Merformers: Friends from the Waves

Chapter 14: One Call too Close

I honestly had no idea how to describe the feeling.

It was in the center of my heart, clenching painfully unlike anything I'd ever felt. It had started a couple minutes ago and showed no signs of stopping, feeling like something was wrong but I couldn't make out what. I lay in my bed, rubbing my chest and trying to get it to stop but for some reason, I felt panicked, like I was in danger but at the same time, I was safe at home.

I groaned and sat up, unable to sleep because of the feeling. I swung my feet off the side of my bed and hopped down, onto the cold wooden floor and walked to my cupboard. I changed into some warm clothes and quickly put my phone in my pocket before walking out of my room. The house was dark and quiet, my gran asleep in her bed so as silently as I could, I unlocked the door and went outside.

Cool air hit my face and I looked at the ocean, seeing the moon shining off the waves as they crashed on the shore. I walked down the path to my bike and pushed it out the driveway before hopping on and peddling down the dirt road till I reached tar, going onto it and cycling away from the house.

I stood on the pedals and inhaled deeply as I sped down a hill, feeling my fingers numb slightly at the cold but I found it refreshing. I loved to cycle at night when everything looked so different from how it did in the day. Streetlights lined the road and I did my usual route, all alone with basically the entire Island asleep.

I felt like the last person on earth when I did this.

I pedaled quickly up the hill and stopped at the top, taking in a deep breath of salty air and leaning on my handlebars, looking down at the beach. It was so peaceful here but I still felt the dull throb in my chest, making me groan.

A flicker out the corner of my eye made me turn and look at the aquarium in the distance, the light outside faulty. But I straightened up when I saw the two black vans in the parking lot and the doors open.

I scrambled to get my phone and dialed Jack's number. He picked up, clearly tired, 'What?' His voice came groggily, 'Why are you up at this hour?' 'Jack, did Fowler say anything about having guys at the aquarium tonight?' I asked.

'Huh? No. The builders all left at 5.' He mumbled back, 'Why?' 'Scrap, I think someone's robbing the place!' I said, seeing the beams of flashlights from inside. I felt my heart drop to my stomach when I saw they were coming from the mers room. 

'Jack, call the police now!' I basically yelled into the speaker, watching with wide eyes, 'Get them here as quickly as possible!'

'Ok! Just hold on! Don't move!' He called back and hung up. I felt my hands gripping the handlebars, my breathing quick. Don't move? How the hell could I not move when I knew the mers were in danger? I rubbed my chest again, trying to cease the growing pain.

About 5 minutes later, the sound of an engine caught my attention and I looked back as headlights illuminated me and the road. A car pulled up and the window rolled down, revealing a teen with jet-black hair, 'You're gonna need backup,' Jack said, nodding his head to the building.

I nodded quickly and took off, basically slamming on the pedals as I sped down the hill, Jack right behind me.

My bike scraped the dirt as we pulled to a stop but luckily, no one seemed to be in the cars. I threw it down and ran inside, Jack right behind me. Ducking behind one of the tables against the wall, I used my phone camera to look around it, spotting a man with a gun walking past.

I gulped and quickly pulled it back, pressing against the wooden table and waiting for his footsteps to fade before we scrambled out from behind it and down the hall as quietly as we could without our tackies squeaking on the clean floor.