Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

“Can I be excused?” I blurted.

  Mom scanned my plate and then locked eyes with me. “You’ve barely eaten and your sister is sharing. Once we’re finished, you can be excused.”

  “But she’s always talking. She never stops talking!” I stood up and suddenly wanted to throw something. I needed air. “I don’t feel very good.”

  With fast strides, I headed for the door.

  “Ash—”

  I slammed it behind me before she could finish. She had a lot of nerve.

  Marching away from the house, I tugged at my flimsy cardigan sweater and squished across the slushy ground, wishing I had something more on my feet than my slip-on Keds. Outside of the swath of light from the porch, I stood and stared at the lake. The smell of snow lingered in the air as dark clouds salt-and-peppered the evening sky. The creek serenaded me in the distance, but all I wanted to do was scream. Behind me, the door opened and shut, and someone traipsed down the lawn. I braced myself for my mother’s voice.

  “What’s wrong, Pumpkin?”

  Dad.

  The lump in my throat dissolved. “I’m having a crazy day and I’m sick of Lucy,” I muttered.

  “Crazy day, huh?” He stood close to me, left arm stretched out. “Does this have anything to do with what happened with your mom at the store earlier?”

  Dad still wore his work attire—black jeans, steel toe boots, and navy T-shirt with Lake Tahoe Fire silk-screened on the back. When tucking myself under his arm, I noticed the firehouse smell lingering on his clothes—a mixture of old leather and cigar smoke.

  “I’m not mad at Mom. I just don’t like when she expects me to do stuff without asking me first.” I drew circles in the mud with a toe of my shoe.

  “Have you told her this?”

  “I shouldn’t have to.”

  He hummed. “I still think you should tell her.”

  I shrugged and picked at my fingernail. “She’ll just yell at me.”

  “You won’t know unless you try.”

  I grunted.

  “Is there something else bothering you?”

  “Besides my best friend being MIA, the star pitcher on our baseball team asking me to be his date to Senior Ball, or the race on Saturday against the fastest girl in the league—yeah, I’m having a day.”

  “A date for Senior Ball. Now that sounds serious.” Dad smoothed his black mustache and nodded his head. “Would I like this boy?”

  I bit my lip to keep from smiling. “Yeah. I think so. He’s nice.”

  “So, I imagine you’ll need a dress.”

  “Yeah, probably.”

  “And I’ll need a gun.”

  “Dad!” I tried to move away from him.

  He chuckled, holding me tight. “Just kidding. I don’t see the problem. My daughter’s bloomed into a beautiful young lady and this respectable gentleman, as you’ve confirmed, has noticed.”

  I hid my blushing cheeks next to his chest. “Dad.”

  “Of course, there’s going to be an interview, polygraph, and I’ll need his social security number.”

  “Oh geez. I shouldn’t have told you.”

  “Okay, an introduction will do—”

  I let out a large sigh.

  “—But as far as Tatiana goes, no one’s been reported missing, so I bet her family probably left on an emergency and will be back soon. And you’ll do fine on Saturday. Keep your head down and pretend a shark’s behind you. I’m looking forward to watching the race.”

  I peered up into his face. The porch light shone around his head, creating a halo effect. “Just don’t be the loudest on the bleachers this time, okay?”

  “I’ve got my air horn all ready.”

  I tried to twist out of his grasp again but he gave me a playful noogie on my head.

  “Dad.”

  He laughed and let me go. “No, seriously. I’ll do the dishes tonight. Take all the time you need.” He smiled and then went back inside.

  The chilly breeze moved my hair and tickled my cheek. After working through my frustrations from Mom, my queasy stomach fluttered with butterflies. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the outcome of today’s events. But here I was, going to Senior Ball with Callahan. Only then did I jump up and down in elation.

  10 - FIN

  “Wow.” I surfaced to find a newly installed air bubble inside our mer house. “When did this happen?”

  “Today.” Tatiana ran her hand through the light from a sun-mirror and phased out of her fin, then leapt up onto the stone floor. “Mom? Mom! I can’t stay here anymore. Look at what they did to me!”

