Mermaid Turned Monster
Written by OfTalesLongLostOfInnocence
A/N: This story tells the tale of a wicked murder that takes it's toll on the mermaid sisterhood that is found within the clique of Emma, Cleo, Rikki, and Bella. One of them will be murdered. One of them will be the murderer. One of them will be caught in the middle. And, one of them will be blamed. Inspired by Accused At 17. Don't forget to review your heart's desire out!
. . .
Helicopters are flying. Crime-scene tape is hiding away a gruesome image. Hikers are telling the story of how they found the disturbing sight to police. Pictures are being taken of the deceased girl lying in Mako Island's underground volcano cove. News cams are rolling with reporters wondering the terrifying truth that will hopefully be uncovered soon. DNA tests are being done. People are rushing in hope to revive the body, but realizing, with despair, the teenage girl's spirit is long gone, and all that waits is a cold dead corpse of a girl that hid the secret of her mermaid identity and then was killed by another mermaid, who turned so quickly from a mermaid to a monster.
. . .
Five Days Earlier
Emma
I walk through the college campus with complete and utter control and contentness. This is the school I applied to return back to the Gold Coast so I could reunite with my best friends, Cleo and Rikki. Although the new coming of another mermaid; Bella, was unexpected, I feel as though they've all been very happy and warmed to see me. Life was so simple; it could have been considered bliss.
I see Rikki and Cleo whispering, and then laughing before Rikki points out something to Cleo with seriousness. Cleo hesitates, then nods quickly. They're up ahead near the Art Wing. I'm surprised to see them not wholesome as a group, without Bella. I wave, and linger hoping they'll embrace me into their threesome as we were before, when Bella wasn't here.
When they don't, my eyes move to find Ash, my long-reunited boyfriend, listening to his earphones. I scurry to catch up with him. "Ash!" I smile when he stops, and take advantage of the fact we both promised to come back to the Gold Coast and finish college courses here after we both moved away and explored some of the world, unfortunately, not together.
He smiles at me, and then glances at his friend to head away, so we can be the perfect bliss that is Emma and Ash. Ash and Emma.
"Hey!" I squeak with happiness. He takes my hands.
"Did you get my text?" He questions. My smile wobbles.
"Yeah, but you know I can't go tonight… I have that stupid late birthday dinner thing with Thomas." I sigh, and remember my life isn't completely perfect. My mum and dad had decided in the middle of our worldwide trip, to get divorced, or separated, as they liked to call it. They said Elliot and I would split the rest of our travels with them, because they couldn't stand to be together. I went with Dad first to Hawaii, and all these other engnimatic places. Two weeks after I started traveling with mum, we received news Dad had been burned to death in a fire…
Now my mum dated this guy named Thomas. I tried to be happy for her, but didn't she see nobody could ever replace my dad? Tonight was the night Thomas was cooking up some cuisine for me in order to impress me…it was for my birthday, which was two months ago.
"So? Cancel. It's gonna be the best college party of the year!" Ash replied with simplicity, as he knew that the truth was I shouldn't have cared to make my mum's wishes for me and Thomas to get along a reality. But, at the same time, I hated letting mum down. I did want her to be happy.
"Plus," Ash went on, "I got Dan's older brother to go buy us some of that mango rum you like." I smiled. I did like mango rum. It was the first thing I drank after I got over my phase of refusing to drink alcohol because it didn't go along the terms of Emma's responsible college code.
"Okay…" I sigh, and give an innocent hopeful smile. "I will try to get out of it." I giggle, already beginning to conjure up a speech to give to my mum on why I should go to this party.
"Perfect." Ash replies, and gives me a toe-tingling kiss, before I smile in love's happiness. "See you after Teneth's lecture." His hands leave mine, and I watch him go, before heading towards where my lecture would take place.
. . .
I see a familiar figure of dirty blonde hair and tan skin peering into a compact mirror. I bite my lip; Bella. I squeeze a smile on my lips, in an attempt to look nice.
