Beautiful Voices

Chapter 10

          A short while later I find myself miles from my last location. As I'd swam along I tried to catch my surroundings but my tail had a mind of it's own pushing me forward moving as a blur through the water. To fast for me to register anything in my vicinity, but when my finn finally relented I'd paddled through the water doggy style until I'd reach the shore. Now here I lay half in, half out of the water struggling for breath feeling as if I'd just finish a marathon in first place. Beyond exuasted I close my eyes falling into a blissfully dreamless sleep.
      Opening my eyes I find the sun high in the sky. It's around mid afternoon and I'd probably wasted 12 hours laying partially in the water and my toes probably looking like old raises. With that thought I shoot into an upright sitting position I look down at my lower half and with great relief I see I no longer have one but two appendages sprouting from my hips and these ones didn't have scales, hallelujah!
       Standing up I look around hoping for some signs of recollection on my part. I think I see a road in the far distance through the foliage so I head in that direction. When I make it to my destination I find it is indeed a road not a paved well used one but still a road. Looking left and right I considered which way to go and my gut was pulling me towards the left so I turn and start limping down the street feeling the bite of the rocks in the cuts on the bottom of my feet. Walking for a few hours I stagger to a stop when I see moving little neon orange object a mile or two down the huge stretch of street.
      Picking up my pace I head towards them and as I get closer I see it's a search party. A huge search party and the person who seemed to be the leader was standing on top of a truck barking out orders in a frantic manner. I'm still too far away to tell the difference between the gender of each person. Especially for the person on top of the car since they were so tall. When I'm about 100 yards from the group one of it's searchers see me and yells.
"Look there she is, she found us!"

I hear another person say.
"She looks awful I can't imagine what she must have gone through."

   That search party was out for me? It made sense but my brain refused to process this information. My eyes full to the brim when I realize my torment is over. Dropping to my knees I start crying for what felt like the millionth time this week too relived to care who saw. I see a blonde head of hair jump off the truck hauling ass in my direction. A ping of reconization goes off but I can't see to get my head to click in place especially since everything was blurring through my tears.
         When the person gets closer I see it's my mom who has tears running down her face along with old tear and makeup stains trailing down her cheeks. Dropping down in front of me crushing my head to here chest where I can feel her sobs rack through her body jarring my sore one.

"Ivy! oh my poor baby, what happened to you!"
Mom says through her tears with her hand trailing down my body, through my hair to my arms then my fingers making sure they were all there. Stopping at my index finger with a sharp intake of breath she stares at the once vibrant ring her trembling hand shaking all the more.

"Oh on, oh no this can't be happening not my baby oh lord no."
Cupping my face she kisses me all over in her trademark way. I can hear sniffling around me, as people watch the emotional reunion.

"Mom I'm going to be okay now, please don't cry."
Hugging her closer I let her grieve for the child she thought she'd never see again. She seemed to be in a bigger shock than me, there were dark circles under her eyes and her hair was in knots with more than one leaf in its depths. She must not have got a wink of sleep since I dissappeared. I started to worry when mom wouldn't stop repeating the same sentence.
"It's going to be okay mommy will keep you safe."

     Rubbing soothing circles into my back I could feel my eyes drifting shut my last reserves of adrenaline long since gone. Setting my head upon her shoulder I say.
"Hey mom?"

"What is it hun does something hurt?"
She says with her eyes assessing my body for fatal damage.

"No, but I feel like my stomach is about to eat itself."
I reply drowsily. With a watery laugh she helps me to my feet but instantly pushes me back down when I wince. Looking around she snaps her fingers then points at a muscular middle ages man pointing at me she says.
"Carry my daughter over to the paramedics, gently. I'm going to go get her something to eat."

       Kissing me on top of my head she walks away at a brisk pace. The man walks over to me uncertainly questioning me with his eyes. Nodding my head I give him the go ahead. Gently lifting me he carries me over to the paramedics who are at the other end of the of the group from where I'd enetered. Right when the stranger sat me down in the back of the van I saw a slow stubbling group push through the greenery on the side of the road facing the opening of the van.
     It's a group of 10 people all looked tired and defeated I over hear the leader of the group say to the guy stationed at the radio area.
"Sorry for worrying you guys our walkie talkie died and you know who wasn't going to let us come back until our shift was over."

     Pirking up I wait knowing Chloe would be walking through at any moment. So I'm throughly surprised when I see a worn and torn Alaric come through last heaving a heavy sigh.

"Dude no problem, we found her she just came running down the road all cut up and looking like she'd just been through hell. Poor girl she's probably going to need counseling."
The guy at the radio station answers.

I never take my eyes of Alaric, why was he here? Was he the one that man was talking about? Is he that sad because of me? Lifting his head he looks at the two men talking then he ranks he eyes around the camp stopping on me in the medical corner. Swallowing I wait my pulse quickening as he picks up his pace heading straight towards me.