by Hannah Reed
“Great,” April muttered. She circled her hand to focus her Factus energy and stop the water running out of the shower. Next, she turned her attention to her clothes and with a downward flick from the neck she banished the water from them too. Looking slightly more presentable she was ready to face the world, or at least April mused some sympathetic hotel staff. April had not been to a legged hotel before but how different could it be?
Slowly, April pushed the door open and was surprised to see that it was pitch black in the adjoining room. With no windows in her beige tiled wet room she had presumed it was late morning. The artificial light disoriented her usually decent night vision. April cautiously stepped out into the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Now, out of her tiled cell, she could feel the pull of the ocean. Thank goodness April thought, being too far inland always made her nervous. The sea was the source of April’s powers and without her pearls she appreciated the sea’s comfort even more.
April felt her mind go blank as a wave of pearl memories surged over her. She was young, maybe five and was locked in a door-less room. The darkness overwhelmed her and only the lapping of the sea above her cell kept her from unleashing her powers and breaking free. She lay motionless curled up on the floor, worn out from crying and beating her hands against the walls. April fought her way back to consciousness. These debilitating memories were really starting to irk her. When she was back home she would see a doctor and pearlist about them. Some of the shaman’s attempts to assess her powers and control when she was younger haunted her. Fear filled memories flooded back to her now.
Shaking her head to bring her back to the present, April followed her senses and moved towards the sea. She wasn’t a merita anymore; she was in control. In the dark, her arms stretched out, she walked straight into a door. April muffled a groan as she stubbed her toe. In a breath, she wielded a glow of sky blue Curo energy around her big toe and the pain was gone. Groping around she located the handle, slowly opened the door and slinked out into the adjoining room. Moonlight spilled into a large open plan room. In a quick swoop April could make out a large lounge that opened up into a kitchen to the right and a conservatory to the left. This did not look like a hotel April thought. Maybe she was in a private suite or in someone’s house. She turned to the left and followed the moonlight towards the glass doors.
April’s shoulders relaxed as she spied the sea. She tested the doors that led out onto the beach and was relieved when she heard a faint click. Without making a sound she carefully opened the door and shut it behind her. The soft sand felt wonderful between her toes. April broke out into a run towards the sea. The stars above her shone brightly and sparkled on the tranquil water. As April neared the ocean she started to feel a tugging inside of her, the same tugging that happened when her pearls warned her she was about to overexert herself. April started to slow. What had always been a sanctuary now radiated ominously.
Pulling to a halt, April tripped over a piece of driftwood and sprawled across the sand. A gentle wave rolled up and over her. She sighed in relief. She had made it. But then, an intense pain spread across her body, the water was burning her skin. April scrabbled out of the water as fast as she could. Quickly wicking the water away from her body with her Factus powers she momentarily relaxed. But the pain took its toll on her newly healed skin. She wielded a wave of sky blue Curo energy across her skin and April knelt down into the sand as the soothing feeling spread throughout her body.
She stared out to the sea and forced herself back up to standing. She took a step into the water and ignored the pain. She kept on walking until she was thigh high. The pain was tearing through her and she gritted her teeth and tried to force herself to submerge. But it was too much. She shot out her Factus energy and pushed herself back to the shore. She hurriedly turned around at ankle depth and ran from the water. She wielded another wave of Curo energy over her. Her legs felt as if they were on fire and she stumbled to the ground. She looked down and saw the same rash as before covering her skin. It was as if the sea was poisoned. April looked back up to the house she had run from. She didn’t know where to turn. The surrounding area was entirely foreign to her. April held her head in her hands and started to sob. Right now, all she really wanted was her Mum.
Too overwhelmed by shock April failed to notice a young man open the conservatory door. He ran down to where April was huddled on the beach and approached her carefully.
“Excuse me, are you okay?’”
April jumped startled by his appearance. She hurried to a standing position and looked him in the eyes. April scrabbled to think about where to start, what to ask first. Suddenly, a second wave of the rash pain surged over her body as she started to cry once more she uttered the word, “No.”
The young man looked horrified at what was happening before him.
“I’m Connor, my brother Alex found you on the beach yesterday. Would you like to come back inside?” he asked.
April looked out to the sea one last time. “Yes please.”
Connor smiled at her kindly and together they walked slowly back up to the house. As they walked she took a closer look at him. She definitely recognised his face. Could he be from the Peace Treaty? Her Mum had made her memorise hundreds of names and faces for the Peace Treaty ceremony. But, for the life of her, she couldn’t recall this one.
CHAPTER 11
The microwave pinged and Connor brought April a large mug of hot chocolate. With a flourish, he sprayed some whipped cream on top and then poured on some mini-marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles.
“Be careful, it’s hot!”
“Thank you,” April said without making a move to pick up the mug.
Since bringing April inside the two had become acquainted. Feeling completely out of his depth, Connor had opted to lead a sobbing April back into his house. The girl seemed crazy. He found her a large dressing robe and wrapped her in it before seating her down at the breakfast bar. Despite her burning hot skin the girl shivered with cold so he continued his efforts to warm her up.
