WILD UNCHARTED WATERS: RANI'S UNDERSEA ADVENTURE

prologue: sea dreams

I was dreaming.

I felt a cool rush of ocean water on my creamy brown skin, and opened my dark eyes, my dark wavy hair flowing around me,  heard a soothing sound, like how my Daddy and Dada would always sing to me if I was upset or scared, but this soothing sound was a young girl with a mermaid tail. I saw her silhouette, and swam after her, but a blast from a three pronged Trident stopped me in my tracks, and the silhouetted merman glared at me. I swam away, feeling a bit of fear. I found the soothing sound and the silhouetted mermaid again, but an evil cackle stopped me, and proceeded to block me from her. An evil squid woman in shadow grabbed the mermaid.

Determined to help, I swam on, and the evil cackling voice chased me. What felt like a tentacle grabbed me and pulled me down, down down, into the depths of the ocean...

"Rani..."

The dream vanished at the sound of my Daddy's soothing voice.

"Rani, wake up." 

I did, and I ended up hugging Daddy, scared out of my mind. I felt Daddy's cream brown hand on the back of my head, his very thin frame on the side of my bed. He kissed my forehead, and I felt the familiar scratch of his beard on my face, and his long wavy hair down to his shoulders as he had me nose to nose.

"Bad dream?" He asked me.

I nodded. "I was following a mermaid around, and then there was one merman who didn't want me to go anywhere near her, but I kept swimming. And then there was this sea monster who grabbed the mermaid and wanted me to drown."

"It's okay. I'm here." He soothed.

Ever since I was born, Daddy and I had this telepathic bond with one another. I could tell whether or not he needed rest due to his heart illness, and he could sense if I was hurt, scared, mad, sad, or happy.

It was the middle of the night, and my great Uncle Eli had told me many times that Daddy should be sleeping now. I guess Daddy heard me tossing and turning and crying.

School was out for the summer, and we were just starting our summer vacation from school. In the middle of final tests, I had just become Sorceress of the Pridelands literally just last week. The first Wednesday in June was our last day of class, and my triplet sisters, my cousin and I were all ready to go into the third grade, while our older siblings were headed to fifth grade and the oldest sisters were going into eighth grade.

Now it's time to say good night
Good night sleep tight
Now the sun turns out his light
Good night sleep tight
Dream sweet dreams for me
Dream sweet dreams for you. Daddy sung softly and sweetly.

I yawned, and I felt Daddy lay me down as he continued.

Close your eyes and I'll close mine
Good night sleep tight
Now the moon begins to shine
Good night sleep tight
Dream sweet dreams for me
Dream sweet dreams for you. \

I felt my eyes close, and my breathing slow. I felt Daddy kiss my cheek, felt him gently tuck me in and heard him wish me sweet dreams, and go back to his room to sleep.

"Okay, okay, so...tell me what happened again?" Jamie asked.

"Okay, so...I was swimming in the ocean, and I heard singing. I swam to where the singing was coming from, but a bolt of lightning stopped me, and there was a merman who didn't want me anywhere near the singing mermaid, but I kept going. I found her, but then I heard an evil laugh, and I saw the mermaid get grabbed, and I felt a tentacle grab me. It felt like I was drowning." I described as I munched on bacon, eggs and gluten free toast.