  She disappeared around the corner which gave me the perfect opportunity to phase and throw on my shorts. Apparently Mom hadn’t had time to put up a privacy curtain.

  “Mother of pearl!” Mom yelled from the back room.

  I cringed. Not the reaction I hoped for. Sobs from Tatch followed. I ducked into my room and stopped in my tracks.

  In the corner, a lava lamp illuminated a new hammock, complete with a downy comforter and feather pillow encased in a green striped sheet. A poster of my favorite band, The Classic Crime hung on the wall and a few of my favorite books lined the shelves. My childhood Star Wars action figures sat on a stack of T-shirts.

  I thumbed through the pile, pulled on my favorite “#TessieLives” shirt, and laughed. No mer in Natatoria would have any idea what it meant, let alone understood the concept of Twitter.

  With a smile, I curled back on mesh netting. Since we slept on the bottom of the pool at night, my bed at home only served as a household prop. But with the continual sunlight available through mirrored tunnels, I could have my legs all night. I wiggled my toes, enjoying the refreshing change. Mom thought ahead this time.

  “Good,” she said while peeking around the rock doorframe.

  “How did you know? When did you do this?”

  She smiled. “Dad took this stuff down right before the meeting. He guessed we might be spending an extended stay in Natatoria, so I thought this would help with the transition.”

  I sat up. “Tatch said Dad’s not coming back.”

  Mom walked over barefoot, wearing a sequined skirt that shushed when she walked. She sat next to me on the hammock. “He’s coming back. I’m just not sure when.”

  “Where is he?”

  “Today, in the palace, someone accidentally mentioned it’s top secret, so not even I’m allowed to know.” Mom folded her hands in her lap, keeping a sullen expression.

  I swallowed hard. Top secret sounded dangerous and Mom appeared to be stuffing her worry. “So now what?”

  “We wait, we do as we’re expected and when your father returns, we go home.” She patted my knee.

  I groaned. I didn’t want to stay any longer than we had to. Fresh oxygen and the sun hanging in the sky still rated higher than some fancy mirror labyrinth and a bubble. “But what about the business?”

  “Hopefully Alaster doesn’t burn up our fleet,” she said with a forced laugh. “We’ll just fix his mistakes when we get back. Next time you’ll be old enough and this won’t happen again, though Al’s made no secret he wants Tahoe. I’m hoping you’ll have the gate and the business one day. But your chances will increase if you have a wife. You should use this time to meet other mermaids your age.”

  Ashlyn’s smile fluttered into my mind. She’d been the first and only girl that captured my attention. “Mom, it’s not that easy to meet girls.”

  “Then go to the courting room.”

  I rolled my eyes. Only desperate mermen went there. “Geez, Mom.”

  “So you’re not planning to attend the festival?” Mom’s eyes studied mine, piercing me through to my unpromised soul. “Are you planning to leave the mer life instead?”

  I clenched my jaw. “Of course not.”

  She closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m concerned you’re going to choose to leave because we never tried to help you fit into Natatoria’s way of life.”

  “It’s not that, Mom. I like the fre
sh air and sunshine.”

  She looked at me with tears in her eyes. “Being a mer is a wonderful thing. There’s no sickness, endless youth, and long life. The promise gave me my soul mate, your father. That’s all I’ve ever wished for you and your sister.”

  “You don’t have to sell it to me.” I patted her on the shoulder. “I like being a mer. I just want to find a girl on my terms.”

  Tatiana peeked around the doorway, her hair bound up in a towel.

  “Come here.” Mom opened her arms wide. Tatch joined in and the three of us sat swinging, encased in mom’s hug. “Listen. I know this change has been rough. Tatiana, I’m sorry you’ve become the Barbie doll of the Queen. And Fin, for being stuck with us. It’s only temporary. Dad will groom you to take over Tahoe, like you want when he gets back. And Tatiana, I’ll help you get into a college in Tahoe or even” —she took a deep breath— “let you date since you don’t seem keen on any mermen here. Let’s just get through this, all right?”

  “Okay,” Tatch moaned in agreement, followed with a sniffle.

