The River 2

Chapter 11

Amy immediately invited Jake to sit on a sofa in the myers' living room, to discuss about whatever the topic of that conversation was going to be. Amy started speaking first, asking: "so what is happening?"
so Jake replied with his head a bit low.

"at first it might be weird and ridiculous but I don't know...i just uh, feel it"
"go on"
"so you know Charlie right?" Jake started.

"yeah the only charlie I know." Amy answered while a questionable tone.

"right. So after you left the first day we met, him and I went skating. It was all going normally, but then I was about to fall from the skate and he just took my hand. I should've acted normally but no. I felt something I don't really know what it was. But-but then yesterday he hugged me, and I had that feeling again, but it was faster and stronger, like I don't know what is going on I'm going crazy...I just-"

After this, Amy shook his head a little bit before continuing
"wait calm down like when he's around you you start acting awkwardly?"

"yeah and he's my friend, I can't figure it out. Maybe it's because he's my first friend but I mean, it's like I had the feeling I should have had when I was with Kenzie...my kind of ex 'girlfriend' this is insane.
I know you're confused now but I-i feel like I'm another person now. I'm different and I can't help it...uh I don't even know why I'm telling you this, nevermind..."

He was really worried and Amy didn't know what to say at first, she was confused for some seconds too but then she decided to look at him right into his eyes and say.
"don't. You're not different. You will never be. I mean you're a little dumb but not different.I know what it is. You like Charlie."
smiles to make Jake comfortable.

Then the boy looked at her too and replied: "w-what this is weird. I- I don't know how is this possible I'm sorry..."
he let out while he started wiping his tears.

"No its okay its okay. It's not weird. You're always you. People are not supposed to feel the same feelings. You can choose whoever you want and loving him. There's no difference. One thing I learnt is that you always have to be yourself. And in these cases, this is the best way." Amy tried to comfort him in the best ways possible.

"So it was my heart to beat..." Jake whispered.

"yeah. It was and I'm really proud of you. For real." and finally the two friends hugged.

"thank you Amy. You're literally the best friend I could ever ask for. And that's probably the best thing I've ever said haha. At first I thought you wouldn't have understood."

"I do Jake. I do"

"but please, don't tell the others for now. I don't wanna cause more problems. But I promise I will say it to them when I will be ready."

"of course. And Jake, I'm with you. Don't care about what other people think. Okay?"

"okay. I love you." breathed the boy quietly.

"this is literally the first time I hear you saying thaaaat. So Charlie is making you soft!?" said Amy trying to mock him.

"oh god stop haha" Jake exclaimed and then they both bursted into laughing.

Stacey and Amy noticed from a while that their mother was at home always less time. But they didn't know what was she doing. But she was actually not at work. She was in a room near the river with other new guards controlling computers 24/7 for every movement. They hadn't put cameras in the river yet but just microphones. Claire was controlling the situation.

it was a normal Friday morning,but not for our crew because they were about to go checking the monsters in the river for news and to try to get to the gate or to the new huge rock. They took their water masks and some stuff for protection; Stacey, James, Amy, Jake and Charlie walked through the same little street and they arrived in the jungle. It was the first time for Charlie so he looked everything. Flowers tried to get to their arms, but they were prepared plus James had a knife for cutting off the plants.
They finally arrived to the river: Charlie was speechless, it was amazing but horrifying at the same time.
"this is so insane. I love it." the excited boy exclaimed.

"I don't think you will after our swimming in the monsters'sweet world.." Amy replied, bringing him back to reality.

"Oh well I'll never know if I don't do this. What should we do now?" he then asked.

"you're a brave kid. Unfortunately the first time is always nice at first... now we have to put on the masks and then we're gonna go into the river. I know it's not healthy, but it's for human beings's life I guess." Stacey spoke this time.

"remember guys. No noises, no screams, no big splashes and swim slow, or you will wake up the monsters (if they're not up yet). The reason why we decided to go swimming is because they're not hungry and we have time for explore the zone. Just always stay together. That's it. Ready?"

"READY." everyone said together.
They all went underwater into the river;
they first couldn't see anything but then Amy saw a strange rock with a fossil on it, so she went underwater and took it, laying it on the grass later.
Stacey was pretty sure the monsters were still sleeping, or not hungry,like she said so they could've explored for a while, so they all went underwater again. Their purpose was to get to the huge gate, but it was too deep and too dangerous.
And then, suddenly, Amy feels a little bite on his foot, like a wasp bite, while she was in the river. She got scared because she thought it was one of the monsters, but when she checked out underwater there was nothing. How was this possible?
Five mins later..poof! James felt it too, and then Jake, Stacey and Charlie! They were worried but there was nothing...but they got out of the river anyway for no risks.
They all sat near the river, and their bites were on the feet or on the legs, but they were little bites. But who bit them?

While they were talking, Amy remembers something, when was with Wisey at the park, and he was looking for flies, he became invisible, and he's a river monster, that means those monsters were able to become invisible too!! That's why they couldn't see them. So why the monsters had been good to them?
After the adventure, they walked home, but on the way Amy and Stacey saw a mom with two daughters...they really looked like them and their mother some years ago. Amy starred at that scene for like 5 minutes, lost and confused.
But when they arrived home, she focuses better, so she realized her mom was gone, it was like they haven't a mom anymore, and even if she probably became another person, it was the person they spent their life with.
She started crying, tears of sadness and anger, of questions, of wishing to get some answers,she was lost. Stacey fortunately opens the door and sees her sister crying.

"oh my god Amy what is it?" Stacey asked with a worried tone.

"can't u get it? Its its like we don't have a mom anymore. She's gone and we don't know what is she doing or where is she. It's like we're orphans" Amy replied while sobbing.

"I can understand. That was hard for me too. I felt empty. But it's not all lost. It's my fault, I shouldn't have been so mean to her. But it's like she changed..."

"yeah but it's not your fault. She wasn't like that before. She changed when she found out we stole her submarine...but listen, don't u feel like now, it's even worse? Like she doesn't want us anymore,did she left us?" the younger sister asked.

"of course not, I mean I hope... I think that even if the whole river situation changed her, she still loves us. She has to. And you're not the only one who feels even worse. I mean who started all of it?"

"its not that. Don't u feel alone? Now we're alone Stacey. We have nothing and no one."

"Okay I know our mom did something wrong. But it's her business. And no. We're not alone. We have our friends. We have James, Jake and now Charlie, even if I didn't get to know him better, he seems to be a good guy. Just be brave. We have to stay strong and we'll do this together. We can do everything together" Stacey reassured the little girl with a smile.

"yeah. I'm pretty sure we can, sister."
They both smile and Amy lays her head on her sister's shoulder.