Today's recommendation is a YA novel by Lorraine Carey
Jonathan's Locket
Dive into a thrilling blend of history,
mystery, and the supernatural in this captivating Young Adult novel. Set
against the backdrop of the historic Wreck of the Ten Sails off Grand Cayman,
author Carey masterfully weaves fantasy, suspense, and paranormal intrigue into
a story that will keep readers hooked.
When a local teen discovers they can connect
with Jonathan, a restless spirit lost in the infamous shipwreck, an
extraordinary journey begins. Bound by courage and compassion, the teen must
navigate a world of hidden dangers and otherworldly challenges to help Jonathan
find peace and finally cross over.
This award-winning novel, which earned the
Readers' Favorite Silver Award in 2014 and was a finalist in the Wind Dancer
Film Contest, is a must-read for fans of historical fiction with a supernatural
twist. Prepare for an unforgettable adventure where history comes alive in the
most unexpected ways!
Chapter
5
The Wreck
All were on deck now, and orders
were being given from all directions. It was a moonless night and the sea was
as black as pitch. The sound of the waves thrashing against the ship rose above
the yelling of the crew on the Convert.
It was now the wee hours of the
morning, on February 8, 1794. Instead of the crew getting a good night’s rest,
their distress gun was fired.
Captain Lawford came bounding out of his quarters. Dressed in only his
trousers, he raced barefoot onto the top deck.
“What in land’s end is happening
here? I heard the distress gunfire!” he cried.
“Aye, Captain, there be breakers
ahead!” shouted Seaman Thompson from up in the crow’s nest. “The fleet is
getting ahead of us now. They are all firing off their distress guns.”
Lawford grabbed the telescope from
the seaman standing next to him.
“Damn, this can’t be the Grand
Cayman reef! I thought we passed that an hour ago. I charted this course myself
so that we would avoid that bloody coral reef!”
He shouted orders for all of the
men to report on the deck. Before any of the men had time to react, a voice
alerted them to a whole new danger.
“Pirates - there be Pirates!”
shouted men from the Britannia, which was close on their starboard side. All of
the ships began to move closer, trying to protect the Convert.
The crew aboard the Convert
flashed their lanterns. All they could see were ships clustered together...too
close together.
They heard the sounds of the crash
before they saw it. Splintering wood and screams of terror echoed over the
water. It was as if the reef had sliced right through the ships, like an axe
slicing through wood.
“Take cover, men!” shouted Captain
Lawford, just before the Britannia rammed into the Convert.
When the ships collided, it hit
the Convert hard into the windward reef. The ship began to lean on its’ side,
ready to split.
The remaining ships crashed into
one another in an endless pileup. The deafening sound of screams mingled with
bodies splashing into the water. Many of the seamen were now jumping into the
water, clinging onto pieces of the ship that floated nearby.
“It is Poseidon coming to take us
to our watery graves!” shouted one of the men in the water.
Despite the chaos, Captain Lawford
still shouted out orders. They were largely ignored, since every man was out to
save himself – all but one, of course. There was one seaman who had to save his
dearest friend.
*****
Dear God, please let me get
down to Jonathan in time.
Peter did his best to hold onto anything he could to make his way down to the
hold. The ship’s hull had been hit hard and would be soon flooding with water.
Peter threw open the cargo door and raced down the steps. He was already knee-deep
in murky water. The trunks were swishing around, banging into one another.
“Jonathan! Jonathan, I’m coming!” Peter yelled, as he sloshed through the
water. Jonathan popped the lid of his trunk open and began yelling for Peter.
“Peter, what is happening?”
“We have hit the reef on Grand Cayman, Jonathan. All of the other ships have
slammed into each other. We are all going down. You’ve got to get out of that
trunk - now!”
“No, no...I’m afraid!” cried
Jonathan. “I can’t swim!”
“It doesn’t matter now, my son.
Just hang onto me and we’ll grab a hold of whatever we can find until we are
rescued.”
As Jonathan tried to sit up, the
chain of his locket got caught in the latch of the lid. He desperately tried to
untangle it, but it had formed a small knot that refused to come undone.
Peter was still holding onto the
trunk when a huge gush of water came and swept him away. He had been pulled
down through the hold. Jonathan couldn’t see exactly where he was, but there
was a small crack that he could see out of.
