MERMAIDS OF THE LONELY COAST (BOOK 1)

CHAPTER EIGHT

"A DOOR STEP AWAY"

"Tell me something Gau, how long does it take before a mermaid can get use to staying on land?"
"Years... We can come out of the water anytime, but for a first timer, you can only stay on land for a couple of days, after which you'll have to return to the water to prevent your skin from burning or drying up"
"Like what happened to Ruth?"
"Exactly, Ruth case is different.. The spell her mother cased on her was able to sustain her as a human for so long, but the spell was broken when she came back here"
"How do you mean?"
"Ruth has been running away most of her life, the dreams were her other side forcing its way through her present reality and trying to reveal itself, but the truth set her free, and believe brought out her true self"
"I see... Its been almost three weeks.. Where do you think she is now"
"I don't know, if Carmen did as she said she would, your friend would be in Lonely Coast.. And its good for her to stay under water for a long time, it will help her. Cleo.... If she comes back.... she can't stay on land for long.. Her body has changed and all those years on land wasn't helping her, transformation Into human form will be extremely painful... No mermaid should stay that long on land without being in the water constantly"
Close sigh, she felt like she'd lost her best friend, she'll do anything to keep Ruth safe and alive.

Ruth push herself to the surface and lay still for a while, changing back to human form was just as painful as changing to mermaid form, she  use her elbow to raise her upper body and screamed, the animal like scream could be heard from afar by an aquatic creature, her gills disappeared and her tail split into two and the skin peeled off, when the transformation was over, she was naked, she took deep breaths, then got up to her feet, she fell down immediately, her legs were weak, they felt like jelly. She stayed down for a while, then got back to her feet, she felt more stable, she walked into the woods, Cleo should have kept clothes somewhere around here for her. After a while of searching, she found a backpack with clothes, she quickly changed.

The knock at the door was louder second time, Lawrence Hale opened the door and was surprised to see Ruth standing there, she had a different glow to her, her hair was longer, her skin was lighter and her eyes were brighter, she was smiling.
"Dad!!"
He dragged her into her embrace and held her there for a while.
"Dad, I'm okay"
"I can see that"
He said and released her, they both entered the house.
"Where have you been?"
"I went out of town... To see a friend... Am sorry I didn't call"
"You scared me... Cleo assured me you were alright"
"I was...  I am..."
"I just came back and decided to check on you.. I know you were worried... I'm sorry dad"
"No problem pumpkin, no hard feelings.. I'm making pancakes.. The way you like them"
"Aww dad... That's so sweet"

