Eyes of the Sea

Chapter 10

Coral started pacing across the room, muttering under her breath. I only heard a few words, but I could tell something bad happened.

"What? Coral, look at me." I waited until she stopped pacing and met my gaze. "What was so special about the knife?"

Coral took a deep breath and stared vacantly at the floor. I waited patiently until she spoke. Heather was still glued to her chair in the living room, engrossed in her TV shows. "That was your mother's knife." She said solemnly.

My heart jumped in my throat. It was my mother's knife. But then I shook my head. "Why would my mother have a knife? And besides, it was just a knife. You look like you just figured out the world was ending." I laughed half-heartedly, trying to lighten the mood.

Coral's eyes still looked haunted. "No, you don't understand," she said, frustrated. She frowned and looked at me.

"Well, maybe I don't understand because you never tell me anything!" My voice started to rise, until I remembered Heather in the other room, and quickly lowered my voice. "What was so important about the knife?"

"Hazel, how do you think we are going to get into the sea? Not the oceans, I meant actually inside the sea, to where daughters of the sea live?" Coral asked me. I paused, stumped. I never thought about that. I always assumed I would just walk into the ocean, and boom! There I was in the sea. Now that I think about it, I have no idea how to get into the sea.

My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to figure it out. I gave up quickly and looked at Coral for the answer.

"The knife, Hazel, the knife. That was our key to the sea. That was the key to your mother." Coral turned away, and I saw her discreetly wiped her eyes. She turned back to me, and I realized what she meant.

"Oh no!" I cried. My knees buckled and I slid to the floor, my back against the counter. There was no way for us to get into the sea now. I put my head in my hands in despair. "What are we going to do now?" I whispered.

Coral sat down beside me. She sighed and didn't respond. Why does nothing go right for me? I thought desperately.

We sat in silence for a while, with only the distant sound of the TV in the other room. I silently apologized to my mother. I'm so sorry, I thought miserably, I failed you. Tears streamed down my face as I stared numbly at my hands.

Coral and I stayed in that position for a while. I heard the TV turn off, and Heather slowly walk into the kitchen. She stopped when she saw us.

Heather's eyes widened, then her eyes turned sympathetic. She slowly sat between Coral and I and put her arms around both of us. I felt Coral stiffen beside Heather, but she didn't move away. I, on the other hand, put my head on Heather's shoulder.

I could tell she didn't know what happened, but she knew it was something bad. A few weeks ago, Heather would've demanded to know what happened, but she was different now. She changed.

"I heard everything." Her soft voice broke through the silence. A lump formed in my throat and I couldn't swallow. She did know what happened. No one responded.

Abruptly, Heather stood up. She looked at us with determination in her eyes. "So what?" she said firmly.

I winced at the sudden noise. Coral and I both looked up at her. "What?"

"So what?" she repeated. "So they have the knife? Are you just going to sit here and give up? Give up on Mom?"

Heather looked fiercely in my direction. I couldn't meet her gaze. "It's not like that, Heather. You don't understand."

"Oh, I understand everything. Well, I'm not giving up that easily! Let's go after them!" Heather turned to Coral. "Are you with me?"

I replied before Coral could. "Even if we wanted to go after them, we don't even know where they went. We don't even know who they are!"

"Actually, I do." Coral said. Heather and I looked at her in surprise. "Where?" We yelled in unison. Hope fluttered in my chest. It might not be over. We might not have to give up!

"Well, to the sea, of course. Where else would they go?" Coral replied hesitantly. "And I know the way there."

Heather jumped up and down and cheered. Coral got up from off the floor and smiled. I remained where I was, thinking it through. If we go now, we might catch them, if Coral actually knew where to go. But then what? Where would we go from there?

"C'mon Hazel! Be happy! Let's go!" Heather said. I finally stood up and put my hand on her shoulders.

"You're not going," I replied firmly, looking straight at her. "It's not safe."

She rolled her eyes, and shrugged off my hands. "You're kidding me, right? Of course I'm coming!"

I looked at Coral for help, but she seemed to agree with Heather. "She could help us," Coral admitted. Victory flashed in Heather's eyes.

I signed, knowing that Heather was too stubborn to ever change her mind, and every minute we wasted here is a minute away from finding and saving my mother.

"Fine." I walked out of the kitchen with Coral and Heather following behind me. "Let's head home and get what we need to leave.

"We're going to find our mom."

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 10 of Eyes of the Sea! Sorry for the super long wait, but Eyes of the Sea is officially no longer on hold! Don't forget to vote and comment what you think. :)