“I’ll find those guys. They must be exploring the island. Probably the mansion. Maybe they’re thinking of purchasing the island.”
“Maybe they’re vandals? Criminals? Cassandra, did you think of that?”
“Criminals with cameras?” I shrugged, considering the possibility, but dismissing it. “I doubt it, but you might be right. I’ll be careful. Whoever they are, I’ll find a way to get those cameras and erase the footage.”
“I don’t know,” Penelope said, shaking her head. She bit her bottom lip before adding, “I don’t like it. I think it’s too dangerous.”
“And Uncle Philip watching you swimming as a mermaid on the evening news is safe?”
Penelope frowned and released a heavy sigh. “Good point. He’ll kill me for sure if he sees that.”
I nodded, knowing that would change her mind. “Just go, I’ll be all right.”
“Once you get the cameras, how will you get off the island? With no cell phone signal, you can’t call me for help.”
“I’ll find a way,” I said, then grinned. “Don’t worry about it. I know how to take care of myself.”
“Cassie…”
“I’ll be fine. Trust me.” I didn’t let Pen argue any further. I leaned close and hugged her tight. When I let go, I bent to shove the boat into the water before Penelope could change her mind and jump out.
“I’ll see you soon. Promise.” I waved to Penelope who sat sullenly in the boat with her hands folded on her lap, staring with wide blue eyes that matched the ocean water surrounding us. Without another word, I grasped the strap of my backpack and ran back onto the island.
I kept to the beach, walking along the sandy shore until it eventually turned into rocky ground with the salty water surging onto the island in violent waves.
The skies above had grown darker with clouds. I caught the scent of rain on the horizon. I couldn’t see the boat carrying Penelope any longer but hoped she had gotten away from the island undetected. There had been no sign of any other ships near the island that I could see, but I knew those two men hadn’t swum to the island. There had to be a boat somewhere.
It took me about an hour and a half of searching before I found a canoe near the tree line of the northern section of the island.
I sighed with relief when I found it. Seeing the canoe meant one thing.
The men were still somewhere on the island. And their cameras were with them. I had to keep it that way.
I grabbed the edge of the canoe and dragged it from where the strangers had tucked it safely away from the water. A few minutes of tugging, pulling and pushing later, then I stood with my feet sinking into the wet sand as I watched the canoe drift away on the current.
There was no way off this island now. Not without calling for help. And cell phone reception was nonexistent, so I had no worries that those men would leave soon.
I hiked the path that led to the mansion. Trekking slowly, stopping every once in a while to listen closely to my surroundings. I assumed the two men would try to climb down the cliff to get to the lake to search for Penelope. It would take some time. Enough for me to find their camp and search for a place to hide. After they went to sleep, I’d sneak into their camp and steal their cameras.
Easy as pie, as my Aunt Lorraine used to say.
I didn’t expect to not find their camp. I searched all over the mansion, figuring that was the most ideal place to sleep overnight. I darted quickly from room to room knowing I had limited time. They might arrive at any moment. But not one room contained any camping gear or equipment. Not even a cooler filled with food.
Nothing.
The longer I took searching, the more I began to panic.
Were they not staying the night? Maybe they only planned on visiting the island and returning to the mainland before the storm hit.
When would they give up looking for Penelope? When would they realize that she was gone, away from this island with no hope of discovering the truth of what they saw… or recorded?
Eventually, they would notice the darkening sky and seek either the boat they arrived in or somewhere to find shelter. It didn’t appear that they brought any supplies with them. I had seen none in the canoe.
It slowly dawned on me that I might have been mistaken. Perhaps they planned to camp in the wild, not in the confines of an abandoned and reportedly haunted building.
I bit my lip, wondering if I had enough time to find them before the storm hit. The only way I could get those cameras was if I followed them.
Chapter 3
Oscar
“That was a mermaid,” Zak said, huffing for breath as he descended the path. “A real-life mermaid.”
“Maybe,” I replied, following my friend cautiously from behind. “Watch your step, man. And slow down. One wrong move and you’re going to fall headfirst into that lake.”
“A mermaid,” Zak repeated, smiling and completely ignoring my advice. “A real-life freakin’ mermaid!”
Zak continued to half-run, half-slide down the path that would eventually lead us to the lake. At least, that’s what I hoped. Either that, or we’d end up on the beach again. It didn’t matter. I doubted the mermaid would wait for us. After Zak had shouted at her, she had scurried off the rocks to dive under the water. We’d seen the shimmer of her tail as she swam beneath the water toward the trees where we lost sight of her.
I was more concerned with the footage. I wanted to take time to review what I recorded, but Zak was in a frenzy to get down to that lake, convinced we’d find the mermaid still there swimming.
Eventually, the path descended into the direction of the beach, but once we were off the cliff, we turned back to head toward the lake.
The lake’s edge was quiet except for the roar of the waterfall. No mermaid perched on the rocks or swam leisurely through the water. There was no sign of any other disturbance besides the soft ripples lapping the lake’s edge from the waterfall.
“Damn,” Zak muttered as he filmed the lake with his camera. “Where’d she go?”
