Standing
Page 14
“You’re back!” said Gale.
“Yes. We hadn’t left orbit yet when we saw the humans leave our city. This time we will be more careful.”
Gale smiled, “I don’t think that you have anything to worry about now.”
That night Gale slept in a Dellinian bed, which was an interesting experience as she had only slept in water twice before. The sleek metal frame, seaweed sheets, and soft mattress were strange but comfortable. I can’t believe all that’s happened! It seems like it took so long! She stared at the rounded pearl ceiling. The darkness was complete since the city light had been turned off. There was a strange-looking lamp next to the bed though. Gale played with it for a while before going to sleep. It was shaped like an arch. It’s soft purple sheen made her feel comfortable. All she had to do was gently touch it to turn the light on or off. It radiated a clear white glow and it never grew hot. Gale lay there thinking about Tivia and Liam and how they were her relatives. To her, they were friends around the same age as herself. But in reality, they were a couple of centuries apart, and her descendants. She fell asleep slowly, her hair slightly floating off of her pillow.
The next morning she woke with a start. At first she wondered where she was, then she remembered it all. She stood up on her waterlogged bed and jumped up and down laughing. Everything seemed to be floating and she felt like she was too. The joy exploded until finally she floated back down and remembered that she had to get to the Continuance opening. She decided that she’d better get ready since she had no idea what time it was. She scurried over to the mirror and quickly braided her hair. Then she got on her original outfit. When she was done, she walked to the metal door.
“Open?” she said unsurely. The door silently slid open. “Cool!” she said as she swam out of it and went in search of Force.
When she had been given a room the night before, she’d been so tired that she paid no attention to where Force was staying. The Dellinians also had a strange system of telling time that she didn’t completely understand. So she had no idea what time it was. It must be early. Force would have gotten me up if It was time for the Continuance hole to open. She gave commands to a few more doors, and after fifteen minutes she found her way out into the city.
She decided to sightsee a bit. She swam past mermaids wearing sleek clothes. She was surrounded by buildings that were the perfect mix of precious stones and futuristic-looking metal.
“It’s so beautiful.” Gale murmured.
At that moment she jumped in surprise as someone tapped her on the shoulder and grabbed her hand.
“Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over! Come on, we have to get to the Continuance opening!” came Force’s voice.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you also!”
Gale turned around and smiled as he started pulling her through the water. She followed quickly. They got to an area which was right by a shiny building. Keed was waiting for them.
His eyes sparkled, “Just in time!” he said.
The blue portal in the coral patch opened, and then Force laughed and pulled Gale into it. Gale loved the feeling of flying and the colors that hit her as she was pulled in. The flying sensation was so exciting. How am I going to explain to my family where I’ve been? To them it will seem like I was gone a few hours. But still…I guess I will just tell them what really happened. She smiled. Avery will love this! Gale looked around, just like last time Force was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly she found herself on her back, but this time in the water. Kella and Indigo were looking down at her and Force was sitting up next to her. Gale grinned at Force.
“We did it!” she said, addressing Kella and Indigo.
Kella beamed, “Good job! I can tell!”
Indigo reached out and helped Gale up. Gale looked at Force, “Where are you going to go now?”
“I think I’ll see the world that you’re a part of,” he answered with a smile as he stood up.
EPILOGUE
The Light And The Dark
Rumbling around the center,
Dividing the core,
Crumbling through the ruins,
Slashing anything more,
Arguing with the truth,
Crying a lie,
Hurting the innocent,
Killing every tie,
Standing against it,
Defying the wrong,
Shining a light,
Keeping it strong,
Remembering the good,
Straining the bad,
Loving the helpless,
Liberating the mad.
Avery ran to meet her as she walked into her home later that day. Force was going to come ashore the next day. Personally, she couldn’t wait. She missed him already. The bond that they had forged was stronger than iron.
Her little sister’s eyes twinkled as she greeted Gale, “I saw a mermaid city! You were with me! Tell mommy and daddy it is real!”
Gale burst out laughing, Apparently the mind wipe didn’t work on her.
Her mom emerged from the kitchen wiping her hands on a towel, “Where have you been, Gale? I was starting to get worried. Avery won’t stop talking about a mermaid city, did you take her to an amusement park or something?”
