NANCY DREW AND THE SECRET OF THE TIDES (BOOK ONE)

#Scarlet

  "That's what are we waiting for, let's go check!" Bess interrupted.

The redhead whipped her head around before saying, "My thoughts exactly, follow me." The two eagerly bobbed and weaved through the masses of tourists.

Oh what fun Nancy would have to pick a busy beach like this to visit, Bess thought.

The girl checked behind her to make sure Bess was still behind. She was taking them toward some cliffs on the far side of the beach. Bess could see faint people risking their lives, jumping off into the waters below. A chill went down her spine, that was not for her. The more they walk to more secluded it becomes. They were now on a part of the beach full of large sand dunes, it looked more like a desert. Bess tried her best to keep up with the light-food girl, however, she took one false step, which caused her foot to sink through the sand and made her fall.

"Bess are you ok?" asked the new girl as she offered a hand up. Bess grasped it and was pulled up. "Guess I should have told you, that this part of the beach is full of sea turtle nests. See that's what you fell in."

Bess stopped brushing off the dry sand and gave the girl a panicked look. "I didn't crush them, right?"

The girl responded with a look of surprise, "Oh no, see the shells are all empty." she said while holding one up for Bess to see.

"So do you live around here or just on vacation as well?" Bess asked.

The girl expressed a look of deep thought, "I'm a local. Lived here my whole life. If you want I can take you to some places off the grid around here. I promise they promise that it won't be too crowded. You know what they say that there is no city on Earth quite like Charleston."

"Oh, that would be fun, thanks. So are you at the Unversity here or what?"

"Oh no, I'm only sixteen. But a lot of people mistake me for being older often. I just hope that I don't look too much older...", said the girl as she looked down at her feet.

"Sorry I didn't really mean it that way. I would just that you're eighteen, you just seem very mature, that's all." Bess replied sheepishly trying to keep pace with the girl.

Scarlet led the way but from time to time would pause, lost in the moment. It felt kind of awkward so Bess spoke up. "So do you come this way often? Well, I mean out to this isle."

"Hmm, sometimes with my family. Today, however, I came for the sand castle contest. It ended not that long before you showed up. Other than that this beach is usually very peaceful and serene.", the girl replied.

"We need to turn back, she's not here.", Bess whined. The redhead did not turn back and kept going. Frustrated, Bess ran up to grab her arm. Instead, the sand shifted under her feet, sending the two girls down on top of each other. They moaned as they fought to get untangled. Red hair was caught on Bess's necklace. The new girl whimpered whenever they tried to pull apart. Finally, Bess broke her own necklace off in an attempt to get unglued. The two sat side by side, as Bess fussed with the new girl's hair trying to help.

Just then they heard a sound farther down on the beach, there was a girl fighting off seagulls.