Sentinels in the Deep Ocean

by StacyPlays

  Stacy knew what she needed to do. She decided right then and there that she would return to the taiga as soon as she could and prepare to start school in the fall. Reading every book I can get my hands on and picking up things here and there from Addison and my other wolves just isn’t enough. If I’m going to do this, I need to get as much education as I can so I’ll know what to do in any situation I’m faced with. Stacy was confident she’d be able to go to school in the village and still sneak back to the taiga to live with her pack and go on rescue missions. It’s perfect. And who knows, maybe I’ll even go to Village State University one day.

  For the next several days, Everest, Noah, and Atlas worked on salvaging more planks from the boat wreckage to use for constructing a raft. Stacy helped as well, once again using a stone and the box of nails to fortify the raft. Leftover rope from the boat’s sails was used to fashion two harnesses for Noah and Pearl to pull the raft back to the rocky beach where their ocean adventure had started. The plan was for Pearl to accompany them at least that far, and then she’d return to what Stacy had named Our Little Island while Stacy, Noah, and Everest journeyed on to the taiga.

  And just like that, before Stacy was ready at all, the raft was finished and it was time to say good-bye. Leaving at sunset meant that they would make it back to the beach on the mainland under the cover of night. The water was still and smooth, and they’d be able to make camp in the cave they’d spent so many nights in while they were restoring the boat. And then the next morning Stacy, Noah, and Everest could get an early start back to the taiga.

  Stacy stood on the beach with Everest on the raft and Noah and Pearl in the water. Paisley was the first wolf to come over to Stacy for a good-bye. Paisley had something in her mouth—the bandanna that Stacy had given to her the first day they met. She had used some natural pigments from around the island to dye it a beautiful shade of light blue, Stacy’s favorite color. Stacy took the bandanna from Paisley and used it to wipe away the tears that were running down her cheeks. Then she threw her arms around the wolf.

  “I love you, Paisley,” Stacy whispered. “I’ll come back to visit you as soon as I can.” Stacy knew that in all likelihood that probably wouldn’t be until it was winter in the taiga, but she couldn’t bear the thought that she was saying good-bye to Paisley for that many months.

  Ribsy was next.

  “You saved Pearl’s life, you know that, right?” Stacy said, giving Ribsy a big hug. “She’s lucky to have you. We all are.” Ribsy bowed his head to Stacy and Everest.

  Stacy was dreading saying good-bye to Atlas the most. He had been the hardest wolf to befriend by far, but now that he had warmed up to Stacy (and saved her life several times), they had bonded. It was like Stacy was leaving a small piece of her heart behind on the island with him.

  “I love you too, Atlas,” Stacy sobbed into the wolf’s soft coat.

  Before she could change her mind, Stacy let go of Atlas and jumped onto the raft with Everest.

  “I’ll see you soon,” Stacy said, choking back more tears. Noah and Pearl began to pull the raft forward toward the setting sun. Milo the bat fluttered at Stacy’s shoulder while Stacy clung to Everest. She looked back at Our Little Island as it became smaller and smaller and she could no longer see Paisley, Ribsy, and Atlas standing on the beach. As the island disappeared into the distance, she heard a sorrowful howl from Atlas. Stacy wiped the tears from her eyes again with her bandanna and then dug her hands into Everest’s thick fur.

  I miss them already.

  Stacy couldn’t help but be amazed at how much her life had changed over the last few weeks. She hadn’t known the wolves from the mesa then—she hadn’t even known they existed. And now they were part of her family. She looked at Pearl, who was pulling the raft with ease in the water; Noah struggling to keep up. Stacy closed her eyes and enjoyed her last moments in the deep ocean, knowing her life was about to change even more.

  Epilogue

  STACY COULD BARELY see where she was going over the tall stack of books she was carrying home to her cave in the taiga. It was September now and, despite all her worrying, Stacy’s first day of school in the village could not have gone better. Addison and Everest had walked her to the school in the morning—Everest camouflaged himself and Addison as they neared the schoolhouse. Addison gave her a packed lunch and her pair of drugstore reading glasses for Stacy to borrow. Stacy gave Addison the biggest hug good-bye before nervously entering the building. But all of Stacy’s fretting had been for nothing. Her teacher was patient and easy to understand, her classmates were kind and welcoming, and not once did Stacy feel as if she was too dumb to be in the class she was. In fact, she could remember at least five times during the day when she had raised her hand to answer a question the teacher asked—and had answered correctly! Now she was heading home and she couldn’t be more excited to tell Addison all about how the day had gone and what she had learned.

