"Can't we do this upstairs?" I asked.
"Over here," Eddie said with a smile. "I've got the proper tools set up for you, so you can practice before the contest. The scissors we use are sharper than what most people are used to."
On a table next to a stool lay several scissors, a comb, and a gown. It was nice of him, I guessed. But why were we in the basement?
"I'd prefer to get ready upstairs," I said with a shudder. "Basements, eww."
"I don’t want the other contestants complaining about special treatment." Eddie shook his head.
"Maybe they'd be on to something. I'm not so sure I need this special treatment." Geez. It was just a haircutting contest, not the Olympics. Why was Eddie doing this?
"Here, sit down and I'll show you these scissors in particular. They're a little different from normal."
"Fine." I sat.
"We'll get it over with quickly." He wrapped the gown over my shoulders.
"Hey! Don't actually cut my hair."
"Just don't want to mess up your sweater," Eddie said, slipping into stylist-speak, the sing-song voice and those things that every stylist says to every client. Next he would probably mention the weather.
"Boy, that rain. Am I right?" he said, as he messed with the stool height adjustment.
I smiled. Hairstylists were so predictable.
I shrugged. "Can you loosen the gown, Eddie? It's too tight."
I slid a finger between my throat and the gown which he'd fastened around my neck. I tried to loosen it, but it wasn't budging.
"Oh, sure, let me get that," he said, leaning over it.
Suddenly I felt my shoulders yank back. "Ouch!"
He yanked my wrists behind my back and secured them with some sort of binding. "Eddie!" I pulled apart, but it was no good. I only hurt my wrists as the binding cut into them.
"What are you doing?" I tried to jump out of the chair, but I couldn't move. My feet were bound. I thrashed about. "Eddie!" When had that happened?
He gripped my shoulder. Hard. "If you struggle, you will only hurt yourself."
"What are you doing? Let me go!" I shouted for all I was worth and tried to jump up, but he had me securely fastened to the chair. What was going on?
"Just relax. Shhh." Eddie smiled a sad smile and duct-taped my mouth.
I continued to yell wordlessly, but only sounded like an injured cow.
"Don't hurt yourself, Sadie. Just stay down here and everything will be all right. I need to get upstairs and contact your family to arrange for my reward."
Did he say my family? I froze and listened. What the heck was he talking about?
"You don't even know who you are, do you, Sadie?" He smiled triumphantly and then continued, "I'd love to stay and have a long chat, but I hear someone walking around upstairs. As soon as the contest is over, I'll be back and we can have a nice, long talk."
I shook my head vigorously. He couldn't leave me down here alone.
I heard a door open and close upstairs, someone shouted. I heard laughter. I needed to let them know I was down here.
"OOM, OOM, OOM," I moaned and thrashed in the chair.
Eddie just laughed at me. "Shhh," he admonished. He picked up his scissors and my backpack, and he walked upstairs. When he reached the top, he flicked off the switch, plunging me into total darkness.
"OOM, OOM, OOM," I moaned and thrashed in the chair again. Yup, I was afraid of the dark too.
Eddie must have reconsidered his decision because he turned the light back on. Relief flooded through me. Even though I was still tied up in a basement by a crazy barber, at least I could see.
Then I heard the door click as he closed it. A lock bolted.
Escape. I needed to escape.
What was on my wrists? It felt like a zip tie, thin and plastic. Probably the same thing was on my ankles. I wriggled my hands back and forth to get more space to move, but it didn't seem to help. The ties were too tight.
You don't even know who you are, do you, Sadie?
Had Eddie been talking about the water thing? How would he even know about that?
I wriggled my nose and mouth and pressed my tongue out of my mouth, trying to work off the tape. It let up a little of the pressure, but the tape itself was securely fastened to my face.
Think, Sadie!
I looked around the basement. Mold. Dust. Boxes of paper towels and disposable gloves.