“I dunno.” I studied the lake and then our surroundings, searching for any sign of the mythical creature.
“The lake doesn’t connect with the ocean. How did she get here? And where is she now?”
“Let’s look at the footage.” I pushed the buttons on my camera while Zak leaned over my shoulder. Together, we reviewed the footage of the woman swimming in the lake. A woman with a fishtail.
I watched it twice, then a third and fourth time trying to find some explanation for what we saw. Each time I watched the footage, I couldn’t get past the fact that she looked so real. Just like a mermaid, shimmering tail and everything.
“Dude,” Zak said, laughing hysterically. “I can’t believe it! I freakin’ can’t believe it. We recorded a mermaid. Just imagine how many views we’ll get with this footage!”
Zak hooted and hollered, jumping in the air and then doing a little dance to celebrate.
I didn’t want to dampen my best friend’s exuberance, but as I watched the footage again and again, I kept searching for some sign that this was fake. I still couldn’t believe my own eyes.
A rumble of thunder dissuaded me from viewing it for another time. I put the camera down and turned to Zak who had danced closer to the lake’s edge.
“We’d better hurry back to the mansion before the rain starts.” I didn’t want my equipment ruined because of the weather. As I waved to Zak, I caught sight of something white on the ground behind him. “Hey, what’s that?”
Zak turned in the direction I pointed. He jogged over to it, a few steps away while I met him there.
“It’s a book,” Zak said as he bent to pick it up. “Tangled Dreams? What the heck is this?”
Zak handed the book to me and I glimpsed the cover of a bare-chested man and a woman with a low neckline embracing. “It looks like a love story.”
“What was it doing here?”
I searched the ground for anything else, but other than the book I found noth
ing. “Someone was here. A book doesn’t just land this far inland unless a person brought it. And look, it’s not damaged by rain or anything, so it hasn’t been here long.”
“Do mermaids read romance novels?”
I grunted. “Maybe?”
Opening the book, I flipped through the pages, but there was nothing besides a glossy unicorn bookmark that lay askew. On the inside of the back cover, I saw the markings of a library stamp.
Thunder rumbled through the air again and the scent of rain grew stronger as the wind picked up speed.
“Come on,” I said, tucking the novel into a pocket in one of my bags. “Let’s head back.”
The mansion with its tall brooding walls looked creepy during the day, but with the clouds obscuring the sun and the evening growing closer, it looked downright menacing. It towered over the island, impressive, distinct and ominous.
No wonder there were rumors of it being haunted.
Zak and I climbed the steps leading to the massive front door which creaked eerily as we opened it. The sound echoed within the empty walls as we entered.
“What do you think?” Zak shrugged his bags to the floor. “Do you want to film together or separately?”
“Solo,” I said without hesitation. “It’s better for more views.”
Zak nodded his agreement. “Do you want to take the upstairs?”
“No, you go first. I’ll check out the first floor.”
“Suit yourself. Just watch out for any ghosts… or mermaids.” Zak laughed, then shook his head. “I still can’t believe it.”
“Yeah, okay,” I said with a grin. Then I sobered. “Watch yourself. I heard the structure is stable but be careful, anyway. You don’t want to fall through the floor or anything.”
“Got it, bro,” Zak nodded, then took his camera as he headed up the steps leading to the second floor. I could hear Zak speaking to his viewers as he recorded.
Once I was alone and Zak’s voice faded away into another part of the building, I pulled my camera out of the bag and checked the footage of the mermaid again.
It looked so real. How could it be real? More than that, would anyone believe me if I posted it online? This footage could go one of two ways. I might get a ton of views or people would call clickbait and disregard anything else I posted. It could propel me into a higher financial tier, or it could ruin my reputation.
I just didn’t know which.
Frowning, I hit record on the camera.
“Well, friends, this has been an interesting night. While Zak and I were at the waterfall, we saw… something. I’m still not sure whether or not I can believe my own eyes. It’s not like I was expecting to see anything other than an awesome location. A beautiful waterfall. But…” I sighed heavily as I stared into the camera screen. “Seriously, I don’t even know what to say right now.”
I turned the camera off and set it on the floor beside me. Then I rubbed my hands over my face, trying to convince myself that this was real life, not some fairytale. Guys like me didn’t just happen upon mythical creatures.
A mermaid.
For real?
I stood, needing to exercise my legs. I’d been sitting on the concrete floor, contemplating this footage for far longer than I had imagined. My legs had grown stiff from being still.
Beyond the walls of the mansion, the patter of rain on the foliage announced the storm’s arrival. If we had wanted to explore the island tonight, the rain meant we’d be staying indoors.
I was grateful that we had checked out the waterfall first.
Distantly, I heard a shout from upstairs. I grabbed my camera to light my way since it had grown dark while I’d been sitting. I tilted my head and walked swiftly toward the stairway.
“Zak? You okay?” I heard another muffled shout which I couldn’t make out. But before I could holler back, I ascended the steps, intent on finding my friend when a shadowy figure launched itself at me, knocking me from my feet.
I grabbed instinctively onto the dark shape, my camera dropping from my hand, as together we slid down the last remaining steps. I landed with a thump on the floor carrying the slight figure of a woman on top of me.
