{"id":324,"date":"2016-11-28T16:19:36","date_gmt":"2016-11-28T16:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/?p=324"},"modified":"2016-12-05T22:16:43","modified_gmt":"2016-12-05T22:16:43","slug":"battleship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/battleship\/","title":{"rendered":"Battleship"},"content":{"rendered":"[aesop_chapter title=”Part 1″ bgtype=”img” full=”on” bgcolor=”#888888″ revealfx=”off”]\n\n[aesop_parallax img=”http:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-content\/uploads\/story-illustrations_beach.jpg” parallaxbg=”on” captionposition=”bottom-left” lightbox=”off” floater=”on” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”none”]\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not how you do it, Mitchell!\u201d Jade said, annoyed. \u201cYou put the sticks in the castle AFTER the moat is done!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care. The castle is going to have flags now.\u201d Mitchell put a stick on a tower of a sandcastle he and Jade were making together. \u201cI can do whatever I want anyway. I\u2019m older.\u201d Jade glared at him but continued to dig a moat in the sand with her pink shovel. Mitchell added in another tower to the castle with the yellow pail, specially made to create sandcastles. They sat in the sand together creating their castle on the beach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jade and Mitchell were cousins. Jade was 6 years old and Mitchell was 11. Jade consistently wanted to be by Mitchell\u2019s side. She wanted to do everything with him. Mitchell let her for the most part but easily was annoyed by her and usually complained about it. If Mitchell went for a bike ride, Jade went for a bike ride. If Mitchell went swimming, Jade went swimming. If Mitchell ate, Jade ate. Jade was like an extra shadow to Mitchell. They were spending two weeks vacation at the camp in Maine. It was family tradition, where all the cousins, aunts, and uncles would rent camps on the lake and hang out together. Not all could stay the full two weeks, but for the most part, as extended family came and went, the cousins always were together. Today was the last full day at the camp before their vacation was over, and Jade and Mitchell were told it was beach day, meaning the kids were only to play on the beach, enjoy the sun and swim in the lake together. By now, Mitchell was sick of Jade consistently being next to him, so he tried his best to contradict whatever she said to him. Mitchell\u2019s older brother, David was also there. David was 13 and he loved camp. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy aren\u2019t you two swimming!\u201d David asked as he marched down to the beach from the camp.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re making a sandcastle!\u201d Jade said looking up to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re busy David, go away,\u201d Mitchell ignored his brother and started digging sand into his pail.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh relax Mitch,\u201d David said, kicking a pile of sand onto Mitchell\u2019s tower.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHEY! Don\u2019t ruin it!\u201d Mitchell said, agitated then slapping David\u2019s shin. David just kicked more sand onto Mitchell. Mitchell shoved at him. \u201cYou are so annoying David!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Mitchell and David pushed and shoved at each other around as Jade still sat in the sand next to the castle watching the boys roughhouse. She was still digging away but also was trying not to get hit from any sand the boys kicked at each other. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJade, we should go swimming now! Are you done with your castle?\u201d David said after shoving Mitchell off of him. \u201cYou know we should get the boats out too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah I guess so,\u201d Jade said putting down her shovel and getting up to get ready to go in the water. She just wanted to do whatever David and Mitchell did, no matter what it was. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDavid! Battleship!\u201d said Mitchell, finally brushing off the sand that was on him. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019ll do!\u201d He went to get his goggles and flippers from the beach bin that was sitting on the grass. \u201cI\u2019m going to be the sub! Wait, Tom needs to come too!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTom won\u2019t want to,\u201d David said pushing a large green canoe into the lake. \u201cJade, come get in!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy won\u2019t he come swimming?\u201d Jade asked David, crawling in between the seats of the canoe to find her place to sit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Tom needs to! He\u2019s supposed to be having fun with us,\u201d <\/i>said Mitchell. \u201cJade you get him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou get him!\u201d Jade said with a scowl on her face as she got herself situated.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDavid get Tom!\u201d Mitchell demanded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMitchell, you get him!\u201d David replied not even looking up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI already have my flippers on so I<\/i> can\u2019t,\u201d Mitchell argued putting his goggles on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

