Twice the Fun - Part 27

Aurora King

I swam into a bright light. No, like literally. I felt like a vampire.  After my eyes had adjusted to the dark room, swimming out into the light blinded me. I shut my eyes and gradually opened them. I didn’t want to be caught because I was just treading water, so I quickly swam behind an object. I remembered the hallway from when the mermaid lead us down it, so I quickly crept down the hallway. Each time I thought I heard a noise like the swish of a tail, I hid behind an object like a bookcase(which didn’t make sense since you couldn’t have books underwater) or in a room that’s door was open. Only once did I see the mermaid that called herself Chandler Aquatic. When I saw her, my heart lept into my throat and rage filled me throughout. Why would she kidnap us? It wasn’t like we were rich people or anything. Our parents were actually having financial problems at that time. So why? What was in it for her? As I pondered the question and let my mind wander to places it shouldn’t have, I heard a whisper.

“Aurora,” it was coming from one of the empty rooms to the right of me. I had thought it was Ariana, until the voice’s speaker came into view from the doorway. “Hurry!” A hand gripped my wrist and pulled me in before I could claw it away.

“What are you doing here? How long have you been here? What’s happening?” a dozen more questions like those came spilling from my mouth, and I didn’t bother trying to whisper. I was so confused.

“Just shush!” Natalie said. “I came here to get you and Ariana. Melanie got word from one of her friends that you guys were looking for her and knocking on all the doors of Crystal Waters, so she got me and we tried to find you. Each house we knocked on said that you had gone west this way. So we just kept going until we reached this house. The mermaid who lives here said you guys went up to the surface, and I didn’t believe her, so I came inside through the window of this room. I heard you whispering to yourself and I grabbed you and here we are. Where’s Ariana?”

I was whispering to myself? What had I been whispering about?

“Back in the Dark Room,” I said.

“‘The Dark Room’?”

“The room that the lady put us in. It was so dark and scary. Ariana is back there waiting for me. We have to go get her.” I explained.

“Okay then,” Natalie said as she started to go out of the room we were currently in. “Follow me.”

She actually followed me, but whatever. I lead her back to the end of the hallway and showed her the hole in the door. “Here we are,”

“Okay.” she simply replied.

I swam through the hole before Natalie. After we both got through, I looked around the room. It was just light enough for me to see the room. I quickly looked around the room. Then, I scanned it again. And again, and again, and again.

A sob caught in my throat. “Ariana?” But it was no use.

Air was not in the room.