  Stacy and the wolves had experienced a very uneventful summer, which, after everything that had happened over the last year, was perfectly fine with her. She had spent most of the summer volunteering at the Village County Animal Shelter and planting saplings around the taiga to regrow areas the villagers demolished the previous summer. She also finished working off Pipsqueak’s veterinary bill by assisting Dr. Kay at the animal hospital and even made a little bit of extra money washing dishes for Miriam at the diner. She’d stashed away some of the money she earned in the tin on her bookshelf in case one of her animals had another emergency that required a trip to the vet. The rest of the money she spent on a few new outfits to wear to school; some school supplies; and collars for Page, Molly, Milquetoast, and Pipsqueak. Lastly, she purchased a new journal to replace her old one that she had completely filled with stories of everything that had transpired over the last year—everything from animal rescues in the taiga, Page’s rescue, the timber wolf pack and the forest fire, her pack’s first trip to the mesa, Molly’s rescue, their expedition on the tundra and—most recently—their adventure with the mesa pack to the beach and their transformation into the sentinels in the deep ocean.

  Speaking of transformations, the cave that Stacy, her pets, and her wolves called home in the taiga had undergone a bit of a transformation as well. Addison, Tucker, Wink, and Basil had surprised Stacy while she was away and had expanded the cave. They were likely preparing for a scenario in which Stacy brought the mesa pack home to live with them if the tropical island had proved uninhabitable, however their improvements were still much appreciated considering Stacy now had four pets living in the cave. First, Basil had created a small chamber near the cave’s hearth for proper chest storage—a place where they could keep extra food and supplies, including lots of firewood for the cold months in the taiga. Meanwhile, Tucker, Wink, and Addison had dug out the back wall of the cave, expanding the room significantly. Next to the cave’s small spring of water, Tucker and Wink had dragged in a fallen birch tree and propped it up as a perfect makeshift cat tower for Milquetoast and Pipsqueak to play and nap on. And opposite that area, Addison had expanded Stacy’s bookshelf—giving Stacy additional space to spread out her homework and keep the growing collection of books she was borrowing from the village library. Part of Miriam registering Stacy for school in August had meant Stacy getting her own library card. Stacy could check out science books on whatever topics she wanted. And that’s just what she’d done.

  As she approached the clearing near the cave, Stacy stepped in a patch of soft podzol and lost her footing—the stack of books in her arms swaying back and forth. They were just on the verge of toppling over when suddenly a large tail appeared, steadying the books before they crashed down around Stacy.

  “Thanks, Everest,” Stacy said. “That would have been disastrous.”

  Stacy and Everest walked into the cave where Addison and Noah were busy canning cat food to keep in the pantry for the winter. Noah was having a hard time keeping up with Pipsqueak’s appetite, so they were trying to get a supp
ly saved so he didn’t have to fish every day. It had been a pretty big shock for Stacy when she had arrived home with Noah and Everest to find that Pipsqueak was no longer a scrawny kitten, but a giant fluffy cat twice the size of Milquetoast. Stacy smiled lovingly at Addison and Noah and then stepped over Wink and Tucker, who were sleeping in front of the fire, on her way to set her books down at her desk. Basil had already left for the night to start her shift of patrol duty on the ridge above their cave. Next, Stacy walked over to see Milquetoast and Pipsqueak, who were hanging out on their birch tree cat tower. Stacy picked Pipsqueak up—she needed both her arms to hold him now. He purred loudly. Milquetoast hopped down from the highest perch on the birch tree and climbed onto Stacy’s shoulders while Page and Molly ran over to greet Stacy.

  Stacy walked back over to her desk and sat down to begin writing in her new journal. She took a fresh pen out of her box of school supplies and began to write in her mother’s language, in which she was now fluent.

