The Jewels; Mother of Pearl (#ABA2017)

Chapter Eleven

Lola jumped at how quickly she had gotten over to her; she took a step back and managed an amused smile, "Annika," Lola repeated smiling, "that's a cute name."

Annika tilted her head, "cute?" she asked.

Lola nodded with a small smile.

Annika almost immediately looked away as if the smile scared her, "I..." she looked back at Lola, "I have to go," she informed as she made a large leap that sent her across the clearing and into another tree.

Lola gasped, "Hey wait!" she called as she ran after Annika as she jumped from tree to tree like a flying monkey. She was so quick; all Lola saw was a black, messy dot high in the trees going from one side to the other like a pinball machine.

The dirt beneath her feet soon turned into sand, she saw the sand banks before her that led to the beach, but before her were some very tall thorny bushes covered with red berries. Lola jumped back as she watched Annika jump from the trees to the sand, the sand around her split around her, making it look like she was some meteor that crashed into the sand.

Lola started pushing through the bushes and attempted jumping over them, but her foot got tangled in one of its vines and she face planted the sand. She gagged as she wiped the sand from her face and looked down the beach, Annika started running towards the water. Lola kicked and pulled at the vine that wrapped itself around her ankle; she barely managed to stagger to her feet when the vine broke. She ran down the beach of sand, trying to catch up to Annika as she stood before the water for a moment, then she started running towards the waves.

Lola went wide eyed as she got the edge, "Annika, wait!" Lola called.

Annika turned where she stood, waist high in water, tall waves formed behind her, but she seemed to go over them easily. Lola froze before the water, and every time it came closer to her feet she yelped slightly and jumped back.

Annika stared at Lola for a moment with confusion imprinted on her face, not saying or doing anything, despite how much Lola called out to her, when the next big wave came Annika wasn't paying attention and it wiped her out like a bowling pin. And she was beneath the waves and the water.

Lola stood there for a while, but then started to bellow, "Annika!"

The waves continued to crash on the sand and Lola's voice seemed to be drowned out. Lola tried not to panic herself, Annika had to be alright... but Lola didn't really want to go into the water to check, she didn't know how to swim.

"Annika..." Lola's timid voice came back as the wind continued to blow in her face.

Lola stared at the water for a moment, just staring at the water. She gulped as she started walking into the water, the waves crashed up to her ankles. Lola started taking deep breaths as she started coming deeper and deeper into the water. Seconds later, the very tip of her skirt was wet. Before Lola could get any deeper, Annika rose from the water before her, her face was so close to Lola's that their noses nearly touched.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Lola stared at Annika for a moment, "umm..." she licked her lips, and they were salty from the wind and the waves, "c-can you pl-please not leave?" Lola asked. Annika didn't say or do anything for a moment, Lola gulped as she tried to be bold, "And besides... you umm... you came to me first," Lola informed.

Annika stared at Lola for a moment and rolled her eyes, "I can't..." she informed turning away.

Lola pleaded, "please..." Lola begged.

Annika didn't look at Lola again, "begging won't help," Annika informed, "I have my reasons to stay away from this Kingdom."

"If you stay away from it, why did you come into the town to save me?" Lola asked, "Why are you, and them and those things so interested in me all of a sudden? Is it because I survived an Angel attack?"