In Too Deep

Chapter 5

The sand is beautiful here. It's a light pink color that looks like a pink peony in the rain. It stands out in the water, just like a peony.

I can't believe my eyes. It is totally deserted here, like it hasn't been touched for years.

"Bubbles, does anyone ever come to the Pink Sands?" I ask with curiosity.

"No, not anymore. Now, only the blowfish guards come here. Sometimes you can hear beautiful sounds and songs here though. A mermaid long ago used to sing here but the king told her to stop because it was not allowed. I believe her name was-," Bubbles answers but is cut off.

"Halt! The queen has ordered us to move you to the side. Miss Aquata does not like to be kept waiting," a big spiky blowfish says.

"Who are you talking to out there?" a girl questions from behind a water carriage. It was mixed with blue, green, and pink colors.

"Just some travelers, your Highness," the blowfish says.

Highness? I thought I was the only royalty...

"Oh please, let me greet them," the girl says while getting out of the carriage.

A tall skinny teenage-looking mermaid with hazelnut hair appears from the carriage. She looks kind of similar to me. 

Wait a minute. It can't be. My sister? I look at Bubbles for an answer. He might have read my mind.

I look at him for an answer but unfortunately, he isn't looking at me. He's looking at the girl. There's something in his face that makes me think he is worried.

"Oh, it's you, my sister. Melody, is it?," she asks me.

I nod. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm meeting my sister. Has she heard of me from our parents?

"Um, yes it is. Aquata is your name? I've been waiting to meet-," I say but then I got cut off by her.

"Your Highness to you. Our parents gave you up and had me because you weren't worth it so you don't really have a say here, got it? I'm the ruler of the ocean," she says coolly.

Jeez, what is her problem. Who raised her to become like that. I thought my sister would be kind and excited to see me. This is the total opposite.

"Okay, Your Highness. We'll be leaving then," Leimomi snaps.

"Oh no you won't. I'm not letting you leave here. I have to get to the palace and take care of a few things. But you," she says pointing at us, "will be executed by my blowfish. Guards, kill them."

Oh no. The blowfish guards begin to circle in on us and Aquata walks back to her carriage, smirks at us, and leaves. The blowfish have spikes on their skin and have threatening looks on their fish face.

What in the world? One minute everything was nice and peaceful.

"Everybody swim! Try and use some of your powers if you are able to! These guys have venom on their spikes so watch out!" Bubbles yells at the two of us.

I look at Bubbles and after a glance, I move my hands to freeze the spikes on the blowfish. Their spikes freeze and fall off onto the pink sand.

With my hands pushing back and forth, I heard a yell which sounded like... Leimomi.
"Bubbles! Melody! Help!"

Leimomi was getting cornered by a blowfish guard into a rock. I start swimming towards her, my fin moving up and down. But it is too late. The spikes with the venom stabs her in the stomach.

"No! Leimomi!"

I fiercely twisted my hand counter-clockwise at the blowfish standing over her and moved it against a hard rock. I swam back to Leimomi and put her head onto my lap. Bubbles is still fighting off the two remaining guards.

"Stay with me. Please stay with me. You can make it. Just keep on breathing. Leimomi, please don't go," I cry out.

She takes her last breath and her head loses its grip. Her hands fall from her stomach and hit the ground. Light pink pearls roll out of her hand.

"No! Leimomi, come back! Come back!"

"Melody! Watch out!"

I turned around and saw a guard swimming towards me so fast, I couldn't see what happened next. Bubbles swims in front of me and the blowfish stabs him right in the head.

"No! No, this isn't happening!"

I scream as loud as I can and the remaining two blowfish are forced to swim away. 

This is all a dream. None of this is real. Bubbles and Leimomi are still here. 

Take a deep breath, Melody. In and out. I open my eyes and still see them both lying there on the pink sand.

Sobbing, with my hands over my face, I cry and cry for who knows how long. 

I didn't even get to tell them how I was so thankful to have them by my side. Out of nowhere, a warm hand pats my shoulder and I immediately slap it away. I look up and see a guy with warm aqua eyes.

"Are you alright? I heard some yelling and swam straight here but I guess I am late. I'm sorry. Who was attacking you?" the merman asked.

"The Blowfish Guards," I say softly crying with my head down.

He swims closer to me and analyzes me. I still have my head down. So much has happened. It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so ignorant, I wouldn't have gone to the ocean and met Bubbles. Everyone would be so much better off without me. I really am a monster. I'm the reason Leimomi and Bubbles are dead.

"Dylon."

I look up confused. Was he talking to me?

Can't he see I'm in the middle of mourning? Idiot.

"What?" I am still sad and annoyed.

"My name. It's Dylon. What's yours?"

"Melody."

"Melody. I like that. Do you know what it means?"

I shake my head. He chuckles.

"It means beautiful sound. Do you sing? Is that one of your powers?"

We just met and he's asking for what my powers are?

"Um, no. That's not my power. I can freeze, heat, and control water."

"Oh, well I can speed swim and shape things, including myself. But, yours is much cooler."

Wow, that is pretty cool. I didn't know someone could have more than one power. Wait, what am I saying? I have more than one power.

"That's cool. I guess I should leave now. But um, do you have any idea what to do about dead bodies?" I ask not to look at Leimomi and Bubbles.

"I actually have no idea. I guess you could bury them under the sand."

I nod my head and he helps me with Leimomi while I bury Bubbles. We bury them in silence. His hand touches mine a few times and I get a weird tingly feeling. Stop it, Melody.

"Goodbye," I whisper to the two bumps under the sand. It really is goodbye...