Love in Dangerous Waters

Chapter 13 - The Life That Could've Been

"Where was I from? And I mean, like, was I from… here?" I asked, not knowing if she understood the question or not.

"Yes, you were originally from Antastica." She told me, which triggered more questions in my head.

"Was I born a mermaid then?" The question came out more like a statement, because I was pretty sure I knew the answer to it.

"Yes, you were." She replied, nodding slightly. "But someth-"

"Do you know who my parents are?" I shot at her, cutting her off because I was that excited. "Could I really meet my real parents here?"

"See, that's the problem." She cut in, sounding annoyed. "There was a sea witch who turned you into a human when you were only hours old."

I wanted to cry when I heard that. Who would do such a thing to me, to ruin my life… or my parent's lives? Oh my God, I had to find them. I'm not mad knowing I know the truth from Lucy. But where could they be? Or are they even alive anymore? Oh my God, I actually could not have to option of finding them because they're dead. This couldn't be happening, this can't be happening to me…

"Do you know where my parents are?" I finally found my voice, but it squeaked and wavered at every word. "I need to know that they're okay, and I need to find them and tell them that I'm okay and that I'm here."

She started shaking her head before I was done talking. "No, I honestly haven't seen your parents in… a while." She answered, and if I could cry in water, I would've, but the water didn't let me.

"They're not dead, are they?" I wavered, feeling my throat close tight and make me choke on the water. "My parents aren't dead, are they!?"

"I don't know, my dear…" She replied, her eyes revealing nothing but honesty. "I don't know…"

I breathed slowly, accepting the fact that I would probably never see them, so there was no point. "It's alright, I guess…" I whimpered, looking out of the cave and seeing the castle even fainter in the distance as before. "We should go see what the royals are up to."

"I don't think they'll be up for it." She answered right away, eyes bugging out at me, but then relaxed, slouching back. "I think they left on a trip to Earth, anyway."

"Oh really?" I asked, thinking back to Earth. "They're separate worlds?"

"Yeah, there's a weird system that all the worlds have that's really confusing, and I don't really want to go into much detail, but let's just say there are thresholds for all the worlds to cross into and communicate with each other." She answered, waving her hands like it was no big deal. "But that's for when you're going to leave, and right now, we have other things we have to do."

"I want to know everything." I reminded her again, making her growl and whine at me. "So tell me… how is it like around here? Maybe like, school or a job or what?"

"I'm banished, I won't be that much help answering that." She replied honestly, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "But hey, I'm sure there's some sort of way they have to feed everybody, right?"

"Did you have any friends before you were banished?" I blurted, and the question came out of nowhere, but I kinda wanted to know. She did help me, and extract whatever the hell Magic I had from me.

She shook her head, flattening her lips. "No, not really." She answered, but shrugged it off. "I'd stick with just questions about you, please."

"Can I go meet other merpeople?" I asked, watching some merpeople swim by the cave a few hundred feet away.

"I wouldn't." She answered right away, swimming over to me and keeping me still by wrapping her fingers around my wrists. "Because you are an outsider and they don't know who you are. Which reminds me to tell you…" She started, and I leaned in to signal I was listening. "Use the name Lily."