Drowning(Hiatus)

Chapter 13

The little bubbles swirled past my vision and I absently tried to catch them with my hands. The warm light of the sun brightened the narrow alley-like pit in the lake's floor that we were presently exploring. Jenny, the long brown haired mermaid, was swiftly moving along the ridges, harvesting clams and oysters while I was loitering around at some distance observing the strange aquatic life in the deeper parts of the lake.

"My lady, if you aren't too busy, I would appreciate a little help here," called Jenny, momentarily pulling my attention from the bizarre thorny looking starfish I had come across.

I looked up and saw the netted sack full of oysters as she heaved it from one shoulder to the other in exaggeration.

I raised my eyebrows and put on an air of regale confidence, saying, "Are you sure you want an honored guest like myself to do your work for you?"

She gave me a tired look and barely kept her eyes from rolling before turning around and said, "Of course not, my lady. How impudent of me to even make such an outrageous suggestion."

I snorted, turning my attention back to the starfish as I poked it with a twig I found in the sand. It had been six days since my fight with Oeric and over the period of isolation I was put under, Jenny was my only companion. And I found it increasingly hilarious to use my false authority to boss her around every once in a while.

Jenny and I were currently out exploring the pits at the back of the castle. Gathering and harvesting of clams and oysters was normally the job of a scavenger but Jenny made an exception today. Ever since that night six days ago, I had locked myself up in my room and kept declining Oeric's pleas to meet with me until he finally gave up and stopped trying.

Even though I said I wanted to know what he was hiding from me, I was still afraid to face him by myself. From then on, I just stayed in my room like a shut in. Jenny took on the role of my personal maid and would normally come to me with fresh clothes to wear and food to eat when I refused to go out and eat in the main dinning hall.

And since I was practically a live-in prisoner, I wasn't allowed to go anywhere without an escort unless I was with Oeric himself. But I wasn't going to be with him on my own any time soon so Jenny was the only companion I had who would accompany me when I normally felt stuffy inside. And so in the short time I had spent with her, we became close enough to care about one another like friends.

"Alright, my lady, I think this much should be enough. Shall we head back now?"

I nodded, a little disappointed that my brief trip outside was coming to an end, and followed her as we emerged out from the pit. Me and Jenny were on our way back towards the castle when I looked over my shoulder and felt my eyes drawn towards the caverns that were in the far distance behind the tall abandoned skyscrapers. I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine a second time from just looking at them.

I turned around and called out for Jenny to stop. She obliged and looked at me curiously, "Yes?"

"What are those caverns?" I asked.

She followed my gaze and froze once she saw what I was talking about. "What's it to you?" She asked, curtly.

I frowned, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Jenny was never unhappy or annoyed with my curiosity about their kingdom but this time I saw her annoyance apparent on her face and her tone suggested that she didn't like me poking my nose in the caverns.

It seemed to be a touchy subject. I gottu investigate.

She saw my resigned expression and softened the look on her face. "I'm sorry, Chloe. It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that those caverns are full of so many sad and horrifying memories that it's hard to talk about them and those horrendous creatures that live within them without getting unsettled."