Gau opened the door for her.
"Welcome back"
"Is that her?"
Cleo came out from kitchen rushing to the door
"Ruth!"
Cleo ran into her arms and they hugged for a while.
"God I've missed you"
"I've missed you too... I'm so sorry I stayed that long"
"No problem... Gau explained to me.. Your father..."
"I went to see him immediately I came.."
"Oh good... Sit"
Ruth sat beside Cleo and Gau, they were both looking at her with anticipation and a little excitement
"So tell me dear... How is lonely coast?"
"Beautiful as always.. A little abandoned though"
"Ah! I take it you are beginning to get some of your memory back"
"Yes.. I remember my mother"
"Gana.... Let me apologize Ruth... I am so sorry.."
"No... Don't be... I have forgiven you, you can return to the water anytime you choose, I grant you peace"
"I can't leave"
"Why.. Don't you want to die in peace in the ocean?... Look at you, you are in human form, old and shaking"
"I know all that.. But the day I go back to the ocean will be the day Zifa will be set free... All this years I was the jailer and your aunty is the prisoner, I aton for my sins by staying here.. If I die here, your aunty will be stuck forever in human form... You'll be safe"
"About that... I want to see her"
"No!!"
This time it was Cleo who spoke up.
"It's okay Cleo.. She can't hurt me"
"Listen to your friend Ruth... Seeing Zifa is not a wise choice, she's a clever mermaid..  She might kill you or trap you in there with her"
"No she won't.. I have news for her"
"Listen to me Ruth..."
"No, Cleo... Am doing this.."
Ruth got up and went to the door, she went to the entrance of the ally leading to the house Zifa stayed. Cleo and Gau were behind her.
"Let me in Gau"
"Ruth please I beg of you..."
"Cleo.. I need to do this"
Cleo sigh...
"Now"
She told Gau, Gau nodded and opened her palm, she had white powder on her palm, she stood in front of the ally and blew the powder, the dust made Ruth sneeze, Gau sneezed too..
"Go on... But be careful..."
"Let me come with you"
"No Cleo.. Stay back.. I'll be fine"
Ruth took a deep breath and stepped into the dark ally, it was like passing from one world to another, suddenly the side lights lit themselves, she looked back, she could see Cleo and Gau, they looked so worried. She gathered her courage and went forward, she could see the stairs leading to the door, she climbed up the iron steps, she pause at the door and was about to knock, the door opened but no one was at the door, she stepped in, the door closed behind her. The house was bright, it was almost normal, like a decent family house, with amazing taste in interior. She didn't see anyone, the living room was empty.. She looked back at the door and almost knocked down a vase
"Careful now"
She spurn around immediately, and sitting on the chair that was empty about a moment ago was her aunty Zifa. She was smiling mischievously, she had bright fish like Green eyes, the same shade as her mother's, she had long Red hair that she held up in a pony tail, she looked like Didi, but a lesser beauty.
"Isn't this a surprise after all this years, almost 19 years since I saw you last, you look just like your mother a spitting image"
"Thank you"
"So why are you here?... Ain't you the least afraid?"
She got up from the sit, Ruth noticed she wore gloves and a trousers and shoes, the only exposed part of her body was her face and arms.
"I'm not scared of you..."
"Then to what do I owe this visit.. Oh do not mind my manners.. Tea?"
"No thank you... I came to ask, don't you miss the water, how did you manage to stay alive"
"Do I miss the water? I am a creature of the sea, I belong there and I rule there, and you come to ask me that?"
She sounded angry but managed to control her temper and suppress it with a smile
"I miss the ocean every day, and how do I survive? With the same spell your mother cast on you, the same spell that sustained you, except your mother was better at casting spells than I, you could have died a human if you hadn't returned.. Where as for me.... I crumble and grow closer to dust with each passing day.... I'm very sure you are not here to set me free no?"
"What did my mother ever do to you?"
"Gana! Strong, beautiful, respected, a true leader,  our mother's love, its all I ever wanted and she had it all.... Then she had you, you were probably going to be the next leader after your mother, she opposed me freeing John Bellon, she... I couldn't kill her myself so I had that dark haired mermaid from another tribe do it.. But we were found and exposed, the day they buried your mother's body was the day they banished us both.. She enjoys more freedom than me, then one day I felt you come close to the ally and then it dawn on me... I could ruin you too, the human way of doing it... But... I can see your mother's spirit protects you heavily"
Ruth sigh and picked up a ceramic fish sculpture
"You are cruel and don't deserve mercy, it will do you good to know that the tides have changed"
"You lie, the tides can't change till hundred of years to come"
"With a little help from a Moon Mermaid, the tides rose and fell and changed"
"You lie, there are no moon mermaids, they stopped existing"
"She's come of age and you have no place in the water again, you will never be able to transform again, you will live on land and die on land, you will drown if you stay more than 10 minutes under the water"
"No No"
Zifa quickly raised her trousers and gasp in shock at her smooth skin, she was completely healed and human now
"No... No.... No.... I belong at sea"
She burst into a loud cry, she fell on the ground and cried her heart out, Ruth thrust the ceramic fish on the ground and it broke into pieces
"I free you to roam the earth Zifa, if I were you, I'll get a family here, settle down and move on"
"My family is in the water, I only wanted to rule there, over all tribes... I rather die than be a weak human"
"Humans are not weak, they are strong and passionate, they are lords of the land, as we are of the sea... Good bye Zifa... You've lost your natural powers and lengthy years of living and you are cursed by the sea.. To never return"
Ruth said and left, as she walked away she could still hear Zifa scream no! Behind her. It was a cruel judgement and it befitted her, when she came out to meet Gau and Cleo they were glad she was OK
"Break the barrier Gau"
"What?"
"Break it... Zifa will never be able to be a mermaid again, she is stuck in human form and will die a human"
"Goodness... I can't imagine... Carmen.."
"She's come of age now"
"I see"
Gau stood in front to the ally and whispered some words, the barrier shattered like glass and for the first time the house where Zifa stayed could be seen, and the Ally lead to another part, everything was back to normal.
"Come Gau, you've been away too long"

Gau could not believe it, even as they stood a few steps from the water, she still could not believe she was going home, Ruth kissed her cheek and gestured for her to leave. Gau smiled and wiped away her tears, she could finally go home and die with her people, she was free. She hugged both Ruth and Cleo before going into the water.
Ruth watch her head disappear out of sight and suppressed the urge to go with her, she loved the water and it was home, the urge to go back was undeniable, the water was hers, where she belonged and it was where she would be. She wrap her arms around Cleo
"Let's go home"
She said, but deep within her she knew Home was where Carmen and Yura where.