Forest of Imagination

Discussion

"Time to go!" McKenzie yelled, knocking on my door. "Coming!" I yelled back, taking my suitcase with me.

"Let's get Harmony, I promised her she would be able to interview Mom," I told her once I was outside and yelled "Bye Dad!" after. McKenzie frowned, but nodded and slipped on her legs (creepy).

She sighed, "But she's not going to go to Houston, right, only you, me, and Alex?" I nodded.

"I've been thinking about Alex...do we  really need to bring her?" I asked, and McKenzie's eyes dimmed. I could tell that she didn't like the idea of bringing Harmony or not bringing Alex. I felt guilty about vetoing her, but Earth is a harsh environment to Terra Meridians, so if two or more pure-bred creatures go there, it could mean disorientation and confusion (or death, but I tried not to think about it). McKenzie was already pretty brave to go there.

"Not really, no," McKenzie answered, looking down. I put my hand on her shoulder and turned into a mermaid (even without the tail, I could do an air bubble). This caused McKenzie to raise her eyebrows in a Really? sort of way. I gave her a You know you like me better like this look.

"If you're going to mess around as a mermaid, then a human, two can play at this game," McKenzie smirked, taking off her legs (again, creepy). "And also, I'm not going to talk to you--wow, that sounded less childish in my head." I laughed, spraying salt water in McKenzie's eyes, but not before she did an air bubble. All I did was pop it, and she did it again quickly.

Though she was true to her word and didn't talk to me, she finally couldn't help it and texted me:

McKenzie: Ugh I hate not talking!

Melody: Your own threat, stop complaining

McKenzie: I hate u

Melody: I promise u, it's mutual.

McKenzie: Mermaid race to Cornerstone!

Melody: Meeting Harmony there?

McKenzie: Sure, 'course

Melody: Thanks, and you're on!

I grinned and did a thumbs-up at her, then swam as fast as I could to Cornerstone, which I found surprisingly (I'd never been there before). Apparently McKenzie knew all the shortcuts though, so she won.

"Nice race," she grinned, giving me a high-five. I then took out my phone (yes, I was addicted to texting):

Melody: Meet u at Cornerstone to buy transportation to Earth!

Harmony: I've visited thousands of times, I know they sell Earth pearls.

Melody: That u crush?

Harmony: Ya, and then u go to Earth

Melody: Well, we're buying Earth pearls then!

Harmony: No way Jose :(

Melody: Why not?

Harmony: I bought them twice to visit my foster sister, who's nice

Melody: So?

Harmony: U end up in the ocean!

Melody: What's the big deal?

Harmony: The first time I didn't know, so I popped my bubble when I went there.

Melody: I see where this is going.

Harmony: I couldn't breathe for a long time!

Melody: Fine

Harmony: So we bring Garrett

Melody: I HATE HATE HATE fairy transportation!!!!

Harmony: Well I hate mermaid transportation!!

Melody: Fine, then meet u there, got it? No Cornerstone for u

Harmony: Sure, bye!

Melody: Um okay bye then?

"Ahem, we need to buy those pearls?" McKenzie tapped my shoulder, and I put away my phone.

Cornerstone was kind of like an Earth Walmart, where you can find almost anything. There was mermaid medicine, which tastes like sour strawberries (in other words, horrible), clothes and makeup (legs counted as makeup), cute accessories, which are made of pearl usually and sometimes coral, and of course Earth pearls, which transport two people exactly to Earth when one of those two people crushes it and says the other person's name.

"I'll buy it, but then can I crush it?" McKenzie pleaded me, and I nodded "yes" as an answer.

"Crushing it really is the fun part, but as long as you pay as many sand dollars as it takes and say 'Melody,' then I'm good," I replied (sand dollars are mermaid currency, by the way).

We go to the aisle where the delicate pearls are, and McKenzie takes a six-pack in case we need extra. "^36, please," the cashier informed us, McKenzie's eyes widening in surprise. I could tell she thought that was too much (also by the way, ^ is kind of like America's $).

"Remember, you'll get to crush it," I reminded her, and she dug around her home-made coral tape wallet for ^36 at the mention of that. I smiled at her indignity and crossed my fingers for the fact that she would have enough money for it. Luckily for me, she did.

"Would you like a bag for that--never mind, Earth pearls are too fragile," the cashier, who's name was Kellie, sighed.

McKenzie then took the pack and took out one smooth, creamy white pearl gently. "Melody," she muttered as she stepped on it. The last thing I remembered of Mermaid Bay was the taste of saltwater on my tongue and the smell of cinnamon floating in the air.

Then, I was blinded by a blinking Ultra-violet light in my mind. A blue-and-white circle of light surrounded me, and I couldn't even see McKenzie next to me. I tried touching her hand, but it was just empty space.

"Please make an air bubble now and put on your legs or change into human, please make an air bubble now and put on your legs or change into a human, please make an air bubble now and..." an invisible speaker ordered, a blinding red light flashing in my head.

I made an air bubble and changed into a human like the speaker instructed. I wished I could see McKenzie.

Splash! I heard, before I splashed myself too. I was at least two hundred feet below the ocean, and somehow my air bubble had popped. I was too panicked to make another one, and the surface was so high up...McKenzie was coming toward me...strong arms lifting me up...the feel of an air bubble but the inability to breathe...and then everything went black.

Completely, totally black.

(Quick A/N: Thanks for reading this chapter, because I know it's horrible and you probably deleted this from your library by now!!!)