A Homestay Mystery in Australia
My host family, the Taylors, seemed normal enough when they picked me up at Hobart Airport. Dr. Taylor, a marine biologist, gave me a distracted wave while typing frantically on her phone. Her son, Jake, wouldn’t meet my eyes when he took my suitcase. And their house – a weathered structure perched on the edge of a cliff – looked more like a fortress than a home.
That first night, I heard the whispered argument through my bedroom wall:
“She can’t know anything about the sanctuary,” Dr. Taylor hissed.
“But Mom, if what happened to the last girl-“
“Jake, enough!”
The last girl. My sister.
I pulled Mei’s note from my pocket and read it again. The truth is in the reef.
Whatever happened to my sister, I was going to find out – even if it meant diving into dangerous waters.
The next morning, I pretended everything was normal as I picked at my breakfast. Vegemite on toast – like I could eat with my stomach in knots. Every creak of the old house made me jump.
“Yuki, I’m heading to the sanctuary,” Dr. Taylor announced, gathering her equipment. “Jake will show you around town today.”
Jake looked up from his phone, that same guarded expression on his face. “Actually, Mom, I thought I’d take her to the beach.”
Dr. Taylor froze for a split second. “The beach near the lighthouse is safer. The reef area is… dangerous at this time of year.”
The reef. There it was again.
An hour later, Jake and I walked along the windswept beach. He kept checking over his shoulder, which only made me more nervous.
“Your English is really good,” he said suddenly.
“Thanks. Your mom – she works with marine animals?”
“Yeah, she…” Jake stopped walking. “Look, I shouldn’t say anything, but… did you know the other girl? The one who stayed with us before?”
My heart pounded. “Mei was my sister.”
Jake’s face went pale. He grabbed my arm and pulled me behind a rocky outcrop. “Listen carefully,” he whispered. “Your sister found something. Something big. But there are people who’d do anything to keep it hidden. She left something for you, but if they know you’re looking for it-“
A loud engine roar cut through the air. A sleek speedboat rounded the headland, heading straight for the beach. Jake cursed under his breath.
“That’s Marcus Chen. He works with Mom, but…” Jake pulled me down as the boat passed. “Don’t trust him. Don’t trust anyone. Even my mom – I don’t know whose side she’s on anymore.”
“What did Mei find?” I demanded. “What’s in the reef?”
“Evidence. Of what they’re really doing out there. Meet me tonight at midnight, behind the lighthouse. I’ll show you what I know. But we have to be careful. The last person who tried to expose them-“
Another boat engine, closer this time. Jake shoved a small object into my hand – a coral pendant on a leather cord.
“Mei left this in my room. Don’t let anyone see it. And whatever you do, don’t go near the reef alone.”
He jogged away just as a second boat appeared. Through my phone’s zoom lens, I could see Marcus Chen watching the beach through binoculars. Looking for something. Or someone.
Back in my room, I examined the pendant. It looked ordinary enough, but when I pressed it, a tiny compartment clicked open. Inside was a micro SD card and another note in Mei’s handwriting:
“The truth is in the numbers. 23°S 151°E. Full moon.”
I checked my phone. The full moon was in three days.
A noise outside my window made me jump. Something moved in the shadows of the cliff path – a figure watching the house. When I blinked, it was gone.
What had my sister discovered? Why was everyone acting so strange? And most importantly – was Mei still alive?
One thing was certain: this wasn’t just about finding my sister anymore. Whatever was happening at that reef, people were willing to kill to keep it secret.
And I had three days to figure it out.
What happens next? We could explore:
- The midnight meeting at the lighthouse
- What’s on the SD card
- The truth about Dr. Taylor’s research
- The real reason behind Mei’s disappearance
- The significance of the reef coordinates
