A Change in the Tides (H2O: Just Add Water)

EMMA ✔️

There are no introductions when we reach the hotel and speed to room 207, Luke knocking on the door violently. A girl who looks identical to him walks out, her blonde hair a curly mop on her head. "What," She says groggily to Luke. She then looks at me, "Who are you?"

"She's in trouble," Luke says, dragging her outside. "And we're going to Australia."

Her eyes go wide, "Australia? Why? We just got here." She says, trying to pull her wrist from his grasp and failing.

"I'll explain on the way." He snaps his finger, letting go of me for only a second before he takes my hand again. In seconds, we're transported back to the secluded beach.

The girls eyes go wider than before. "Did you just snap us to Australia?"

Luke shakes his head, "I'm not that talented, Jess. We'll have to swim half way."

"We'll have to swim. Blah, blah, blah..." she rolls her eyes, "if you're gonna have transportation powers then why can't you go wherever you want?"

I stare at the two of them as they bicker, my heart racing as I think about what Luke had said. If we don't hurry up, I'll be a mermaid forever. Just the thought makes me sick.

"Come on," Luke calls to me and I look up to see him and Jess in the water, tails behind them as they stare up at me. Their matching tails are a vivid orange, the same color of the setting sun. Now I understand what Luke has meant when he said half mermaids have "dull orange tails." My old tail was nothing compared to the beauty of his and Jess'. "We don't have all day."

I step into the water, sitting down as to not fall when I transform. Ten seconds later, my body is covered in a tingling sensation and I'm engulfed in water. Afterwards, I look down to see a silver tail and scaly bikini top replacing my legs and clothes.

Without a word, Luke and Jess begin swimming at top speed, bubbles trailing behind them. I try my hardest to catch up, but am left at least four feet behind them to matter how hard I try.

After at least 30 minutes of swimming, Luke stops abruptly. "Okay, we're close enough." His voice rings through the water and my heart skips a beat at the sound.

Did he just talk? How...

"Emma? Are you okay? Your face is really pale," Luke swims up to me, concern in his blue-green eyes. "Are you not breathing...?"

I open my mouth in panic as I watch a small slit behind his ear open and close, something that could be hidden with longer hair. Air escapes my mouth and I suck in a deep breath without thinking. I wait for my lungs to burn, wait for the pain, but there is none. I feel perfectly normal. "What the..." I trail off.

"She doesn't know she can breath underwater. Where have you been all your life, girl?" Jess says, laughing.

Luke turns to face her, finally telling her the story. "She's been on land. She's a half mermaid. Something has happened to her moon pool and now she's changing." He then grabs both our hands, snaps his finger, and once again we are transported somewhere new.

Water serges around us, pulling us along. It's kind of relaxing. "Where are we?" I ask, still nervous to speak or breath in the water.

"A current: best mermaid transportation in the whole ocean." Jess says, her hands behind her head as we float in the swirl of water.