David sighed rolling his eyes at Mitchell then asked Jade if she could see if Tom will come swim with them. He told her they\u2019ll secretly team up and get Mitchell when the game starts. Jade agreed and got up out of the canoe and ran up to the house looking for Tom. Tom was the big cousin, much older than the rest of them. He was 24 and lived far away from the rest of them but came back for the holidays and family events, such as camp. He enjoyed vacation as much as he could and hung out with the younger cousins all the time. He sat at the kids\u2019 table for every meal, he played all their games, and always joked around with them. He never had other kids to play with when he was young during this vacation, being the only kid in the family until David came around, but he was 11 when that happened. Tom enjoyed the kids anyways. Tom also had a dog, a chocolate lab named Moose, which every one loved. Moose, ironically was quite small for a lab. Jade found Tom laying on a lounge chair in the sun and Moose sprawled out next to him. Jade ran up to them, still covered in sand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to come swim with us!\u201d she said, as she jumped on top of him. Moose jumped up wagging her tail and put her nose in between Jade and Tom. Jade gave her a pat on the head and Moose licked her face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tom made an oomf <\/i>noise as Jade landed on him, pushed Moose\u2019s face away, and looked at Jade and asked, \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re playing Battleship! And you need to play too!\u201d Jade told him excitedly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo I\u2019m not swimming today,\u201d Tom said shaking his head as he put his hat over his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy!\u201d Jade asked grabbing at his hat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t want to get wet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2019re wearing your bathing suit!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m not going in the water.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s silly, you\u2019re at camp and you\u2019re supposed to go swimming.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLater Jade.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNah.\u201d Tom shook his head again and put his hat back on his face and folded his hands. Jade got off the lounge chair and pet Moose goodbye. She ran back to the beach and saw Mitchell was already in the water. David was standing in the canoe that was floating a little off shore filling up a squirt gun. \u201cHey!\u201d She yelled out. \u201cTom won\u2019t come swimming guys!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLame!\u201d David called out to the shore.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you guys going swimming?\u201d asked Jane, Jade\u2019s mom. She reached her arms out to Jade for a hug. She was sitting in a beach chair, relaxing in the sun, but also playing lifeguard to the kids in the water. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re playing a game,\u201d Jade replied going to her mom. \u201cBut Tom won\u2019t come.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell you have fun with David and Mitchell. What are you playing?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever the boys are,\u201d Jade said now trying to get away.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think they’re playing that boat game.\u201d said Aunt Ellen, Mitchell and David\u2019s mom. She was sitting next to Jane in her beach chair, reading a book. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Battleship!\u201d Jade said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell put on your life jacket, I\u2019ll help you if you can\u2019t get the zipper\u201d Jane said, with a little worry regarding this \u201cBattleship\u201d game. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to!\u201d Jade complained. \u201cDavid and Mitchell aren\u2019t wearing theirs!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going out in a boat. And you\u2019re wearing it,\u201d Jane said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWear your life jacket Jade,\u201d said Aunt Ellen. \u201cThe boys are silly anyway.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jade rolled her eyes but still put on her life jacket. It was yellow and red with a little Tweety Bird on it. After she got it on she really didn\u2019t mid wearing it, she was just ready to finally go play with her cousins.<\/span><\/p>\n[aesop_chapter title=”Part 2″ bgtype=”img” full=”on” bgcolor=”#888888″ revealfx=”off”]\n[aesop_parallax img=”http:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-content\/uploads\/story-illustrations_canoe.jpg” parallaxbg=”on” captionposition=”bottom-left” lightbox=”off” floater=”on” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”none”]\n\n\n

The rules to Battleship were simple. The people in the boats were to \u201cattack\u201d each other and the submarine. The submarine was to \u201cattack\u201d the boats from the water by swimming around them. The boats could only use their hands to paddle, no oars or paddles were allowed. Squirt guns of any sort were allowed for boats and submarines. That was it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jade ran into the water and swam out to David as he came back hand paddling the canoe towards her. He helped her crawl up and into the canoe and she sat herself in the front of the boat and David handed her a squirt gun, filled and ready to go. They paddled back out to the deep water. All of a sudden, the boat started rocking side to side. Mitchell popped up from the side of the canoe with a big splash to Jade\u2019s face. Jade squirted Mitchell in the face with her squirt gun. Mitchell kept splashing Jade with one hand as he used the other to hold on the the side of the canoe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet him J!\u201d yelled David from the back of the canoe using his hands to splash Mitchell as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mitchell kicked with his flippers to get his brother in the back of the boat. He ducked underwater and swam around. Jade refilled her squirt gun from on the side of the canoe, but still looking around for the submarine. To her surprise, the boat tipped upward as Mitchell had popped up at the back of the boat and pulled himself up putting all his weight at the end. He rocked the boat trying to get the back end to go under water. He put his legs on the side of the boat to pull the boat down, he looked like a koala hugging a tree branch upside down. Jade watched, smiling as David grabbed at Mitchell\u2019s flipper, laughing at him. Jade laughed when David pulled Mitchell\u2019s flipper off his foot and squirted her squirt gun at Mitchell. Mitchell let go of the boat, making it rock in the waves of the lake as he swam off, one flipper and all. He did one last kick with the foot that had a flipper on it, with the attempt to splash David. He missed. <\/span><\/p>\n