  “Sure, Mom.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  11 - ASH

  I walked into my room from being outside, shivering and anxious. My cell phone on the nightstand signaled I had a missed call. I picked it up and looked at the display before playing the message, hoping for a call from Tatchi.

  “You’ve got ten new messages. First message—”

  My mouth gaped open. Ten messages? What?

  Georgia’s voice roared through the earpiece and I rushed to turn down the volume.

  “Where are you? I’ve been dying to talk to you. You’ll never guess what happened. I have to tell you in person. Call me back right away. Okay? Just call me back—”

  My chest constricted.

  “Next message—”

  Georgia again. “Where the heck are you? I have to talk to you—”

  Irritated, I clicked the delete button.

  “Ashlyn, gosh, where—”

  Delete.

  “Are you like out or something? I have—”

  Delete.

  “It’s Georg—”

  Delete.

  “I—”

  Delete.

  I jumped when the phone vibrated with another call, just when I was about to hit delete if I heard her voice again. Caller ID said it was none other than Georgia.

  Great.

  If I let it ring, she’d just keep calling and eventually fill up my voice mailbox. And, just in case Tatchi called, I didn’t want to shut my phone off.

  “You rang?” I said in a monotone voice.

  “Ashlyn! Where have you been? I’ve like called a million times—” I held the receiver away from my ear at a more comfortable decibel. “—are you there?”

  “Yes. What’s up?”

  “Oh my gosh. I have news. Big news. Are you ready?” She took a huge breath, then giggled. “After you left practice, Callahan came over and asked me for—”

  “—my phone number, I know.”

  I smiled at her sudden silence.

  “You know already? Did he call? What did he want?”

  I felt bad for stealing her thunder, but after knowing she’d left ten messages, I wasn’t in the mood for her usual chirpy chatter.

  “He called to ask me to Senior Ball,” I said, my stomach rolling around like a cement mixer.

  “He did?” Georgia squealed. I pinched my eyelids shut as a dull headache formed in my temple. “And what did you say?”

  Telling Georgia the news before I told Tatchi felt like a cardinal sin against our friendship but her sudden absence left me no choice. “I told him I’d go.”

  She squealed again, but her excitement was more grating than thrilling. All I wanted to hear was Tatchi’s more mature enthusiasm on the other line. Drained and suddenly worried about Tatchi, I just wanted to get off the phone.

  “Georgia, I hate to do this, but I’m really tired. Can we talk about this in the morning?”

  “Are you kidding me? The cutest guy in school asks you out and you’re tired?”

  “I know—it’s just been a super long day. Tomorrow, I promise.”

  She pushed out a gust of air, her voice filled with disappointment. “Okay. I guess. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  I hung up and slid onto my floor in a heap, tempted to turn off my phone entirely. My gut quivered in excitement and my heart hurt with worry. The biggest news of my life and the one person I wanted to tell wasn’t home. Where did Tatchi’s family go in such a hurry anyway?

  ***

  In the morning, I managed to sneak downstairs, snag a piece of toast, and escape before anyone converged in the kitchen. With my swim bag in hand, I pulled on my thick coat and trudged down the street through a dusting of new snow. I’d already decided to take a little detour and walk past Tatchi’s house on the way to the bus stop.

  I stopped and stared at the wood siding for a second, my heart pounding. But no matter what I told myself, it was as far as my feet would could go. Disgusted I couldn’t even knock on the door, I turned to leave when someone tall and blonde walked around the corner, cursing something under his breath.

  I gasped. His electric blue eyes met mine.

  “Why hello,” Handsome Boy said, flashing a crooked smile and sauntering towards me. “Can I help you?”

  “Tatiana,” was all I could mutter, my tongue glued to the roof of my mouth.

  His eyes, deep and cool, sucked me into a watery vortex I wanted to sink into and look at forever. My mind and muscles went numb, like the time I’d secretly drunk Uncle Roger’s beer in the cellar on a bet at the annual family reunion six years ago.

