over my body.

  Finally, I raised my arms and forced myself to the surface. Coughing and sputtering, I searched for my sister. I spotted her a few yards behind me. She was struggling to stay on top of the waves.

  “Help us!” Sheena screamed to the two pirates. “You can’t let us drown here! Help us!”

  They turned their backs.

  “Help us!” Sheena screamed. “Don’t leave us!”

  I frantically tried to keep afloat. I watched the two men. They were leaning over the treasure chest. I could see the scarlet skull glowing against the night sky.

  Roger reached down to open the chest. He was about to grab the scarlet jewel.

  The red skull glowed so brightly, I could see everything clear as day.

  I saw Roger grab the skull. I heard Goldy scream, “NOOOOO!” I saw Goldy try to tug Roger away.

  Too late. The red skull snapped open its jaws — and BIT Roger’s hand.

  And as the jaws clamped down, a fireball of white light burst over the boat. So bright, the sea lit up all around us.

  And a powerful red current — like red lightning — blazed over both men.

  BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!

  For a second, their bodies lit up. I could see the bones under their skin!

  Trapped inside the crackling current, Roger and Goldy did a terrifying dance. Their arms flew wildly over their heads. Their whole bodies shook and shimmied.

  And then … And then … their heads flew off their bodies, high into the fiery sky.

  Both men crumpled to the deck, twin piles of bone and ash.

  The buzzing, crackling red current faded to black. Sheena and I were alone in the sea now, thrashing our arms and legs, shivering in the cold.

  “Come on,” I choked out. I swam to the boat. Grabbed for the deck rail. And pulled myself onboard.

  Shivering, I saw the driftwood stick on the cabin floor. I grasped it in both hands. I held it out to Sheena. She grabbed on, and I pulled her to the deck.

  We both sprawled on our backs, our chests heaving. I shut my eyes and waited for my breathing to return to normal.

  I sat up, blinking away water. Down the deck, the wind was blowing hard, carrying away the two pirates’ ashes.

  My legs were shaky and sore, but I managed to stand up. “Sheena, maybe our luck is changing,” I said.

  Before she could answer, a hard BUMP jolted the boat.

  BANNNNNG!

  Something hit us. BANNNNNG! Again.

  I lost my balance. I staggered and fell. “Ow!” My head smacked the deck.

  Another BUMP, even harder this time.

  And everything went black.

  “Billy — I don’t believe it!” Sheena cried.

  Her shout cleared my head. Shaking off the pain, dizzy, I climbed to my feet.

  “Look!” She pointed out to the water.

  I slowly turned and saw another boat bumping against us. I recognized it instantly. The Cassandra!

  “It … it must have come loose from its anchor,” I said. “It bumped right into us.”

  The Cassandra pulled alongside, as if it had come to meet us!

  We both cheered.

  “Sheena, help me carry the treasure chest onto the Cassandra,” I said. “We’ll return it to Captain Ben on the island. And he’ll let Dr. D go.”

  We each grabbed a handle and began carefully sliding the chest across the deck.

  “Be careful. Don’t touch the scarlet skull,” Sheena warned. “You saw what happens when the skull bites!”

  I shuddered. I pictured the two pirates doing their horrifying death dance inside the red streaks of electricity.

  I hoisted myself onto the Cassandra. I pulled and Sheena pushed. We shoved the chest onto the deck of the boat.

  Sheena hopped onto the Cassandra. We cheered and touched knuckles. It felt good to be home!

  We had the treasure with us. Now we just had to use it to rescue our uncle.

  I stepped into the cabin. I began to throw switches, powering up the controls. I pushed the ignition. The engine started up instantly.

  I grabbed the wheel. Of course I knew how to pilot the Cassandra. The Undersea Mutant can handle any boat on any sea!

  Besides, I didn’t have to take it far. The island stood only a few minutes away.

  I eased the throttle forward. The boat began to move, cutting through the waves. I could see the island on the navigation screen. Piece of cake.

  Or was it?

  Suddenly, the boat began to rock. The wind howled around the cabin walls. Tall waves tossed up in front of us and pushed us back.

  Sheena burst into the cabin. “Billy — what’s happening?” she cried.

  I kept my hands on the wheel. The boat tilted up hard, then crashed back down into the heaving waves.

  “Why is the sea going crazy?” Sheena cried.

  I didn’t have to answer. We both saw it at the same time.

  An enormous ship, rising up from under the water. Its sails billowed and stretched against the wind. Its prow rose and fell as it bounced on the waves.

  The ship came sailing straight at us!

  Sheena’s eyes bulged. “Billy — it can’t be! Do you recognize it? The ship — it’s the Scarlet Skull!”

  “It’s going to crash right into us!” I screamed. I whipped the wheel
to the right as far as it would go.

  Too late.

  The Scarlet Skull rose up like a skyscraper in front of us.

  And standing at the bow, I saw Captain Ben. His long black coat flapped behind him in the wind.

  “Oh, wow! I don’t believe it!” I cried.

  The pirate captain had his arm wrapped around Dr. D!

  “Dr. D? Are you okay?” I shouted.

  “Don’t ask questions!” Captain Ben boomed down at us. “Do ye want yer uncle returned? I’ll give ye scurvy dogs one more chance to give me what is mine!”

  “Okay, okay,” I cried. I shoved the treasure chest to the edge of the deck. “Here. Take your treasure! We don’t want it!”

  Above us, Captain Ben shook his head. “Give me what is mine!” he screamed.

  “Take the treasure! Take it!” I shouted.

  Captain Ben shook his head again. He raged his fists in the air. “I don’t want the treasure! I WANT MY LEG!”

  Leg?

  He pointed furiously to the stick in my hand.

  Huh?

  I wasn’t leaning on a long piece of driftwood. All this time, I’d been carrying around Captain Ben’s LEG!

  It was his leg he wanted returned!

  I raised the leg bone high. I pulled my arm back to toss it up to him.

  But Sheena held me back. “Captain Ben!” she shouted. “If we give you the leg, how do we know you’ll return our uncle?”

  Captain Ben tossed back his head and laughed. “Return your uncle? Don’t ye know what a notorious liar I am? I’ll take my leg — and my treasure! And then all three of ye will be joining me at the bottom of the sea!”

  Not a chance, I thought.

  He’ll never take us down with him.

  No zombie pirate can outsmart the Undersea Mutant!

  Suddenly, I knew what I had to do.

  The long leg bone trembled in my hand. I wrapped my fingers around it tightly. I remembered Dr. D’s spear-fishing lesson.

  I shut my eyes and repeated in my mind what I had learned.

  Balance … aim … power.

  I took a deep breath. I pulled the bone back like a fishing spear. I aimed carefully. And I heaved it up to the deck of the pirate ship.