“You are full of surprises, Mr. London. Full of surprises.”
“Well, I’ll be,” Vance whispered as he leaned in for a closer look.
“Is that what I think it is?” Penelope inquired.
Sprite nodded and grinned widely. “An Atlantean crystal,” the ranger revealed with an almost religious reverence. “The rarest and most powerful crystalline structure on earth. Legends say they are imbued with a magic so mysterious, not even the great Atlantean elders knew what they were capable of.”
Tashi stepped forward to examine the object, and it began to oscillate rapidly. It emitted a low-toned harmonic resonance that reminded Sam of a tuning fork. The crystal also radiated a blue glow that grew in strength and brightness. Vance and Sprite exchanged a concerned glance.
“It wasn’t doing this before,” Sam said nervously as they all watched in awe. Suddenly energy sprang from the Guardian’s shekchen and poured into the crystal. The sapphire-colored stream of energy was being pulled through the staff from the ground and was crawling up through the cracks in the floorboards.
“What’s it doing?” Sam shouted over the hum, which was steadily increasing in volume. It was akin in sound and timbre to a human voice singing a protracted “O.” The entire cabin rumbled, and Sam could feel his bones vibrate.
“It appears to be using my shekchen as a conductor, pulling upon the energy of Gaia herself,” Tashi answered in an emotionless, scientific manner.
“How ’bout you make it stop?” Dr. Vantana asked. “This doesn’t look like it’s going to end well.” The Guardian nodded, then yanked the shekchen back, breaking the connection with the crystal. But the crystal continued to glow, and now the blue energy was migrating to the tip of the object. “Take cover!” Vance yelled as he plucked the crystal from Sam’s hand and pointed it toward the farthest wall. A massive burst of energy shot from the crystal and slammed into the side of the cabin, blowing a three-foot-wide hole in the wall. The blast continued into the surrounding area until it was sucked back into the earth and disappeared. Everyone stood stunned except Tashi, who leaned into Sprite’s wide-eyed stare.
“Will that get us to Atlantis?” she asked in a calm, relaxed tone, as though the last few seconds had never happened. Sprite nodded slowly.
“Yes…I believe it will.”
“If it doesn’t blow you all to smithereens before then,” Penelope remarked.
“How about I carry that old crystal and you stay five paces away from me at all times,” Vantana suggested to the Guardian.
“Excellent idea,” Sprite said.
“I concur,” Tashi added.
“Awesome possum,” Vantana quipped. “Then all we gotta do is convince Pearl Eklund she’s a mermaid princess who has to travel with us to the lost city of Atlantis so we can find her mythical underwater home, where she will be marrying a guy she believes is a stalker who’s trying to kill her. Is that the short of it?”
“I think so,” Sam replied.
“Well, I’ve had tougher rows to hoe,” Vance said, and shrugged. “Where do we start?”
* * *
—
Pearl Eklund had been home for only a few hours, but she was already itching to leave. She was curled up on her bed, clutching her necklace and staring at a picture of her parents. It was the only picture salvaged from the boat, which she later learned had been their home at the time it sank. The odd thing was, no matter how much she stared at these two smiling, average-looking people, they didn’t look familiar to her. She tried to see herself in their faces. Maybe she had her mom’s eyes…or her father’s cheekbones…but it was honestly hard to say for sure. She had hoped the sessions with Dr. Hawkins would change that feeling in time, but the psychotherapy had failed to spark even a glint of a memory.
Now, after being sent home from the hospital with a clean bill of health, Pearl was reflecting on her first near drowning and trying to make sense of it in relation to Murphy’s bizarre outburst, the crazed stalker, and the random boy who had saved her life. Though she couldn’t recall exactly how he had saved it. He said his name was Sam London, and her father claimed he was a superfan who happened to be in the right place at the right time to help her, but that seemed too coincidental for Pearl. The boy appeared to know the mystery man from San Francisco, and she could have sworn she heard him say he was with the government. But isn’t he just a kid? Is it even possible for him to work for the government? she wondered.