  My name is Stacy. If you are reading this, then you have also discovered the secret I discovered—and that my mother first discovered—of a new wolf species. I implore you to keep this secret and join me in my fight to protect them and use their powers for good in the world. I have no doubt that the wolves you are with have changed your life, the way my life was forever changed by Everest, Basil, Addison, Noah, Tucker, Wink, Atlas, Ribsy, Paisley, and Pearl. They’ve given me a purpose and a love for the natural planet and the animals in it. They’ve given me a family of pets to care for and who care for me. I don’t know where I will be when you are reading this, as I expect my work with the wolves to take me on many adventures all over the world. But I hope you will join me. Join me in being a guardian of the forest and a sentinel of the ocean. Join me . . . in being a wild rescuer.

  THE END.

  Stacy’s Favorite Words from the Book

  arduous—tiring and challenging. Example: Translating the runes in the journal was a slow and arduous task.

  arroyo—a ravine formed by fast, flowing water (possibly after a rainstorm) in a dry biome. Example: Basil slowed down to cross a dry arroyo in the mesa.

  bristled—specifically related to an animal’s hair or fur moving as a result of anxiousness or anger. Example: Everest bristled at Stacy’s suggestion.

  cephalopod—a predatory mollusk, like a squid or an octopus. Example: After several dips in the lagoon, Stacy had finally washed all the cephalopod ink from her hair.

  chagrin—annoyance or disappointment. Example: Milquetoast and Pipsqueak made noise around the cave all night long . . . much to Everest’s chagrin.

  clambered—moved or climbed in an awkward manner, perhaps using your hands and feet at the same time. Example: Stacy and her pack clambered over the rocky shore to get closer to the cave.

  concoction—a mixture, possibly strange, of ingredients. Example: Paisley stirred the sticky concoction with a branch.

  confabbed—had a private conversation with someone. Example: Everest confabbed with Atlas and walked over to the firepit.

  decimate—destroy all or a large part of something. Example: Stacy didn’t want Noah’s fishing to decimate any of the local fish population.

  dilapidated—in a state of ruin, usually from age or lack of care. Example: Poking out of the sea cave, just far enough for Stacy to spot it, was a dilapidated sailboat.

  disheveled—looking untidy in appearance. Example: The disheveled wolf had little bits of twigs and sage sticking out from her fur.

  disposition—someone’s personality or character. Example: Stacy knew wolves didn’t really smile, but Tucker’s cheery disposition made it seem like he was.

  epiphany—a major realization or discovery. Example: A few days had passed since Stacy’s epiphany about the possible existence of a mesa wolf pack.

  fortnight—two weeks. Often confused with a video game that Stacy will never play. Example: Stacy planned on staying in the mesa for a fortnight.

  furrow—to wrinkle your forehead or face. Example: The farmer lowered his rifle and furrowed his brow.

  gallivanting—traveling or roaming about for fun. Example: Basil decided to help Noah with his fishing while Wink was off gallivanting somewhere.

  gilded—covered or coated in gold. Example: Stacy swam down and found a gilded locker—a treasure chest?!

  gnawed—chewed or nibbled on persistently. Example: Stacy played fetch with Page for a long time while Molly gnawed on seaweed pods.

  grisly—gruesome and causing horror. Example: I cannot fully express the pain of discovering such a grisly scene in a place that has also brought me so much joy over the last decade.

  implore—ask with urgency or beg someone to do something. Example: I implore you to keep this secret and join me in my fight to protect them and use their powers for good in the world.

  inconsolable—in a state of sadness or grief and unable to be comforted. Example: The elder wolf had passed away, leaving Tucker weakened and inconsolable.

  insatiable—unable to be satisfied or quenched. Example: Pipsqueak’s appetite was insatiable.

  leery—cautious or suspicious. Example: Molly was leery of the ocean.

  metamorphic—a rock that has been transformed by natural causes such as pressure or heat. Example: Stacy knew lapis lazuli was a metamorphic rock.

  morsel—a small amount of food. Example: Stacy put a few morsels of mango on a nearby piece of driftwood for Milo to munch on.

  penchant—a liking or habit of doing something. Example: Basil had super speed and a penchant for pyrotechnics.

