Lie to Me: A Mermaid Tail

Chapter 22: No Second Chances.

"Paisley?" I muttered. In my chest was a pain too large to fathom. It hurt, it felt like I was crumbling. Like pieces of me were slowly falling away and there was nothing I could do. A sharp pain in the back reminded me of the consequences. 

"Later you will pay." The words of the sailor rung in my ears. I knew what he meant, what he told me when I was young; Later you will pay. Well, I'm paying now. How does it feel? 

"I trusted you," I whispered. I could barely move, paralysed by the realization that we were never friends. She knew the whole time, acted like a ditz the whole time, when in reality all she wanted was me, in pain. "You were behind the whole thing? You knew the whole time."

"Congratulations," she said, smiling wickedly. I could see the greed and joy in her eyes, the intellegence; the wickedness. "You figured it out. What gave it away? Me, standing in the evil lair, or the fact that I've just been announced as the Boss of everything?" She laughed out loud as I shrunk back into the sand.

Slowly, she took carefully timed steps over to me. Her eyes glinted with power as she towered over me. "You were never my friend," she spat. "I only hung around you because I needed you. Now, what's it gonna be? Tell us, or we kill you and your precious little lap dog." Nate flinched in his semi-conscious state.

"Don't tell them," he grunted out. Riley slapped him and then he dug his fingernail's into Nate's arm. I gasped as Nate's head stayed to the side, looking down. He lifted it up slowly, making eye contact with me. Our gazes met steadily, giving me the power to make the right choice.

"I...I'll tell you. Just let him go." Paisley smiled as my legs reappeared. I bent them underneath me, sitting slightly more comfortably. Nate groaned as Riley released him from the handcuffs; he crumpled to the ground. I choked back tears as he slowly stood up, walking towards me. Paisley sent him a menacing glare.

"Come any closer and you die." She held up a gun. I couldn't breathe anymore; it was like I was trying to swallow a block of metal down the wrong pipe. I kept my mouth shut. My best friend; my ex-best friend, was aiming a gun at my boyfriend's head. He backed up, walking towards the edge of the cave.

"Just get out of here, I'll find you. I will find you later," I told him, sending him one last look as he jumped into the water. I could see him swimming away, and I could feel him struggling against the ocean currents. I willed the sea to help him away; then I looked my enemy in the face.

"Why do you even want to be mermaids? What good will that do you at all?"

Paisley smiled. "I am very tired of being ordinary, Ashlyn. Being...supernatural would give me an advantage. I could control the water, flood cities, become the ruler."

"You're sixteen and you want world domination," I said dryly. She frowned and held up the gun in reminder that she was in charge. "You mean...control the water...like this?" I made giant waves in the cove water until a gigantic tsunami-sized wave was reaching the cavern ceiling. "Basically...run." I let all hell break loose as I pushed the water forward and onto the enemies. Testing my will, I tried to keep my legs and succeeded. I stood as Paisley's gun flew across the beach. 

Aidan was coughing in the corner, soaking wet, salt water leaking out of his mouth as he struggled to breathe. Riley looked unconcious, slumped against a pile of rocks. I guess he hit his head on the rocks when the force of the water hit him. Tamara was stomping her foot in the corner, her curly hair pressed against her face. And Paisley? Well, Paisley was struggling to stand, trying to grab the gun. I ran over and took it as quickly as I could. 

"Who would have thought it would come to this?" I said, walking over to Paisley holding the hand gun in my sweaty palms. "I don't want to kill you," I told her, looking down at the figure of soaking wet blonde power. "But if it comes to that, I will. If you try to kill me, steal my secret, murder my boyfriend, and possibly put the world in jeopardy, I will kill you. Make no mistake."

Before this, I really didn't know who I was. I was just there; never extraordinary, unless you count me being a different species. And even then, I never wanted to be a mermaid. I was always in the background, always weak with no distinguishing qualities. But now I know exactly who I am. I'm strong, and brave, and I will fight. 

Paisley looked up at me. She only had three men, and one was unconcious. The other two? We'll just see.

"Who's going to come at me first? Because I know that if I just walk out of here, this could happen again. You could take me, and maybe next time I won't be the one holding the gun. So what am I supposed to do. Shoot?" I fired one shot at the ceiling. "Call the police?" I held up my cell phone, which surprisingly wasn't stolen or wet. "Because I can't trust you. That ship sailed a long time ago." 

Heavy footsteps came up behind me. I knew Aidan was advancing. Right when I knew he was behind me, I elbowed him and then kneeded him...where the sun don't shine. He crumpled and I stood over him. "No second chances." I kicked his head. I hope that didn't kill him; I just want him unconcious. 

"Tamara? Are you next, or are you going to be a good little servant and stand against that wall?" She gulped and sat, leaning against the cave wall.

"That leaves me," Paisley said, standing now. She faced me, her hair caked with sand and her clothing torn. "What are you gonna do? Shoot me? I know you couldn't do that, even after what I've done. You're not that type of person." She smiled evily, looking down on me. 

"Why me? There are other mermaids out there. If I let you go, you may go after one of them. But why me?"

"I knew about you. I saw you once and figured you'd be the easiest target."

"Well, you're not getting out of here with no consequences." She smiled. 

"But Ash, don't you see?" She smiled, looking to a spot behind me. I turned; Nate was standing slightly hidden by the cave wall. Fear flashed in my eyes. He's still here? Oh no, oh no, oh my god. 

Bam.

Nate ducked behind the wall as a bullet smacked about ten feet from his head. Whipping my head back around, I saw Paisley holding another gun. Where the bleeding hell did she get that thing? I saw Tamara smiling in the corner, and I knew. Paisley fired another one.

"Together," Nate shouted from behind the wall. "I'm not leaving you."

"Then come here and fight!" Paisley shouted. Nate moved slowly out, and she aimed the gun at him. The air was thick with humidity and tension. I could see Paisley's giddy finger itching to pull the trigger. "Pathetic," she said as she took one step forward.

Bam.

I watched the blood splatter as a single tear rolled down my cheek. 

"I guess I am that type of person," I said, standing over Paisley's bloody body. "No second chances." I threw the gun at her. I had only shot her foot, but it was enough to hurt her and knock her down.

"Ashlyn!" I heard from behind me. I ran to Nate, waiting for his sweet embrace. My face was slowly becoming heavy with tears as I practically fell into his arms. He held me tighter as I sobbed into his shirt. 

"I can't believe I did that. I almost killed her. She almost killed you." I was shaking as he kissed the top of my head. 

"It's okay," he mumbled, rubbing my back. "You're okay." I relaxed into him, closing my eyes and letting go.

***********************************************************************************************************

Oi, you!

Thanks so much for reading this super-action-packed-and-hopefully-surprising chapter! Don't worry, no one actually died. I'm hoping to have the next, and maybe final chapter, out in a week or so. There's only one or two left, probably! 

~Kelsey