Key to My Heart: An Anthology of Sweet Romance

by Alice La Roux

  Chapter Three

  I step off my board and pull my earbuds out, grateful that I’ve had the music to deafen my thoughts. I throw my jacket to the side and lay it down on a rock nearby for me to sit on. I sit there for a minute, looking out towards the water, letting the breeze wash over me. The rain is still pursuing what feels like a never-ending downpour, though it has eased off a bit. The “beach” is still littered, everywhere the same as when we got here, adding to its inevitable doom of being a dump. A breeze picks up out of nowhere, making me shiver uncontrollably.

  Where did that come from—there’s no wind?

  After a few moments, I decide it’s time to make a move. I look back towards the beach and feel a pull that I cannot put my finger on. I kick a can aside from my path and notice a shine underneath like the sand is actually glowing.

  What the hell?

  I bend down to take a further look, but then it disappears as quickly as I laid my eyes on it. I sigh and pick up the can, depositing it in a nearby bin. There’s that glow again. I manage to spot it out of the corner of my eye, but when I spin back around it’s gone again, almost like the beach is taunting me. I get a bag stuck on the end of my shoe. I try shaking it off but it’s relentlessly getting stuck.

  What is up with this beach?

  I bend down and pull it off, falling on my backside whilst doing it. The breeze picks up and I hear a giggle. I spin round, hoping to catch whoever is laughing at me. They are going to regret it; no-one laughs at me and especially not today. I am not in the mood! But there’s no-one there. Not a single soul.

  I step on my board with the intention of heading back when I hear that light, soft giggle again.

  Right. That’s it…

  I spin around and notice a slight figure down by the waterside, almost as if she came from the waters itself. My heart stops beating. It feels like I have just been punched in the chest. My God, she is beautiful! My feet start moving of their own accord towards this beach goddess. She has long, flowing blonde hair, cascading in waves down her back, with the bluest eyes I had ever seen. The blue radiates brighter than the clearest oceans. She has a yellow flowing dress, dotted with little colourful flowers around the hem. This creature is stunning. She is bathed in sunlight, almost like a halo around her, which makes no sense as the clouds are still grey. She looks towards me and smiles. I rub my eyes lightly as her intense beauty blinds me. When I look back, she has gone. Immediately, my soul aches with the loss. All of this over a glance. I have to find her. I have to find out who she is. I scour the beach but can’t find a single trace of her anywhere.

  I look towards the waves and spot something diving into the water. Something glistens, and I am sure I see fins. I stand there for about fifteen minutes, just staring into the calm of the water. Shrugging to myself I flip the board up and headed home.

  Chapter Four

  I insert the keys to the front door and pushed the door open. The first things my eyes fall upon are D-bag slumped in a chair with a bottle of Fred’s Fire dangling from his hand, clearly asleep in a drunken stupor. All around the place are take-out boxes, empty bottles and funeral leaflets everywhere with Mum’s face stamped on the front. I look at him with pure disgust and then I take a hold of the front door and slam it.

  “Dylaaannn, ish shthat youuu?” he slurs, completely drunk as a skunk.

  I feel the pit of anger rising in my gut. “Yeah, unfortunately,” I reply. “Why don’t you tidy this place up you worthless old lump. Some father you are. Like you’re the only one hurting today? You’re the one meant to be there for me. You’re my father for God’s sake!” I yell angrily.

  He laughs. Oh….my…. God. He actually laughs! I clench and unclench my fists. I will not punch him, he’s not worth it. Mum wouldn’t like it. I keep chanting this mantra in my head. I try to calm down, but he continues to goad me.

  “You thi-ink I wanted you ash a shun,” he slurs. “You’re nothing but a horrid mishtake I shouldn’t haf shtuck around for,” he blurts out.

  The anger boils up inside of me; I pull back my fist and slam my fist into the nearby wall. I look down at my bloodied hand and wonder in a state of shock why I feel no physical pain. Have I become so numb that I can no longer feel any pain?

