Deep Dive

Chapter 1: Out of her shell

It was a dream Hanne had often, her breath slowly taken by the waves that had pulled her under. Her eyes shutting and with one final gasp, she felt her life drain. But, right before the darkness could embrace her, there would be this orb. No, orb was an understatement. It was a blinding purple light, it would come closer and closer until it almost burned her closed eyelids. She wouldn't dare open them, afraid of what would await her – afraid of what she would see. Perhaps more so, what would see her. So she would stay quiet, keeping her eyes shut until she suddenly felt a breath escape her.

Finding that she could fill her lungs with the air she so desperately had missed these last couple of minutes. She drank them greedily, gasping as she felt herself cough at the overwhelming ability to live again. The light got brighter before it dimmed, the natural beams of the sunlight familiar to her skin as she dared to look. Finding herself on the beach, her chest heaving.

She'd usually wake up after that, surrounded by her room with an overwhelming sense of dread, like the dreams she had felt too real compared to her others. 

It had been a whole morning after her recurring dream and to say that Hanne was pacing her small room was an understatement, the girl's shoes practically leaving marks in the flooring as she walked the same few paces back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth.

Her paces weren't the only thing being repeated though, the fairy's head filled with the same list of items she had to remember to bring. She was just about to start another set of nervous movement and persistent list as she was interrupted by a loud knock on her door, the girl startled out of her train of thought as she let out a yelp.

"Couldn't you have given me a heads up? You almost frightened me to death, Kaia." Hanne mumbled, her frown deep as she folded her arms.

"Well perhaps if you paid any attention you could've heard me call your name like... I dunno– three times?" Kaia teased, her eyebrows raised as she walked into her cousin's room. Almost immediately Kaia began to rummage through the suitcase the other had already packed and organized, another noise of protest coming from the taller of the two.

"I just– Kaia." Hanne whined, swatting the girl's hands away as she began putting things back in their place.

"You know if you fret any more you might trick yourself to walk this same floor, forever." Her tone raising as to imitate a ghost, the girl's fingers wriggling as she approached her nervous friend. Hanne sighed as she tried to turn away from Kaia, her arms quickly grabbed by the other.

"I'm kidding, Hanniebear."

"That nickname is horrendous." Hanne complained, giving her cousin a quick pat on the head.

"You love it though." The girl grinned, watching Hanne move to close her suitcase. Her grin only grew as she noticed the letter on top of it. "Your invitation! Isn't this so cool... Have you shown your mom yet?"

At the mention of her mom, Hanne's face fell a little. Truthfully she hadn't found the right time yet and it was kind of eating her up from inside, finally her mother had some free time and here she was - avoiding her at every turn. Best daughter award goes to–

"No.. not yet, she's still recovering after all.. will take a while before her lungs can handle carrying a full conversation again." Hanne mumbled, her hands fidgeting with the paper.

"Well you're not back to full speed either, I'm sure she'd like to see you again." Kaia hummed, her hand gently squeezing Hanne's arm. "Hey.. drowning isn't something you get over so quickly, it takes time."

"I didn't drown, remember?" Hanne corrected, "My magic saved me, couldn't say the same for mom."

The girl moved the suitcase to the side table near the door, grabbing her jacket from the hook on the door. "Just isn't fair."