Keahi – Fire and Forgiveness (A Short Story)

With Niuhi sharks, even out of the water, you’re not safe.

My dreams are nightmares. I don’t dare fall asleep.

Guro Hari’s teaching me Filipino knife fighting, but I’m too scared to come out of the bathroom. I’d rather learn Lua and train with Jay and Char Siu, but Uncle Kahana won’t let me. He says it’s for our safety, but I don’t believe him.

Uncle Kahana’s obsessed with Niuhi stories, Hawaiian myths about sharks in human form. If he’s right, even out of the water, no one’s safe.

I have a secret knife I call Shark Tooth. I may have to use it.

That thought excites me.

And that’s the scariest thing of all.

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Everything you thought you knew about Zader is a lie.

Kalei, the Man with Too Many Teeth, gave me an ultimatum: Bite Jay or watch as Kalei murders everyone I love. Kalei will do it. I have no doubt.

Jay’s anger is white-hot. If I take his leg, he’ll never surf again. He’s my brother, but he’ll hunt me down and kill me for this. He won’t forgive me.

Either way, I end up alone.

No matter what they say, I’m not Niuhi. I’m a Westin. I’m a kid, not a shark. I can’t live without Jay, Char Siu, Uncle Kahana, or ‘Ilima. Just me and my psycho sister Maka roaming the seas forever? No thanks.

There’s got to be more to my life than this. I refuse to believe that I’m a monster and a pawn in someone’s cosmic game.

I’m making my own rules now.

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