  “Sho glad I’m not your father,” he mumbles.

  The noise falls from the room and becomes silent for a moment.

  Did I just hear him right?

  I ask him to repeat it to clarify what I thought I just heard.

  “I….am…. not…. your…. father,” he states clearly, reddened in the face, spitting as he talks.

  I stand there for a moment, dumbfounded.

  “You don’t believe me…read thish,” he slurs. He throws a balled-up piece of paper at me. I stumble towards the couch with the balled-up piece of paper in hand and proceed to flatten it out to read it.

  My Dearest Dylan,

  I sit here writing this, asking for your forgiveness. I am a coward. I wish I could tell you the truth. But every time I look at your little angelic face smiling at me, I cannot bear to break your heart. Dave is not your father. I am so sorry. It was a moment of madness. I was feeling trapped in a world I did not belong. Dave was a very domineering man, and although I loved him dearly, I felt trapped with no way out—no future. I was charmed by a local visitor to our neighbour. My beloved Andrew. He was so charming, so loving. I wasn’t used to such gentle affection. It started with a look, a friendly chat over coffee, and it developed from there. I didn’t expect to fall for him. I was grateful for his attention, for his friendship. I didn’t mean for things to go that far. But I fell in love. Then Dave found out by finding a letter he had written to m., I thought I had been so careful—obviously, not careful enough. I don’t know if you have worked it out or not by now but Dave was violent towards me. When he found out, he grabbed me by my hair and threw me across the room. The pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. He called me a whore and spat on my face. Each time he hit me, I begged him to stop, but each lash got harder, so I eventually whimpered in silence. Then, he threatened to go teach Andrew a lesson. That was the last I had ever heard of him. I tried finding him the next morning, but his landlady had told me that he had packed his things up and left in the night. I begged her for a way to get in touch with him, to please check his room again for any note, any address. But there was nothing. He was gone. I never got the chance to tell him I was pregnant with you. The love of my life had left me. I feel so ashamed. All I can do right now is protect you, my little one, and hope that you never have to find out about my treachery. I sincerely hope you can forgive me someday. Please do not think badly of me.

  Love you to the sea and back.

  Mum. X

  It is at that point I let the tears fall. That was our special little thing—those words she’d whispered to me each and every night before I went to sleep. If it wasn’t for the letter being in her penmanship then those words would have secured it for me. She didn’t even mention it around him, so I know these words are true. My heart aches for her. I know all too well the feeling of hopelessness as it overcomes you.

  “Why don’t you go to bed eh, Dave?” I’ll clean up around here. Now I know why I was never comfortable with calling him Dad. I have always called him Dave, right from the start. He grunts at me and totters off up the stairs. I set to cleaning the living room. As much as I try to focus on what is going on, my thoughts stray to the mysterious girl at the beach. Who is she? Where did she go? It is then that I make a pledge to myself and to the world: if I am going to be stuck here, then I will make the most of it. I will find her and get to know her. For the briefest of moments, when she smiled at me, I’d felt whole, at peace. I’m like an addict. I need to feel that again. My soul cries out for her. I am a goner.

  I step back to survey my handiwork. Satisfied, I craw into bed, and for the first time in the last few weeks, I sleep peacefully, with a smile on my face.

  Chapter Five

  I stretch
my arms above my head, feeling lighter than I have actually felt in a long time. My heart still aches with the loss of my mum, but I feel more hopeful that I can carry on. I head towards the bedroom window. It’s still grey outside.

  Does this place ever brighten up?

  I stroll into the bathroom and have a quick shower before pulling my jogging bottoms and t-shirt on. I dig underneath the bed for my kicks and slip them on before grabbing my board and heading across the landing, stopping momentarily outside Dave’s door. I can hear the heavy snoring coming from within. He is probably going to be like a bear with a sore head today. I smirk slightly before grabbing a muffin on the side that is slightly stale but I don’t care. I can’t remember the last time I ate and it fills a hole all the same.

