Five Friends and A Mansion

Part 6

"Hey! What was that for?" said a familiar voice.

"Wait. Abbey? And is that you, Willow?" asked Stella. She increased the light, making it hover over their faces.

"Yes, it's us. Who do you think it was, genius?" glowered Abbey. Still angry for some reason.

That's when she noticed. Abbey and Willow's hair and clothes were wet. Like they had been standing in the middle of a storm for an hour straight. Where did the water come from?

"Did you guys turn off the lights?" asked Joan.

"Oh, that. Willow, I told you to stop using your powers until you can control it" said Abbey.

Willow blushed and did something with her hands. It looks like some kind of dance movement or sign language. They heard some rustling and the lights came back.

"How did you do that?" asked Laguna.

"This might seem crazy, but Abbey and I have powers. We suspect that it came from the exploding objects" explained Willow.

"We don't think you're crazy. Cause look, Laguna's a mermaid and Stella just created a ball of light" said Joan, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Guys, could we talk about this later. Right now I need to figure out how to turn back. I don't want to be stuck as a mermaid for the rest of my life. And, sorry Abbey and Willow. I think the water's all my fault. I think that's my second power, controlling water"

"Cool. Well, our powers work when we concentrate really hard. So, maybe, try concentrating. Like really hard" said Abbey.

Laguna nodded and closed her eyes. She concentrated, not sure on what but she just concentrated. Then, she felt the same tingly sensation again.

"OK, I think that worked. But are your feet still working?" said Joan.

Abbey and Stella helped Laguna up. At first, her feet were trembling. They felt weak and numb. She wasn't sure if it was because of the transformation or her swimming in icy cold water against currents stronger than her.

"I am perfectly capable of walking. Just some balance issues" said Laguna while putting on her jacket.

To her surprise, she wasn't wet at all. Maybe that was one of the perks of being a mermaid. Even if you live underwater you don't really get wet. Like your skin is waterproof. Ironic - really!

"OK, now we just have to find the bow and arrow. Any ideas on where those could be?" asked Willow.

"Hm... My bet is on the first floor. We just found 3 upstairs and only 1 here. So I think we just keep searching on the first floor. Besides, you guys already have your powers, I haven't got mine. It's so unfair" whined Joan. She could be a baby sometimes.

"Stop whining Joan, or we'll send you back to kindergarten. Anyways, I think you're right. But there is no guarantee that you will get superpowers like us" said Laguna, teasingly.

Joan groaned.

"You can annoy Joan later, Laguna. We should find the bow and arrow first" said Stella.

They agreed. They went to find the bow and arrow. It was almost morning, they could feel it. Maybe an hour or two before sunrise, so they must search quickly. After all this time, Stella still had the camera on. They haven't forgotten about the bet with Trixy. But what would they do afterward? After escaping the mansion? Would they go back to their normal daily lives? They had superpowers now, it might be impossible. Would they be superheroes? Like the ones they see on TV? Or would they be supervillains? They weren't planning to, but life could take a harsh turn sometimes. Would real-life society accept superheroes? Maybe yes, maybe no. It's 50 to 50.

"Joan, Joan, Joan..." chanted a voice.

She shot her head towards the source. A room beside her. The door was almost unnoticeable, it blended in with the wall.

"Hey guys, you hear that whisper?" said Joan.

"What whisper?" asked the others.

"That strange voice whispering my name," said Joan.

At first, everyone was silent. Than Abbey's eyes lit up.

"OMG, the bow and arrow is calling you. You're the chosen one, you'll get its power" exclaimed Abbey.

Joan was excited, without a second thought she dashed into the room. Her head up but shoulder tensed. She was excited but still nervous. The room was epic. The walls were painted fierce red and yellow. The mahogany wooden floor made the scenery look like a bonfire. In the middle of it all was a volcano-like structure holding a bow and arrow. The bow and arrow magically floated by itself, making it look more tempting.

Without thinking, she leaped over the strong wood and reached out for the bow and arrow. She grasped it in her hands, turning to her friends.

"What do I do now?" asked Joan, slightly impatient.

"I don't know. Just wait until it explodes" answered one of the girls.

Then, the bow and arrow trembled like a human being. Maybe it was just her hallucination. Dead things can't tremble. Then, it got stronger, it felt like holding an earthquake in her hands. Sleep deprivation could cause powerful hallucinations right? The trembles stopped, maybe it was her hallucination. Then, it exploded.

The bow and arrow blew up like a balloon, causing splinters to stab her fingers. Luckily, the force wasn't enough to send her flying. First, there was a small click. Then, a loud groan of rusted metal. The door! It's opened! The others thought so too.

They all ran out the door. Partially sad the adventure was ending and partially glad that it was over.

They never forgot that day. The day they got those superpowers. They used it wisely, to help others. They didn't fight the villains you see on TV. On TV, villains wore bright colorful costumes and invented despicable tech. Their goals were to take over cities, rob a bank, or just to simply defeat the superheroes. The girls didn't live ina TV show, they lived in real life. So they did everything quietly. Defeated robbers and thieves in the night. And in the day, the presumed their daily lives. Go to school, do a hobby, hang out. In a way, they were the new Valda, Nereida, Kenna, Dhara, and Caelestis.