Chapter 2

On The Ship

It is a fresh day. There is no wind, just the mist. The ship rocks on the pond.


Mr. and Mrs. Kent stand at the front of the deck. Mr. Kent was spot on. There are a lot of bugs on the pond. Mrs. Kent gets the bug spray out of the box. They all spray their skin.

Tim brings out the net to hunt for trash. He stands on the front deck with Kim. He does not spot any trash in the pond.

Then the kids go to the back of the ship. And there is no trash at the back. Tim is glad for that. But he is sad the hunt ends so fast.


Tim dips his hand in the pond.


"Brrr. It is a hot day. But it is just spring. It is still not hot in the pond. I do not want to swim. I will not get wet," he tells Kim. "I do not want to get sick."

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Kim nods. She will not dip in the pond. Just like Tim, she has no plans to get wet. She sits on the bench by the fan and plays with Beck to kill time. The wind from the fan chills her on this hot day.


Kim hugs Beck and then sets her on the bench next to her. She gets a big cup of milk to drink. The cup has a black lid. She casts the lid in the trash bin next to the bench.


Kim sips her drink. She sets the cup of milk on top of the tin chest next to the bench. But the lid is not on the cup. It is in the trash.

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Tim grabs the bag with the snacks. He sits down on the bench next to Kim. He snacks on nuts. He splits a nut in half. Half is for Tim. Half is for Kim.


"We got chips in the bag as well," says Kim. She gets the bag of chips out. She checks the rest of the snacks.


"What is that?" she asks.

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Tim looks in the bag.


"They are figs," Tim says. "Do you want it?" he asks.

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"Yuck!" says Kim.

"Hmm. Yum," hints Tim. He hands a fig to Kim.


Kim tests the fig. Yum. "Oh, I like figs," she tells Tim.


"New things can be fun," adds Tim with a grin.


Bud rests on the cot in front of the fan. He looks like a rich king as he naps in the sun.


Bud is not fed yet. When he smells his snacks, he jumps off the cot. He does not want to be left out. He sprints fast to get a snack. But he bumps into Kim.

Kim falls off the bench and lands flat on her back. Her milk spills on the deck and her dress gets wet.


"Oh, I need a bib," kids Kim. "Glad I have my bikini on."


Tim is quick. He runs to get a rag and mops the mess of the deck. Not a drop is left on the deck.


Kim sits back on the bench. But Beck is not there.


"Oh, no!" she gasps. "Where is Beck?"

Tim checks the pond. He looks to his left. Beck drifts on the pond.

"Beck is in the pond. I think she fell in when you fell off the bench," yells Tim. "But she did not sink yet. I can fish her out. Get the net. Be quick!"

Kim hands the net to Tim. He gets Beck out of the pond fast. Kim grabs her from the net. She hugs her. Then, she hugs Tim.

Tim sits back on the bench to rest. Just as he sips his milk, a fish taps on the hull of the ship. The fish is big and flat.

The fish looks up at Tim and says, "I am Gup, the Ray Fish."