Read Little Lion for Free Online

that wave felt familiar. When the family used to go to Cape May, Maisie and her father would bodysurf for hours. She liked tumbling in the water, then landing on the beach beside her father, laughing and spitting salt water. She liked how tired she’d get by the end of the afternoon, how they would collapse on the beach blanket and close their eyes, how the smells of suntan lotion and fried foods and salt surrounded her. Even lying still, Maisie would still feel like she was moving through the cold Atlantic Ocean.
    Maisie stood.
This
water wasn’t cold at all. In fact, it was as warm as bathwater. She looked at the sugar-white sand and the tall palm trees. Maybe they hadn’t landed in the Atlantic Ocean, she realized. Maisie tried to picture a map of the United States. A whole bunch of states had palm trees and warm water. Like . . . Florida . . . and . . . definitely some other ones.
Maybe this
is the Atlantic Ocean, but way down south
, she thought, walking up to the beach, her feet sinking in the soft sand as she did.
    The beach seemed to stretch forever, and Maisie couldn’t see anyone else on it. A palm tree lay on its side as if it had been knocked over, but otherwise the beach was empty. Maisie sat on the trunk of the fallen tree and pondered their situation. An empty beach, somewhere tropical. Another thought hit her. Not only didn’t she know
where
they’d landed, she also had no idea
when
they’d landed. For all she knew, this place was completely deserted. Or inhabited by angry natives. Nervous, she looked around for clues. But there was nothing but this long, white sand beach and the turquoise water and Felix goofing around in it, diving and splashing like they were in Cape May on vacation with their parents instead of stranded here.
    Think
, Maisie told herself. Last time, they’d landed in that barn and Clara Barton had appeared immediately. Logically, someone would appear here, too, she decided. Any minute. Someone who needed the coin. That made her feel better. Maisie smiled, pleased with herself. They didn’t have to do anything except wait right here. Any minute now, a person would walk up to them and things would start to make sense. She lifted her face toward the sun. Her mother would kill her for not using sunscreen, but Maisie had no choice. All she could do was hope her nose didn’t get too red and her freckles didn’t multiply too much.
    Time passed this way. Maisie sat on the trunk of the palm tree, waiting. Felix played around in the water. The sun rose higher and the day grew hotter, until eventually Maisie began to worry and Felix got bored and came out of the ocean and up the beach to where his sister had started to pace.
    â€œWe’ve been here a long time,” she said.
    â€œAnd I’m starving,” Felix said.
    Maisie’s stomach grumbled. “I thought for sure someone would show up.”
    Felix stared off down the length of the beach. “It’s pretty deserted,” he said finally.
    â€œDo you think we’re on a desert island?” Maisie asked.
    Felix chewed on his bottom lip, which had started to get chapped from the salt and sun. “I don’t know,” he concluded. Then he said, “I need lunch and ChapStick.”
    â€œThey don’t have ChapStick on desert islands,” Maisie said miserably.
    â€œThey don’t have food, either. Just coconuts and fish you have to catch with your bare hands,” Felix said, starting to get nervous.
    â€œWell,” Maisie said, “there’s only one thing we can do: explore.”
    â€œWhat if it’s dangerous out there? What if there’s wild animals or headhunters or—”
    â€œWe can’t just stay here like this forever. We’ll starve.”
    â€œMaisie?” Felix said softly. “Where do you think
here
is?”
    She swallowed hard. “Maybe Florida?”
    Felix nodded. “Florida