Winged

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Annabelle

The water is a dull thud through the thick skin of my siren body, and I feel as if I'm merely the rocks on the shore, being slowly and timelessly eroded into nothingness. Four sets of hands cling hard onto my body, pinching and pulling everything attached to me including my hair, and-

'Lucy, stop that!' She tugs at my pointed, webbed ears as she adjusts her grip around my back and shoulders.

The words leave my lips in a clouded white mist as multiple hands and fingers continue to poke my torso and limbs irritably. My eyes seem to roll out of habit as my sisters inevitably argue, bickering like a flock of seagulls fighting for food.

"I was there, move it!"

"Ow, stop, you're pushing,"

"Oh, shut up."

"Move over, you have way more room than me!"

The seriousness of our situation hadn't changed, yet the atmosphere of the space is now light and casual thanks to their routinely arguments. Back to normal, it could be just another day at home. I smile at the memory of the house.

I really love home- the sweet smell of ma's cooking, the familiar animals in our surrounding- but I never really had that tether to it that the other girls had. Hali, Xavier and I preferred to be in the surrounding woods, exploring and learning in our own ways, whereas I know that Lucy, Harriet and Jackie must be feeling terribly homesick, missing Ma and Pa. I could tell in their hesitation even to leave this place, that the establishment Lucy had to joyously explained to me was their home, their place. And even if it wasn't really where they wanted to be, it was better than sleeping on the streets. At least they had some control and a place to call their own. To make their own.

Maybe it was pure luck that I wasn't the one put in that situation, because I know that I would have gone mad with distress. It was bad enough being kept indoors to work at home, but with no real purpose deep down below, with no true escape from humanity, never mind the tonnes of earth above my head, it would have been terrible.

Even just being down there made my breath catch in my throat, my ears pop and my head spin dangerously. But I was up here now, feeling better, and so close to the fresh, cool air that I couldn't wait. I had to just get out of here, now.

I feel at ease in the cool water, and let it steady my unease of having no wings. My legs kick gently to keep my head above water, as well as Lucy's.

"Take a breath, everyone. We're going under." I tell them again, and I can hear the bite of restlessness and impatience in my own voice.

I wait for a heartbeat because I anticipate the bray of protests or more arguments, but they don't come. Not from anyone. My heart clenches, God, are my sisters being responsible?

"Okay, Anna!" Lucy tells me, and I think I can even feel the smile on face as she says so. Her excitement and smile are contagious, and I find her grin spreading across my own face.

Once I hear the gentle suck of everyone's breath with my advanced hearing abilities, I dive, my already damp skin finding comfort in the enveloping water below.

It's much like being in the cave, being underwater. I never really loved to swim. In fact, I ran off on my own a few times instead of swimming with the others in the river. I enjoyed it at the best of times, but I always hated going deep, because I felt like I was drowning, and I hated the pressure. However, with a body built for the depth, it is wondrous and calming to swim so low to the ground, among the vines, weed, coral and fish.

The opening is more than big enough to get through, but I must swim as quickly as I can, because it's a long way to the top, and my sisters and Rin, without gills, will run out of breath. I think to enforce my tail with more muscle as I start the stretch upwards, towards where pinpricks of light- stars- seem to shine distorted through the wavering surface.

They cling on tighter as we pick up speed, Lucy nearly choking me. Luckily, I breathe through my gills and not my mouth, so I still manage to, I don't know - live.

My tail sways and swishes, propelling me through the water at an exhilarating rate. I grin into the water flowing past my face, careful not to swallow any.

My arms are like sticks at my sides, doing nothing but gripping my sisters tightly. I'm going too fast to raise them now, the water rushing past holding them down.

I hear bubbles escaping someone's mouth and my happiness is pushed back down as I feel a steady, crushing weight on my chest, as if it's me who can't breathe. I need to go faster. My gills flare, I feel them more than see them and I begin to pant like a tired dog.

More muscle, or more energy? If I reinforce my tail again I could get there faster, but I'm so damn tired. If only I could make energy to reinforce myself with.

I push harder, racing time itself. The wavering surface of the siren above-ground viewing pool is closer now, but I can't slow. I'm going to have to risk the giant splash of me resurfacing. Risk the noise we'll make, the people we'll wake.

Indeed, I'm shot out of the water as if I've just sat on an angry wasp.

I whoop as I fly through the cool, fresh air, almost as high as the building's roof next to me. The deep inhale of my sisters sounds like applause, and I feel the weight of one of the twins drop off me and into the water, another one just after, Rin letting go lastly and Lucy still clings her arms tightly around my neck, squeezing them with adrenaline.

I splash back into the water on my back, and Lucy lets out a loud yelp of pain as the water smacks her back. I don't think much about it, really, until we're both submerged again, and I can still hear the thrum of her scream through the density of the water.

I even hear her take in a breath.

My mind spins, screaming at me, and panic takes over my senses as I search for my sister through the water. Where is she- where- Oh god- Lucy!

Her arms around my neck loosening make me realize she never let go until now. I twist to see her open eyes and her open mouth trying to cough up water but swallowing more and-Oh God.

She's kicking quickly, I know because she's kicking me, but staying in place because her kicks are only counteracting the violent jerking of her body in its struggle to get the water out of her lungs. Bile rises in my throat, along with the most panic and anxiety I have ever felt.

I wrap my arms tightly around Lucy's small torso and cling on to her thrashing body as I race again to the surface, my tail swishing back and forth as violently as my sister. Oh god, oh god oh god. I go faster without so much weight, but I don't want to do such a spectacular propel through the air again, so I bank at the last second, lifting my sister up so that her head is above the water dripping, shaking and coughing.

Is she alright? What do I do? She doesn't look alright, her face looks terrible, oh god, she looks tired, what if she fell asleep? Would that be bad or good? Is my sister going to die because of me? It's my fault, god, what have I done?

Jackie is still in the water. now making her way to Lucy and me. I lay her over my shoulder and speed to the rocky surface where Harriet and Rin sit, running to help. She keeps coughing.

Lifting her onto one of the rocks, Sabrina fusses over Lucy, unsure what to do, and Harriet wells up, looking like she's going to cry.

What could I have done? Why didn't I twist so that I hit the water first? How come I didn't notice she was still on me, I did this.

"Sebastian!" Jackie calls. "Sebastian!"

What? And then I remember, and I feel a wave of relief rush over me followed by an even bigger wave of anxiety. Followed by a tsunami of anguish.

Sebastian. Oh god no. But there isn't really an option here. Even so, that name makes me feel sick to the stomach, especially regarding my little sister.

Sebastian was only a little bit younger than Lucy when he died. The village healer had begun the boy's surgery right there by the river, and we all remember the gruesome operation and every incision. We remember the scalpel, the tubes and the blood. So much blood.

Jackie wants us to replicate the surgery we saw our healer perform, in an attempt to remove the water from Sebastian's lungs. On Lucy.

But the healer said he had gotten there too late.

Sebastian died that day.