There was also the mystery of the door to the limousine, which had been torn clean off. The police concluded that it had likely been open when the car plunged into the water, and the pressure had caused it to break free from its hinges. Pearl had difficulty accepting this explanation, since she remembered the door being closed when she was in the vehicle. The boy had even tried opening the doors while they were submerged, to no avail. Of course, everything was still a bit fuzzy, and she couldn’t be certain of any of her memories. Amid her thoughts, a knock sounded at her bedroom door and a second later the door creaked open. It was Dr. Hawkins.
“I know you want to be alone, Ms. Eklund, but your father insisted I see you,” she said in a hushed voice as she approached. Pearl sat up and tucked her knees under her chin.
“I told him I was fine….I just need some time by myself.”
“I understand, but you know your dad. He’s worried sick out there. And frankly, so am I. May I? Just for a moment?” Hawkins gestured to the bed. Pearl had never seen such concern on the doctor’s face before. She nodded permission, and Hawkins sat on the edge.
“How are you doing?” Hawkins asked.
“I’m confused…and a little scared,” Pearl confessed.
“Feeling scared is perfectly normal, given what you’ve been through. But the confusion…What exactly are you confused about?”
“Everything,” Pearl answered. “The last few days have been so…weird. And I don’t know who or what to believe anymore. I started having those dreams again, and I heard the fish in the aquarium talking….Am I going crazy?” Her voice cracked with emotion.
“No. Not at all,” the doctor said confidently. “It’s actually expected, medically speaking. Whatever is going on is having an impact on your state of mind, which is fragile, especially given your past tragedy. These experiences, the pressure you put on yourself, they’re still traumatic enough to cause other manifestations.”
“Like what?” Pearl asked.
“Hallucinations, things of that sort. It isn’t at all surprising for someone in your condition.”
“Hallucinations…like when I was younger and saw those creatures?” Pearl inquired.
“Yes. And those went away in time, right?” Hawkins said. Pearl nodded softly. “We’ll figure this out, I promise.”
“You don’t think my father has something to do with this, do you? Something he isn’t telling me? About the day he found me?”
Hawkins considered Pearl’s question a long moment. “I don’t know, Pearl. But I do know he hired me to help you. I know he cares for you a great deal.” Pearl thought about it. The doctor was right—Lief did seem to care deeply for her. Why would he lie?
“I think that boy in the car knew the man from San Francisco,” Pearl whispered to Hawkins, who raised her eyebrows.
“Interesting. Did he talk to the police?” the doctor asked. Pearl shook her head.
“My dad said he was gone by the time they arrived. He said he’d try to find the boy, but I think he’s more concerned with tracking down that crazy guy and locking him up.”
“Well, I hope they find them both and get some answers. I know that would be tremendously helpful to you,” the doctor said.
“Thank you, Dr. Hawkins.”
“You’re more than another patient, Pearl. You’re a friend.” She smiled. “I’m glad we could talk. Get some rest. Doctor’s orders.” The girl nod
ded, and Hawkins left.
Now more than ever, Pearl decided it was time for her to take matters into her own hands. The doctor was right—getting answers would be tremendously helpful for her peace of mind. And that meant she had to find Sam London herself. She couldn’t depend on her father’s help, and even when she found one of her “gems” at the police station, the officer-fan had nothing to offer. Although he did tell her over and over again how “awesome” she was. At one time—probably just yesterday—such compliments had been a vital part of Pearl’s self-esteem. But now they had no such effect. She didn’t care about being awesome. She just wanted to feel normal again, and normalcy didn’t seem possible without figuring out what the heck was going on.
