Summer Ghoul: Tales From Lovecraft Middle School #5

Chapter 9

But the power didn't come back on. By the next morning, the beach was full of tourists and locals seeking relief from the heat wave. "How are we going to do summer school?" said Glenn to Robert. They were on Glenn's front porch petting Pip and Squeak. 

"I thought you didn't like summer school."

"I never said that." 

Robert didn't bother to argue. Glenn seemed happier, and that made him happy. Glenn's house looked nicer, too. The porch had a wicker settee and pillows from the local Target. The kitchen had a fresh coat of yellow paint.

 Mrs. Torkells came out. Her hair was done up in curls and she wore a bright sundress. She had a spring in her step as she walked to the car. "I'll be back later, 'kay? Going to get a washing machine and dryer. No more lugging clothes to the laundromat."

Mr. Arthur carried the old washing machine through the door and set it on the curb for appliance pickup day. "I'll go with you."

"Isn't that too heavy? Honey, help him with the dryer."

"That's okay. I got it." He went back in for the dryer.

Robert and Glenn watched him lift it as if it weighed no more than a cardboard box and put it next to the washer. 

"It's too crowded to do lessons. Let's wait until the beach closes. It will be fun."

It would be dark, thought Robert.  He felt uneasy after finding out that Arthur was connected to the school."We could do a lesson online."

"I don't know much about computers. We'll see the tides tonight. Tonight is high tide. 7:48 pm."

At 7:00 the beach closed. The last tourists of the day struggled while lugging their umbrellas and big red cooler to the parking lot. 

"You are in for a treat, boys." Arthur handed them plastic containers, baggies, and scoops. 

It was dark. The moon was up, low in the sky and just a sliver. The boys looked around. 

"Well, why are you just standing there?" said Mr. Arthur. 

"We can't see anything. It's too dark."

"Really? I can see just fine. There are tide pools all around."

Glenn and Robert took out their flashlights. They shined it where the teacher was pointing. All they saw was shiny dark plants.

"Seaweed?" Glenn sounded disappointed.

"Not just a useless plant. Bladderwrack. It uses air bladders to float when the tide is in and then lays flat on the rocks when the tide is out." He lifted it up. A variety of shellfish and mollusks sheltered underneath.  "Bladderwrack forms a protective cover for other species. Pretty neat, huh? Just goes to show there's more under the surface than meets the eye."  

That's just what I was thinking, thought Robert. But he didn't say it out loud.

"What's that wriggling down there? Shrimp?" said Glenn.

"Barnacles. When barnacles are young, they are free swimmers and resemble tiny shrimp. Once they find an appropriate place to settle down, they glue their heads to a rock and begin to build their shells. See what else you can find. Collect samples. I expect a good presentation for a good grade."

It was like another world, the beach at night.  Glenn and Robert walked. When they had put enough distance between Mr. Arthur, Robert put Pip and Squeak down to explore. They ran everywhere, sniffing and playing in the wet sand. 

They looked back. Mr. Arthur was just staring at the sea. After a while, Pip and Squeak chattered loudly. They had found something. It was the slime from before. In the area around the slime, there was no life. They took another sample.

TO BE CONTINUED