The two boys and Jade continued splashing at each other for while. David would paddle the boat as Mitchell would pop up at different points splashing Jade in the face. She\u2019d wipe her eyes so she could see and then spay him back with the squirt gun. Mitchell would pop up at other times to get his brother and David would then lean over the edge of the canoe to splash him back. Occasionally, a splash from behind Jade would happen as David purposely got her. Jade just used the squirt gun to get right back at him, an easy direct shot. The boat was pretty full of water at this point so Jade was just sitting in a pool of water. All of a sudden, a sudden jolt hit the canoe, Jade fell back and David actually fell out of the boat, as he was already leaning halfway out it from splashing at Mitchell.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTOM\u2019S HERE!\u201d Mitchell yelled as he popped back up from David nearly falling on top of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Out of nowhere, Tom had appeared. Tom had taken out his own kayak and t-boned into the canoe. Immediately, the three kids knew what they had to do now that Tom finally came swimming with them. Mitchell swam to Tom and grabbed the end of the kayak and hoisted himself on the front of it. David swam towards Tom, holding the front of the canoe with Jade still sitting in it to take her with them. Jade had her squirt gun ready to spray Tom in the face. Tom just splashed his arms around with a small attempt to actually aim the water at any one of the kids coming towards him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s sink his boat!\u201d Mitchell lifted himself onto the edge Tom\u2019s kayak, tipping it, filling it with water. David swam over and did the same thing next to Mitchell to make the kayak fill even more. Tom splashed David and Mitchell back a little bit but gave up and flopped himself into the water, allowing the kayak to flip upside down. Tom held his breath and went under water and swam around.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTake over his kayak!\u201d said David to Mitchell pointing at it. Mitchell swam to Tom\u2019s kayak that was starting to float away. He lifted himself on it, still upside down, sat on it, and was ready to go.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Tom!\u201d Jade said from the canoe, refilling her squirt gun. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAHHHH!\u201d Tom popped up, splashed Jade in the face, and went under the water again. He swam to the edge of the canoe and with one heaving motion he came up from under the canoe pushing the bottom up. Before Jade knew it, she was in the water. Tom had flipped the canoe and Jade swam around the boat towards her cousins. The canoe was floating upside down and Tom began to crawl on top of it, but kept slipping and falling. Mitchell laughed and splashed Tom, still sitting on top of the upside down kayak. Tom splashed Mitchell back but swam away and was ready to get at David. David and Jade again teamed up and splashed at Tom together when he swam close. The four cousins continued splashing each other and swimming around in the water. From the shore, there was a voice calling for them all. It was Aunt Erica.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSWEETIES! LOOK AT ME!!!\u201d She yelled from the shore. Erica was Tom\u2019s mom. She had a camera in her hand and waving her other hand to get the kids\u2019 attention. \u201cI NEED A PICTURE!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNO PICTURES MOM!\u201d called Tom, and he ducked under water.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI WON\u2019T BE IN IT AUNT ERICA!\u201d David taunted. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI AM TAKING A PICTURE OF ALL FOUR OF YOU TOGETHER! MITCHELL DON\u2019 T YOU PADDLE AWAY FROM ME! WHY DON\u2019T YOU ALL GET ON TOP OF THE CANOE?\u201d Erica directed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDAVID! MITCHELL! GET IN THE PICTURE!\u201d Ellen yelled from her chair, not even looking up from her book.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDAVID! MITCHELL! HELP JADE OUT!\u201d Jane yelled.<\/span><\/p>\n

David swam to grab the canoe that was still floating upside down and hoisted himself on top of it. Jade swam towards the edge of the canoe with Tom and he and David helped her up and get seated and keep her balance. Tom got himself up and sat and stuck his tongue out at the camera like a six year old being difficult. Mitchell hand paddled over towards the others and gave bunny ears to his to his brother. The four of then smiled for the camera in the distance. Little did they know there was a collection of pictures that were taken of them all while they were splashing around before. Once Erica took a few shots, she yelled \u201cTHANKS HUNNIES!\u201d and went to put her camera away and sit in the sun with her sisters. Jane was still intently watching the kids in the water and Ellen still had her nose in her book.<\/span><\/p>\n

The game out on the lake continued. The four of them now played on top of the upside down boats. It was quite easy for the submarines to get the people on the boats into the water since sitting on the flipped canoe and kayak was quite tippy and slippery. Tom even managed to stand up on it like a surfboard, it didn\u2019t last very long since he slipped off the second Mitchell splashed water at his feet. The splashing and falling into the water lasted throughout the afternoon. Battleship slowly turned into the four of them trying to stand and balance on the flipped boats like surfboards. Jade tried it and managed to keep her balance. David told her not to move as he tried to sand on the canoe with her. It didn\u2019t work as they both fell into the water as soon as David moved his leg. They all kept trying again and again and working together and eventually, all of them together were standing on the flipped canoe at once. It only lasted a few moments before the four of them lost their balance and fell back into the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Comments<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cousins are the kids you grow up with, no matter how old you are.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":469,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[12],"class_list":{"0":"post-324","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-stories","8":"tag-story","10":"aesop-entry-content"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=324"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":527,"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324\/revisions\/527"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jolineblais.net\/tributaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}