Fortunately, she remembered her father saying that Sam was a superfan. If this was true, there was one possible way to get a message to him. She took out her phone and created a post with two photographs. One of the photos was of the city of London and the other was of a lighthouse on Boca Chita Key in Biscayne National Park. Pearl captioned it “Two Pearl-tastic places at sunset.” She pressed the final button to post it and then pocketed her phone.
Pearl was counting on a lot of things to come together in order for this to work, but it was worth the chance. After a quiet lunch with her father, Pearl told him she was going to her room to rest, but instead she snuck downstairs in the servants’ private elevator and caught a cab to the docks. She chartered a boat to take her to Boca Chita Key, though the captain voiced his concerns about the inclement weather that appeared to be moving in. She paid the man handsomely for the ride and his silence.
SL002-130-40
SOURCE: PR
DATE: ████████
Biscayne National Park is the largest marine park in the national park system, with 95 percent of it existing underwater. It consists of the bay, a mangrove swamp, a reef, and the keys, which are islands formed by fossilized coral. Boca Chita Key is located in the upper part of the Florida Keys archipelago, a cluster of islands that borders the national park on its eastern edge.
Pearl knew Boca Chita Key like the back of her hand. It was the place she visited when she needed to get away or when she was feeling disconnected and alone. It just happened to be the spot on land closest to the area where Pearl was found by Lief all those years ago. She would often visit the lighthouse that sat on the tip of the island and watch the sunset over the water with the hope that it might help her remember her parents. But today would not be a day to enjoy the view. Just as the boat captain had warned, the clouds darkened and the skies opened up a few minutes after she arrived. The entry to the lighthouse provided Pearl with just enough shelter to avoid getting soaked. The wind was picking up and the seas were much rougher than when she’d come in. She wondered, if Sam had interpreted her message, would he even be able to convince a boater to bring him out to the island? The rain kept coming down, and she peered at her phone, scrolling through her account in case any personal messages—perhaps from someone with “London” in their name—had come through, but though the list was endless, there were no messages bearing that name.
“Pearl?”
Anxiously she looked up and found Sam standing in the storm under an umbrella. The umbrella was being held by a man who appeared to be dressed as a park ranger, and there was also a young girl carrying a staff standing nearby, seemingly unfazed by the downpour.
“You came!” Pearl exclaimed, and ran over to him despite the rain.
“I was hoping those were clues,” Sam replied with a smile.
“I had to be vague or my father would have caught on,” she explained. “Who are they?” Pearl gestured to his companions.
“This is Dr. Vance Vantana and that’s Tashi. They’re my friends.” Pearl eyed the two, then shifted her gaze back to Sam.
“Thank you for saving my life.”
“Don’t thank me. It was Maris who rescued us,” Sam told her. “If he hadn’t torn that door off, we both would have drowned.”
“He tore the door off?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Sam said.
Pearl considered this new information. “He isn’t just some crazed fan, is he?”
Sam shook his head. “No, but I can see why you might think that.”
“What does…Maris want from me, then? I saw you talking to him.”
“It’s going to sound a little unbelievable, but I need you to trust me,” Sam told her as the rain pelted the island and the wind nearly swept away his umbrella.
“Maybe we should get to some shelter. I don’t think this is going to let up,” Vantana suggested. “There’s a picnic pavilion on the—”
“Dr.—” Tashi interrupted, pointing to his chest.
“The crystal!” Sam shouted over the wind. Pearl’s eyes went to the ranger. There was something in his jacket, and it was glowing. Vance peered down, reached inside his jacket, and withdrew a glowing blue crystal.
“Get back, Tashi,” Vance instructed. Tashi stepped back a foot.
“It is not my shekchen that is causing this reaction,” she noted.
“What is that?” Pearl asked, mesmerized by the object’s strange glow. There was something comforting about it. She felt drawn to the crystal. And it was apparently drawn to her as well.
“It’s pulling me,” Dr. Vantana said. He struggled to keep it in his hand and plant his feet on the ground. Pearl felt compelled to reach out and touch the crystal…and that was all it took.
