stars

twenty-five

Brooke

Crap!  I thought. I forgot to meet Evian! I told her I'd meet her and I completely forgot! I ran out the door, not even explaining to Phoebe why I had gone out. I was mentally yelling at myself for not remembering. I ran to the beach. I should've written it on my arm or a sticky note or a paper in my bag. I scolded myself. 

When I got to the beach, I took my shoes off before stepping on the sand. I hated the feeling of sand in my shoes. I ran towards the water, coming to a stop when I saw Noah standing in front of the water. He looked at the ocean, but I could see a smirk on his face. I stared at him with fear. "H-hey Noah!" I said. 

"You talked to Phoebe." 

"What? I don-"

"I saw you. I gave you one demand. One, Brooke!" Noah turned to face me. "You should've listened to me." He had an evil look on his face. I stared at him, scared.

"What did you do?" He didn't respond but just turned to face the ocean. I took my eyes off of Noah and on to the ocean. My eyes widened. "No..." I said. The water was turning black. Poison. "You..." He turned to me.

"You should've listened. I have some friends down there who did the job for me, so I don't have to get poisoned myself. I got poisoned last time I did this. Do you remember? I think it killed some of your family." He did that? Tears filled my eyes. He smirked and walked away. 

"You monster," I whispered as he walked away. He stopped.

"You made me do this." I heard someone walk closer to me. I didn't waste time trying to see who it was. I jumped into the water. I shrieked in pain when my skin touched the poisoned water. It felt like it was stabbing me with a burning knife. I swam through the pain, going to the spot where I told Evian to meet me. The poison was going from the surface to the ocean floor so it wasn't too bad down here. Evian sat down, staring up. Sitting next to her, I saw my best friend. Jamie. I smiled. 

What's going on? Jamie asked. It was weird to hear his voice again after so long. 

He poisoned the water. 

Who?

Noah.

Jamie had no idea who he was but he nodded anyway. I stared at the pitch black surface water, thinking of a way to prevent the water from destroying the only live merfolk I know. I tried to push my magic out of me as a shield. It didn't work. I didn't know how to prevent it from coming. I looked at my arm. This was magic poison. Magic scars ran across my arm. If I got hit by lightning and survived with pitch black lightning scars, it would look exactly like my arm did. I winced as I touched it. 

I looked over at Evian. You okay?  She looked over at me. Her eyes were full of fear, and I felt guilty. It was my fault. 

Am I gonna die? She asked. I looked up as the poisoned water slowly inched toward us. 

No. You aren't gonna die. Neither is Jamie. I have an idea. 

Brooke, what are you gonna do? Jamie asked. I swam closer to the surface, feeling the pain gradually increase throughout my whole body. Brooke, He said. As I approached the poison, I used my idea, hoping it would work. 

If my plan doesn't work, get Evian out of here. Okay?

Brooke, what are you-

I used my magic. Instead of trying to emit magic, I'd absorb the poisoned magic. Slowly, I felt the poison seep through my skin. I tried not to scream, but after a while, I couldn't help it. It hurt so bad. I heard someone scream my name. Was it Jamie? I opened my eyes. The water was clear now. My vision was blurry. I couldn't see anything with clarity. I only saw vague shapes. I felt someone carry me toward the surface. It looked like Jamie. 

Brooke, you better be okay. I heard Jamie say. I felt the transition from the water to air. It was cold on the surface. It was the night. I took a deep breath of air, but it stung to do so. I felt someone else carry me and put me on the sand. I looked at my arms. I can't see anything clearly, but I think I have cuts. 

I look up. Blue hair. It's Phoebe. I feel tears running down my face. I can't see her expression but I hear her crying. "It hurts." I sob out. 

"I know, Brooke." I wince as she touches a burn. 

Phoebe has a fabric looking thing. She grabs my arm, wrapping it around. My eyelids feel heavy. Am I dying? "I'm tired, Phoebe," I say, sobbing. I don't want to go. 

"F-focus on the stars. Can you do that for me?" Phoebe asks. She's shaking as she wraps a bandage around my arms. I nodded, weak. I tried to stare at the sky. My vision was getting blurrier. I struggled to even keep my eyes open.

 "Phoebe, I... I can't see the stars." My voice was faint. Phoebe was still wrapping bandages around me. I don't see what good that'll do. There's only one way to heal me right now, and it may not even be possible. 

"Focus on me then, okay? Just don't close your eyes." She was sobbing. It's my fault. I looked at her. She was a blurry shape with blue hair. I cried harder. It's hard to keep my eyes open and at this point, there's no use. Phoebe desperately tries to heal me with her non-magic tools. I grab her hand, putting it to the sand. She looks at me. I can see a shine from her tears. 

"Call Oliver. Explain this to him. If I'm right, he'll be able to help." 

"What?" 

"Do it." She gets out her phone and quickly types something into it, setting it down. 

I struggle to keep my eyes open. At this point, there's no use. I'm crying so hard. I look at my legs then at Phoebe. I can't see her, but I know she's there. I smile sadly. "Phoebe?" I whisper, tears falling off my face and into the sand. 

"Yeah?" 

"I'm not going to make it longer."

"Don't say that Brooke you don't know-"

"I do know it," I say. "That much poison was made to kill an entire underwater city. I'm just a small mermaid, Phoebe." 

Phoebe is crying. I slip my hand into hers, squeezing it. I'm crying too. "Phoebe," I say. 

"Yes?" 

"I love you," I say quietly. My eyes are closing. Everything is fading to black. The last thing I hear before everything is gone. 

"I love you too Brooke." 

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(I'm not going to try to say anything besides I'm not sorry. Bye! Merry Christmas if you celebrate it! <3)