The Mermaid

Chapter two

The Mermaid chapter two

I was running along the beach, sweat beaded my forehead, causing my dark brown hair to cling to it as my throat ached for air. The delicious rush of wind past my face thrilled me. My muscles stretched, pushed harder. My pace evened out and my legs made the sand fly under me.

The ocean waves crashed softly against the rocks. Everything was so peaceful and beautiful at the moment, until something wet grabbed my ankle.

I screamed, but no sound came out. I slipped and fell onto the rough sand, groping desperately at it for a hold but there was nothing I could hang on to. Something was pulling me into the water, the waves now crashing angrily against the rocks.

"Help!" I tried to yell, but I couldn't. My whole body was in the water now except for my face. I gasped, desperately kicking around but whatever was holding onto my ankles had a death grip on it.

The last thing I saw before I was pulled under was the orange sun setting, casting a beautiful glow over the golden sand and the ocean...

I woke up, gasping and clawing at the air. "Help!" I screamed, "help!" Instantly, Imogen came running into the room. "Oh my god Ari you're awake! She's awake!" She exclaimed. My mom and the school nurse, I recognized, dashed in. "Oh my god honey are you all right?" My mom asked, her eyebrows knit together in worry. "I'm fine, I think." I said, "where am I? What happened?"

Oh. Right. The race. "You tripped while running the race and you fell unconscious. Thankfully our school nurse was there today, she drove us back to the school, and here you are. Good news Ari! You didn't break anything!" Imogen explained. "It was a good thing you hit the ground on your cheek and not your nose otherwise you would've broken it." The nurse piped up. "Arisa how are you feeling? I should take you home now dear shouldn't I? Come on sweetheart let's go." My mom said. "No wait mom, I think I'm fine, you don't need to take me home yet." I spoke. "But darling you're hurt, it will be okay if you miss your afternoon classes just this time." "Really mom, I'm fine. I want to stay." I insisted. My mom nodded, "okay hon. Call me if you need to." She stroked my hair, got up and left.

"What time is it?" I asked. "It's noon. Your grade should be back now for lunch." The nurse said, before leaving the room as well. Imogen sat on the side of my bed, "That was one scary fall." She noted. I laughed a little, "yeah it was. Thanks for looking out for me and staying until I woke up. I know I missed the rest of sports day and you did too, because I was hurt. I appreciate that." Imogen waved it away with her hand, "no big deal. Besides I was kind of losing my voice anyway." We laughed.

"Who won?" I asked quietly. "Oh that girl from Beaver high won. I forgot her name, what was it again?" Imogen squinted, a habit she does whenever she's trying to remember something, "oh right! Lena Hills. If you hadn't fallen you would've gone pass her and become winner." Imogen snapped her fingers. I was really disappointed, I guessed I had hoped that, I don't know. Maybe they just decided to reschedule the race? It was impossible, I knew that but I still couldn't help feeling depressed. This race had been really important to me, and winning it meant so much. But now I've lost it just by one clumsy accident.

Imogen could tell I was sad, but she tried to cheer me up like always. "Hey! I know, after school the grade tens are having their sports day and they have the one race we don't; swimming. They'll be swimming in the ocean! We should totally go watch, you up for it?" Her blue eyes lit with excitement. I admired Imogen's positive attitude. She was always so fun, cheerful, and looked on the bright side of everything, no wonder she was the cheerleading captain. "Yes that sounds awesome. Count me in."