Diary of a Mermaid

Shot in the heart

The women bolt into the kitchen. "What do you mean, 'gone'?" I ask, not really wanting to know the answer.

"He means nowhere to be found." Theo says, joining Steven. "And I found something even worse," He turns on his heels and quickly heads upstairs.

We all share identical looks of concern while we're following him.

Theo leads us to her room where I see shattered glass all over the floor and Angel sitting on her bunk looking as emotionally broken as the glass.

Someone smashed the window.

With a hairbrush. Nemmy's hairbrush is lying right next to the mess. Then I notice something half-under the bunk bed. "Guys, what's this?" I ask, picking up the sheet of paper.

It reads, dear peeple. i am a sooperheero! i hav left to fite crime arownd the werld. Dont com loocking for me becuz one of my powors is terning invisibil. Bye bye! Luv Nemmy

I start to shake. I feel a flood of tears rush down my cheeks. Jaclyn hugs me, but I push her away and go to stand in the centre of the room. My eyes are huge, my face is red. I'm a mess.

"Topaz, what's wrong?" Steven asks me, warily.

"It's my fault!" I choke out. He takes the note and reads it.

"Topaz, this isn't your fault." he says slowly. Jaclyn wraps her arms around me again. This time I don't resist.

"You're right." I say loudly. "It's his fault!" I throw myself at Theo and scream, "You promised me you would watch her! You promised me you'd keep us safe! I hate you!" I sprint out of the room, slam the door, and continue to run until I reach my room. I jump onto the bed and let the pink duvet soak up all my tears.

Jaclyn knocks on my door. "Topaz? Can I come in?"

"No!"

She doesn't listen and enters the room anyways. She sits lightly on the bed and starts rubbing my back. I'm too devastated to tell her to stop. "It's all gonna be okay."

I sit up abruptly. "No it isn't! Ray's most likely dead. Nemmy's wandering the streets because I encouraged her to follow her dreams and Theo didn't hear the glass break!"

Jaclyn pulls me into a hug. "I know. I know. When I was eleven, my brother was in the military. A day before he was due to come home, he was shot in the heart. And that's not all. Seventeen years ago, Steven and I had two twin girls, newborns. We tried to register them for health insurance but because of Steven's mer-person blood, we were turned down. They took the girls away. The government doesn't want anymore mer-human hybrids being born so they used us as an example. What I'm trying to say is we all go through tough times. But those obstacles don't define us. It's how we get through them that defines us. You know what I mean?"

I let out a whimper. "I'm starting to."

Jaclyn gets up. "Now, if you want to talk more, I'll be downstairs."

She leaves.

Wow. I can't believe Jaclyn has been through so much. She has lost so many loved ones. If that happened to me, I don't know what I would do.

But I've been through just as much. I was forced to leave home. I saw my brother's blood-soaked shirt. I made my sister run away from home.

But I've won. I'm still here. I haven't crumbled. I haven't fallen. I haven't gone insane. I am stronger than I give myself credit for. Look at me! I am a thirteen-year-old war refugee. I have seen things no one my age should see.

But I haven't let it kill me. I'm still alive. And I plan on remaining on this earth until I can get back Ray and Anemone. I will stay here until I am back at home with my family.

I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna run away from home. I gonna save the day.