Finding Peace

The Beginning

PREFACE
"Mommy! Hold on!" Eight year old Arita Jones cried out to her mother from the dry shore. Tears streaked her salt kissed face, for she had crying for fifteen minutes. She watched her mother cling to the large edged rock in the middle of the sea. Arita had never seen her mother so scared. Was it the fact she might die and leave her child? Or the fact a vast raging sea was trying to swallow her whole?
It was quite obvious the sea and sky were against Arita and her mother, for they pulled and pulled, crashed and crashed against a mother who had something they wanted.
The wind howled and taunted, laughing and screamed "come and give us what we want! You are no match for a power such as ours!" but Arita knew her mother wasn't that weak. And neither was she.
But what could an eight-year-old do? Any child her age would run to someone like an adult she trusted, but Arita couldn't do that. It was her, her mother, and the angry sea.
Arita knew what it would take. So did her mother. And with a hard thought, Arita screamed to the ocean.
"Fine! Fine! You win! Take what you want and leave my mom!" Arita's words were strong for a child so weak.
"No Arita! Don't! I will be fine! Take me! Leave my child!" her mother yelled to the unknown.
Slowly, the water calmed to its normal crystal blue. But now, it looked ready for any change in this little game. The skies cleared, and it's dark gray clouds were swept away by a crisp salty breeze. How easy it seemed, but how tricky the test.
Arita swam with all her might to her bleeding, wounded, tired mother. And the two held each other for what seemed so little to what came next.
They wept together, and Arita breathed a sigh of relief too soon.
A woman, emerged from the water. Her long black hair covered her shoulders, and strands of hair held pearls of gold and shells of many kinds. Her eyes were bright green, Arita stared into them, and saw that they looked as if all the secrets in the world were held in two crystal eyes that belonged to this woman. And her skin was a mix of silver mint green, and sky blue. She was stunningly gorgeous.
Arita knew what was coming, but didn't want to believe it.
"Child," She said, her voice was like running gold, but as stern as a solid rock. "Do you know what you had done?"
She nodded meekly.
"She does, but does not wish to fulfill it. I will take her place." Arita's mother said sternly.
Arita looked up softly and curiously at her mother. "Mother please don't be the hero of this story. I've made my choice."
Her mothers hand met her plump cheek and she whispered, "you may want to save me from this evil ending, but there is a plot twist to this story, and the mother will save her daughter once again." Arita's mother kissed her so softly on the forehead, it sent a warm motherly love threw Arita's body. All Arita wanted to do was yell and beg no. But she was enchanted, and found herself unable to do so.
"Is this your choice?" the woman asked.
Arita's mother nodded yes, and Arita pleaded so desperately with her eyes, tears streamed from them yet again.
Her mother took the woman by the hand, and slowly let Arita, her only child, go. Suddenly Arita felt very alone.
"Mommy, no." Arita whispered so softly and weak, but her mother heard her cry and turned to her daughter.
"I am sorry my child, but I know you will grow to be the best mermaid there is. I love you my little starfish."
Arita's mother and the Woman swam near thirty feet away from her. Then, as helpless as a peace of seaweed is when it's being cut, Arita watched the woman suck the life out of Arita's mother and swim away with nothing but a gold pearl, which the murder entangled into her black hair of taken souls.

CHAPTER 1
Seventeen-year-old Arita stood, right on the edge of the sand. Right where the cold salty water could rush over her feet and she would get the scary tingly sensation like she always did when the water crossed over her skin. She looked out at the open waters. The waves were calm, like the day they were when she lost the one thing she loved most. And from where she was standing, it was just her on the shore of Crystal Bay, Georgia.
The sun was getting low in the sky and it painted a pink, yellow, and orange picture across the water making her wish it wasn't as beautiful as it looked. A light breeze swept across the air and she breathed it in. Remembering things she wishes she didn't.
Her waist long, sun bleached brown hair flew in the breeze. And her red polka-dot dress flopped in the breeze also. Oh how she wanted to swim, but memories haunted her.

She sighed, and turned away from the blue soul capturing water, and faced the only world that saved her from the water of a living nightmare.

CHAPTER 2

Arita walked home, looking around at the faces she's only known for a little while. She held her beaded sandals and slightly swung her arms back and forth as she slowly reached home.

Arita stepped through her front door of her large house and dropped her shoes by the door. She then walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She plopped down on a chair and stared into space, thinking long and hard.

"Arita, is that you?" a man called from upstairs. His voice was deep and greatly familiar.
"Yes dad, I'm home." Arita answered.

The man walked down the stairs and reached the kitchen. He was tall and built. His red Under Armer shirt hugged his chest and arm muscles that he worked so hard on with Arita's mom in the vast ocean. Black shorts hung below his knees and his bare strong feet tapped against the dark wood of the kitchen floor.

"Ah, your mother an I were a bit worried about where you'd gone." he kissed her on the forehead and walked to the cupboard.

"Step-mother." She corrected.

Her dad sighed.
"Right."
"Dad, she will never be my mother." Arita protested.
"I know, I know." he replied.
She sighed.
Arita hated the fact that that woman stepped so easily into their lives only a year after Arita's moms death. Her father swor it was love, and married her eleven months after the first date. Now the only perk to the marriage, was the money and the two best step-brothers a girl could have. Michael and Jacob. Michael was 18 Attending a near-by college. And Jacob was sixteen, younger but wiser. Arita loved them both to death, and had never felt so close to anyone she'd only known for two years. They loved her just as much.

There was a long pause between the two and they both ate then drank. Finally, Arita spoke.

"Dad, I've been having dreams, and missing mom terribly."
He sighed, "I know honey, me too.
"you have?" She asked with sympathy.
"Of course. The date is coming up and, it happens every year to me."
Arita started to weep. "I miss her so much!" then hunched over and started into her hands.
HEr father scooted closer and they held each other. But right now, Arita needed her mothers hugs. Desperately.

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A picture of Arita at the top. Hope you like it!