McKenzie’s Oregon Operation Read Free

normal.
    â€œThe shoreline here is mostly rocks,” Alex pointed out. “So there could be lots of underwater rocks to get caught up on. We don’t want to get too close until I know just where we are.”
    The little sailboat floated listlessly. Only a few minutes earlier the sky had been clear. Now dense fog had settled over the cove, surrounding them in a white, swirling mist.
    â€œWhat are we going to do?” McKenzie asked fearfully.
    Alex chewed her bottom lip as she surveyed the situation. “Look!” she exclaimed, pointing at a flash of light cutting through the fog. “There’s the light from the Heceta Head Lighthouse up the coast. We have to head back to our left to make sure we stay in the cove. I sure don’t want to get out in the open waters.”
    McKenzie wasn’t used to the ocean. The thought of being swept out into the rough waters scared her. “You don’t think…we’ll get washed away. …” Her voice cut off.
    â€œOh, of course not,” Alex said with a smile.
    A fake smile,
McKenzie thought.
She’s trying not to scare me. She doesn’t want me to know we’re in big, big trouble.
McKenzie’s hand clutched the sides of the sailboat until her knuckles turned white.
    â€œWe can’t even see where we are.” McKenzie’s voice trembled. “How will we know if we’re being pulled out to sea?”
    â€œThe tide’s coming in. It’ll push us into the shore, not away from it,” Alex reassured her.
    â€œIt’ll push us into the rocks, you mean?” McKenzie shivered.
Why, oh why, didn’t we tell Mr. C. we were going sailing?
    â€œI think we’re just in a little pocket of fog. The sun is trying to break through,” Alex said as she turned the sails, trying to catch what little breeze she could.
    A seagull cried overhead, and a motorboat puttered in the distance.
    At least someone else is out here. If we could only see,
McKenzie thought,
then we could ask for help.
    â€œI’m really sorry I didn’t pay more attention. I’m the one who got us lost,” Alex said softly.
    McKenzie smiled slightly. “It’s not any more your fault than it is mine. I shouldn’t have been gawking around so much. Anyway, I can’t believe God would let us get lost at sea. I’ve been praying.”
    â€œYeah, I have, too.” Alex sighed. “I guess we have to trust Him.”
    McKenzie nodded. Though she still couldn’t see the shoreline, she felt more relaxed than she had earlier. As she peered into the fog, a sleek gray object slid through the water beside her. She jumped. A whiskered nose popped through the water. For a second, McKenzie couldn’t speak, then she cried, “Susie! Boy, am I glad to see you.”
    The sea lion spun in the water, twirling like a ballerina. Her flippers flapped up and down as she performed her water dance.
    â€œAlex,” McKenzie turned to her friend, “this is the sea lion I was telling you about.”
    â€œYou mean her pups are the ones that are missing?” Alex asked, working the tiller.
    â€œYes,” McKenzie said, relieved. “We can’t be too far from Sea Lion Harbor.”
    Aaarrr! Aaarrr!
Susie barked as she splashed the water with her flippers. With a final spin, the sea lion slipped away from the boat.
    â€œI think she’s calling for her pups,” Alex said. “I hope she finds them.”
    A cool breeze brushed McKenzie’s face. The bright sails snapped as they caught the breeze that suddenly rolled in across the cove.
    â€œHey, we’re moving now.” Alex grinned at McKenzie.
    â€œLook.” McKenzie pointed at Susie, barely visible in the fog. “Maybe we should follow her.”
    Alex steered in Susie’s direction. The sea lion swam slowly, as if waiting for the sailboat to keep up.
    â€œI think the fog is lifting. I see some trees on the shore.”