Why on earth she had gone outside he didn’t know. It looked like she was in a trance. He happened to be awake, video chatting one of his school friends holidaying in Scotland when he saw her walking down the beach from his window. He watched her in surprise as she tried and failed to go for a swim. She had looked like a crazed person. When he approached her, he was perturbed to find her crying. Women were not really Connor’s forte.
After more in-depth introductions, April had started to feel safer. Connor was younger than she had first presumed. He was eighteen, just finished high school and on summer holiday before he went to university. The mer education system worked differently so April, aged nineteen had also just finished her secondary school education and was applying for colleges. He looked very friendly. His hair was an unusual red-brown colour and he seemed to be both tan and freckled at the same time. His movements around the kitchen were awkward and jerky. He still moved like someone who had not fully grown into their body. He towered above April though so presumably his gangling height was causing these issues. His easy-going manner soon relaxed April. His smile was infectious whenever he forgot to be nervous. She felt ridiculous for bursting into tears. Nothing like moonlight and missing pearls to make a mera go crazy she thought. Now safely wrapped up in a warm home she felt her panic subside.
April had managed to paint a vague story of who she was while neglecting to mention that she was a mera. She drew on her Commutavi powers to make sure that her tongue remained a pinkish red colour and not her mera blue. Whoever lived by a sea that was poisonous to mer was worthy of being a potential threat in her mind. She was currently trying to gather as much information as possible from Connor.
“So how did you find me?” April asked while she watched Connor.
“Oh, that was my brother, Alex,” Connor said. He seemed to go red as he said this.
“Our housekeeper has been looking after you. She’s highly trained.”
�
��I must thank her when I see her,” April said smiling tightly.
“Do you …?” April started.
As Connor said, “How did you…?” They both stopped and smiled.
“After you,” April said.
“How did you come to be washed up?” Connor asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to remember but I just can’t figure it out.” At this point a memory surge would be rather useful April thought ruefully.
“You must have hit your head pretty hard or something.” Connor walked over with his mug of hot chocolate.
Connor smiled at her and went about drinking his own hot chocolate. He spied April staring oddly at her drink out of the corner of his eye. She seemed apprehensive about drinking it. He watched her grasp the mug in both hands and take a big gulp. Pulling it away he saw her smile in surprise with a large dollop of cream on her nose. Connor hid a smile - he liked this girl. She may be completely crazy but she had a sparkle about her that most people seemed to have lost upon hitting double digits.
Considering all she had been through she seemed remarkably chipper. Connor would have expected more panic from someone who had no idea where they were or how they came to be here. Connor reckoned she must be either hiding something, or she really had incurred some form of memory loss, or she was actually a crazy person. Connor decided to probe a bit further. He looked at April over his own mug of hot chocolate. “So, what is the last thing you can remember?”
~
“Ummm… I’m not sure.” April scrabbled to think of a semi-normal response that didn’t make her sound ridiculous. “I was at a function with my parents on a boat, and there was lots of alcohol and one thing led to another and now I’m here,” she said.
“Wow, that must have been one crazy evening.”
“It was.”
“I didn’t realise boats were allowed anywhere around here,” Connor pressed.
April paused for a moment. She had forgotten about the boat restriction laws. “Yes, we have a small private island.”
“I see. I don’t know any other private islands around here.”
“Where is here?” April asked
“This is my family’s private island. My Dad moved us here for the summer.”
April noticed that Connor averted his gaze from her while he said this and proceeded to take a very long gulp of his hot chocolate.
“That must be cool,” April smiled. “Living on an island,” she qualified. “Where about is it?” Usually April could tell wherever she was as long as she was near the ocean. But, the poisoned waters were interfering with her internal compass.
“It’s just near Florida but quite far out. We’re pretty isolated here.”
“Ah okay,” April knew these waters well, but the Peace Treaty was a reasonable distance away. How on earth did she get here?
“Would you like to call someone? Let them know you’re okay?” Connor asked.
Shoot April thought. “Umm no, that’s okay, I don’t know any of their numbers.”
She could have contacted Ethan or Setha to come and get her out of this mess but neither of them would be able to get through the poisoned waters easily. Her Dad would be the obvious person to contact but then that would mean letting her Mum know. But, she had no idea how to contact anyone without a working Iris pearl. Silence fell between them while April mulled over her options.
~
Alex jogged down the stairs whistling to himself as he went. It was a beautiful day and he couldn’t wait to start on his morning run. He swung himself down the stairs and into the kitchen where he stopped abruptly. Connor and a girl, a very attractive girl, were sitting at the island together. Alex was impressed and stunned all at once. His brother was never usually good with the ladies, how on earth had he managed to find one on a private island? Alex approached his brother ready to pay him back for a lifetime of early morning tormenting when he had had a girl over and was trying to smuggle her out of the house. Connor never failed to embarrass him.