I linger over and remember the headband that she left on the table of Rikki's Café when I had announced my return. I was the only one who saw it lying on the floor where she dropped it.
"Oh, Bella? You dropped this at the Café." I smile and hand the headband to her. Bella slowly takes it, and inspects it as if the germs from my hand could swallow her whole.
"Oh, thanks, Em. It's okay if I call you that, right? You know, since we're all supposed be friends now…" She clips her compact mirror shut, and I nod an 'of course'.
"Ugh, I got a forty-percent on that essay I wrote for Professor Simpson's class. I swear, he has this personal grudge against me." Bella lets out a frustrated sigh, and I search myself for an understanding considerate nod. Truth be told, I received an A for an assignment he gave my class. But, of course, I don't tell her to brag that in. I shift my long blonde hair's position, and flicker my blue eyes nonchalantly.
Bella waves a bye, and I notice her eyes widen when she sees two familiar best friends coming our way. Rikki smirks in her fiery aura, with her blonde curls and blue, blue eyes, as Cleo follows with her adorable tan complexion and sweet brown eyes and slick-straightened brunette hair. Instead of Bella staying, she stares to the ground, and hurries away from us.
"Hey, stranger! How's the responsible and yet utterly perfect world of Emma Gilbert?" Rikki asks with slyness, not knowing how imperfect my life has turned from the day we said goodbyes before her and Cleo's Senior year, and my travels around the world. "You actually look troubled and nearing an irresponsible if I didn't know you…" Rikki ends her comment.
"Everyone's going to this freaking party tonight…" I say, hoping I don't sound like the majority of the people surrounding me influence me, which is the role I do not play, but am nearing a future of. Truth is, the Emma Gilbert Rikki and Cleo know has changed drastically since our saddened goodbyes.
Cleo giggled and nodded in anticipation. Rikki smirked, and boosted a, "Hell yeah. Zane's ordered like twelve kegs, can you believe it?" She exclaimed, with some pride clinging to her statement her boyfriend was going to throw a crazy sick party.
"Lewis is even bringing some type of special champagne, just for him and me." Cleo announced and clapped at the anticipation for yet another terrific college party that could zoom them away from the snooze of our own lives.
I sighed, with reluctance, and Rikki meets my glare to the ground, and immediately guesses correct.
"Oh, please tell me you got out of that lame dinner with your mum's new boyfriend!" So clearly, Rikki understands my life isn't as perfect as it used to be. Cleo knows too. But, they must think this is normal. Their own parents did split, and they seem fine with it. Of course, their leaving parent didn't just die in a fire… Will I be fine with it in a couple of months?
"Well…no, I can't. He got my mum and I's favorite lobster dish shipped out from Maine or something…" I stifle on words, and see doubt and disappointment relish in their faces. I find an edge of happiness cause they clearly do want their old, maybe still best friend, Emma Gilbert, at a party with them…probably to make sure they don't get too drunk…but either way.
Rikki's blue eyes dimmed, and then arrived at a light bulb's gaze, as she piped an idea. "Okay, so here's what we're gonna do. You're gonna call your mum right now, and tell her my cat died." Rikki replied simply.
"What!" Cleo and my own self's laughs echoed in the hallway and I got a glimpse of old times, so much, I didn't even think to wonder why Bella had just disappeared the way she did.
"Yeah. Scruffy. The college found out I was keeping him in dorms, and they put him in the cat-pound where he was given…three days to live, let's say. And, I am super broken up about it, and I need my two best friends there to comfort me." Rikki finishes, and I grimace, thinking my mum would never care about Rikki's pity story…well, perhaps, she'd care, but she wouldn't let me miss the dinner because of it.
"Oh, come on. We both know Cleo will totally vouch for you if your mum ever asks." Rikki states, and Cleo nods.
"Rikki, you don't even have a cat." I reply with smart-assy-ness. Which, Rikki rolls her eyes to.
