Chasing Colors (ONC) | Fade to Grey #1

Chapter Five

Every bone in her body froze as she went deeper into the water. Though her arms and legs were doing the motions, Scarlet couldn't feel them. Bits of fire flew from her hands as she pushed herself through each wave, Silver not that far from her. She wanted to pull him close, the ache of getting him away from the mermaid growing stronger. But weakness overcame her the further she moved in the ocean. Next thing she knew, it all went dark.

Life flickered through her as if she was gone for weeks. She didn't know exactly how long it was, but something was pulling her through the ocean. A few minutes passed and her head hit what was more than likely sand.

"Come on Scar, you gotta wake up."

Water dripped down her forehead, eyes still shut and breathing shallow. Trying to move a muscle was like lifting a heavy boulder without having enough strength. The sound of a man's voice briefly popped into her head.

"Scarlet, please, just wake up. Please." His voice was strained this time, but a little clearer.

It made her wonder if it was Silver. But how could it be? She didn't save him. If only she could react and tell him that she was alive, but each time she tried, nothing happened. A weight appeared on her chest, becoming lighter after a few seconds and then more pressure. Then finally her eyes flew open, coughing repeatedly. She took a deep breath and blinked quite a few times, adjusting her vision from the blurriness.

Those blue eyes stared back at her with a wide smile, tears staining his face, before he gently engulfed her in a hug. "Oh my gosh, Scar, you're okay! You're really okay! Don't ever do that again! Why would you try to go in the water?"

Still on the shore, Scarlet coughed again, but gave him a grin. "To save you from getting hurt, mister mermaids-don't-scare-me."

"Ha ha, very funny. I was doing just fine. Plus, I got the clue this time! You could've died. I thought you knew not to touch your opposite element, just for this reason."

She stood up, holding on to Silver's hand, wobbling a bit. "I do. I just couldn't stand waiting around for another repeat of earlier. I couldn't lose you."

The grin on his face fell flat. "I almost lost you. For real. If I didn't get back in time, who knows. I..." he trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Silver." She hugged him, staying wrapped in his arms longer than she anticipated. Before pulling away, she said, "Let's find out where we have to go next."

Silver pulled the white paper from his wet pocket. All ripped and soaked, they could barely make out what the next clue was meant to say. With careful movements, both of them did their best to understand what was written on it. "Are you sure we should do this?" he asked, lifting the paper close to his eyes. "Maybe not being able to read it is a hint that we shouldn't go."

"We have to find my parents. I can't just stop looking for them."

"You're right," he said. "Wait! I think I got it." Squinting his eyes, he mumbled a few words Scarlet couldn't make out. Before giving her a chance to speak, he told her, "I think it says:

'On your next step

Make sure you're full of pep

Find the place of heat

Enjoy as you take a leap'."

    "Sounds hot," Scarlet responded with a smile.

    "Like your favorite season."

    She laughed. "Definitely. We should go check it out."

    "Not yet," he said. "You're clearly not ready for any adventure yet. Do I have to repeat that you almost died? We should go home and stock up on supplies first."

    The blobs she saw appeared on Silver's face again. Where could her sunglasses have gone? Scarlet hoped they didn't get lost in the ocean. She'd be doomed if that was the case. Sitting down, she frantically searched through the sand for her famous black sunglasses. As she moved piles of sand, she realized the grey started to take over even more. No matter what they did, nothing was saving the beautiful color.

    Silver plopped down next to her and lifted her chin with his finger to meet his gaze, forcing her to stop. "Woah, hold on Scar. Are you looking for these?" He pulled a pair of black sunglasses out of his pocket. "I figured they were yours. They look like they're still intact."

    Excitement flew through her bones. She wrapped him in a hug. "Thank you so much! My mom gave me them as a present. I couldn't lose them."

    "Oh, so that's what they're for?"

    She mumbled, "Not exactly."

    "What'd you say?"

    Ignoring his question, she responded, "Let's get away from this terrible beach. I don't want to be around it anymore."

    He smiled, wrapping his arm around hers. "You got it."

    After walking through sand and going past that abandoned building they found not too long ago, both of them made their way back home. Once they arrived where all of her friends and family were just a few hours ago, Scarlet couldn't help but cry. It was still her birthday, but it didn't feel like one. She wasn't celebrating like she should be. Her knees buckled, falling to the floor with tears in her eyes, but Silver was right there next to her.

    "It'll be okay. I know it's not what you imagined your seventeenth birthday to be, but I'm always going to be here for you. I promise you that. We'll find your parents and then go back to having the most amazing party ever. Just like you wanted." He squeezed her in a tight hug. "Don't cry, Scar."

    She continued to sniffle, the tears now falling down her cheeks, but he wiped them away the minute she looked at him. A smile spread across her face. It was just the two of them in the house now and he always knew how to make her feel better. If she ever truly lost him, it'd be like losing a piece of her heart. Brushing those thoughts away, Scarlet stood up, dragging him to her room. "Come on, we need to get prepared if we're going to find them. Get your bag."

    They both grabbed their backpacks that they always took with them to Wandering Woods. Each one was usually stocked with their necessities. Water, snacks, and even some training materials they'd use when they went out to practice. When Scarlet lifted her bag, now that they were both safe, she needed to know what really happened. "So, mermaids. Give me the details on how you fought them off."

    "Do I really need to tell you all of my tricks?"

    "Honestly I know the majority of them from watching you practice. What'd you do? Freeze them in a block of ice?"

    "Maybe," he spoke, laughing. "Okay so it's not my best one, but what would you do under pressure? Hmm? At least I got away."

    "Fair," Scarlet answered. "But I'd blast them with some fire 'cause I'm cooler."

    He grinned. "Whatever works in your head, Scar...Clearly I'm the one that's cooler considering I can handle water. Unlike someone I know."

    She chuckled. Moments like these were the best. Though, more color continued to drain. Even the house was losing it now. They had to keep moving if they wanted to save her parents. Neither of them knew if there was a time limit and Scarlet knew that could mean they were already too late. What if they lost their chance to rescue them?