High Tide in Hawaii - Mary Pope Osborne [7]
Oh, man! thought Jack. A tsunami might be coming!
Jack had to find out more about tsunamis quickly. He read as fast as he could:
A tsunami can strike a few hours—or a few minutes!—after an earthquake. It depends on the strength of the earthquake and where it took place. After earthquakes, it is safest for islanders to seek higher ground.
We have to get to higher ground now! thought Jack, dropping the book.
He ran down to the edge of the ocean. Boka, Kama, and Annie were still paddling out beyond the waves. Jack forgot all about their fight.
“Hey, you guys!” he yelled.
They didn’t hear him.
Jack went into the shallow water. “Hey, you guys!” he yelled. “Come back!”
They still didn’t hear him.
Jack ran to his surfboard, grabbed it, and ran into the ocean. He fought the breaking waves. Once he was past them, he threw himself on his board and paddled wildly.
The wave swells grew as he paddled. He could hardly see Annie, Boka, or Kama over them. Jack paddled faster and faster, trying to reach them.
“Hey!” he yelled. “Hey!”
Boka looked back at him. He gave Jack a friendly wave, then turned away again.
I have to get them to come to me! Jack thought frantically. “HELP! HELP!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.
The three kids jerked around. They paddled quickly toward Jack with worried faces.
“What’s wrong?” Annie cried when they got closer. “Are you in trouble?”
“We all are!” said Jack. “A tsunami might be coming! There was an earthquake when I was on the beach!”
“We’d better ride in fast!” said Boka.
“Stay on your bellies!” said Kama. “It’s safer!”
“Here comes a wave!” cried Boka.
They all started paddling.
The swell of the wave picked them up. They were all swept forward!
Jack gripped the sides of his board as he zoomed along with the others. Suddenly he dropped down as the wave curled under. It felt like a roller coaster! But he stayed on his board as the wave carried him to shore.
Jack rolled off into the shallow water. He snatched up his board and ran onto the sand. Boka and Kama were waiting.
“Good riding, Jack!” said Boka.
“Where’s Annie?” asked Jack.
Boka pointed. Annie was in the shallow water, pulling her board in. As they watched, something very weird began to happen to the ocean.
The water around Annie started to pull away.
“Run, Annie!” Jack screamed.
The water drew away from the beach, and a loud hissing sound came from the sea.
Suddenly fish flopped on the bare sand!
Annie threw down her board and ran. She grabbed Jack’s hand as she ran by him. Jack grabbed Boka’s hand, and Boka grabbed Kama’s hand. They all ran together, pulling each other along as they raced to the cliff.
Boka and Kama ran up the cliff path. Jack and Annie grabbed their shoes and Jack’s pack. Then they scrambled up the path, too.
At the top of the cliff, everyone looked back. Jack couldn’t believe his eyes!
A wave was rising up like a dark mountain of water. It came surging toward the shore, growing even taller!
“Wow,” whispered Annie.
“Get back!” shouted Boka.
The four of them bolted back from the edge of the rocky slope. The mountain of water crashed against the cliff. Water sprayed over the top of the rocks and rained down on them.
When the water rolled back over the cliff, they all hurried back to the edge to see what had happened.
The rocky cliff path was gone. The gigantic wave was moving back out to sea, taking rocks, sand, seaweed, seashells, and the surfboards with it.
“Scary,” breathed Annie.
“Yeah,” said Jack. “We just made it.”
“Boka! Kama!” voices yelled.
They turned around. Jack saw Boka and Kama’s parents racing across the meadow toward them. Other villagers followed.
The two Hawaiian kids ran into their parents’ arms. Soon Jack and Annie were surrounded by villagers. Everyone was laughing and crying and hugging each other.
Jack hugged Annie. He hugged Kama and Boka and their parents—and lots of other people he didn’t even know.
Finally, the hugging and crying and