Twice the Fun - Part 28

Ariana H. King

I couldn’t take it anymore. No way was I just going to stay in that room when Roar was out there with that mysterious woman! So two minutes after Roar left, I decided to venture out on my own too. But before I left, I hesitated. Didn’t Roar tell me to stay here? I asked myself. How could I help her by leaving, anyway?

But, of course, my own thoughts didn’t make me stay, though I knew I shouldn’t have left. What if Aurora came back and I was gone? Although all those questions went through my head, I just ignored them and asked questions made out of a combination of pure boredom and helplessness. Well, what am I supposed to do here anyway? I countered. Just sitting in here isn’t helping Roar either!

After that battle of my head was done, I set out into the more important and dangerous one : Getting out of the house we were trapped in. I swam through the hole in the wall (or rather, the door) and into the long, bright white and blinding hallway. My eyes needed to take a little time getting accustomed to the hallway light, but I didn’t give them time. I needed time, yet I didn’t get it, so I used every ounce of my time doing actual important and meaningful stuff. Like, for instance, finding my twin sister. And, on the way finding her, finding the exit to this dreadful piece of the river. I no longer wanted to ever be in this town called Crystal Waters. If most of the mer-people were like this, I never wanted to come back. Not even if Natalie and Melanie lived there!

I looked right and left, and then settled on going left. The peeling wallpaper along both of the long narrow walls was probably once pure white, but after a long period of time became cracked and had brown spots all over it that I assumed was mold. I shuddered from the thought. The floor beneath my pink tail was a polished marble, though it looked so fancy compared to the walls it looked quite silly. Again though, like the walls, it was not in its finest days.

Once I got down the long hallway, I stopped and saw a door. It was covered in the same wallpaper so it looked almost invisible, as if it were air. I couldn’t help wondering what was behind that dreadful door. I actually started to think that the mermaid that took us--no kidnapped us--was hiding sea monsters in her house! Besides, if there was mermaids in this world, who knew what other mythical creatures could occupy it?

Despite my feelings and thoughts about what was behind the door, I knew that I must open it. What if Roar is behind the door waiting for me to rescue her? I thought. With that encouraging thought, I silently reached for the white knob. Once my hand grabbed it, I twisted it slowly and carefully to make sure I didn’t make a sound. My heart was leaping in my chest and I could hear pounding in my ears. I felt like I was going to throw up, I was so scared. Nevertheless, I carried it out and opened the door a slim crack, just enough for me to barely see through.

I swallowed down bile. What I saw in that room was something far beyond human. Something that made me fight down a scream. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from screaming--hard. I tasted blood in my mouth. A horrible sight burned into my eyes before I could do anything. I was so disgusted that I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breath. All I could do was stand there.

And stare at the monster behind that door.