When Life Gives You Fins by Elaina H (classic books to read txt) 📖

more look at the guy.

            “He was nice since my ride was late,” I give him a side glance and immediately feel bad afterwards since he was nice enough to give me a ride.

            I see him slouch under my gaze. “Sorry, I was on the phone with….Diana,” he mumbles the last part, “then I went to McDonalds to get you a water because your throat sounded kind of dry over the phone. But I guess that’s no excuse.”

             “No it’s not a good excuse, but I forgive you anyways because I’m nice like that,” I smile at Jason then look back out the window. Who was that man? That nice, handsome man; that I will probably never see again, I think. After a while I sigh, a really dramatic sigh. And think my luck, I guy I actually could get to like shows some interest and then…gone. On the drive back I try to keep my mind away from my black out and Haden.

            After ten minutes Jason breaks the silence, “Here you are!”

            “Thanks! Bye,” I say as I step out of the car.

            My house isn’t much, it’s actually yellow. The house is worn down, the siding is barley sticking to the house anymore.

            I walk up the steps and open the door, “I’m home Mom!”             “I’m in the back!” she shouts out.

            “Hey Mom, boy do I have a story for you!” I say.

            “Really, what is it Angelfish?” she askes.

            “Well, it was actually kind of scary. But to give you the full story, I went to the beach and I picked up a shell form underwater. Then I tried to go to the surface but I was caught by some funky undertow,” by this point my mom’s face is horror stricken, “I’m fine no need to worry, mom. Anyways, then I felt someone put me on the surface. After that I blacked out.” I finish and look at my mom.

            “Oh goodness gracious,” she says as she looks at the door. “We need to talk,” she states as simple as that.

            “Okay then. What do we have to talk about?”

            “Sit down, Celia Jane.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once Upon a Time?

 

            I’m kind of freaking out as my mom starts.

            “Okay, Baby, here’s where I’m going to start. Remember when you were little and I told you all those stories, about the mermaids and the mermen. I talked about the merpeople?”

            “Yes, I remember…”

            “Well, those stories aren’t completely fiction. I mean, some of it is, like how they have super powers that allow them to fight evil and all, but most of it was true.

            Why don’t I start from the beginning, long ago in the Realm of Atlantis a group of merfolk migrated from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. They ended up loving the ocean over here and settling. They started by electing a leader named Neptune III. And then they constructed a city named Brunswick.

            Now, you’re probably thinking what the heck. So here’s the explanation, Neptune III was deceived and the two merfolk, Zara and Mack, were cursed to become fully human.

            When they moved to land, to mock Neptune III they named this town Brunswick. So people migrated here from other parts of Georgia. Zara and Mack ended up having a child named Helen. Even though Zara and Mack were cursed to be human, mer-blood still ran through their veins.

            She married a mortal and had two children. The second child went missing and was pronounced dead. So now every direct descendent from Helen and her husband’s child is half-mer. And there is only the single lineage to follow.

            Now that leads us to the topic of this, your father, John, was the last descendent before you were born. When he married me and had you. You became a descendent. And then,” mom had silent tears streaming down her face, “your father was killed in that car accident, and then you were the last descendent.

            It is every descendant’s job to continue the half-mer gene by marrying a human and having a single child.

            Moving on, while the half-mer civilization was just budding the underwater Brunswick was failing.        

            They were slowly losing all supplies and were debating whether or not to leave the location and go back to Australia.

            Now, the land Brunswick knew of the underwater Brunswick’s trouble and decided to make a deal.

            They told them they would supply them with what they needed if they agreed to take and train all of their half-mer when they turned 16.

            So underwater Brunswick, knowing they needed the help, agreed to the deal.

            So, ever since then all half-mer go down to learn and train. So your 16th is in three days and the sea is upholding its end of the deal. Your going to go down and learn and train in their ways.

            Then a small council will provide Brunswick with supplies. And that, Baby, is the story,” Mom rubs her hands across her jeans. Her blonde hair falls across her too thin face.

            “Mom, are you sick? You sound like a lunatic! Mom? Tell me you’re joking about this?”

            She touches my face, “I wish I was, Baby. But unfortunately, I’m not.”

            “Do you have pictures, mom? Your sick we need to take you to the doctor

            I reach for her hand, “Mom,” a tear slides down my cheek, “I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with you. And what’s the point, anyways, I go down, learn the ways, and go home. Why do I have to go at all?”

            She smiles a sad smile, “Your Dad wanted to explain all this to you,” she looks out the window, “he could answer all of your questions, and more. But to calm you mind, you must go to understand your culture and uphold the sea-bound contract. You only have to go for five weeks, then you come home and the cycle starts over again.”

