MERMAIDS OF THE LONELY COAST (BOOK 1)

CHAPTER FIVE

"FINDING HOME"
The sun rays filled the room with light and the colours came to life, Ruth turned to avoid the light on her face, she yawn and got up, went to the window and looked outside, the light was almost blinding, she pulled down the curtains to shield the light. Its been a week since she spoke to her father about her mother, and as Gauge said, the nightmares were gone, she slept more peaceful now and if she dreamt, it was a peaceful loving dream of herself in the ocean. This was the moment she'd craved and waited for so anxiously, the day that she would sleep and not wake up frightened and shivering, days like this. Unfortunately all was not well, she stood in front of the mirror and stared at her skin, her neck was looking burnt and bruised, the left side of her face was facing the same painful effect, she raised up her dress, her lap was in a worst shape, the skin there was looking so dry she could see her bone. The door opened and Cleo came in, she gasp in shock at Ruth's skin, the shock expression was replaced with that of consign and dismay.
"Oh Ruth, you can't stay here much longer, you are drying up"
Ruth wanted to reassure her but her breath caught in her throat, it was getting worst, now she couldn't breath well, she coughed and struggled to maintain her balance, she was dying, Cleo rush to her before she fell and helped to the bed.
"You can't do this anymore, you need to go into the water, you've stayed out of it all this years, now you can't, you are dying, your mother's spell is broken"
Ruth wanted to protest, but ended up screaming at the shape pain that stroke her chest.
"Hang in there, you'll be alright"
Cleo helped out of bed, she grab the key on the drawer and carried Ruth outside, no one should see her like this, especially not her father, she place her in the back and drove as fast as she could to the place Gau told her about, it was in the woods, after the forest there was vast water, the ocean, Ruth kept coughing and struggling to breath, thank God Cleo made arrangement for Ruth, she needed to stay in the water for a while, so she asked Gau for help, so Gau summoned her great granddaughter, who was going to be with Ruth while she was in the water, a friend in places Cleo could not follow her too. She parked the car and helped Ruth out, then  started walking into the forest, Ruth was losing consciousness, so she backed her and walked as as fast as she could, when she burst out of the forest she came to the shores, standing there was a young black girl with very long hair, immediately she saw Cleo, she came and helped her with Ruth
"Wait... You have to promise me that you would protect her down there, stay with her, she would be scared so you must be there for her"
"I promise"
"Thank you..."
Cleo reluctantly let go of Ruth and let the girl carry her to the water, she wipe her tears and waved them goodbye, she kept reminding herself that Ruth would be back, back to her and her father..
"Come home soon.."

When they were fully under water their transformation started, Carmen screamed and ached her body backwards, her skin tore and her legs glued together, she looked at Ruth who for a moment, she was as still as a corpse, then she too screamed and started transforming, she tore her night dress and scratch her body, her legs glued together and changed to a tail, gills appeared beneath her breast, close to her rip side, her face had this underwater glow and the side on her face close to her ears had scales, her beautiful Blue eyes shone brighter and looked more like fish eyes than normal Human eyes. She gasp and became still, Carmen looked at her carefully, she was beautiful just like her mother, her tail was a dull sliver, so dull you would mistake it inside the water for dark ash, Ruth slowly opened her eyes and turned to her.. She gasp in shock at Carmen and then at herself.
Ruth couldn't believe her eyes, she had a tail and was breathing under water, her skin had gills and scales, she looked more like a fish than human, the mermaid in front of her was beautiful her hair was long and dark she had the same features as Ruth except her tail, it was light brown.
"Who are you?"
She asked, the mermaid cried out, a sound almost familiar to that of a whale, but a lot softer and musical and strangely Ruth understood, it meant "I'm a friend" and Ruth responded back with almost the same sound "Friend?"
"Yes, they call me Carmen"
This time she spoke English, Ruth didn't know whether to distrust her or trust her
"Gau sent me to help you, while you stay in the water"
"Gau killed my mother"
"She regrets it, she was only doing what she was instructed to"
"I want to go back..."
Carmen stopped her
"You can't, you need to stay under water for a while, your skin needs to heal and you are too weak to transform, you need to heal and adapt to your true nature, you've suppressed it for too long, come, we must head back to my clan"
"Your clan?"
"Its like my family, a few of us stay together, come"
"Why should I trust you?"
"Because am all you have here in the water, either trust me or be on your own"
Carmen said and swam away, Ruth reluctantly followed her.

