Beached (book 3)

Chapter 16

FYI- my grandma painted this picture of a mermaid which looks a lot like Pale! I literally fangirled over it for a solid five minutes! What a coincidence!

Pale's POV

I stood on the doc over looking the sea. I feel bad about leaving Pearl behind, but I need answers on what happened yesterday. Besides, Pearl said she might go and relax on the beach later today.

I took a deep breath in. My body seems drawn to the ocean, like an invisible force was pulling me forward.

Would I even turn into a mermaid?

I tested myself out in my bathtub and I only gain my tail when I'm fully submerged in water, so I guess it'll work. However, nervous butterflies swarmed my stomach, something I've been feeling a lot lately.

I found myself running off the pier, diving into the rocky surf, allowing the water to surround me. It felt welcoming, inviting and warm. I felt a familiar tingle in my legs and I knew the process was starting. I'm home.

I remember my first calling to the sea. The memory was bittersweet. I was scared back then. Scared for my brother and scared for myself. I guess I'm scared for Pearl now. I didn't loose her in the ocean, but instead on land. That was the twist. And it terrified me.

I glanced down at my legs, but they were replaced with my aqua tail. I sighed with relief. Everything is okay. My hands flew up to my neck, my right gill was working normally. My left gill still has problems from when Brian and Pete cut me last year. The thought made me shiver. I felt the top of my head, my crown was there. The tiara of mine was like my skin. It disappeared when I got legs, but it's here now.

It felt good to be back in the water. As I passed the coral and the fish, it reminded me that this was my home. Not land.

I got to the entrance of the kingdom which was the top of a crater. The palace and homes laid in the center.

The palace looked exactly as I left it.

I took off my tiara to avoid merpeople from figuring out who I was and made my way to the palace.

I snuck through my open window (because I never close it).

"Oh Pale, I thought you were taking a...trip on land."

I looked up and saw Amphrie, playing dolls with Pacific on my bed.

"Mommy!" Pacific yelled as she hugged my waist.

"Hi Pacific," I said patting her head.

"Grammy said that you weren't gonna be back for a long time! I missed you!"

"Well Grammy-"

Amphrie's cheeks turned the color of roses.

"Is actually right. I'm just stopping by to talk to Matthew. Where is he?"

"He should be in his room dear," Amphrie said.

"Okay thanks," I said before walking out.

I walked across the hallways to Matthew's door. I knocked on the soft pink stone.

"Ugh! I'm busy!" A voice yelled from the inside.

"Matthew get out here," I called after knocking again.

"Pale?"

"That's me. Now open up."

The door unlocked and opened.

"What are you doing here?" Matthew asked, clearly annoyed.

He looked the same before I left, green tail, shaggy black hair with a trident at his side.

"I need to ask you about something."

Matthew motioned me to go ahead.

"So recently I've been able to manipulate water. I can..I can..."

I tried to put to words what my ability was like, if it was even an ability at all.

"The water comes out of a faucet, but then it spreads out, like...it goes away from the faucet."

Matthew nodded. "Have you ever been able to manipulate water while you were a mermaid?"

Only once.

That day I had to get Pearl clothes. Nearly sinking the ship docs couldn't of just been a coincidence.

"Yeah."

Matthew scratched his chin.

"You know my trident-"

It hummed with blue energy.

"Well my trident has powers like manipulating water and looking cool-"

"And?"

"And instead of gaining a trident, the power is inside of you. You can manipulate water by yourself instead of using an object."

"So it's that simple? No catch? No nothing?"

"Well, maybe it'll be hard to control, but I'm not sure."

"Okay, I need to go," I quickly said. I've never let Pearl this long alone before. Mom and David are out a work so they can't watch her...

Matthew grabbed my arm, snapping me out of my daydream.

"Why so soon?"

"Pearl is still on land. She's home alone."

"She's still human?"

I nodded.

"I hope she gets better."

"'Me too."

***

"She's upstairs," my mom said as I walked through the front door.

"What's wrong with Pearl?" I asked.

"You better go see for yourself."

My chest stirred as I walked up the stairs. What happened to Pearl? She was just going down to the beach. Is she hurt? Is she upset? Why would she be upset? She loves it here.

As I neared the top of the stairs, I heard something. Was it sobbing?

"Pearl, are you okay?" I called out.

"I'm NOT okay Pale!" Pearl yelled in between blubbery cries.

I walked into her room and saw her weeping on the blue-sheet bed. I sat down on the bed and pulled her into a comforting hug.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I rocked her back and forth. It felt awkward, being like this, but I didn't care.

"He-he broke up with me," Pearl whispered.

"Who?"

"MY EX-BOYFRIEND!" Pearl yelled as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

"Don't yell at me," I whispered.

"You're not my mom," Pearl sulked.

"Did he just like break up with you? Like, out of nowhere?"

Pearl sighed. "I don't wanna talk about it."

And so we stayed there, not saying anything, until Pearl drifted off to sleep by the sounds of the nearby roaring ocean.