Meheroon Shan writes a fantasy story of a young girl from Hawaii
I’m Moana. I’m called Mo instead and I like it that way. I’m a 12-year-old girl. As much as I loved the water, I loved exploring. My mother is Lilo, the daughter of Moana the First who voyaged and saved the world. Lilo’s younger sister, Lea had a daughter as well. Her daughter's name is Olivia but I just call her Oli. When she was with her friends, they would tease me for my quirks. This would make me cry, which I never told anybody. Oli, I noticed, was always extra cruel to me.
My grandmother is the only one who understands me. We always talk when we were on a boat.
“My grandmother used to ask me who I really am. Now, I’m going to ask you the same thing,”my grandmother said one day on one of those boat trips.
“I don’t know who I am because I’m not seen as somebody”
“No matter who judges you, you should know who you are and who you’re meant to be, Mo.” She kissed me on the forehead and gave me her necklace. It was a locket. Inside the locket was a pearl. I got off the boat and I walked deeper in to the sea.
The waves moved, and it guided me to a cave, filled with carvings of people who explored the ocean. It was form these carvings that my grandmother found out we were voyagers. I wondered what I was going to find out.
I looked closely at the carvings to find out there was human life in the ocean that could save us from a threat. But what threat? All of a sudden I heard a giant noise and I ran back to the boat.
To find my grandmother's limp body on the boat. I fainted out of shock.
I opened my eyes next to find my mother looking at me with big relief.
“Mo, what happened?” she asked.
“Where’s grandma?” I asked groggily.
I met her eyes to know that Grandma had died.
I told her about everything except the cave. I felt like my grandmother was counting on me for keeping it a secret. Suddenly, Oli asked “What about that necklace grandma gave you?”
My heart thumped and thumped.
“Wait, how did you know about the necklace?”
“I spied on you, I don’t like you with grandma,” she said. I saw a pain of jealousy in her.
“There’s a threat” I blurted out loud. Why did I do that?
Everyone slowly came towards me, waiting for me to say the next word.
“I saw a cave and I heard a noise, it wasn’t an ordinary noise you’d hear in the ocean”.
I thought, if the noise came from the ocean, it must mean something is there or someone is there.
People did not really believe what I said.
In the next few moments, we noticed a black ship approaching the shore. A note came falling out of the sky. It was written in our language, which meant they knew us, somehow. I was the first to run up to it.
It said: Beware people, we’re here for the valuables of your island and if there’s nothing you got to offer, your island will be in our control.
I felt fear rise up in my stomach. My mother was the chief of our clan and she bravely approached them. I wasn’t able to hear everything they said, but I did remember something was written on the cave. A human life would save us, but where and why wasn’t the person here? I went through a secret passage that made me quickly go to the back of the island, but I heard someone following me.I turned around finding a person who was in the shadows and it took one more step. I held my necklace and it turned to a sword! I realized that it was Oli, standing right in front of me.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Leaving”
“Can I come with you too?”
“No” I shot a look at her firmly.
“Please Mo! I’m really sorry! For making fun of you, I wasn't trying to hurt you!"
I was sad and lonely, I could have really used a friend at that moment. I ran up to her and hugged her.
“Now, you can join me” I said.
She looked at me with hope.
Suddenly, we heard steps. We knew that it was a man. We took to our feet.
There was a boat and we both ran towards it. I heard the man shoot at me, but Oli has taken the bullet instead, to save me.
“Go, Mo, go!” she urged.
“No, I’m not leaving without you!”
I carried her all the way to the boat and I pushed it out on the water. Now, I had to jump on the boat. Three more men joined and they were all aiming at me, but why? I jumped on and we left the Island. I reached for the emergency medicine we keep in our boats.
“Thank you cousin, I wouldn’t be alive right now if it wasn’t for you,” Oli said.
I looked at her beamingly.
“Where we going now?” Oli asked.
“To a cave” I replied. My grandma taught me how to steer boat when I was only 3, and so, I taught Olivia. I told her everything about the cave but I felt like she was hiding something from me.
Soon, we arrived at the cave. I looked at the carvings again, and saw a riddle against the caves wall.
PROPHECY: The Granddaughter of Montanui’s Voyager shall pick a path of evil or good.
Return what has been lost and go to the woods.
Shall be betrayed by a friend who turns back on you.
And you’ll be the one, to control the waters. Yah hoo!
My heart was beating harder and harder, my Island is Montanui! What does it mean by “Montanui’s Voyager?” Then it hit me, it was talking about my grandmother, Moana!
I was surely her granddaughter, but so was Oli. I didn’t like the evil and good part. However, I was tempted to tell Olivia but I knew anyone can turn this riddle against me, so I chose not to tell her.
I knew our next stop was the woods, but which one? I came out of the cave finding Olivia looking bored.
“What did you find?” Oli asked.
“Well, I know our next stop is the woods”.
We started the sailing and we found large tall trees in an area.
“Maybe this is where the lost thing is, in these woods” Oli told.
Wait, how did she know about the “lost” part in the riddle?, I wondered. I was getting more and more suspicious of Oli.
Oli started running and I ran towards her. She suddenly stopped and I looked at her with confusion. I knew why she stopped. In front of me was a large beast and it had blood on its cheek. I gulped. I ran but Oli just stood there.I urged her to run but she stayed there calmly.The beast didn’t even notice her. As I ran, I saw those same men who tried to shoot me in the Island. On the right was the beast and on my left were the men. I waited for the right moment and I jumped and hid in a big rock. The beast ran and ate the men. Blood was now stained everywhere on the beasts cheek and I held my necklace again and it formed to sword. Nervously, I went to the back of the beast and ran back to look for Oli. She looked surprised when she saw me.
“How did you escape? I work for them now, Mo”
I looked and saw an evil army full of evil people.
“Your just gonna let our island die?”
“I just want to get rid of you. If the island goes away with you, then fine!”
“Why me? We were doing so well and now you want to get rid of me? I thought we were friends”
“Not anymore. You thought you could be the next Voyager? What was the riddle you read?” she looked at me with cautious eyes.
“I can’t tell you,” I said.
Olivia looked approached me with anger. But then I accidentally moved my arm and a giant wave splashed Olivia! I was able to control the waves with my sword! Olivia looked at me if I was her nightmare. I motioned the sword again to make a wave appear and sweep up all the men. All the men floated out to the land where they came from. Another giant wave pulled me up all the way back to my Island.
My mom was looking at me so happily, and I smiled back. Everyone shouted ”OUR HERO!”. I couldn’t help but smile. I was happy to be home again and I wonder when my next adventure will happen!
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