  “Well, aren’t you fun?” He walked closer and I couldn’t stop staring. “Actually, my loathsome cousin isn’t here and honestly, I hope she never returns.”

  I wanted to be concerned and ask how he could talk about her like that, but his lips, so soft and luscious, called to me to kiss them. I took a step forward. He reached out, about to touch my face when a gruff voice echoed from within Tatchi’s house.

  “Colin! Did you find those darn keys yet?”

  Handsome Boy turned his face away from me and frowned—breaking the spell. “No. I’ll be there in a second!”

  I tore my eyes away and looked at the ground. The fuzziness began to melt away, drawing me back to clarity. I rubbed my forehead.

  “Um,” I garbled, “tell her to call Ashlyn when she gets back or whatever—”

  As my senses returned, danger warnings screamed for me to get out of there—now! I stumbled backwards and high tailed it up the hill towards the road without looking back.

  “Don’t be a stranger, Ashlyn,” Handsome Boy (I could only assume to be named Colin) called after me with a voice rich like chocolate.

  My throat hitched as something inside wanted to turn around and look into his eyes again, but my feet kept moving forward, taking me to safety.

  My heart thudded at an elevated rate the entire ride to school; partially from the weird interaction with Colin, but also in anticipation of seeing Callahan. Did this all happen, or was the whole thing some weird dream?

  Georgia’s expression after I walked through the gym doors confirmed it was real. Beyond us, a few zombies shuffled in and changed into their swimsuits. I focused back on her, knowing what she’d do next. Nothing like a squeal from Georgia to wake everyone up prematurely.

  The shrill made me pinch my eyes shut. Then we were bouncing up and down, in joyous giggles.

  “So, I guess I need shoes too,” I said midair, letting her excitement creep into my life, finally.

  That launched her into a monologue, words and questions speeding out of her mouth so fast, not even a court reporter could keep up.

  “Whoa.” I held up my hands as we walked across the deck towards the pool. “Let’s take one thing at a time. I need to get a dress first.”

  “Oh totally. Let’s go shopping after practice.”

  “Okay.” I bit my lip, hoping Mom w
ould be cool with that idea too. “And as far as transportation, we probably could all ride together in the same limo, but I don’t know what Callahan’s got planned so far.”

  Georgia grinned. “Okay.”

  I dove in the pool to escape her, thankful for the silence when an ecstatic scream could be heard echoing underwater.

  This is going to be a long day.

  12 - FIN

  The smell of breakfast roused me from my sleep. Groggy and unaware, I popped open one eye and peered out the window. Where redwoods and sunlight should have been, fish swam by in the dimly lit water.

  “Ugh,” I put my head in my hands.

  My throbbing legs, covered in scales, were unsure if they should remain appendages or fuse into a fin. Mom’s blithe song stopped me from my rant. I rolled out of the hammock and headed towards the lovely sounds and smells drawing me to the kitchen.

  On the wall, the world clock said the time was noon in Tahoe. Underneath, an illuminated section highlighted where the sun shone over a replica of the earth with little black dots to show all the gates into Natatoria across the world. Homesick, my eyes zeroed in on the one I cared about and wondered what Colin was up to. Probably still trying to figure out where I’d hidden my clothes, no doubt.

  Mom turned to me with a grin before adjusting the overhead mirror to shine sunlight onto her workspace.

  “These burners are sure different,” she said as she flipped pancakes in one pan, and stirred scrambled eggs in another over a sparkling new lava-heated stovetop. “I’m having a hard time judging how hot they are.”

  I bent down to inspect the lava bubbling under the gel covers of each hot plate. Mom lifted her hand and brushed a few damp tendrils of her hair aside. On the skin of her ring finger, the ornate tattoo I rarely saw caught the light—the mark of her promising to Dad. Normally, her diamond wedding ring covered the ink that she said magically appeared shortly after they kissed for the first time. But the absence of her most prized possession left me wondering.

  “How did you pay for the air bubble and the new stove?” I asked hesitantly.

  “The what, honey?” she asked, pouring more pancake batter into the pan and licking the excess off her finger.

  “The bubble.” I gestured my arms around the room.