Secrets of the Deep [Wattpad Featured Story]

Chapter Eighteen

"Where are you going?"

I paused and turned at the sound of Dad's voice. He watched me, arms folded over his chest, while I stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"Um...nowhere?" I replied.

"Rayne—"

"I was just going to hike the trails and do some schoolwork," I explained, the lie rolling off my tongue smoothly. I patted my backpack for emphasis, though in reality it contained a large towel and a few snacks.

Dad mulled this over in his head before speaking. "All right," he said after a few seconds. "But call me as soon as you get there."

"Okay." I headed to the door.

"And when you leave!" he added.

"Dad..."

He took another step forward. "Please be careful. I don't know if you heard, but there was a kidnapping the other day."

Now he had my attention. "A what?"

"A kidnapping," Dad repeated.

But this was Shady Cove. I couldn't imagine anything happening other than a small-scale theft, vandalism, or minor traffic violation. But a kidnapping...?

"Make sure you stay within sight of the house, okay?" Dad instructed.

"Sure," I said before he could change his mind. "You don't have to worry about me, I'll be safe."

He sucked in a deep breath. "I know all those crisscrossing trails are fun to explore, but please stay close."

"Yeah. I'll be back soon." I gave him a reassuring smile before heading out the door and making a beeline for the nearest trail. Knowing that he might be watching me from a window, I stopped at the edge of the cliff. I dialed his number, as promised, but as soon as our call ended, I leaned over and gazed down at the ocean.

There was no way I was staying up here. With one last guilty look at the house, I scurried down the rest of the trail, my whole body buzzing with excitement until I reached the private beach.

I dropped my backpack onto the soft, golden sand before making my way to the water's edge. I let the tide tickle the bottom of my toes as I stood precariously at the shoreline. I winced when I remembered the intense pain from yesterday, but my excitement quickly won over. I wanted to experience the thrill of swimming as a mermaid once again. A little pain wasn't going to stop me.

I shimmied out of my jacket and tossed it onto the sand behind me. Goosebumps immediately sprouted on my arms, but I tugged my shorts down anyway. Then I quickly darted into the water and dove under the first wave that came my way. The freezing cold pierced my skin, but only seconds later, it was followed by a familiar tingling sensation. I hurriedly swam out to deeper water where the waves didn't break. Then I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the excruciating transformation.

It was certainly painful, but not nearly as painful as the first or second times. Though my bones popped and snapped as they rearranged themselves, it hurt significantly less. I smiled with relief when the transformation was over, leaving me with my shimmering blue tail once again.

I stared at the beautiful turquoise scales that adorned my tail. When I turned around, the scales glistened as they reflected the sunlight streaming through the water. It was amazing—wonderful—unbelievable!