Questionable?

• Liora Velso, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2019

The breeze of Santa Monica was crisp. I had just moved into the Gibson apartment, north of the ripping beaches. My first thoughts were blurred. This is all a big moment for me, moving out of my hometown to the sea I can’t compel on how overwhelmed I am! But I knew I belonged near the sea… but at the same time I didn’t know why?

I was standing under the sharp ocean air on a wharf near one of Santa Monica’s most beloved beaches. It was there when I noticed that the clouds were different… and I mean they were in a spiral, a non-ending spiral. The wind started to pick up, everyone who was on the beach left in a hurry. Haven't they learnt that beaches can pick up wind too? One girl screamed out saying, ‘RUN! It’s a hurricane!’ while grabbing her belongings and scurrying to the parking lot up to the sand hill. I didn’t understand, back home in Nebraska it would always be windy and you could never leave the house without earmuffs nor a woollen scarf half the size of a toddler.

The clouds called out my name; ‘Harley… Harley…!’ it sounded like… dad? No, impossible. Dad had left years ago! Right? At least that’s what mum told me, but his voice sounded so familiar! I never really knew him, but I remember this warm glow… I felt him. I glanced over to the side, I first saw a tall, lenient shadow standing over me, then I looked up. It was a man wearing a sapphire blue suit. It was well fitted and he looked quite sharp in it. ‘Harley Reece?’ he questioned me with a smug look.

I nodded reluctantly. ‘Hercules, it’s a pleasure to meet you!’ he said with great joy. I chuckled, ‘Hercules… how ironic.’ The man looked distressed. ‘Well, you're a very smart girl indeed… I guess you caught me! Hercules at your service, my highness.’ I was stunned! ‘What do you mean?’ I exclaimed. Hercules just snapped his fingers arrogantly and winked at me with a smirk on his face. And all in a blink of an eye, Hercules had a glow in eyes, it was too hard to resist to look… I gazed into his eyes and then he was dressed in the finest gold and silvers! There was a golden traced head-band across his forehead all embroidered with diamonds.
‘Wow… the real Hercules!’

‘Harley. There isn’t much time you need to come now! NOW Harley! Your Da-’

He said sternly while floating up. ‘W-what? I- I don’t understand!’ Hercules started floating up higher and higher by the second! And he was gone… I crumbled to the ground...storm clouds surrounded me… letters appeared in the sky in gold. ‘Questionable?’ I thought to myself. I kept on reading it. ‘Questionable! What does that mean?’ But I was too late the words had already disappeared into the mist… Then the same voice called out to me ‘Harley… think! Think Harley! Questionable!’

I started to regain my thoughts… The smell of the salty sea crashing against rocks reminded me of something… something Questionable…