  scree—the mound of loose rocks and pebbles that forms at the base of a steep mountain. Example: The seven of them traversed the rocky scree at the bottom of the mesa where the abandoned mineshaft was located.

  sentinel—someone whose job it is to keep watch. Example: Atlas, Ribsy, Paisley, and Pearl are the sentinels in the deep ocean.

  subcutaneous—situated or applied under the skin. Example: The doctor gave Pipsqueak subcutaneous fluids.

  teeming—to be very full of (or swarming with) something. Example: The water was teeming with tropical fish swimming among the vibrant blues, pinks, yellows, and reds of the reef.

  tome—a long and heavy book. Example: There was a large wooden desk and a toppled-over bookcase with soggy tomes scattered around the wood plank floor.

  topography—a detailed depiction or drawing of an area’s geographical features. Example: She instantly recognized that the map’s topography was of this region.

  tutelage—the teaching or instruction someone gives you. Example: Stacy had grown up under the tutelage of a super-smart wolf, Addison.

  volition—free will; the act of making your own decision. Example: Every other time she and her wolves had left the taiga, it had not been of their own volition.

  zagged—to take a sharp turn. Example: Basil looked up and zagged in the direction Stacy had pointed.

  Meet the Real-Life Pipsqueak!

  When Pip was adopted by Stacy, he weighed only two and a half pounds at twelve weeks of age. He was diagnosed with feline infectious peritonitis—a usually fatal condition that can affect kittens. Stacy sought a second opinion from a specialist who recommended she quarantine Pip away from Milquetoast and monitor his progress. After several weeks . . . Pip got better! Stacy chronicled the highs and lows of Pip’s health journey on her YouTube channel youtube.com/StacyVlogs.

  Breed: unknown mix . . . something big though!

  Age: 3 years old

  Rescue date: January 26, 2018

  Favorite activity: terrorizing his older brother, Milquetoast

  Favorite foods: any kind of fish

  Fun fact: Pipsqueak really does squeak! At first, his meows were completely silent. Now he makes a small squeak when he meows. So even though he’s grown into a huge cat, his name still suits him!

  Get to Know a Sea Turtle Scientist!

  The animals and situations in Wild Rescuers: Sentinels in the Deep Ocean are purely fictional. To lear
n about the real creatures of the oceans, Stacy interviewed a marine biologist!

  Name:

  Nathan J. Robinson, PhD

  Current job:

  Researcher at the Fundación Oceanogràfic in Valencia, Spain

  Which oceans have you conducted research in?

  I have been lucky enough to work in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. I have also worked in several smaller seas including the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. I feel very privileged to have been able to travel to so many incredible places as part of my job, and it is a definite perk of being a marine biologist. I have even had the opportunity to go places that no one has ever gone before. For example, I traveled below a depth of 1,000 m (3,280 ft) in a submarine to explore the bottom of the Caribbean Sea!

  Dr. Robinson and the Bahamian minister of education in an OceanX submarine heading into the deep waters off the Bahamas.

  Is it true you captured footage of a giant squid?

  I am immensely proud to say that this is true! In the summer of 2019, Dr. Edith Widder and I recorded the first-ever footage of a live giant squid in US waters. This was the second time that this species has ever been caught alive on camera in the world, and it was a huge achievement in the field of deep-sea exploration. I still find it incredible that this deep-sea giant, which can grow to a size of over 14 m (46 ft) and was the inspiration for the legendary “Kraken,” was able to avoid being caught on camera for so long!

  Dr. Robinson and Dr. Edith Widder standing next to the camera they used to record the giant squid.

  What is one thing you want everyone to know about sea turtles?

  Many people know that sea turtles are endangered, but I would like everyone to know that whoever they are and wherever they live, they can do something to help protect sea turtles around the world. One of the biggest threats to sea turtles today is marine plastic pollution, as sea turtles often confuse plastic objects for food. For example, floating plastic bags can be easily confused for jellyfish, a favorite meal of most sea turtles. If you want to help sea turtles, it is as simple as remembering to refuse, reduce, reuse, or recycle any single-use plastics in your life so they do not end up in the oceans!