"Not anymore. Cause he just died at the pound…while I watched." Rikki said, her traits of charming lying sinking into my aura. "Trust me, it'll work, okay? Cleo and I got to get off to Simpson's lecture, but call me."
They turn heels, as Cleo calls a, "See you later, Em." as they walk off, side by side, in total perfect friendship-hood. I offer an exaggerated, "Byeee.", when Rikki looks back at me in seriousness.
"Do it, it'll work. Okay?" I nod, as she calls her own Rikki-style, "See you later". I am left near my lecture room, with two minutes to spare as I consider my options of lying, persuading, or ditching.
Within seconds, I am calling mum.
"Poppy Businesses. This is Lisa." comes her routine-voice ready for strict profession.
"Hey, mum. It's me. So, I know Thomas bought all those fish for tonight, and I think that's super-nice of him and stuff, but something came up…" I get to the point, in my own rambling-way. I wait for my mum's disgrace.
"What came up, Emma?" Her voice is sharp but reflects some worry.
I glance back at the class, already starting to fill up. "Well, I can't explain it right now because I have to go, but, uh, can you tell Thomas that we'll just do it tomorrow night instead…?" I bat my luck, by trying to sound innocent, yet firm.
"You can go later. What came up?" My mum slightly swerves to being upset voice chimes in. She's okay for now, but she's slowly getting pissed.
I gulp, knowing this is my time to lie. "It's Rikki. She's really upset because, um…" I stop, because I know I cannot go on. It's a ridiculous story. "Okay, there's this party tonight, and she's going. And so is Cleo. And, Ash is too. And, I-" I get caught off by my mum's disastrous voice.
"Are you kidding me? Do you know how much work Thomas put into setting up this dinner for you tonight?" She gulps strictly, in her no-tolerance mode.
"No, I know." I scramble to explaining. "But-"
"Emma, you changed the date once before to go to Ash's honor-night. You're not doing it again. They'll be other parties." She says, as if it is the end of the discussion.
I have more to say, but I know it will do no use. She has made up her mind. "Fine." I reply, with bitterness oozing from my voice. I hang up, without saying bye, and quickly rush into the lecture room. Annoyance, which will soon turn to anger, starts steaming out of me.
. . .
Bella
The nighttime soon came, as did the party of that night. I smirk into the night's drunken glow, which I found from the crescent moon hanging in the sky. The smile placed on my face is fake, oozing chemicals that I hope will keep me from breaking down. But, my life is scattered into broken pieces right now.
The girls hate me. Rikki has devil horns piercing out of her skull for me, all because of what Will told happened between him and I; a lie. Since when do you listen to your best friend's boyfriend before your best friend? It appears that Cleo is also brainwashed by Will, aka Rikki, so I feel like I'm standing in a dark pit of loneliness.
I stumble, upon the grass, and watch some of the beer Zane supplied, soak into the ground, as I flicker my eyes, trying not to remember Will and I. I try not to remember coming to his dorm, with a red gown, and a smile awaiting an anniversary surprise…and then…the infidelity event that took place. Will was on top of a blonde-headed girl. They were…half-naked, and nearing far more. I never got a look at her face, because all I could see was Will and his body falling in love with somebody else.
I ended up knocking down his shell cabinet, and kicking it's fallen remains. I started screeching at him, as the girl hid her face and ran into another room. He plead with me, that things could be 'fixed', as he called it. I didn't listen to him, and I told him we were done, forever.
The next day, I confronted Rikki and Cleo to tell them the news, and they stared to the ground and told me that wasn't what Will told them. Apparently, Will had told Rikki that I was the one who had cheated on him! Rikki told this to Cleo, and like backstabbing friends; they started avoiding me like the plague. When I confronted them about this hideous arrangement, they told me that I was no longer welcome to be their friend. The world was so weird at the moment, I almost felt like I was dreaming. But, when I saw Rikki's selfish sly face, and Cleo's sad pity face, and the way they turned their heads away and just left… I knew I was going to be soon replaced by that Emma girl.
