Emerge

Chapter 2

84 years later....Hope you all enjoy and find it worth the wait. Leave a comment. Vote. I'm open to constructive criticism. I'm still in the Draft stage with this. Thank you.

Little Meri skipped on the sand. Playful screams and joyous laughs filled the air as she ran from the waves. She jumped in spinning motions. The air played with her braided hair. The sun blessed her with its warm rays.

Meri began humming a tune, a lullaby she had heard. An ethereal female humming accompanied her, echoing in her ears. She stopped and stood still. She rotated her head around, looking around to see the source. Her eyes scanned the sea. She let out a small gasp. A woman was on the water. Standing. Draped in a dress that seemed to be made of the sea itself. She spun around, causing droplets to escape and scatter in the air like crystals. Her dark skin glistened in the sunlight. Her hair was crowned with pearls and seashells.

She stopped, feeling Meri staring at her. A smile formed on her face, warm and welcoming. She held out her hand, beckoning to the girl. Meri walked towards. She did not notice the water move away as she stepped. As if she repelled the water. A large wave began to rise behind the woman. Meri saw several human bodies scattered in the watery wall coming towards her.

The woman opened her mouth. "Happy birthday, my child."

Meri jolted up from her sleep. She looked around and saw she was safe in her hotel room.

What the hell was that? Why did that woman seem so familiar?

She was facing away from the window but noticed the room looked lighter. It was morning. She turned to the window. The day blue color was returning as the sun was rising. She picked up her phone and turned it on. It was five twenty-five.

She got up and walked to the glass door. She slid it open and stepped onto the porch. The wooden floor was cool underfoot. The morning birds began their days with songs and calls.

Meri listened to the waves. She closed her eyes, taking it all in. It was a far cry from the city's symphony of blaring horns and screaming sirens.

"Daughter." whispered a voice in the wind.

Meri's eyes snapped open. She whipped her head around.

"Daughter," repeated the voices. Other voices manifested, whispering words she could not identify. She heard distant chanting and whooping. She looked at the sea, searching to see if there was someone. Anyone.

The ringtone on her phone blared in the room, snapping her attention. She shook her head and went back inside, closing the door. She rushed to her phone. It was her mother calling, her visage beaming at her from the screen.

Meri smiled.

"Hey, Mom."

"Happy Birthday," Cassandra yelled over the phone.

Laurence's voice followed. "Happy Birthday, princess."

Cassandra returned, her voice lowered. "I'm sorry. Did we wake you?"

"No, I've been up for a few minutes."

Cassandra gave a soft relieved sigh. "Oh, good. I was worried despite knowing it's only an hour time difference between there and New York."

"How's Soufriere so far," Laurence asked

She thought of the events of last night. She wasn't going to tell her parents about the man who harassed her. They would have been in Soufriere before night fell over the island. As her mind replayed the memories, Malik appeared in her mind's eye. His smile. His charm. His voice.

"It's amazing. Very beautiful. There's a lot of festivities going on."

"How are you girls going to celebrate?"