This was crazy. What was wrong with Eddie? I didn't have a family. If he thought he would ransom my return, he was going to be extremely disappointed, and probably angry. He was a fool, but I would probably have to pay the price.
Was he the one who killed Marcy?
Or maybe he was one of those men who kept women locked up in basements?
Who knew I was here? Mrs. G had Pudgie, but she wouldn't expect to see me until after the contest. No one would come looking for me until well after the contest ended.
And who knew what Eddie might have done by then? No. I had to get out of here on my own and I had to do it now.
You don't even know who you are, do you, Sadie?
If only there was some water, I might be able to try the commanding-water trick, but besides mold in the basement corners and a general dampness, I didn’t see evidence of water.
I tried anyway. Water, come to me, I thought.
I heard a trickle and looked up at the ceiling. Pipes! Water pipes!
I tried again. Water, come to me now!
Drip. Drip. Water leaked out from a pipe joint. Yes! It was working!
I closed my eyes and concentrated, trying to relax. Despite the duct tape and the zip ties and the basement and this crazy turn of events, I had power. I could use it. I didn't have to sit and wait to be stupid Eddie's victim.
Focus.
When I had been underwater, the thing that worked was just directly telling the water what I wanted. Commanding. Like a queen.
Water, I thought, with as much majesty as I could muster while duct-taped to a chair in a basement. Rescue me!
Swoosh!
Yes! The pipe burst and water sprayed into the room! Gallons and gallons of beautiful water rushed to me, swirling around my legs, warm and supportive.
Okay. Now what? I was strapped to a chair in a basement filling up with water.
Could I drown down here? No. I knew that wouldn't happen. The water would only help me.
I needed to alert everyone upstairs that I was here.
Water, go upstairs! Open the door! Flood the salon!
The water at my feet swooped up into a giant wave and rushed up the stairs. Yes! I heard the crash of a door toppling and furniture slamming about.
"Hey! Look out!" I heard hollering and confused shrieks from upstairs. They must have been inundated. I heard someone call out to get a plumber.
Water, more! I thought.
More water rushed out of the pipe and a bigger wave collected at my feet.
Water, carry me!
The water swirled around my legs and then lifted up my chair. I didn't tip over, but rather was carried along as gently as if I were a baby in a stroller.
My chair and I glided up the stairs and across the threshold into the staff room, which was practically empty now. No espresso machine. No table. Only a drenched sofa lying on its side.
The water had created a flash flood.
Wow! Well done, water!
When my chair reached the salon, I saw Ray and Daphne, and a very shocked Eddie. I was still tied to the chair with duct tape across my mouth.
Ray ran to my side and yanked the tape. "What happened to you?" he asked.
"Ouch!" I cried as it ripped off. "Get these ties off me!"
"Oh, my goodness," Ray said. He grabbed scissors and cut the binding from my feet. "Where did you come from? Who did this to you?"
"The basement. Eddie did this!" I jumped up and backed up toward the wall. The water pooled at my feet as if it were waiting for its next command.
"Dad?" Daphne turned to lo
ok at him. "Tell her it's not true."
"Of course not!" Eddie said.
"What are you talking about, Sadie?" Ray said, holding my shoulder and walking behind me to cut the ties from my wrists. My arms stung, with red marks like bracelets where the ties had cut into me.
Eddie blanched as I glared at him and lifted a hand to point. "Call the police, Ray. Eddie did this."
"I don't know what she's talking about," Eddie said, trying to compose himself. "But certainly, call the police. Someone did something here. It just was not me."
"Oh, yeah? You sure about that? Water, more!" I cried, and watched as every faucet in the salon opened and water streamed out full blast, quickly overflowing the basins.
Daphne gasped and Ray froze, his phone in his hand. They watched in shock.
"Water, up!" The spigots flew into the air, each one directed at Eddie.
Eddie lifted his arms overhead and ducked down, but he was soon drenched anyway. Daphne picked up her cell phone to film him and the water—and me.