  I close the front door and step on my board, checking I have everything with me: MP3 player, cash, phone, bags. Yes, I know what I have to do this morning. I have to clear that beach, even if it is just a small section. I have to run into my beach goddess again. I just have to and I may as well do some good while I’m at it…right? A slight smile works its way across my face. I feel clear—free. I step on my board and head towards the front.

  I’ve been working tirelessly for about an hour now, and even though I came here with the intention of finding my beach beauty, I quickly find I am actually enjoying myself. Even though it is grey, I find myself getting quite hot. I wipe the sheen of my sweat away from my forehead with the back of my sleeve. I decide to take a break. I’ve done quite a fair bit of the beach and it looks brighter somehow, happier. That’s ridiculous: a beach can’t have emotion, can it? I inwardly laugh at myself at the ridiculous notion.

  I grab my water bottle and take a long hard swig. It is then that I spot her peeking from behind a rock. My girl! Woah, already I’m thinking of her as my girl. I need to calm down. I physically shake with anticipation. The clouds part and bathe her in sunlight, almost creating a spotlight for her—almost as if she could command the very elements herself. She nervously makes her way over to me, and when she approaches me and takes a seat on the rock next to me, I can’t believe my luck. She is close enough to talk to—to touch.

  “Hey,” I say, my eyes falling upon the little tendril of hair she has over her face, longing to tuck it behind her ear—to just feel her and know that she is truly real. My soul yearns for her.

  “Hello,” she croons.

  Wow, even her voice sounds musical. I have to get to know her. “So, where you from?” I ask her.

  “Felentia,” she answers, laughing.

  Felentia? Never heard of that place before. “Is it a town nearby?” I asked inquisitively.

  “You could say that,” she says, giggling.

  This girl is beyond cute and constantly laughing; she is so adorable. Her laugh makes me feel lighter and makes me want to laugh along with her. We spend the next two hours getting to know each other. Her name is Ariella. I tell her about how I came to be here and when I tell her about my Mum, she frowns. This is the first time I’ve seen her bothered by anything. God, I’m an idiot: I’ve dragged down the mood. She sighs and I ask her what’s wrong.

  “It’s complicated,” she says.

  I decide to not pursue the matter with her as we all deserve our secrets. Don’t we? I mean I have plenty. We continue working for a while longer, until the sun is almost setting. I don’t remember when I’ve felt so good—so happy. I find myself smiling and laughing along with her.

  “It’s so hot,” she declares. “Why don’t you roll your sleeves up. You must be melting.”

  “Uh… no. Nooooo thanks. I’m good,” I stutter.

  “It’s okay, you know,” she says, smiling sympathetically, laying her hands on my arm.

  I flinch.

  “It’s okay to have scars. It doesn’t define who you are as a person, only your journey to get here,” she whispers.

  What the… how the hell? How does she know? I feel my mouth drop open. I’ve only known this chick for a day. How the hell can she know this much about me when I haven’t even mentioned my darkest moments to her?

  “How, how did you know?” I ask.

  She smiles gently at me. “Your soul is easy to read. It screams but you cannot hear it. It beckoned me. I needed to help you heal. To show you that you are not alone. You are never alone. She is always with you, you know?” she says.

  I feel a tear making its way down my cheek. She smiles softly as she grazes a finger so soft I barely feel it and wipes my tear away.

  She looks from side to side and whispers, “You want to know a secret?”

  I smile and nod my head.

  “Her love for you extends beyond the sea and back, and she would want you to be happy, you know? We all miss her.”

  How could she possibly know all this? How could she know my mother’s special saying for me?

  I feel myself get quite angry. I try not to but I can’t help it. “What would you know about it? You never knew her!”

  Ariella looks at me with a hurt expression, and I realise she is just trying to help but it is still something that’s quite raw for me. Sudden realisation dawns on me. “Huh? What do you mean, we?” I am so confused. What the hell is happening?

