Raine nodded. "He is a good hunter. I don't know if he has dealt with merfolk, but he probably has. He deals with all creatures."
"Good." Sophie breathed in relief. If things went bad, they would have someone to go to at least. That was very good.
Raine and Sophie looked up at the top of the stairs, hearing movement. They saw Ashlyn coming down the stairs. The two sighed in unison, as Raine spoke up, "Ash, how are you feeling?"
Ashlyn didn't give a response. She continued walking down the stairs trying to make her way to the door. As she passed Raine, she could see that Ashlyn's blue eyes were glazed over.
"Not already..." Raine whispered as her eyes widened in horror. Raine grabbed Ashlyn by the shoulders so she could look her in the eyes. "Ashlyn, wake up!" Raine shook her, trying to get her to respond. "Come on! Wake up, Ash!"
Still, she didn't answer and only tried to break free of Raine's hold on her.
"Answer me, Ash!" Raine was starting to panic, she didn't know what to do. She didn't have the training to deal with this.
"I need to get to the water. I have to go." Ashlyn's voice came out almost robotic when speaking, not even bothering to even spare Raine or Sophie a glance.
"Come on, Ash, you need to fight it. You can do it," Sophie spoke up, tears filling her eyes as she looked at one of her best friends. She needed to be able to fight this.
"Let me go, I need to go." Ashlyn pushed Raine's hands off her trying to get around her to the door.
Raine held back tears as she grabbed her, pushing her to the ground and pinned Ashlyn to the ground, using all her strength to not let Ashlyn get free from her. "No, I won't let them have you!"
Ashlyn fought, thrashing as she tried to get out of Raine's hold, screaming for her to let her go. "I belong there! They need me!" Her voice still held the robotic tone to it, even when she was screaming.
“No, you belong here, with us!" Raine yelled as she moved so she straddled Ashlyn and held both arms down by her wrists. “They can’t have you.” She wasn’t going to let them win. Those sick creatures could suck it up because she wasn’t going to let anything happen to Ashlyn. She was family to her and she would do anything for family.
“Is there a way to snap her out of it?” Sophie yelled in panic, trying not to break down all the way from the way their friend was acting.
“I don’t know…” She looked at the wild look in Ashlyn’s eyes and shook her head. “I can do something temporarily…”
“Then do it!” Sophie screamed as she watched Raine push Ashlyn back into the floor, as she almost got away from Raine.
Raine nodded and gave her friend an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but I have to do this." Raine moved her hand, making sure she was using her body to hold Ashlyn down so she wouldn't move and pressed her fingers on her neck. She sighed when she felt her friend's body go limp. Raine let her go, sitting back as she was still straddling her friend, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. "Why out of all people did you have to cross them, Ash... Why?" A sob escaped her lips, she could already hear Sophie who was still off to the side crying as well.
This vacation really wasn't going the way they had thought it would. It was turning into a nightmare.
"Help me get her to the couch, I'll call my brother," Raine told Sophie, her voice cracking as she got off of Ashlyn. She had no other choice, she wanted her friend back to normal, and those god damn fish were not going to win.
Sophie sniffed, moving to help Raine carry Ashlyn to the couch. Once they got her settled, Sophie stayed kneeling by her, brushing her hair out of her face. "This isn't how things were supposed to happen this summer, Ash..."
"Watch her, I am going to call him..." Raine grimaced as she thought of how the conversation would go with her brother. The two hadn't talked in over three years, her doing, but still. This might end up being an awkward conversation.
Aspen Winters live in Bettendorf, Iowa with her Parents and little brother who is sixteen, and knows how to drive her crazy. When she isn’t working her day job, she usually has her hands in an art project of some kind, or writing her next book.
Aspen has a slight obsession with stingrays, or anything in plush form, and collects different animal plushies to join her collection (feel free to send her some…just kidding! She has a closet filled with them lol) She writes with her plush companion by her side during the night to keep her company.
She enjoys reading and can devour a book rather quickly. She loves immersing herself in worlds that other people have created.
Join Aspen’s Insane Asylum Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2002637606682504/
Open Your Heart Page 13