"Are you sure you can't explain how I ended up tied to a chair in your basement?" I demanded, letting the pressure decrease a bit so that he could hear me.
"You're crazy!" he yelled.
"Last chance," I said aloud. I started the hoses up again and water crashed over him. I could easily ruin his salon with a deluge, and he had to know that.
Eddie dropped to his knees and then collapsed under the onslaught of water. I glanced out the window toward a hydrant on the sidewalk and pointed. "You sure?"
Eddie looked outside and shook his head.
"Admit it!" I insisted.
"I did it, okay?" he finally said. "I trapped you in the basement."
"Dad, no!" Daphne said.
"Tell me why," I demanded.
"Because you can do this! And I didn't think you knew. You're a sea witch, okay? And your family would give anything for your return. Anything!"
My family?
"Stop," I said aloud, and the water ceased. I didn't want to kill anyone, or drown Eddie, or destroy the salon. Over the sound of dripping water, I heard police sirens coming from far away. I glanced around. The salon was a wreck. Everything was drenched. There wasn't much time.
"Who is my family?" I demanded softly. "Tell me."
Still on his knees, Eddie began to sob, shaking his head.
"Who?" I insisted, my whole body trembling.
The sirens came closer, blasting through me. The police were nearly here. What would happen when Daphne and Ray told them what I had done? That I had wrecked the salon and made water do unbelievable damage? Daphne had filmed me with her phone. Would I be locked up in a mental institution? Would I be arrested or made to pay for damages?
Eddie had locked me in the basement, put duct tape over my mouth. Why?
I was overheating, barely able to stay in the same room with him. Even though I was surrounded by water, my mouth was dry. Waves of pain blasted through my head.
I turned to Ray. "I've got to get out of here."
"You don't need to leave, Sadie," Ray said. "Just tell the police what Eddie did to you."
"But the water. All this water. And Daphne filmed me."
"You destroyed our salon!" Daphne yelled. "You stole my fiancé, and you ruined my life!"
"You see?" I said to Ray.
He nodded. "I'll tell them," he said. "I'll tell the police what happened."
I definitely was on Team Ray now. "Thank you," I said.
I turned to the door and bolted outside, only to be met with a steady rain. The storm had picked up.
Good.
The water was my friend. I welcomed rain.
As I put one foot in front of the other and marched down the sidewalk, I felt so confused. Why had Eddie kidnapped me? Who was my family?
Who was I?
One clear thought shone out like a beacon from a lighthouse.
Jake.
The docks. He'd said I could talk with him about anything. Maybe he was still there.
You don't even know who you are, do you, Sadie?
No. I didn't know. But I intended to find out. And I knew where to start.
I turned toward the sea—and ran.
Chapter 14
Sadie
The docks in Enchanted Shores abutted the boulevard south of the city, where frozen yogurt trucks and hot dog stands gave way to faceless warehouses and the surf broke hard on a rocky shore.
I'd never been to the docks before.
Never had a reason.
Despite the storm or maybe because of it, the boatyard was bustling with activity. We live out the small tragedies of our life surrounded by people we barely know and buildings we'll never investigate. Everyone was busy and moving with great purpose.
I didn't see Jake anywhere, so I ran to the boatyard office and burst in.
"Where's Jake Serrano?" I cried.
A very old, very calm man turned to me, his white beard jutting from his chin. "He's in the search party, looking for his trawler, the Regina Ellen. And you are?" The man was brewing tea, arranging a teapot and laying cookies on a plate.
I took a breath and tried to calm down. I was still shaking, "I'm Sadie Summer. Can I help? Find the ship, I mean?"
"Got a ship? Got a crew?" the old man asked. He blew into an empty mug, then turned it upside down, shaking it briskly.
"I don't have a ship," I said. But I had something else. I had the command of the water. "Where is she? Where is the Regina Ellen?"
"If I knew that she wouldn't be lost, now would she?"
He chuckled and poured a cup of tea from the pot. He didn't seem concerned in the least as if it would take a heck of a lot more than a storm and a lost boat to make him break a sweat.
