CRACK! A loud split echoed through Hydro-Town. The great reservoir wall split wide, and water jetted toward the thirsty kelp beds below. Eena froze on the stone walkway, her whiskers quivering. She had to find help — fast.
Eena scrambled down the slick stone steps, her webbed feet slipping. She bumped right into Alky, who was balancing a stack of smooth river stones on his shell. 'The crack!' Eena gasped. Alky's eyes went wide behind his glasses. Two stones tumbled into the water with plop-plop sounds.
They dove into the narrow maintenance tunnel, water dripping from everywhere. The young otter scrambled ahead, her webbed feet finding grip on slimy bricks. Behind her, the turtle's shell scraped against the walls. They reached the crack — high up, too high for her little paws to reach. She sat back with a frustrated sigh.
Then she saw it — a perfect cone-shaped piece of driftwood floating in a side pool. 'Alky, brace these stones!' she called. The turtle pushed forward, his sturdy flippers holding a pile of loose rocks against the crack. The water pressure pushed hard, but he dug his shell into the mud and held.
Eena shoved the driftwood deep into the crack. THUNK. The spraying stopped. Silence filled the tunnel for one breath — then a gentle gurgle replaced the roar. Alky slumped forward, his shell creaking. 'We did it,' he whispered, and Eena's whiskers trembled with relief.
They climbed out onto the dry bank above the reservoir. The water below flowed clear and steady now, no longer rushing wild. Eena uncurled her wet tail and stretched her paws. Alky pulled one perfect river stone from his pouch and offered it to her. She smiled and added her own smooth pebble beside it.
The kelp beds swayed happily in the restored current. Bubbles rose from the clean water. Somewhere nearby, a bell tolled — the town was safe. Eena leaned her head against Alky's shell. He didn't move away. Above them, Hydro-Town glimmered in the deep blue, alive and whole once more.
The water gurgled on, steady and sure. Hydro-Town breathed easy. And on the bank, two friends watched the current carry their small stones downstream, two little pieces of a problem solved together.