  “Do you trust me?” Ariella speaks softly.

  Despite knowing her for such a short time, I realise I do. And even if I don’t, I need to find out what is going on—even just for some clarity. Either she has more to tell me or she is completely and utterly nuts. But looking into her eyes and seeing that soft expression, I realise I am falling fast and that she means no harm to me.

  “Sure,” I say.

  “Follow me, I have something to show you,” Ariella informs me whilst gently pulling on my hand. She leads me down to the water’s edge and along until we come upon the rock I saw her approach me from earlier that day. She ducks behind it and looks to me. “I’m gonna need you to have an open mind, okay?”

  “Uuuhhh, okay I guess,” I state. At this point, I just need some answers. If she is truly nuts, then I know I can outrun her if I have to. She lets go of my hand and steps into the water. She holds her arms out, and I watch as a torrent of wind and fresh cherry blossoms swoop around her, almost enveloping her until I can no longer see her. Eventually, after a minute or so, the blossoms died down and I see her.

  No, no, no, no, no.

  This is impossible.

  I must have passed out from the heat or something because I can’t believe what is in front of my eyes. There, right in front of me, Ariella is no longer standing but lying down at the water’s edge. With…a…flipping…tail!

  Ariella is a mermaid!

  “What…how? I mean, I’m dreaming right?” I ask her.

  “You may want to sit down before you pass out,” she says laughing sweetly.

  I sit down with a thud, trying to wrap my head around it.

  “There’s one other thing,” she tells me.

  “Yeah, go ahead and tell me. Not like you can shock me with anything else, now, is there,” I say laughing hysterically.

  “As you can see, I’m a mermaid. Not a lot of people know we exist; they just assume we are legends, myths. It allows us to live in peace. We’ve been fine with that. But now, something threatens our existence. We were waiting on our queen to come to take back the throne, but she died. Yes, Dylan, I was sent to watch over you. Your mother was our queen, she was a mermaid just like us. Which means so are you.”

  Chapter One

  Laura

  Sitting on the beach, watching my two crazy best friends as they ran through the shallow waves chasing each other, I chuckled when I realized, they had the attention of several men.

  Dani and Jo were always the life and soul of the party, and I desperately wanted to be like them. They often tried to inject positivity into me. Out of the three of us, I was considered the serious one.

  Dani was fun-loving and always the first one up to dance at a party, Jo was the one who usually got us into trouble and I was... the boring accountant w
ho was handcuffed to her job, apparently.

  Speaking of the job, my eyes trailed to the tablet in my tote bag, but before I could reach for it, Dani landed, ungracefully, next to me, disturbing me from my thoughts.

  "Don't even think about it," Jo said, sitting next to me.

  "I wasn't..." I defended.

  "Sure you weren't," Dani interjected. "Don't forget your promise."

  I rolled my eyes at her, knowing full well of my promise.

  "No work on vacation unless absolutely necessary," Jo teased in a sing-song voice while wagging her finger at me.

  We all giggled at her teasing tone before Jo started. "So, what are we all doing tonight?" She leaned forward to get some lotion before massaging it into her thigh. "There's a cocktail bar only a few blocks away."

  The girls loved their cocktails—not as much as their dancing, but they could still knock them back.

  "As long as I don't have to carry you back." They laughed at my comment, obviously thinking that I was joking.

  "Maybe I can get hot surfer dude to carry me back," Dani commented. She nodded her head towards the lifeguard tower where a group of men were hanging around. They were all wearing scuba suits but one of them had his half rolled down so that his upper body was visible to every girl to gawk at.

  I rolled my eyes at her. Trust her to pick the half-naked one.

  Before I could avert my gaze, he quickly turned, his eyes immediately finding me gawking at him. I quickly looked away, cringing when the girls laughed on either side of me. "Why do I always get caught?" I mumbled, giggling with them.