I knew it was a woman even if I couldn’t see her in the dim light. The soft skin of her arms beneath my hands and the sensation of her bare legs brushing against mine might not have told me anything other than she was slim and petite. But the press of her breasts against my chest was enough indication that this was a woman.
Along with that came the fragrance of sunlight and roses. A hint of seawater clung to her skin as I assumed she must have been swimming along the beach before she crept into the haunted mansion.
Maybe she was seeking shelter from the storm? Whatever reason she was here, I didn’t have time to ask. Her breath had been knocked from her when we crashed because for a few seconds she simply lay stunned on top of me.
Then she took a great gulp of air and began squirming ferociously, scrambling to remove herself from me.
“Hey, hey. Cool it.” I hung onto her for as long as I could. I wanted to check to make sure she hadn’t hurt herself during our fall, but when her knee inadvertently found contact with my groin, I let go.
Or maybe it had been a swift, purposeful kick. I really couldn’t tell. I doubled over as white-hot pain knifed through me.
Dimly, I was aware after she found her footing, the light from my camera on the floor shifted. Suddenly, my camera’s light bobbed and drifted away as I heard footsteps running for the door.
Zak’s heavier footsteps pounded on the stairs. He paused when he reached me.
“Ozzy, dude, are you okay?” Zak knelt beside me, his hands on my arm, helping me to sit up.
“Yeah,” I groaned, not wanting to admit that I got kicked in the privates by a shadowy figure. “Just got the wind knocked out of me.”
“There was a girl,” Zak said, disregarding my discomfort. “She came out of nowhere, grabbed my camera and shoved me into a closet. It was unbelievable. I had no idea she was even there. She must have been hiding while I searched the rooms. Did you see her?”
“Yep,” I said, my arms clasping my lower belly. “I saw her.”
“Dude, she took my camera,” Zak said loudly as he stood.
“Took mine, too.” I couldn’t understand where she’d come from, but she’d been in a hurry to get out. With both our cameras.
“We gotta find her. We gotta get our cameras back. We haven’t uploaded that mermaid footage, yet.”
Zak helped me to my feet, then ran ahead of me to the door. He took off running into the night. I hovered near the doorway, adjusting my eyes to the fading light outside.
A slim ray of evening sun beyond the clouds gave just enough light to see, but it was growing dark fast.
I couldn’t imagine where this girl had come from or why she was here. Unless she had a boat tied somewhere, there was no other way off this island. I stepped out of the mansion, but as I descended the steps leading to the front door, I caught the scent of roses and seawater.
I paused, looking first left, then right, wondering where she had gone.
It occurred to me that she would know we would run after her. She took something of ours and we would instantly give chase. She was expecting us to search the island for her, not the mansion.
I turned around and peered under the porch where I found the woman crouched on the ground, a small backpack slung over one shoulder and our cameras clutched in both hands.
“Howdy,” I said as I grabbed her wrists and pulled her to her feet.
Chapter 4
Cassandra
It had all seemed so simple. When I couldn’t find their camp, I had waited with indecision. I seriously didn’t know what else to do. The island wasn’t huge, but for one woman to search alone in the oncoming dark, it was massive.
While I waited, trying to decide my next move, I had heard the men talking as they approached the mansion. Relief and nervousness washed through me. I raced upstairs to find
a place to hide. I’d wait to see what they would do. They were stuck here, no matter if they planned it or not. I had made sure of that when I cast their canoe into the ocean.
Now, I just had to wait until they were fast asleep, sneak into whatever room they had chosen and take the cameras. I hadn’t expected that they would begin an investigation. They were ghost hunting, which wasn’t too far-fetched considering the reputation of this mansion. It also meant that they were very unlikely to go to sleep.
That explained the absence of camping supplies.
When the opportunity came to grab the first man’s camera and run, I took it. I thought I could lock him into the closet until I found the other guy. I didn’t suspect he was strong enough to break through the closet door as he had, so with him shouting behind me I ran.
Right into the second man.
I hadn’t known for sure where he was. I suspected he might be in another room or possibly outside since I hadn’t heard him talking.
Not until I tripped over him.
A tumble down the stairs later and now I stood at the bottom of the porch steps with the second man’s hands like manacles around my wrists.
“Zak!” He shouted over his shoulder. “I found her.”
I yanked my hands, pulling to free them, but his grip remained like iron. He was fiercely strong, and he wasn’t letting go.
“Easy,” he said to me. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
But I didn’t wait to see if he spoke the truth. I continued to struggle against him, using every ounce of strength to pull away. When that didn’t work, I kicked at him.
“Whoa!” He shouted in alarm. Then in one quick move, he swung me around so that my bag slipped from my shoulder and my back pressed to his chest. His arms wrapped around me like a vise. “I don’t want you hurting me again either. I just want to know one thing… What are you doing here?”
I didn’t say a word but continued to struggle against him. He overpowered me with pure strength. He was much taller than my small frame and his chest was as broad as a mountain. Well-muscled without an inch of fat. The man must work out daily at a gym. I felt oddly fragile with his powerful arms wrapped around my body.
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