I didn't hate her for it. I hated my old friends for ditching me for such an untrue reason. Even if what Will had said was true, real friends were supposed to stick by each other, always. In some ways, I hoped they wouldn't damage and leave Emma… I knew Cleo was a shadow of Rikki's, and I knew Rikki always had her way…but I had no idea why it was Will's words that made her hate me so much…
I started choking, or maybe, it was pre-vomiting, as I clung to the ground. Slowly, but surely, I got up. The world around me was dizzy, all blurry faces. I didn't recognize anyone but knew my ex-best friends must be somewhere near. Slowly, I found my way to the first doorway, as my arms were in chilling goose bumps in the nighttime air. I felt alcohol splash on me, I looked around, and I raced into the little room.
A boy with charming dark hair and an adorable smile was drinking his heart out to some bottle with some weird-looking alcohol. He was so gorgeous; I couldn't help but freeze in awkward-drunken-smiling. Maybe he could get my mind off Will, and the girls.
"Oh…hey. I'm…Bella." I say, trying to wipe away the drunk dizzy spells and concentrate on his face. He stopped gulping down the rum, and smiled at me in my dazzling silver dress. I loved this dress. He looked like he did too, and maybe even what came under it.
"Uh, hey… I'm Ash." He smiled a perfect good-boy smile. And the name Ash rung in my mind. Where had I heard that before? In some conversation…but I couldn't remember. He was just so cute…
"I was wondering where all the gorgeous guys went!" I slur, with a follow of drunken giggles, as I shut the door, making sure to lock it. My eyes dare a stare at the bottle he's holding. "What's that?"
He looks down at it with a small smile. "Rum. Mango." I start to edge closer to him, and that powerful scent of mango rum. I, myself, happened to love mango.
"Yummy." I replied, as my eyes flickered flashes of green that usually put guys through dazes of fantasy. "Aren't you going to share?" Ash looks back at me with some uncertainty for a moment, then looks back down at the rum, and nods. He fills the red cup I'm still holding in my drunken mode, as I laugh uncontrollably, because someone is finally being nice to be. Being civil, human.
I take a long sip, and throw all of my soul's anxiety and worry away, and gulp down the exotic flavors. My eyes blink for a moment, and when I open my eyes to Ash, I know tonight will be a very nice night. Tonight will be a night where I might even forget about Will.
. . .
Emma
"Doesn't he have a gorgeous view?" Mum asks, as I stare off into the ocean's reflection of the crescent moon hanging high in the sky, as Mum, Elliot, and I are safely dining inside Thomas's screen-in porch. The way the ocean meets his house reminds me of Mum, Dad, Elliot, and I's old house…as a family. And I wonder if Mum views it the same.
I just gulp, determined to be in a perfect pissy mood that will tell Thomas that he is never going to be my father.
"Uh-huh." I reply, and close my eyes, pretending I'm somewhere having fun.
Elliot nods, and rambles about how awesome his new diving class is, and how he can see all the reefs and fish from where his class goes. Always on a new adventure, Elliot is.
Soon enough, Thomas comes through the room with four plates filled with delicious lobster. "Here we are." He smiles right at me, as he places it in front of Mum, Elliot, and I. I look down, fighting between hiding my disgust, and spitting it out all over his face. He's not ugly, but I feel like he has the personality of a sponge. And, he will never be my father.
"Oh, wow!" My mum exclaims, playing the enchanted submissive girlfriend that finds her boyfriend to be the most wonderful thing that was ever put into her life. "Thomas, this looks amazing!"
Elliot agrees, and starts digging in, without a care in the world.
"Thank you." He replies with annoying ease, as I wipe my face with the cloth-napkin, even though I haven't ate anything, before I place it down on my lap. "Everything okay, Emma? Your mother says that lobster is your favorite."
He notices my blue eyes looming into the what-ifs I am concocting that all revolve around if I was at that party….If I was there, Rikki, Cleo, and I could be reconnected for good. If I was there, Ash and I could be making out to fun upbeat music…unlike this depressing porch.
