capsize me and douse me in your bay

chapter nineteen

"Cheryl!" Toni called out as soon as she got out the back door, nearly tripping over her own two feet as she rushed towards the washed up girl by the shore. She could see the moonlight reflecting off her soaking wet hair as she seemed to crawl helplessly out of the water, the waves knocking her down every few moments. "Cheryl, oh my god," Toni called breathlessly as she ran as fast as she could through the sand, falling to her knees in front of the redhead who had crawled far enough that the waves couldn't reach her anymore.

"Cheryl, hey. Look at me, are you okay?" she panted, brushing soaking wet strands of hair from the pale mermaid's face as she sputtered and coughed up seawater.

"T-Toni," Cheryl's teeth chattered through her desperate whimper, clinging to the T-shirt on the older girl's torso with one hand as she pushed herself up far enough to be pulled into her embrace, uttering her name over and over like a prayer.

"I've got you, you're okay," Toni practically sobbed into her neck, running her palms up and down her freezing cold back soothingly, making sure she was real. She couldn't even be bothered by the freezing cold water that had Cheryl soaked from head to toe seeping through her pajamas, or the fact that the redhead was stark naked pressed against her. She was just glad that Cheryl was safe and back in her arms.

Her goosebump covered body trembled heavily against hers. It didn't help that the breeze was chilly and strong tonight. "Here, put this on," the pinkette pulled back from the bone crushing hug Cheryl had her in and pulled the large hoodie over her head, helping her pull her sopping red hair out from under the fabric before pulling her back into the tight hug.

"Where the hell were you?" she breathed her in deeply, rubbing vigorously over the hoodie to warm her up, "You were gone for almost three weeks."

Cheryl just continued to quiver in her lap, keeping her arms locked around her tightly like she was afraid to let go. Toni could feel her pale, trembling fingers moving around her back and arms, like Cheryl was making sure she was real as well. But the feeling of something hard and cold against the side of her neck had her pulling back slightly.

It was the locket.

She was confused to see it in Cheryl's tight grip. The dainty fingers were nearly turning red from how hard she was holding onto it. But...she was soaking wet from head to toe. How did she have legs if she wasn't wearing it?

"Cher..." Toni knit her eyebrows together in confusion, looking back and forth between the locket and Cheryl's eyes, blackened with fear and sadness. The mermaid just sniffled, little sobs still escaping her throat as she adjusted her legs, turning one of them to show Toni the harsh red scar that covered nearly the whole side of her calf. "Holy shit," she breathed out in shock, starting to feel sick just looking at what may have once been a large gash in her leg. "What happened?"

The younger girls jaw dropped in an attempt to speak. But each time the slightest bit of a word would escape her lips, she just broke down crying again, clinging to Toni desperately as she practically wailed in despair.

"Okay. Hey, it's okay, let's get you inside and warmed up," Toni eased her off her lap and slowly stood up. But Cheryl fell helplessly to her knees when she tried to stand up as well, tears streaming down her face as she clung to Toni's legs.

"Fuck," Toni huffed, looking around the empty, moonlit beach. She wasn't strong enough to carry her. Especially not up the hill of sand or up the stairs. With a puff of determination, she leaned down and eased Cheryl up gently, draping one of her shaking arms around her shoulders to keep her held up. Thankfully whatever the hell happened to her leg, it was only the one. "Just try to walk with me, Cher, okay? We'll be inside soon."