Trip to Moonstone Bay.

Winter vacation at last. Jennifer Louise, one of the Blessing family, and her bestie, Darya, were so thrilled. Ma Blessing was taking them on this plane trip to Moonstone Bay. There it was hot and sunny, a sparkling bay of seaside fun, with a cool forest on the nearby hills.

Ma Blessing was very keen for Jennifer Louise and Darya to attend the spiritual center fair there in the remote center of magic at Moonstone Bay. It was convention time, a chance to feel the power of women of grace and enchantment.

"This is definitely a chick thing." Jennifer Louise said, gazing at all the ladies disembarking from the airplane. "Yes, we are the future way ahead, " Ma Blessing replied, "You two will learnt a lot, we all shall."

The first day was spent sightseeing, relaxing by the shores, and paddling in the waves. Jennifer Louise wanted to learn snorkeling, so her mother arranged some lessons. Waking up in such beautiful warm weather gave the two girls lots of energy. Before their diving lessons, Ma Blessing insisted they attend the open fair and market for charms and potions.

There were many stalls selling lots of ideas for exploring their female talents for casting spells and using good magic for the best for everyone. Jennifer Louise and Darya spent some of their pocket money on buying a moonstone bracelet each. The moonstones on the gold charms were believed to bring them good luck, and make them brave.

"Right," said Jennifer Louise, "let's see what this stall is selling. It's fun, in a witchy kind of way." Darya agreed, so far, this winter holiday in the sun was interesting. The spiritual fair held different ideas for all.

The two girls peered through the doorway of a purple draped booth. Inside sat a kindly older lady, gazing a large crystal ball, gleaming softly like a moon. It was in Moonstone Bay after all. "Come along, girls. Time to get your fortunes told, consult the senior witch of the future ahead." Ma Blessing insisted.

"Enter gladly. I am Sophia, your seer. Cross my palm with silver, and I shall tell your tale in advance. I see great visions, sitting here in peace, gazing at the world ahead in my crystal ball."

Ma Blessing paid the fees, and Jennifer Louise and Darya sat down together, as they usually did. This could be fun. Jennifer Louise really wanted to be a kick boxing champion, that was what she was in training for. She went along with Ma Blessing and her spiritual habits. It was their family tradition, she was a Blessing after all.

Sophia was silent, then started her predictions. "I see a bad tide rising in the sunny seas over there. Enter at your own risk. There may be danger ahead, someone wicked to take your souls. You two girls will need to be very strong, keep your moonstone bracelets on. You will need to have faith in your own powers, you can do this. Tough times will test your strength."

"Was that all?" asked Darya, a bit disappointed. "Aren't we getting true love?"

"Love comes in different shapes and sizes, your day will be full of surprises!"

Giggling, the two girls left Ma Blessing at the spiritual convention, shopping for more potions. It was time for their snorkeling lesson. Here they met their instructor, a charming lady, Eloise. She soon had them enjoying their new equipment, swimming and spotting jewels of fish under the sea, with their masks and breathing snorkels.

Jennifer Louise came up for a while. "It's so beautiful, under the blue sea!" she said to Darya. "Did you believe Sophia?"

"I don't know," Darya answered. "Looks okay to me."

But Jennifer Louise and Darya had only learnt to swim so well in a swimming pool back home, in the same rural town as the Blessing homestead. This Moonstone Bay was a whole new world. They swam on, diving deeper. Neither of them even noticed the dark giant waves rolling in towards them both, from beyond this cove of magic.

Jennifer Louise snorkeled alongside Darya, keeping to the buddy system. Suddenly, a very strong current started to drag the two girls deeper underwater. The calm sparkling sea was now a swirl of danger. The chicks clutched hands, they were on this trip to stick together.

Darya looked behind them, and pointed. There, a horrible enormous manta ray was chasing after them. Terrified, the girls kicked their flippers, ahead loomed the rocky entrance to a cave, deep beneath. They were running short of air, but the sea did not care. The freak tide washed them through a tunnel, until they lay gasping on the sands of an undersea cave. They could hear the pounding of the sudden waves.

Jennifer Louise blinked, and looked back at the rock pool. She could see the manta ray circling, after them both. Or was it lost? Strangely, this cave was lit by a golden beam of sunlight, shining through the roof of the rocks. On the little patch of sand in front of them sat a figure of mermaid queen. Her throne was encrusted with brilliant colors, like emeralds and rubies. This queen was glowing by herself, pretty, and fishy.

Despite herself, Jennifer Louise was impressed. But Darya noticed that the queen had a mean look in her eyes. She looked meaner than Mrs. Dean, their Year 7 Maths teacher, back home. The two girls clambered to their feet, bit hard with flippers. They took off their snorkels for a minute, and breathed in the salty air.

"Now I've got you. You are my slaves, just what I wanted the sea to drag in. No leaving from here, you are trapped. That manta ray is my servant too!"

"No way!" Jennifer Louise was always a bit quick to answer back.

"Aha, my lovelies. No one argues with this queen of the undersea."

The mermaid queen raised her arms, and coils of seaweed starting wrapping round the legs of the lassies. Jennifer Louise rubbed her moonstone bracelet, and had an idea.

"Grab some of those shells!"

Quickly, she and Darya took some broken shells from the shore, and slashed through the seaweed. The manta ray came closer, ahead was the nasty mean mermaid queen. But both girls had been studying hard in their self-defense course.

"Ready?" Jennifer Louise said to Darya, "Time for action!"

The girls put on their snorkels and masks, and flopped into the sea, as the tide was turning back to normal. Jennifer Louise swam right up to the manta ray, and poked it in its eyeballs as hard as she could. Darya punched it in the throat. The ray immediately burst into tears, it was only a bully slave.

"Come back! You fight dirty. My kind of chicks!" shrieked the mermaid queen, so mean.

"We have that human touch!" Jennifer Louise yelled.

Jennifer Louise and the Darya were the best of diving buddies. They dived under the surface, and made it through the tunnel, back to the bay.

"See, Sophia was right. We girls must have faith in ourselves." Jennifer Louise said as they surfaced. They happy hi-fived each other. Swimming at home had never been so dramatic. "Must be the salt in the sea." Darya remarked, as they finally made it to the beach of Moonstone Bay.

"That was one nasty mermaid queen." Jennifer Louise, " she even looks worse than Mrs. Dean."

"And full of surprises!" Darya agreed, slightly tired from all that action.

The two girls laughed, and went to find Ma Blessing, on this holiday trip to magical Moonstone Bay. Worked like a charm!