Island of Mysteries

Chapter 13

Don't look back!

Don't go back!

Stop crying!

My brain will not stop screaming at me. It's become a pounding in my head. The pressure of the water flowing so fast against my face wipes the tears away. I know I shouldn't have done this alone, every movie or book ever written, whenever the hero of the story goes off and does something alone it ends badly. Which I should take into consideration, except I am not the hero of this story. I am the villain reconsidering her ways and trying to fix what she has done. I have a somewhat idea of where to go I know the general direction of where to go, I just hope I am not to far off, I just ruined my friendship with probably the best people I have ever met. Don't want to waste it.

I swim as fast as I can, but I didn't realize they would leave us this far out. Maybe, I didn't get the calculations right. I stop swimming and look around. I see fish of all kinds, I can name a few, but there are so much more. They seem curious about me. Maybe I am the first mermaid they've seen? Reaching the surface for air was a longer process then it should have been. My whole body aches, especially my heart. How could I have been so stupid. That stupid book made me think this world I live in was out to get anything different or special. I look up at the sky, and float on my back my tail slowly drifting down, but I use my arms to keep myself afloat.

When I close my eyes I see his face. His dark brown hair longer than what it was when we left, it now goes to his shoulders and it makes him look like a blonde tarzan. I look into his eyes, his eyes are candy apple green and sparkle like the fourth of July. Since we had been on the island he grew a stubble of a beard, which made me smile. Why did he have to be THAT guy. Jack was the cool guy who used people to get what he wants. Did he want me? No, not possible, if he did he would have manipulated some poor freshman to try and bully me and come and save the day (he did that to get Jenna Hillsgood, it worked).  I opened my eyes and let out a huge sigh. I dove back down and swam East, I am sure to hit land sooner or later traveling East.

            ❀

"Nixie!" my mom screamed when I walked into the door, it looked like she had been crying. She ran up and hugged me really tight. Dad came running down the stairs not saying anything just running up to hug me. I hugged back just being wrapped up in them and not letting go.

"We thought you were stranded or dead. I am so happy you're alive!"  My mom smiled so big and didn't let me go. I wanted to just stay here in their arms, but I have to finish what I came here for.

"Mom, do you think you can call Uncle Joe and have him evacuate the town?" I say it bluntly hoping that she do it and not ask any questions. Uncle Joe is the chief of police, I don't know why he would do it, but I am hoping he is still a paranoid conspiracy theorist.

"What why?" Hopes have been crushed. My mom released me and looked at me tears in her eyes.

"You know umm," How do I tell her? If I tell her the truth I could be locked up in an asylum and forced to watch everyone die and then drown myself. Or I could do my usual little white lie routine, but in this case it's a huge white lie.

"Are you worried about that wave?" I nod confused on why she is so calm "Well it isn't heading to us anymore, apparently it has suddenly flattened back out." Yeah right, the water level is down 13 feet, A drought doesn't do that in one month.  I wonder if my voice can hypnotize people? It's a bad thought to try to take advantage of your parents, but I have to save them.

I start to hum, and then sing some oo's and ahs. It looks like it is working, I mean blue fog is slowly coming into the room. I wipe the tears falling down my face and continue to sing. My mom let me go and just looked forward like i wasn't there, my father did the same thing. Still singing, I grab the car keys and placed them in his hands. I quickly grab their wallets and a few photos that aren't saved just incase i fail. I tell them to get in the car and drive out of town. Far out of town. Oreo stops jumping all over me and hops in the car. When their car is out of sight I stop singing and catch my breath. Before I knew it I was on the ground engulfed in tears. Since when did I become such a cry baby. I can't stop, I saved  three lives, and how the bloody heck am I supposed to tell the whole town to leave.

I stay on the ground unable to move, I glance to the sea and notice they banned swimmers on the beach, I wonder who gave that order. The mayor! I wiped the tears from my eyes and ran to city hall, I know taking the car would have been faster, but with all the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I run faster and faster. Swimmers aren't ane for running, or maybe mermaids aren't made for running. I run through Downtown, passing every small shop, passing people giving me strange looks, good they don't recognize me, my hair was curly and greasy and unrecognizable. I arrive at city hall, it's a big white building, it reminds me of the white house, but smaller. When I run in I crash into someone. I say I am sorry but they grab my arm. I look up and am so happy who I see. Her black hair is pulled up into a thick bun, and she is wearing a business suit, more of what an intern would wear, and she is holding in one hand a stack of folders with papers in them.

"Nixie?" She says confusion in her voice, her eyes are puffy from crying.

"Violet!" I grab her in a big hug and  she starts to cry in my arm, "Whats wrong?" I release her but she is still holding on.

"The-they said you were dead?" She finally said between tears. After taking a deep breath, and relaxing I felt her tense up. Ut-oh. When Violet got mad. She could kill you without a second thought. And now she was furious. "They said you were dead!"

"Who?" She finally got ahold of herself and wiped the tears away. She stepped back, looked at me.

"That stupid government agency" WHAT?????? I forgot completely what I was here to do and Violet just pulled me along to the Mayor's office, she was saying something but I couldn't quite hear her at that moment. The Government presumed me dead. I am a dead person.