“Good morning, you two. Had a good night did we?” Alex proclaimed in a stage voice as he approached them. Connor jumped spilling his drink and the girl span round in her chair standing up in alarm.
As the girl stood up Alex realised his mistake.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” Alex flustered. “Are you okay?”
From smooth arrogance into concerned waffle in under a second, Connor had never seen his brother so ruffled. He was usually the cool, popular, charming type; clearly this girl had shaken him.
“I’m okay thank you,” April replied.
Connor interceded, “This is Alex, my brother. He rescued you,” Connor added reluctantly.
“Thank you for helping me. I’m April.” Once again April’s manners kicked in and she extended her hand to shake Alex’s. Alex reached out and shook her hand not stopping to think about the oddity of shaking hands at six in the morning.
“Nice to meet you, I’m glad you’re okay.” The awkward silence that Connor and April had been in the midst of was only exacerbated by Alex’s arrival.
“Ummm would you like something to eat maybe? Some breakfast?” Alex asked. April hadn’t realised how hungry she was but at the mention of breakfast her stomach lurched in response.
“Breakfast would be great, thank you.”
“The chefs have the weekend off, so I hope you don’t mind my cooking.”
Alex busied himself around the kitchen gathering all sorts of utensils and ingredients. Connor smirked as he watched Alex fluster. He walked over to the wall and brought up the TV panel and turned it onto the news.
~
“Are pancakes okay?”
“Pancakes sound great,” April smiled. What on earth are pancakes? She wondered.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” she said again. She took a closer look at Alex as he started weighing out ingredients. He looked nothing like Connor. Alex was not as tall as Connor but he seemed to take up more room. His tanned and obviously muscular body was barely concealed under a running top. He had golden hair much like hers but coupled with warm coffee brown eyes. Although she knew she should not trust a book by its cover she instinctively trusted him. Her shoulders relaxed for the first time since she woke up in the bathroom.
“So where did you find me, how was I? Did I look like I had swa… washed up on shore?” Somehow, she needed to find out if this Alex knew that she was a mera.
“You were washed up on the shore not too far from here, inside some sort of hollowed out branch. Your skin was burning hot to touch and yet you must have been out there for some time as your skin and clothing were dry.” Alex paused for a moment to consult a tattered recipe book. It was the one his Mum kept all their favourite childhood recipes in. “Do you have any memory of how you got here?”
“None.” April shook her head. “What was I wearing when you found me?”
“I didn’t really notice to be honest with you… sorry about that, Rosetta our housekeeper will fill you in though.”
“Do you remember anything?” Alex asked. He was whisking together a large bowl of milk, eggs and flour.
“No, nothing,” April said. She didn’t want to go through this again.
“We should alert the coast guard now you’re conscious. You know, try to find something out.”
April’s smile froze and she mumbled something non-committedly. Alex was so focused on his pancakes he didn’t seem to notice.
“You’re of course welcome to stay here as long as you need. Rosetta will settle you in,” Alex said.
“Oh, umm thank you,” April said.
“Is there anyone you can call for help?” Alex asked.
“She can’t remember anyone’s numbers,” Connor answered for her. April felt a flicker of annoyance at Connor answering for her.
“Ah I see. Maybe we should go to the mainland to get a doctor to check your head,” Alex said as he started ladling the mixture into a pan.
“Oh no, it’s fine. I’m sure my memor
ies will come back to me soon,” April said.
“Would you like blueberries with your pancakes? The chef usually stocks blueberries for us…” Alex said routing through the fridge.
“Wait a second,” Connor had moved to stand in front of the TV and was turning the volume up.
A whole day has passed since the Peace Conference and finally information has been leaked as to what happened on that monumental day. What was thought to be a tactical media launch was in fact a terrorist delay.
Alex and April were now focusing their attention on the screen.
The final signing of the treaty was about to commence when a bomb was set off in the ground underneath the building. The positioning of the bomb sent tremors throughout the massive structure and the entire building exploded outwards. Highly trained military professionals were on hand immediately to help the occupants out of the building. The concealment of this violence has been maintained until the correct party was found guilty of the attack. It is with great regret that President Darius had this news to announce just moments ago.
The broadcast cut to a film of the legged President standing outside the white house.
“The mer never wanted peace, or if they did those in power chose not to give it to them. This attack has destroyed everything we fought for and tried to build over the last few years. Instead of peace, they brought us war.”
The news lady reappeared and continued to discuss the bombing but April stared at the images flashing up on the screen. She saw photos of herself dancing and standing on the stage. The photos of festivity transformed into clips of the wrecked building. Had anyone survived was April’s first thought. She felt sick. Her eyes were trained on the flashing images. She tried to comprehend the wreckage she was seeing. A photo of her Dad appeared on screen and April snapped her attention back to the reporter’s voice.
King Nathaniel managed to escape the military’s grasp and his location remains unknown. It is believed that he was the leader behind this massacre. The King has currently remained silent but we wait for his inevitable response to President May’s message. From peace to war in one day.