Marina

Chapter 10: Disappear

This would be the second time that I would possibly face death, and I'm still not sure if I should be afraid. Death is something that I feel everyone will have to face, whether expected or unexpected. I can't say that I'll be remorseful or that I'll be absolutely at peace when the time comes; one thing that truly saddens me is not being able to see my dad again.

Yes. That is what I'm worried about, my father. I feel that this is the moment where many people regret not doing certain things, the moment where it's too late. It's the moment where we wonder, "what if". Although I know I have many moments myself, I feel they would be too long to list. Now all I can think about is my father and fear of him jumping back into his depressive state. I fear my best friend on land's well-being, Danny, and his obsession with the girl that hates my very guts and the air I breathe.

Truth be told, I think I fear death. Death is powerful and indestructible. It is something that can kill anything, anyone. It means the end of the journey one has started, some having longer ones than others. Me, for example, I wish mine was longer. I wish I had learned more about the sea and this new world I have been able to live in. I wish I had more. More time, space, love, everything. But now I'm here.

I'm afraid. I feel the need to cry but it's as if my body is out of my control. The shock has taken over me like some kind of alien parasite and I'm just immobile.

I sit here on this cold seafloor, my body curled into a ball as I stare blankly at the bars of my own personal prison. I feel as if I stare out for hours until I see familiar golden birthings, "Elian." I almost gasp out his name as I look up at his shadowed figure.

"Marina," his brows are scrunched and his frown is deep. I immediately get up and reach towards him at the same time he does. Our hands meet together and he reaches his tan hand through the bars, placing it on my cheek. "Marina," he gasps out again. He places his warm hand behind my neck and our foreheads meet gently. It is then, at that moment, that a sob escapes my lips and I began to cry. I cry so hard that my breath gets lodged in my throat and my heart constricts.

Elian shakes his head and his birthings glow so bright as he leans in and looks into my eyes deeply. He shakes his head and leans forward, our lips meeting gently, my abdomen constricting at the feeling. I reach my hands through the damned cell bars and place them behind his neck, my fingers entangling themselves in his golden hair. He pulls me as much as the limited space allows him and then pulls back, our foreheads meeting again. We gasp in an attempt to catch each other's stolen breaths. I look at his beautifully broken face and bite my lip, a small and saddened chuckle escaping my lips at how bright his birthings were glowing.

"I will save you, Marina. Trust me on this, okay? I can't get you out now, this place is guarded heavily and my father would never allow me to free you. Nexee will be waiting in the southern gate, Buboo will give the signal." He hands me a key quickly and I grasp it tightly in my hand. We turn our heads at the sound of keys clacking, "You'll know it when you see it." I nod and he pulls me for another kiss that makes my heart hurt. He pulls away, fixes his cape, and sneakily swims off.

He had just turned the corner when a bulky dark blue-haired merman reaches my cell, he opens it and pulls the door open, "Are you ready." It was a question said in the form of a demand.

He pulls out two chains and chains my wrists and ankles together, harshly pulling at them as if they were a leash and I was just his bitch. "Hurry up, you dirty mundane." He tugs on it again and we continue out on our way faster. Once we exit the dungeon, we are met with two more guards covered in golden armor. It is at that moment that I notice one of the guards just so happens to be my very own Corryander. I hide my gasp as he walks in front of us and continues on. Just as we were heading on, the first guard that had gotten me moves to the left and heads down a corridor.

I look at Corryander, my own male version of Ariel, and see him put his hands behind his back and motions something with his hands, bound wrists, and then twisting. I register quickly and slide the key from my wrist and quietly unlock the chains from my wrists, then slip the key back into my sleeve. I subtly nod when he turns to look at me quickly and he faces back, I swear I see a hint of a smile on his usually scowling face. Just in time, we reach the familiar entrance to the trial room and I feel my nerves getting to me. I gulp and watch as we enter through a small gate, silently praying that whatever is going to happen goes in my favor. Then we are right behind another gated area, a clear view of three thrones on a high balcony. The king sits on the first one, the largest, Elian on the next and an unfamiliar woman sits on the last one.

I furrow my brows and turn as the kind begins to speak, "My fellow mer-citizens, we have gathered today for justice and trial. A true spectacle for you all." The woman places a hand on Elian's knee. "We were infiltrated by none other than a land monster, a common dirty mundane." The people gasp, but I can't seem to care as I watch the white-haired woman lean in to whisper something in Elian's ear as he smiles. Maybe they're siblings? "This creature came to wreak havoc on our home! To destroy our people! Our families!" She smiles at him and kisses his neck as I feel my heartache. "She has gained information for her kind to destroy us as her people did to our waters!" Just as I thought it could not get worse, she leans in and kisses his cheek, his smile remaining on his face. "So today, my family, we will bring about justice. With the company of my own son, Elian, and his future bride, your future queen, Essiandra Darkwater!"

And I gape, my tears returning as she leans in and kisses him passionately. I look away and see Corryander looking at me with sad eyes. He looks ready to say something when we hear a small "psst". I turn and see Buboo waving his little fins like crazy and I turn just in time to hear a crack. Corryander has knocked out the other guard. Before I even have time to register what had happened, he's pulling me towards Buboo, "Untie your ankles and follow Buboo toward Nexee, she's waiting there to take you back to shore. You need to hurry."

I gasp and just as I leave he says two words, "I'm sorry." I turn to him, tears in my eyes as I look at Elian and his fish bitch one more time before running behind Buboo. He and I run, or well swim, our way quickly to what seems to be a small gated opening which Buboo pushes open with his small body. I gape and hope my ass fits through and sure enough, I did. Thank the gods and goddesses above. I quickly follow out as we swim through the dark-lit areas of the city. Soon enough, at a dark corner, we meet Nexee. She's covered in a dark green cloak that looks almost to be black and she quickly gasps as she sees me. She rushes towards me and crushes me in a deep hug. She then quickly shoved the cloak to me, "Hurry we don't have much time. The king has long introductions, but not long enough."

I put on the cloak quickly as she then rushes us towards the end of the small alleyway and towards a small carriage with six horse-like creatures in the reins. She pushes me and holds the door open. Her bright yellow eyes begin to fill with pain as her lips quiver, "Please don't forget us, Marina. You're the first honest friend I ever had, and I just-" her red markings begin to glow and I pull her into a hug. My own eyes tear up and she leans our foreheads together, "You'll always be the sister I've always wanted." I chuckle and she pulls away. She then tugs something from her cloak pocket. She grasps it in her hand and hands it to me, squeezing my hand with the necklace inside.

"It's a caller shell, it'll send a small signal through the waters and only I'll be able to receive it since I have the other one that's bonded to it. Please send a signal when you can, okay?" She grasps her own she'll that's around her neck and I smile sadly as I grasp mine once I put it in.

She nods and Buboo shyly and sadly swims to me, "You won't forget me, right Marina?" I smile sadly as I stroke his small back fine.

"Never." He looks up at me with wide eyes nudges my nose with his. I smile and he smiles back sadly, his fins moving softly in the water.

"Okay. Signal as soon as you can!"

I nod at him and Nexee closes the carriage door softly. It's at this moment that the carriage moves and I turn back to look at Nexee and Buboo, my two new sea friends that I have grown to love. I wave softly at them as they wave back sadly, their figures beginning to get smaller and smaller until finally, they disappear.