Drowning Mermaids

Chapters 32 - 38

Chapter 32: My Little Girl

“Will she remember me?” Alcyone asked.

“If you have to ask that, then you have forgotten her,” Aazuria said gently. The princess was dressed in plain hospital scrubs, while Alcyone wore several layers of sweaters to protect her against the cold night air. Aazuria protectively held an arm around Alcyone’s frail body as she helped her to the door of Visola’s motel room. “Are you ready to do this?”

The elderly woman nodded, unable to speak. She tightly gripped Aazuria’s hand, betraying her apprehension. Giving her a reassuring smile, Aazuria reached forward to rap her knuckles against the door. She winced, discovering that her hand was still quite sore from its earlier encounter with Trevain’s face.

A shuffling was heard in the motel room before a light switched on. They could hear someone approaching to answer the knock, and Alcyone’s grip tightened.

“What’s the password?” asked a sleepy but playful voice from behind the door. Aazuria and Alcyone shared a confused glance.

“It is me, Visola,” Aazuria said. “Please open the door.”

“I’m not letting you in unless you tell me the password.”

Speechless in dismay for a moment, Aazuria tried to think of a word or phrase that Visola might favor. She stuttered as she answered, “Uh… octopus testicles?”

The woman on the other side of the door erupted in giggles as she undid the lock and bolt. “I knew I could get you to say something ridiculous, Zuri.” Visola grinned as she flung the door wide open. “Why aren’t you with your captain at such a late… oh, hello.” Seeing that there were two visitors, Visola smiled in surprise. “Zuri, who’s your frie…” Her voice descended to an open-mouthed hush.

Visola’s face displayed recognition, and she took several steps backwards. There were suitcases littered all over the room, doubtlessly filled with weapons and cash. The warrior stumbled over them, barely regaining her balance. She gawked at the old woman with a mystified expression—she looked as though she was seeing an illusion from deep in a hallucinogenic trance. Her limbs felt paralyzed, her breaths became shallow.

“Viso, you had better sit down,” Aazuria recommended. Visola nodded, but she had not heard or processed her friend’s words. She was too frozen to follow the simple command. Aazuria brought Alcyone into the room, and closed the door behind her.

“Do you recognize me, mama?” Alcyone asked with a quavering voice. Tears began to slip down her wrinkled cheeks as she watched Visola.

“Sedna save me,” Visola whispered, trying to control her emotions. She stared into the visitor’s eyes, which were the only unchanged and identifiable part of her appearance. “Little jade jewels. Alcie, baby… is that really you?”

“Yes, mama,” Alcyone said, her shoulders and her voice trembling with her sobs.

Visola crossed the room in an instant, wrapping her daughter up in her arms. She pressed her face against Alcyone’s cheek, instantly overcome with weeping. She crushed her daughter against her desperately, as though she would never let go of her again. “Alcie. Alcie,” she moaned. She had spent countless years hoping that she would see her daughter again. She could scarcely believe that the day had come, and that her fondest dream was being realized—long after she had given up hope.

“I forgot how gorgeous you are, Mama,” Alcyone said, although she was crying so hard she could barely breathe. She clung to Visola with every ounce of her might as she wept.  “Your hair is still such vivid scarlet! All the beauty faded from mine long ago.”