Twice the Fun-Part 30

Ariana H. King

Time passed quickly as we raced down the long halls. We had no idea where we were going, but it needn’t matter. As long as we could find a window, we’d be fine. Being that all of us had skinny twigs for bodies, the three of us could squeeze through it, after breaking it of course, and escape this treacherous underwater mansion. Why mer-people even need windows, I do not know that answer.

I knew that Aurora and Natalie wanted to know why I was silent and still when they found me, but I wasn’t ready to tell them. If I opened my mouth, I’d no doubt burst into tears and gurgle water. I was also saving them from what I saw. They weren’t ready to know, not yet. It talked to me, was all I could think. It knew my name! The thing gave a message to me. I must deliver it.

While we swam, I took note of where we were going. After all, I needed to come back. I was repulsed by the thought. Why did I have to look into that door? It was strange, because I felt like I was a magnet, as if I was drawn to the door and it was calling out for me. Obviously, that is not normal.

We passed many doors as we searched for a window, and all was silent. I’d bet that if you asked which way the current was going, I could tell you. The only thing that I couldn’t tell you was what Roar and Natalie were thinking about.

Finally we went around a bend in the hallway(the underwater house must have been enormous) and we all spotted a single window on the long stretch of wall. It stood out on the white wall, being the only thing on it. I had no idea why, but I thought about how suspicious it looked, all alone and by itself. Would it lead us to Crystal Waters outside...or someplace else?

“Finally! What now?” Roar asked.

“We have to break it and swim through. But first, we should probably look and see if it has a latch.” Natalie suggested.

“Good idea,” I offered. Both of them jumped. Apparently they weren’t expecting me to say anything--or show any signs of life. When they just stared at me, I ignored the awkwardness, and did what I always did: act like a girl. “After all, I don’t want to get a shard of glass stuck in my fin, or yours for that matter. Ouch!”

They got my subtle hint and nodded in unison. “When in doubt, just look to Air. She’s so oblivious to the real world, it makes you feel better about your own problems.” Roar said, with her voice dripping with fake sarcasm as she rolled her eyes. I knew that she was just trying to get things back to normal, but it didn’t work. Nothing would ever be normal again.

“Aurora! How cruel! She’s just trying to be concerned about us.” Natalie cried in disbelief.

“Relax! It’s what siblings do where we come from.” Roar told her. “Come on, let’s open this window and get out of here!”

Aurora moved over until she was treading water in front of the window. She turned to face us and gestured for us to come over. Giving a brief, tiny smile, she went to work looking for a latch or lever while Natalie and I flicked our tails a few times.

With success, Roar found it. “Yes! An easy escape!” She was giving us a big, wonderful, and true smile this time. I always thought that when Aurora truly smiled, it was the most beautiful thing about her. The whole room would light up and everyone would turn their heads.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s get out of here!” I laughed, and it sounded like music to my ears.

It took all three of us to pull the lever down. The lever was rusted and difficult to pull down due to its small frame.

Boom!

The sound echoed as the lever snapped down and the window opened. Before any of us could bat an eyelash, we were sucked out.