"Care for some tea?" he said. He poured a second cup and offered it to me.
"No, thanks." If Jake wasn't here, I'd ask the ocean to save him. But then what? Where would I go? Who would I turn to? Eddie was out there somewhere. Would he try to capture me again?
The old man moved closer to me, still offering the tea. "Just a sip? It will do you good. I sense you're having a rough day."
That was an understatement. I shook my head. Then figured, why not? I accepted the cup and sipped the tea. Oh, it was good!
The hot brew spread warmth from my belly to my limbs, taking away the panicked edge I'd felt since I'd been in the basement. I took a deep breath and nodded. Then I took another sip. "Thank you. Will you tell Jake I was here? Please? When he gets back? I need to talk with him."
The old man nodded and smiled, his face erupting in wrinkles. "Sadie Summer was here. And she had a sip of tea. Got it." He winked at me.
I opened the office door and pushed back outside, the wind slamming into me. Would the ocean bring back the trawler for me? Could it?
I walked down the furthest dock to the water's edge, until I was alone and all I could see was ocean and sky.
"Ocean," I whispered into the wind from the very edge of the dock. "Bring back the Regina Ellen. Bring her safely home."
Waves licked at my feet.
I said it again, out loud and strong, "Ocean, I want the Regina Ellen and her crew safe at this dock! Bring back Jake Serrano and his boat too!"
A gust of wind whipped around me as a wave crashed against my legs. I braced myself, bending my knees.
"Wind, stop!" I said, but it didn't.
Clearly, I couldn't control the wind. The wind whistled, pushing and pulling me at the edge of the dock. It had me in its grip. "No!" I yelled, but I was being pushed over and sucked in.
The wind took me. I fell in, closing my eyes and letting go. Once I was under the surface, I opened my eyes as I stretched out my arms and legs.
Although the storm raged above, under the sea all was calm. I felt caressed and cradled. I felt at home.
Crusty sea animals wallpapered the pilings. I saw anemones and starfish, with minnows moving in massive schools and darting about the seaweed. An underwater light came from behind the pie
r, illuminating the crystal blue water. Again, I found myself underwater. And again, I liked it. I made my way forward, marveling that I could swim so effortlessly. Warmth spread through my body.
I drifted toward the pier, and as I got closer I was surprised to see the light was emanating from a giant shell. It looked like a huge conch, pink and gold and white. I let the current take me nearer.
Up close, the shell was even bigger than I'd thought; it was nearly the size of a small car and balanced on an even larger rock. I felt drawn to it. I reached out my hand.
Why didn't I need air? I wondered briefly, then let the thought go. I felt fine.
The shell was as smooth as glass, and it sparkled like a diamond. I felt a powerful burst of energy as I ran my hand along its edge. The shell felt alive as if I were resting my hand on a beating heart.
The surrounding water glowed aqua blue and contained even more sea creatures. They almost tickled me, swimming close enough to touch.
I looked up toward the water's surface. I couldn't tell if the storm was still raging or not. It was weird how calm it was down here in the sea.
What had I been afraid of all those years?
Nothing about the ocean was even remotely scary. Unlike basements. And the dark.
That was when I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see the same beautiful woman who'd come to me when I was saving Pudgie.
"Hello!" I said. I didn't move my lips, but knew I had spoken and that she had heard me.
"Sarah," she said, her eyes glistening. "Is it really you?"
"I go by Sadie." I wanted to ask a thousand questions, but I was distracted by her bewitching presence. She wore an emerald green gown that flowed behind her in the water, her long red hair woven into a crown on her head.
"We lost you so long ago," she said, reaching a hand out to caress my cheek. "And you're so beautiful. You look just like your mother did."
"My mother?" My heart clenched as tears rushed to my eyes. I wished I had some memory of my parents, but there was nothing.
Shifting and Bewitching (Enchanted Shores Book 1) Page 9