“Peter! Peter, where are you?”
Jonathan prayed that Peter had
been able to swim to safety. His trunk had begun to slam into all of the other
trunks; he could feel water dripping onto his face. Jonathan pulled and pulled
at the knot in the chain, but nothing worked. The more he pulled at the chain,
the tighter it pulled around his throat.
Jonathan’s body trembled, as he
closed his eyes one last time.
I know I will be with
you, mother. Please look after me.
*****
As water overtook Jonathan’s small
body, his trunk was pulled through a gaping hole in the ship. His trunk landed
at the bottom of the sea, nestled underneath a large crevasse deep under the
reef.
A large sea turtle who happened to
be in the area circled the chest. It seemed to take on an iridescent green glow
that lit up the waters with its shimmering light.
Chapter
6
Grand Cayman 2012
“Mrs. Wallace, this is Mrs. Banks,
deputy principal at Island High School. Your son, Brandon, did not show up at
school today.”
Mrs. Wallace paused a moment
before answering. She knew exactly where her son was. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Banks, I
believe I know where he is. I will call his father right now.”
“Brandon has already missed nine
unexcused days this year,” scolded Mrs. Banks. “With his grades, he cannot
afford to be missing so much school. Please bring him in tomorrow, along with
your husband so that we can discuss the matter.”
“Yes, ma’am,” answered Mrs.
Wallace, in a solemn voice.
Mrs. Wallace was already at work
at Island Gems Jewelry and was not prepared to start her day in such a way.
As soon as Mrs. Wallace hung up
the phone, she dialed her husband’s work number. She dreaded telling him the
news.
“Franklin, Brandon skipped school
again.”
“Damn that boy!” Mr. Wallace
shouted in reply. “I can’t leave the port right now.” Mr. Wallace had gotten a
promotion to supervisor at the port a few years ago and spent most of his time
at work or on call when he was at home. This is about the time Brandon began to
have some behavior issues.
“You know where he is, Franklin.”
I will talk to him tonight,”
confirmed Mr. Wallace.
“We need to do more than just
talk,” she said.
“He’s a seventeen-year-old boy. He
needs to get his act together. Trust me, Jenna, when I am done with him, he
will know that I mean business!” said Mr. Wallace, angrily.
*****
“Hey, Jason, did you see that
spotted eel?” Brandon asked, excitedly, as they emerged from the sea.
“He must have been at least six
feet long!” Jason answered.
They sat at the edge of the shore
and removed their snorkeling gear. The early morning sun shone down and
illuminated the crystal blue water. Brandon shook his head of dark wet curls,
like a dog shaking out his wet fur. Jason on the other hand, was busy pulling
back his sandy blonde hair into a printed scarf.
“I can’t wait to get these
pictures up on the computer and check them out,” Brandon said. “Want to come up
to the house?”
“I’d better not. I should get home
and clean up before my folks find out I skipped school with you.”
“Suit yourself,” Brandon said as
he walked away. He shook his head, knowing that Jason wouldn’t get into trouble
if he got caught. He wished his parents were as lenient as Jason’s.
*****
Brandon walked along the shore
toward home. He gazed out at the turquoise waters, feeling the breeze on his
face. As he kicked his toes through the white powdery sand and watched the
palms swaying back and forth, he thought of his childhood. Brandon and his dad
would go fishing and diving almost every weekend. That changed a few years ago
when his dad had gotten the promotion. Brandon yearned for those days and hoped
his dad would come around again. When he thought of those days, he knew that
the sea was his heaven.
As he reached home he sat on the
back deck of the large cottage and tried to take it all in. He was grateful to
live right on the beach where he could have the sea right there under his nose.
All of a sudden, Pirate, the
family’s five-year-old Labrador Retriever came bounding out and began licking
the salt water off his face.
Brandon knew he had to get out of
his gear fast and clean up before his parents got home or he’d have hell to
pay.
Lorraine Carey
https://authorlorrainecarey.blogspot.com/
Lorraine Carey is a
reading specialist and an Award-Winning Author. She was living in California
until fate whisked her off to Grand Cayman. She currently lives in Florida. Her
love for paranormal stories began at a young age, and is no stranger to the paranormal,
having encountered unexplainable events that are woven into her stories.