            “I…I…I don’t know what to say, you’re just going to let me go in three days?”

            “When you almost drown today, sugar, those hands and that strange undertow that was the sea calling you. I have no choice but to send you away. In three days, if you don’t go to the sea, the see will come to you.

            Ninety-seven years ago a small tsunami entered the town and didn’t go any further than the house of the half-mer.

            That boy didn’t want to leave his girlfriend and he was just a day late. He was drug out to sea.

            I don’t say any of this to scare you, Baby,” she says in order to calm my panicking mind, “just to warn you.”

            I take a shuddering breath, “Okay.”

            She smiles and hugs, “Pack a bag, now and keep it by your bed incase you need to leave, okay?”             “You say that like you’re saying good-bye.” at this point I am balling, tears fall freely now, and my mom’s thumb can’t keep up in trying to wipe away the tears.

            “Baby, this has to be good-bye, just incase,” she hugs me again and helps me up to bed.

            She tucks me underneath the covers and kisses my forehead, “You are my Baby forever.”

            “Hey Mom?”

            “Yes,” she says as she turns around.

            “If I were to take a bath would I turn into a mermaid,” a large smile spreads across her face and she laughs.

            “No, I don’t think so,” with a last laugh she walks out.

            I snuggle into my pillow and surprisingly I fall asleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

See You, in Like Five weeks

 

            The next morning when I wake up I pack a bag. Inside the bag I pack an extra swim-suit top (I’m assuming I won’t need the bottoms), hair clips, my piggy bank I received from my mom, and the glass orb with the swimming mermaid I got from Dad –which makes much more sense now-.

            “Knock, knock!” Mom says at the door.

            “Hey, Mom I think, I think maybe I should,” I pause and take a deep breath, “go before any of my friends see me at school then don’t. I don’t know what I’m saying, it’s just easier to rip it off like a band-aid.” I thought about this last night and cried really hard, but my experience in the ocean really scared me. And I really don’t want to take any chances of being drug out to sea.

            “You don’t have to leave for two more days! Are you really going to go early?” Mom asks searching my face for a sign of a joke.

            “Mom, not because I want to! I just think I need to go, you know. I thought about it last night, and thought, I want to do this for dad get acquainted with the sea and what Dad knew,” this is only half true of course, I look up at my mom and she’s smiling slightly.

            She grabs my face in her hands, “I love you, you hear me? I love you. I know its only five weeks, and I’ll live. I love you,” she holds me in a hug forever the she steps away and walks out the door with tears staining her cheeks, “I’ll start the car.”

            I grab my bag and wipe the single tear from my eye. I walk out the front door and don’t look back. I sit in the passenger seat and watch out the window.

            Mom drives to the beach in silence. When she pulls up and parks I look out the windshield.

            Sitting there on a beach where nobody ever sits is Diana and her gang. I roll my eyes and look at my mom, “Drive down further I’ll get out on the side of the road.”

            She raises her eyebrows at me, but does what I say. Five minutes later when she pulls to the side of the road I step out and grab my bag.

            She kisses me ten times then hugs me double that. I kiss her and walk into the little bunch of trees. I don’t hear the car pull away yet.

            I continue to walk and cry, and then walk and cry some more. I work my way down to the beach. When my toes hit hot sand I remove my shoes and leave them, seeing I won’t need them for the next five weeks.

            I also remove my shorts and my tank top until I’m standing on the beach in my swimsuit top and underwear.

            I walk to the water and I stick my toes in. All at once my senses are magnified. I smell the salt in the air, I taste the salt in the air, I feel the salt in the air. It’s all around.

            I take another step into the water, and I feel my self start to be pulled toward the Atlantic.

            The next thing I know, I’m up to my chest in the sea. I duck my head underwater and feel my hair wet.

            When I try to make my way to the surface I can’t. It’s like my feet are glued to the sea bottom.

            Then the water starts to form around my legs and suck me down.

            I struggle, but then I feel hand around my waist. I feel myself being dragged through the water.

            I ‘m going at high speed and I’m running out of breath. I gasp in a large gulp of water and actually start breathing.

            The sensation is different. It’s life drinking a cold glass of water than shooting it back through my nose.

            All of a sudden a feel my legs cramp and twist. I scream and pry at the hands around my waist.

            With a burst of bubbles I see my legs transform into a tail. A deep purple tail that shimmers when the sun hits the water.

            I pry again at the hands around my waist. I smack and hit and tear.

            Finally, the hands slide from