The Coral Crown

Chapter six

Thinking about my foster parents made me remember my "sisters." I swam for shore agian, only this time, leaving my mother and everyone else behind me. I was going to become human again if it killed me. I would return home, get my sisters, and then bring them back to the sea with me. I would make Alexis change them the way she did with me. After all, she was protector of mankind, so she should protect my sisters from our "father." She owed it to me for abandoning me.

I was ecstatic when I found the beach where Alexis had changed me. This time, I swam over behind a rock and pulled myself up on the sand. I felt tingling in my tail, and closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain I was willing to endure for the saftey of my sisters.

When I opened my eyes, my legs were back, along with my clothes! I got up and ran around for a while; I loved having my legs back and I would miss them when I gave them up for good.

I ran all the way to my house and went up to my room, which I shared with Haley and Marissa. They were both there; Marissa was listening to music on our computer and Haley was playing with her dolls.

"Hey guys," I said, trying to sound as normal as possible, after what happened to me and what I planned to do. I went to the dresser and pulle out all three of our bikini tops.

"Hey Dyl," they said in unison. Haley was only seven, and Marissa was nine. I hoped that they could handle being mermaids.

"We need to go soewhere," I told them.

They trusted me without question. They got up and followed me. Haley came up to me and tugged on my jeans, so I held her hand, and Marissa took my other. When we got to the beach, I took a deep breath, and walked them up to the waterline.

"You guys know how much I care about you?"

They nodded their two little heads.

"I'd never let anything bad happen to you. Right?"

More nodding.

"Remember those stories I told you? about the mermaids? I'm going to tell you a secret: They're real! And guess what? I'm a mermaid!" I smiled to let them know that this was wonderful news.

Marissa looked skeptical. "Prove it."

I ran to the water, pulling them behind me. I felt the tingle in my legs, and knew that I would soon have a tail again. I said goodbye to my jeans and my favorite flip-flops and black tank-top. I put my head under water and screamed Alexis's name. In an instant, she was there at my side. Marissa and Haley were scared speechless, but I pulled myself onto a rock, setting Haley on my lap, and Marissa next to me as I put on my black bikini top, giving Haley and Marissa their pink ones.

Haley said, "Wow!" and jumped up and down a little. Then Marissa asked a question.

"Does that mean your leaving us?"

"Oh no! Never! That's why I came to get you. Are you tired of living in that foster home?"

"You know we are." Marissa said, in a flat, tired voice.

"Well, follow me, and you'll never have to go back there. You can be mermaids too. Want to see how to do it?"

They nodded again. I looked over to Alexis.

"Change them," I said to her. I wasn't ready to forgive her, but I would be nice.

"What do you mean?" Alexis asked me with a confused look on her face.

"I want them to be mermaids," I said.

Without asking questions, Alexis took their hands, started singing, and they passed out, gently, like they had fallen asleep. She pulled them under water, and I followed.

We took them to the cave where my life had turned upside down. I watched as their legs shook and changed into tails. As soon as their tails were completely changed, they woke up. I took their hands and led them from the cave. They were still having trouble swimming, so I pulled them along slowly, showing them how to use their tails to swim. Even Marissa was smiling shyly now. Haley could hardly be restrained in her delight at becoming a mermaid.

As soon as we got to the second cave I found, I took them in and let them rest. They were tired from swimming, and I didn't want them to collapse. They would be hungry soon, and we needed to find food. I let them rest for a while then got them up to go looking. I just got them back, and there was no way I was going to leave them somewhere and let them get lost or eaten by something.