The Dangers of Pomegranate Salad

Chapter 29

Chapter 29. A New Way to Escape.

I run away, feeling empty. I don’t want to be used to kill someone. I don’t know what to do, so I just run. I don’t really pay attention to what I’m doing or where I’m going, I just run. How can she do that I think? How can she use me to kill someone? I mean I get that she wants revenge, but isn’t killing him a bit extreme? He just broke up with her; it’s not that big a deal. But I guess she did have a kid, he doesn’t know. I just don’t understand. And I’m tired of all this! I keep running, noticing I’m automatically headed for the Underground pool. Well, that’s something nice down here. I arrive at the pool and look down at the little dragons swimming around in it. I sigh, thinking about Haden and my family and Jackie, and everyone I left. I know Haden said he would come for me. That he would save me. He said that I would be free.  But I don’t see a way out. My family and friends probably think I’m dead. Even if Haden comes for me, there isn’t a way to undo the fay food. I will be trapped down here. Forever. I can’t live like that. And Gea said she was going to kill someone with my power. I can’t do that.  I can’t be used to kill someone. A small silver dragon looks at me and spits water up at me. He nails me in the face. I laugh. I sit down on the rocks. I don’t think I can do this, keep going. How am I supposed to get out of this? How am I supposed to escape?  I watch the little dragons swim. As I do I decide I can’t give up hope. I have to stay strong and keep going. I stand up quickly, which is a bad Idea.

 I slip on the wet rocks. I fall into the pool, my arm hitting a sharp rock on the way down. I land in the cold water, and immediately I feel like every dark thing inside me is gone. Like the world was just lifted from my shoulders. I feel… free. I don’t know why. It makes me feel giddy. I almost laugh, but decide that would be a bad Idea unless I want to drown. I open my eyes, and see red floating in the water. It’s sort of pretty. I look at my arm and see the blood is coming from where I hit it on the rock. There is a jagged cut across my fore arm.  As I watch it starts to close up on its own. I watch amazed. It heals completely. I look at how far down I have gone, which is pretty far.  I start to swim back up to the top. The little Mer dragons try to help me by pushing me up. I break the surface and see lily zipping around frantically. She sees me and calms down. I smile, and start to swim over to the rocks I fell off of. As I swim, I feel something slither around my ankle. It tugs slightly, pulling my under. I bob back up, and catch my breath. It tugs me back down again. I am startled and breathe in some water. I choke and let out more air. I am being dragged down. I can’t breathe. I look down at whatever is dragging me. It looks like an octopus, with really long tentacles. It reaches another tentacle and wraps it around my other ankle. A sharp shock runs up my body, making me spaz out. The sudden pain makes me gasp; losing the rest of the air I had left.  I can’t control my body. It stops zapping me, but my body is still twitching. Great, it’s an electric octopus. Once I have adequate control over myself, I start struggling again. I feel dizzy, from lack of oxygen probably. I keep struggling as best I can. I kick at the octopus. I make contact with its head, and it zaps me again. This time a stronger shock comes through me. It wraps another tentacle around my wrist. Darkness is starting to eat away at the edges of my vision. That’s a bad sign, right? My lungs hurt really badly, and I can’t move very well. Good grief, I think groggily, I’m going to drown in a pool of magical healing water.  I can’t move much anymore. The octopus sends another zap through me for good measures. I start to sink. I think I’m passing out. A flash of green suddenly goes through the water and smacks the octopus. It lets go of me, and I weakly start swimming up. Something is pushing me, trying to help me. I break the water, and am pushed onto a smooth rock. I choke out the water in my lungs and lie there for a second. I passed out for a minute or two, and I wake up to a damp green fay jumping up and down on my chest. I feel groggy and lightheaded. “Lily, stop jumping on me” I say feebly. She zips over to my face and kisses my forehead. I sit up with a groan. My ankles and left wrist have slight burns on them. It doesn’t hurt too much. I stand up and walk a little bit. My legs are wobbly, but I think I’m ok. I feel kind of… free. Like the feeling I’ve had since I ate the fay food has disappeared. Did the spell wear off? I think it did. I can escape!