Liam squinted against the sun, his toes buried in the warm sand as he scanned the ground for treasures. Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to a glimmering green gem partially buried near a clump of seaweed. Curiosity piqued, he reached down, his fingers brushing against the cool, smooth surface.
He felt a strange tingling sensation that spread from his fingertips to his entire body. The ground seemed to rise beneath him, and before he could register what was happening, he was staring up at towering grains of sand. "What is happening to me?" Liam whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the waves.
He turned to see Sophie, a girl with cascading blonde hair, lying on a towel, her enormous foot tapping idly in the sand. Each tap sent tremors through the ground, causing tiny avalanches of sand to cascade down the miniature dunes around him. [@ch_1]Liam[/@ch_1_d] shouted, "Sophie! Over here!" but his voice was lost in the vastness of the beach.
He hefted the shell over his head and began to wave it frantically, hoping the glint would catch her eye. "Please see me," he muttered, trying to maintain his footing as her foot shifted closer. The earth trembled beneath him with each movement she made.
She squinted, her curiosity piqued by the unexpected sparkle. "What’s that?" she murmured, leaning forward to get a better look. Liam[/@ch_1_d] waved more vigorously, "It's me, Liam!" [@ch_1]he shouted with all his might.
She[/@ch_2_d] gasped, "Liam! What happened to you?" [@ch_1]He[/@ch_1_d] laughed with relief, "It’s a long story, but could you help me out?" [@ch_2]She nodded, her fingers gently enclosing him to keep him safe, as she pondered how to reverse the mysterious effects of the gem.
