Diary of a Mermaid

Just hear me out

I run off my bed, straight to the closet, and grab the tote bag off the handle. I then make my way to the dresser and stuff navy sweatpants, a green hoodie, and a black shirt into the bag. Then I pull out black leggings, a salmon hoodie, and white shirt with tiny black polkadots and quickly put them on. I scoop my hair into a bun and tuck it into the hood. I tiptoe to the emergency mini-fridge in my closet and grab two water bottles and a loaf of bread. I then head back to my bed, kneel, take the emergency rope from under the mattress, and shove it into the bag.

I ram on my indigo runners and double-knot the laces

I walk to the window, silently unlock it, and slip out onto the roof, fastening the rope to a curled ledge on the eavestrough. I throw the rope down and slowly lower myself onto the lawn. With a sharp tug, the knot undoes and the rope comes falling down. I quickly gather it up and shove it into my bag.

Then I'm off into the night. I run as sneakily as a panther. As soon as I'm a far-enough distance away from the house, I start calling out, "Nemmy! Nemmy, where are you?"

Ten minutes later, I feel defeated. I slide down against the side of a house.

"You look like you need to be rescued," a young voice cries.

I look up. "Nemmy!" I dart up and grab her into a hug. Then I look behind her.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my gosh.

It's Ray. It's Ray in a red wagon. Asleep. Beat up. Bleeding.

I immediately let Nemmy go and bolt to the side of the wagon. "Nemmy! Where did you find him?!"

"Over there. He was walking around yelling our names. I run up to him and he give me a hug. Then I find wagon in park and tell him to lie down. He does. Then I pull him. I'm going home now." She looks at me confusedly. "Why are you by yourself?"

"I was looking for you!" I say, crying. I stand up, grab the handle of the wagon with one hand and grab her hand with the other."Come on. We're going home."

We don't say a word all the way back to the house. The only sounds are the distant engines of driving cars and the squeaking wheels of the wagon.

I knock on the door. Peter answers it. "Topaz! Nemmy! Ray!" he says, looking from kid to kid. "Everyone come here!"

Steven is the first to arrive. "Oh, my god! Get in here!" He lifts Ray into his arms just as the rest come to join us.

Angel takes one look at the scene and collapses. Cat scoops her up and she races upstairs.

"Topaz! What happened?" Steven asks, laying Ray down on the couch. "First aid kit!" he yells to no one in particular. Jaclyn runs into the kitchen and is back a second later holding the box.

Steven opens it with his teeth and takes out his stethoscope. You see, Steven was an emerge doctor before our evacuation from Toronto. So he's been trained for a situation like this.

He quickly dons on the stethoscope and puts the circular part onto Rays chest. "He's alive," he says after a minute. "Theo, Topaz, go call the ALWASS. Tell them what's happened."

We bolt into the kitchen, but before I can reach the phone, Theo grabs my arm. "We need to talk."

I gawk at him. "You really think now is the time?!"

"Just hear me out. What I said before; I didn't really mean it. I was told not to act on any feelings I felt towards you. What you saw on the swings, that's the real me. I just want you to know that I love you."

My eyes grow wide and I feel tears spring into them. "I love you too," I say with a realization. He grabs my head and pulls me into a kiss. I don't pull back.

After we're, um, done, he says, "Now, let's call the ALWASS." I nod in agreement and he dials their number.