The Adventures of Keiko Haubjed

Starring Keiko in

52 Hertz

By Tsunami_Holmes

12-year-old Keiko sat up in bed, letting out a frightened scream. Her nightmares were getting worse, plus her hallucinating. She had been found walking to the beach alone once, but she didn't know why. She could only remember a long road that went nowhere. She had also been found inside her clubhouse in her backyard, she had been on her back wailing 'please! No! I didn't do it!'. Her parents were worried, they often read books to her in bed or just talked to her. Sometimes she didn't respond, she just stared at her ceiling. Keiko had just had a nightmare about drowning out in the middle of the ocean. Her parents and brother were nowhere near and she had been out on her dad's fishing boat. But something had hit her boat and she drowned. Her dad and mom came rushing into the room.

"Everything's okay honey, it's okay," Ben, her dad, stroked Keiko's long brown hair.

Breathing heavily, Keiko laid back down, "I-I was drown-drowning-"

She gasped, then slowly calmed down, sweat running down her face and onto her neck where her tooth necklace was, it was only one tooth on a black string, a Komodo Dragon tooth.

"It's okay, you're alive, just calm down," Keiko's mother, Veronica, also stroked Keiko's hair.

"Can- can you read something to me? Please?" Keiko took calmer breaths.

"Like what?" Ben asked, walking over to the bookshelf.

"The Loneliest Whale, please," Keiko pleaded.

"The Loneliest Whale?" Ben looked confused, "that has to do with the ocean! Weren't you just having a nightmare about the ocean?"

"Yes, which is why I want you to read it to me, so I know that there's nothing to be afraid of! Then I won't have nightmares!" Keiko exclaimed.

"Alright," Ben pulled out the book, it had a picture of a whale on it, a special whale, Ben walked over to the bed, whispering something in Veronica's ear on the way. Veronica nodded and left the room.

"It was 1989," Keiko's dad began, "and the US Navy were scanning the waters with a hydrophone searching for submarines when they heard an unusual sound. It appeared to be a whale song, but it was a much different frequency. Instead of being 15 to 20 hertz like most whales, this whale was 52 hertz!That's just higher than the deepest note on a tuba. After a while, scientists and others started noticing a pattern. The whale song could be heard in the pacific each October-January, and it's voice has been getting slightly deeper every year. This whale would travel in the migration pattern of a Blue or Fin whale, making some think that this mysterious creature could actually be a Blue or Fin whale, possibly even a hybrid of the two. It travels 30 to 70 km each day, but we only know that from sounds. No one has ever seen this whale, making it a mystery that has been going on for 26 years. For 26 years people have been listening for the whale, now aptly named: '52 Hertz'. For 26 years people have wondered: 'is there only one?' or 'where's the others?'. Now, 52 Hertz has another name: The loneliest whale in the world, for there has only been one sound, no overlapping, no others that we can tell. So let's hope that there are more, because it hertz to be alone."

"I like 52," Keiko said, as if she was only 4, like her brother.

"Good, I heard something about a documentary coming out this year called '52: The Search for the Loneliest Whale in the World'" Ben added.

"Really? I wanna see that," Keiko said, staring at her ceiling.

"Well, you try to go to sleep again and if you have anymore trouble, just call me or mother in, sweet dreams Keiko," Ben leaned down to kiss Keiko on the forehead, then left, letting Keiko fall back asleep, her necklace hanging off the side of the bed.

Keiko was in her bed, but she was on a beach. The only water was far away, she got out of bed and started running toward it, not knowing why. After a few exhausting minutes of running, Keiko saw her dad's fishing boat. Slightly remembering the nightmare before this, Keiko hesitated to climb in. But suddenly she heard the weirdest whale song ever. She couldn't help it, she quickly climbed into the wooden boat and untied the knot that was holding her safely to shore. She grabbed the paddles and rowed out to sea. The boat was fast, taking her away from the beach quickly and steadily. Soon, Keiko saw a whale on the horizon, dancing in the water. She rowed faster, wanting to see the whale more closely and following it's unique sound. It must be 52 Hertz, it must! Keiko thought, hoping that she was right. Soon she arrived at the whale. It was huge, probably 10 times the size of her boat! Keiko saw all the barnacles on it's back and belly. It's blowhole spouted a huge burst of water, making it rain on Keiko. Then she felt water at her feet and saw a puddle of water was forming, filling the boat in. Keiko looked up, the whale took one glance at her and dove under.

"Wait!" Keiko still felt water raining down on her body, then realized that it was actually raining. Soon, Keiko's boat was underwater, but Keiko still could breathe like she was in air. The whale was right under her boat and Keiko jumped off the boat and landed on it's neck, riding it like a giant horse! The whale seemed to smile as it swam off with Keiko, who suddenly couldn't breathe anymore and fell into a deep sleep, never again to wake up.

It rained hard on the graveyard, many black umbrellas were in the windy air. Keiko had disappeared a day ago when her panicked parents realized that Ben's fishing boat was gone. They had reported this to the police and arranged a rescue party. Soon after departing, one of the rescue team's boats called in, reporting to have found many chunks of wood that looked as if they belonged to a fishing boat about the size of Ben's. They reported no body, only a black necklace with a Komodo Dragon tooth that was found on one of the floating pieces of wood. Once the Haubjeds heard this, they immediately knew whose boat that was. They soon found out about a massive storm that had happened out at sea on the night that Keiko went missing... And in the same spot as the floating remains of the fishing boat. So now many of Keiko's friends and family stood weeping around a grave that read:

Here lies Keiko Haubjed

The most wonderful girl of our world

2002-2015