Forgotten Lyrics: A Watersong Story Read Free Page A

trees. The only inhabitant was an old British man named Bernie McAllister, and while he’d become a bit of a hermit in his later years, everyone in town knew of him because of his island.
    “Whooo!” Zoë yelled, holding her arms high above her head as John whipped around the island.
    “Zoë!” Mackenzie shouted, her eyes fixed on the bald cypress trees that extended beyond the edges of the island. “Quiet down. You’re gonna wake up Mr. McAllister.”
    “Who cares? He should wake up and enjoy this glorious night!” Zoë smiled radiantly back at her best friend. “You need to live a little, Mackenzie!”
    “Yeah, whoooo!” John joined in and did a fist pump, but he steered away from the island, going back toward the mainland.
    “Maybe they’re right,” Daniel said.
    “You think we should wake up an old man?” Mackenzie asked in surprise.
    He laughed. “No. Maybe we should loosen up. Have some fun.”
    “Wanna do a shot?” Mackenzie asked and pointed to the oversized purse sitting on the bottom of the boat. “I think Zoë has a bottle of vodka in her purse.”
    Daniel shook his head, smiling mischievously. “I meant, why don’t we break some rules?”
    Mackenzie appeared intrigued. “Like what?”
    “Like your rule about not dating younger guys.”
    “I don’t know,” she said with faux-seriousness. “That’s a pretty big rule.”
    “Well, maybe we could start simple,” Daniel suggested. “With just kissing younger guys.”
    Mackenzie pretended to think about it, but when he leaned in toward her, she didn’t move away.
    Then the boat suddenly jerked to the side, nearly tipping so it was completely vertical. Daniel grabbed onto the boat with one hand and Mackenzie with the other to keep her from going overboard.
    “Shit, John!” Daniel shouted once John had righted the boat. Somehow, both John and Zoë had managed to stay aboard, and Daniel made his way up front, meaning to talk some sense into his brother. “Slow down! You’re gonna flip the boat.”
    “Everything’s fine, Daniel.” John brushed him off. “Go sit back down.”
    “Why don’t you and Zoë sit down for a while?” Daniel asked. “I’ll steer, and me and Mackenzie can sit up here.”
    “I got it,” John snapped. “Stop acting like Mom. I’m fine.”
    “Yeah, Danny Boy.” Zoë giggled and swayed with the waves. “We got this.”
    “Zoë, come back and sit with me before you fall over,” Mackenzie said.
    When boat lurched again, Zoë really did almost fall over, and Daniel grabbed the waistband of her jeans just in time to keep her from going over. Mackenzie put her arm around her friend’s waist and led her to the back, where she could hold on to her.
    “Great,” John muttered after Zoë had gone back. “Now you scared the girl away.”
    “Look, now you can go back and sit with her and put the moves on her.” Daniel was hovering over John, practically talking in his ear. “Wasn’t that your reason for taking the boat? She’s good to go, John.”
    “Yeah, well, I would’ve, but you ruined it.” John glared up at him. “I’m not gonna let her think that I’m letting my kid brother boss me around.”
    “She doesn’t even—” Daniel was in the middle of arguing with his brother when he glanced out to the open water in front of them as the boat’s light flashed on something.
    A girl swam right in front of them, her head and shoulders above the water. Her eyes were wide in surprise, and they were about to hit her.

3. Reverberation
     
    “John, watch out!” Daniel yelled, and he grabbed the wheel, jerking it to the side just in time to keep from hitting the girl.
    It happened in seconds—the jerk of the wheel, the boat veering to the side, Daniel seeing the jagged rocks jutting twenty feet above the water—but time seemed to slow. The moments felt endless, and Daniel felt frozen in them, unable to move fast enough to change anything.
    The boat careened to one side, and Zoë screamed as she was