“Actually, it was real,” said Gale with a smile.
Something so unbelievable, but it was true. That night she told her family about her adventure. Her parents were very sceptical at first, but then decided that she had never lied, so they had to believe her. When she showed them how she could breathe underwater, it sealed the deal for them. Out of curiosity, they did some research and found mention of a mysterious personage named Lynn in both Lincoln’s and Roosevelt’s personal letters.
Later that day, Gale emailed Lynn.
Her answer to a condensed version of the story was, “I had a feeling you might message me today. Any time you need advice just email me. :)”
“I will, your advice helps me quite a bit in the future. :)”
Gale waited by the sea. She was no longer afraid to get near it, and it felt like a glorious freedom. She felt like she could explore the universe without any limitations. She started spinning around in the surf and looking up into the sky laughing. Suddenly, she tripped and fell. A pair of strong arms caught her.
“You couldn’t wait for me before you did something dangerous again? That’s why you will always need me, to catch you when you fall... and to bail you out of prison,” Force said with a smile.
Gale laughed and shushed him as he helped her stand up. He held a small waterproof bag with the fake identification papers that the Dellinian’s had procured for him (so that it wouldn’t seem like he came out of nowhere), along with his rented apartment papers.
Force looked into the sky thoughtfully, then looked at her. “I decided to take the last name of Delmar. In Spanish, it means “by the sea”. The ocean was my home for quite awhile and it will always be a part of me. Now I’m ready to start a new chapter in my life. I’m ready to look at the stars every night. Do you like the name?” asked Force jokingly, coming out of his thoughtful state.
“Yes, I love it!” she said beaming.
Then Gale laughed as a thought occurred to her, He’ll probably sleep on his balcony every night!
“What?” asked Force.
“Nothing,” she answered, still laughing.
Gale guided him to his apartment and then gave him a tour of the city. He looked at everything in wonder.
“It’s amazing!” he kept saying over and over again.
She loved the look of wonder on his face when he saw each new thing.
A couple of years later, they got married and had six kids, all who went on to become prestigious people who were recognized for their talents worldwide. Force became an astronaut and scientist. He made some major breakthroughs in creating the first air soarers. The longer Gale knew him, the more the genius that was Force was revealed.
As for Gale, she rose through the political system at an
early age. Her campaigns and solutions to world problems became recognized all over the world. Then gradually, through her activism and the peace agreements the world made, she became the first elected queen of Europa.
All throughout her life, Gale never forgot her experiences in the future. What the people of that place had felt when they were suffering, and how they had felt when they were liberated. As the crown was placed on her head, she smiled, imagining the world that would develop after 2213. A spark flamed in her eye. I have this need to see justice done. I’ve always had that spark inside me. When I plunged into the water, that spark ignited and started to spread as I gained the ability to do something about it. That spark turned into a blaze, my waterblaze.
Cadence
Book Two of The Waterblaze Trilogy
Before Dellinia, there was Dalanda.
Time can be your worst enemy. On the water planet of Dalanda, a mergirl discovers a deadly truth that will literally destroy her world. In a caste system where no one will listen to a sixteenth-born, speaking up can be hard. Astrid has learned to bow under the disdainful gaze of her society. She has learned to be silent and fade into the crowd. But the time for that is over.
Secretly practicing her true passion on smuggled scientific instruments, she discovers a secret that rocks her world. Now she must reveal herself and speak up to save her people. Rejected, she flees the wrath of her tribe and tries to spread word of the disaster to come.
A hidden message. A mysterious boy. A conspiracy. In this world nothing is as it seems. Will Astrid be able to navigate the web of secrets and save the race who has always rejected her?
Acknowledgements
To Lisee Hansen and Cora Dereta for listening to my ideas and encouraging me; to Mom for her dedication; to Lisa Spinnenhirn for the awesome cover — and finally, to all four of you for helping me edit!
About the author
China Dennington is thirteen and loving it. With her first book coming out and several more on the way, she is very excited to share her work with the world. She loves Star Wars, The Books Of Bayern, Pride And Prejudice, and her little brother. She is passionate about God and upholding women’s rights. To keep up with her newest releases follow her at www.ChinaDennington.com