text: This was her favorite time of the year. The beaches were packed with tourists and water sports were popular among the locals. She enjoyed messing with them. There was a time when humans worshipped her as a goddess. Now they had given up on her for fun and science. Her power was no longer useful for granting wishes to worshippers. Trying to do so would likely result in the government trying to capture her and study her. As an immortal the idea of being locked up and disected in various ways for the rest of eternity was unappealing. She would have simply returned to the sea and enjoyed swimming among it's stunning variety of inhabitants forever if it weren't for the fact that she had to release her magic once in a while. The power built up over time and would eventually deteriorate her body. The more she used her magic the younger she remained. Every year she took advantage of tourist season and played simple jokes on the humans in her domain. She also kept the sharks at bay during the daylight hours. The lack of shark attacks in the area attracted more people for vacation than other locations. Having come out of the water she was currently walking on land among a crowd gathered for a surfing competition. Using her magic she was able to prevent them from trying to interact with her by weakening their interest in her. As she walked she was able to listen in on conversations. Most people had a friendly competitive attitude about this contest. She smiled at that. As a goddess she had encouraged kindness and healthy competition among her subjects. Finally she heard what she was searching for. A boy was talking big about winning as if he'd already won. His arrogant attitude had him talking about a girl who already had a boyfriend. "Dude, I am so gonna win this. Allison will have to go to my party. Justin is on a ski trip so he won't be there to keep me away from her," the arrogant blonde teen said to his friend. The friend shook his head, "Really Cam? How do you think that's going to help? She's still dating him. She isn't going to cheat." Cam laughed, "Jake, she won't have a choice. There's gonna be alcohol at this party and who's to say she won't get an extra strong dose in her cup?" "Dude that's sick," Jake commented, "I'm not gonna be a part of that. You need to get your head on man. You're gonna end up in jail." Jake walked away. She was glad to hear that one of those two had some common sense. It was easier to protect women from one man than to shield her from a team of them. "Oh yeah. Well who needs you," Cam called after Jake causing several onlookers to turn and look at him, "I don't need you. I don't need anybody. That's right. Surfing is a one man sport. No teams. I'll win. All on my own. You'll see. You'll all see." The goddess rolled her eyes and left the area. Not only was the boy arrogant and rude, he was also over dramatic. He was a the perfect target. Thinking of all the fun she was about to have with him, she slid into the water and shifted back into her natural form. A friendly dolphin swam up to her as she waited patiently on the ocean floor for the contest to start. She smiled as it danced around her and showed off. She loved these fun loving creatures. Seeing the surfers paddling out she grinned and waved for the majestic mammal to come over to her. Having a companion during her pranks just made them more fun. She waited for the boy she show interest in a wave and tugged the energy out of the water just as he stood up on the board. The wave dissipated and Cam found that he was unable to on it. She smiled knowing he must be very frustrated that he couldn't get any points. The next time he tried to stand on a wave she gave just the slightest adjustment. The waved ducked under the board and lifted back up in front of it. The boy fell backwards into the water as the front of his board lifted up on the back of the wave. She was delighted to see him struggle to swim back to his board. He tried again and again to catch a wave and each time she pulled it out from under him. The other surfers had noticed his bad luck and were now actively avoiding him in the water. None of the waves around them were throwing their surfers. While the friendly competitors stood an equal chance to one another, the boy with bad intentions stood none. That was how she liked it. Her own form of karmic justice. Finally at the end of the competition he tried one last time to catch a wave. She smiled noting that it was forming right over the reef. This one she waited for him to stand and drew the water back. Like the formation of a tidal wave the water level around the coral dropped until the reef was exposed and Cam's board broke in half. The boy fell and cried out as the coral cut through his leg. The wave then crashed down on him and pushed him down into the undertow. He needed a rescue and had come last in the competition. She watched the medics load the boy into an ambulance. He needed stitches and wouldn't be partying tonight. She came back out of the water to join some girls standing nearby. As she peeked at the girl standing next to her she noticed the necklace that said Allison on it. Slipping into her best imitation of a human teenager she said, "I love your necklace. Where did you get it?" Allison smiled, "From Justin, my boyfriend. Isn't he the sweetest. We've been together for like three whole years." She smiled at how open teenagers were with their love lives these days, "Isn't he on a ski trip right now? I overheard Cam talking about it before the competition." "Yeah. Cam, Jake, and him are best friends," she said proudly. "Not anymore. Jake went off on Cam and walked away from him at the end of the argument they were having. Pretty sure when Justin hears about it he'll take Jake's side," she didn't normally meddle but this girl had to know the danger of being near the jerk. "What were they arguing about?" "You," at this Allison did a double take, "Cam wanted to drug you at some party tonight and Jake didn't want any part of it. Pretty sure Cam has an unhealthy crush on you." Allison stood for a moment processing as the mystery girl started walking back towards the ocean. "Wait," Allison called out, "I don't even know you. Who are you?" The goddess turned around and smiled at the mortal girl, now staring desperately at her, needing to know who this stranger was who would warn her about a dangerous boy and then just leave. Walking backwards she gave her response, "I am Calypso," with that she turned and dove into the surf, leaving the stunned girl behind, the only witness to the tentacles that followed Calypso into the water. The goddess had used her power that day and saved a girl from the whims of a boy who could no more tame her that he could the sea.