Cleo sat on the steps and stared into space, thinking about Ruth, she missed her and she was very worried, maybe she should go see Gau, ask her if she could see or feel Ruth, a truck pulled up in the drive way and Hugh came out.
"Hey"
"Hello"
"You okay?"
"Yeah, what are you doing here?"
"I came to see Ruth"
"Didn't Lawrence tell you, Ruth went to visit a friend, so she left town for some time..."
"When will she be back?"
"Well, two weeks I think"
"Why didn't you go with her?"
"I have some research to do here in Saint Bernard"
"Oh I see..."
Hugh sat down beside
"Look, I know you don't want to talk about it, but if you ever need anything am here.."
"Thanks Hugh"
"Am going out to grab a bit wanna join me"
"Well...."
She hesitated, it would be nice to get her mind off things for a bit and maybe after lunch she could pay Gau a visit"
"Come on it will be fun"
"Okay... Let me grab my jacket"
She stood up and went inside.

Ruth and Carmen swam for weeks, it felt like forever, she couldn't swim as fast as Carmen, but they made it to lonely coast. The under water world fascinated her, it was so beautiful, the different species of creatures under the water, who would have thought, once in a while she found herself holding her breath, she had to remind herself that she could breath under water and the deeper they got, the warmer it felt, then it started feeling cold again, she stopped once in a while to look at the fishes and other marine creatures, she saw ships hat sank and to her shock she also saw some human skeleton they finally came to a cave under water, it was bright and open.
"We are here"
Carmen said and immediately she heard a loud sound, it was one of the mermaids warning of invaders, Carmen cried back, Ruth watch as a mermaid and merman swam towards them, Carmen smiled and touch both of their cheeks
"Ruth this is my sister and one of the men of this Clan, this is Ruth, Gana's daughter"
They both stared at her in surprise, then the two of them touched her cheeks, then bumped forehead with her gently
"Welcome"
They said with their dolphin like sounds, she could understand them properly and interact
"Come you must meet the rest of the clan"
The other mermaid whose name was Abina said and led them inside the cave. Ruth gasp in shock at the inside of the cave, it was decorated with sea shells and sea weed grew on the walls, it was a lot brighter inside and the rocks inside the cave were large and heavy, she saw so many Mermaids and Mermen, all like her she wanted to cry, with them she wasn't a freak, she was normal, if she should be in human form she would look like an outsider, a freak and a treat, most of her life, she'd spent hiding and avoiding people, so that the won't look at her and call her names, but here she was with her kind, her true kind.
"Your mother was a brave woman, she was a seer, like you, she helped many tribes and kept us safe, she protected Lonely coast from savage humans and also protected Humans from Merfolks, everything was balanced until your aunt plotted her death and sent my great grand mother to finish the Job, my great grand mother and your Aunty were banished from the water, and caged in Saint Bernard, even in human form your Aunty kept causing harm, she was the one that caused you those nightmares, and my great grand eased them with the truth, we hope that someday you will set her free, so that she  can die peacefully in the ocean"
"What about my aunt?"
Ruth asked Carmen
"Zifa!!, I don't know, whatever you choose to do to her I will support you a hundred percent"
Carmen spoke with bitterness in her voice, Ruth could only reply with a nod.
"What part of Lonely coast is this?"
"More like the borders, before you enter the island completely"
"Its Beautiful"
"Lonely Coast is very beautiful, I think the absence of Humans is for the best, we risk discovery and the deaths.."
There was pain in Carmen's voice when she spoke, Ruth touched her shoulder slightly.
"Come, your journey was hectic, you must rest"
Carmen lead her to a large rock
"This will be your sleeping spot, go ahead"
Ruth felt odd about sleeping on a rock but she was tired, so she lay down, surprisingly the rock was comfortable.
"Where will you be sleeping?"
"Over there"
She pointed to a similar rock not too far off from her own.
"Thank you Carmen"
"You are welcome"