The moment her hand touched the glowing rock, a surge of blue energy shot through her body and launched her high into the air. Up and up she went, until she finally plummeted back down to earth and landed with a splash in the bay. After a few tense seconds, Pearl reemerged, struggling to get her head above the turbulent waters.
“Help! I can’t swim!” she screamed. Not again, she thought.
Sam and his friends rushed over to the edge of the key, calling her name and reaching out to Pearl to pull her up, but she couldn’t hear them. Her head was bombarded with a loud ringing that left her disoriented. And then something swam by her. Something massive.
The creature seemed to be circling, until at last it rose from Biscayne Bay. It was monstrous, easily twice as tall as the Boca Chita lighthouse, with several hulking tentacles and the head of a great white shark. The beast screeched and plucked Sam London and his friends up in its slimy appendages. Terrified and nearly in shock, Pearl attempted to get away from the creature, but there was something wrong with her legs—they were stuck together and she couldn’t separate them, no matter how hard she tried. When she looked down to see what the problem was, she found that they were fusing together. The skin on her legs began to change too, rippling like waves, each wave turning her skin bluer and scalier. Her feet were also growing. They stretched and flattened until she had a fin. A great big beautiful fin! In that moment, it was like a lightning bolt had struck her. Pearl Eklund instantly knew her name was really Iaira and she was a princess—a royal mermaid who reigned over the legendary city of Ta Cathair. But there was no time to ponder this revelation. She had to save Sam and his friends before that monstrous sea creature killed them. She recognized the strange beast as a Lusca.
Protect princess, it repeated in a growling monotone that echoed in her head but, strangely, not in her ears. The Lusca had no doubt heard Iaira scream. She had allies among the creatures of the sea who could sense when her kind was in danger and would come to their rescue.
“Stop!” she yelled, but the creature kept repeating its mantra. Then she remembered that these creatures communicated by thought. She focused on clearing her head until one thought remained: Release them. She let it echo in her mind, over and over again. The Lusca’s voice suddenly silenced and he dropped his captives into the water. Go, she thought. The Lusca caught her eye and appeared to nod with understanding, then slunk back into the water and disappeared. Iaira swam over to Sam an
d his friends. “Grab on. I’ll pull you to the island,” she said. The trio did as they were told, and Iaira was surprised by her own strength.
“Thank you,” a wet and frazzled Sam said as he climbed back onto land.
“Thank you,” Iaira told him as she floated up to the water’s edge. “I have heard people say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. When I touched that crystal, a flicker of a previous life flashed before my eyes. One I never knew existed.”
“It’s a life you forgot,” Sam said.
Princess Iaira nodded. “It is time for me to remember.”
“Yes,” Sam agreed. “And to return home to your people…and your kingdom.”
The opportunity to travel to the legendary city of Atlantis did not come often, even for a mythical tree creature over a hundred years old. Ranger Woodruff Sprite was, as his name suggested, a wood sprite—a mythical creature who shared a special kinship with nature, in particular with trees. A spriggen in Celtic lore, a dryad in Greek mythology, sprites were known by various names across different cultures, and they were all technically part tree—a little-known truth that helped explain why the creatures could talk to trees. Woodruff had had wonderful conversations with cypresses and pines in his time at the Everglades park. Because they were stationary, trees were inquisitive about the world outside their realm, and being a gregarious sort, Ranger Sprite loved to regale them with stories from his colorful past. They especially enjoyed his stories of Atlantis, as did Sam London and the Guardian Tashi, whom he briefed about the city on the car ride to the dvergen subway station in Falling Waters State Park.
Vance had dozed off in the passenger seat of the SUV, preparing to take a driving shift halfway through the seven-plus-hour haul to Chipley, while Iaira was sound asleep in the back, no doubt exhausted by the day’s events. Fortunately, her fin had reverted to legs a few minutes after being hoisted out of the water in Biscayne Bay.
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