The last thing Madeleine's parents told her before they went under was to be a good girl until they were back. She was a good girl, and she knew how to keep herself busy while Mommy and Daddy were diving. She chased the seagulls that landed on the deck, ate all the snacks in the icebox, and colored with crayons. It was only after she woke up from a nap and found herself still alone that she got scared.

Mommy and Daddy told her never, ever to swim on her own. Even they dived together, and they were grown-ups. They said it was dangerous, but never said why. Madeleine looked down at the waves below and wondered why.

Eventually she heard the rumbly noise of boat engines. She looked up and saw people she knew. Mommy and Daddy's friends were there, hugging her and asking where her parents were with nervous voices. She pointed over the side. They looked at each other with big frowns.

Again and again they dived down, tied together with long strong rope, anchored onto the deck. Every time, they came up to the surface, shaking their heads no. Mommy and Daddy weren't there.

Now the sun was almost gone and there were new people that Madeleine didn't know. They all wore the same clothes and their boat had letters painted on the side: OSR. She knew the letters but didn't know the word. The OSR people listened as Mommy and Daddy's friends explained what happened. They kept almost saying things, then looking at her, then stopping. The OSR people nodded anyway.

One of the OSR people took out a wand and started casting a spell. Madeleine loved magic. She could even cast spells herself. But this spell seemed really hard. It took many minutes to cast, and everyone stayed very quiet so the mage could concentrate. Even then, it didn't look like the spell worked. When the mage put away their wand, nothing had happened, and everyone looked serious.

The OSR people left. Mommy and Daddy's friends started to argue about what to do next.

Then someone said they should move the boat.

Madeleine had always been told to be on her best behavior when other people were on the boat. No yelling, no crying, no touching people without asking first. But she couldn't stop herself.

Madeleine screamed and sobbed. If anyone went near the ship's wheel, she threw herself on them, dragging them back. She raised her voice louder than the grown-ups, no matter what they said.

They couldn't move the boat.

If they moved the boat, Mommy and Daddy couldn't get back. They'd be stuck in the water forever.

Madeleine knew she was making the grown-ups upset. Some of them started crying. She didn't care.

So they stayed. Mommy and Daddy's friends brought food for Madeleine, but she wouldn't eat it. They took turns sleeping on the deck next to Madeleine's hammock. She didn't sleep. In the morning, they stayed to watch her as she finally drifted off, her eyes closing even though she tried to hold them open.

When she woke up, she felt different. She was hungry, and as she ate, she looked out over the ocean. It was as wavy and blue as always. It was like Mommy and Daddy had never gone into it.

She asked the people who were still there if Mommy and Daddy were coming back. For a long time, no one answered. Then they said no.

Next she asked if Mommy and Daddy would be mad if she left. This time no one waited. They said no, of course not. Mommy and Daddy would be proud of her for staying, but it was still okay to leave.

So she left, finally, after a full day of waiting. Her parents' friends took her back to their boats and took care of her - for ten years. It wasn't until those ten years were over, and Madeleine was all grown up, that she finally worked up the nerve to ask them why they had stayed with her for hours and hours.

They looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"Because we were terrified that you were going to jump in after them."

"Oh," said Madeleine. "I didn't think of that."

"We really hoped you wouldn't."