Fading {Book Two of The Descendants series}

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Tyson!" Ronin and Haley both yelled. Ronin made it to him first and he cradled his son in his arms.

"What's wrong?!" Haden shouted.

"I don't know!" Ronin exclaimed.

"Calm down," Haley shushed them. "Panicking isn't going to help!"

Ronin was about to retort but he held his tongue. Fighting would not be the best thing to do right now.

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Tyson felt himself falling. He saw his father begin to rush towards him, but then everything faded. He didn't feel himself hit the ground though. He fell into water. Why was he in water? He tried to catch his breath as the liquid enveloped him.

Tyson couldn't move. He couldn't breath. Suddenly, the water began to rush past him. He propelled forward and shot out of the water.

He landed on his arms and knees and coughed the water out of his body. He gasped and lifted his head up.

"What the hell!" He shouted into the darkness.

"I hope your father didn't teach you that language," a feminine voice said.

"Who are you?" Tyson shouted into the darkness. He stood up and looked around.

"I'm a friend," the voice said. "I wanted to get a good look at you."

Light illuminated the small space in which Tyson was standing. There was still a ring of shadows a few feet away from him.

"Oh heavens," the voice said shakily. "You're so grown up."

"Mind telling my who you are, exactly?" He asked defensively.

"You sound like your father," she said with a slight smile. "You look so much like him too."

"My dad didn't raise me to be impolite, but my politeness will only go so far if you don't answer my question," Tyson said, doing his best to sound at ease and confident--like his dad.

"You wouldn't remember me," the woman said waiving her hand. "I died before you were born."

"Excuse me?" Tyson asked incredulously. "You died?"

"That's enough for now," the woman said. "I just wanted to see you."

"Wait-" Tyson started to say, but was caught off by the water that suddenly enveloped him. He grabbed at his throat, unable to hold his breath without enough warning to hold it. Thankfully the trip back didn't take as long.

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Tyson shot up and gasped for air. Ronin jumped out of the way at his sudden movement. Tyson turned over and began to cough up water.

"What the hell?!" Ronin shouted.

"What the hell yourself!" Tyson snapped back. He began to cough again in an effort to regulate his labored breathing.

"Watch your language!" Ronin said. "Are you okay? You scared me!"

"I'm okay," Tyson nodded after he finally finished coughing.

"Why are you coughing up water?" Haden asked in a slightly weirded out tone.

"It's a long story," Tyson said sitting up.

"You can tell us later," Haley said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Your energy has been drained by your encounter."

Tyson looked at her funny out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. Ronin saw the look and raised in eyebrow. He decided to ask his son about it later.