"Yeah, no, this is great…" I sigh, and fake a smile as I stare at the lobster's claws, wishing I could have them to claw my mum's face off. It pisses me off so dearly that we are eating the exact meal that was my own dad's favorite. Were Thomas and mum complete morons? Or did they like the awkward feeling of unwanted déjà vu?
Thomas returns the smile with a sincere one, before he lays his napkin back down. "Oh, I forgot the butter. I'll be back." Thomas smiles at my mum, and leaves the back-porch. Who forgets the butter for lobsters?
I don't meet my mum's gaze and just watch intently, as Elliot swallows more and more lobster, without any butter. When, I feel her eyes still burning into my neck, I look back at her and snap, "What!"
"Don't do this." She says sharply, but I notice her eyes pleading for me to like Thomas. I gasp as if I have no clue what she's talking about, and roll my eyes severely. "Fix the attitude. Now." Mum orders.
I glare at my plate, and gulp. This night is treacherous… I really should have gone to that party. If only I had listened to Rikki, of all people, and told mum that her cat died… I'm sure all of my friends are having a much better time there than I am, suffocating in my mum's venom here…
. . .
Bella
Ash is holding my hand so sweetly, I want to almost claim his as my own. Soon enough, I'm holding on too him, as my mind oozes in and out of reality. He's smiling. He likes me. I like him. Maybe my life isn't completely lost after all.
And then, all I know is my lips are touching his. We start making out, and soon enough, we are exchanging not only saliva, but our tongues. He's holding me so sweetly, throughout the entire time. I pull his body, his abs of heaven's qualities, and his belt toward me. I fumble on how to unbuckle it, and at first he freezes. Until, slowly, he helps my hands find a way to free him of his clothes, my clothes, and all the rest of life.
We fade in and out of kisses, and soon enough, he's on top of me. And, as I let someone enter me in my drunken state…I forget all about my problems, names of boyfriends… I just let life slip away, in perfect blissful lustful passion.
. . .
Emma
I stir my fork within the last remains of the delicious lobster, although, I don't want to admit this. That would be the reason why I'm mixing the lobster tail with the plate's patterns, with a displeased expression tingling on my lips, just to piss off mum.
"So, since this is for Emma's belated birthday, I think it is time for Emma to open up her gift." Thomas wipes his mouth, and smiles a long I'm-going-to-be-your-step-father-and-ruin-you face. My ears pick up. A gift? Wannabe-Daddy has gotten me a gift!
"No fair! Mum met you two freaking weeks after my own birthday…I want a gift." Elliot chides, and Thomas laughs and mumbles off a charming line. Sickeningly, I watch them bond. Yuck.
I watch as Thomas hands me a small white box wrapped with a red bow. He glistens an easy-going heartwarming smile, and for a moment, I like him. I smile, as I investigate the box, thinking up all the possibilities.
"Thomas had it designed especially for you." Mum brags, and smiles a hole into her face. My heart warms up in surprise, as I slip the top off…to reveal a pair of beautiful mermaid earrings. My unsafe-radar starts beeping inside my head, and confusion crinkles inside of me… Does Thomas know…?
Silence fills the air, as the only thing I can hear is the crickets chirping. I gulp uncomfortably. I put the top back on the earring's box, and stare vacantly at my shoes.
"Honey, what's the matter?" Mum asks, with a saddened disappointed face. She thinks or wants to believe I'm having a serious meltdown, and not because I don't like the mermaid earrings. Then, it clicks. The mermaid poster in my old room, the one dad gave me, in Hawaii.
"Why would you even get me that?" I ask, staring at Thomas, trying to make ridicule at the inexistent hairs in his nose. It was too weird for my mum's boyfriend to get me some earrings that screamed my secret identity, which was also found on a poster in my room, which was a gift from my dead dad.
"You have that poster in your room that you love, and I thought I'd get you something that reminded you of it." Thomas answers, questioning all. He doesn't seem to realize why I'm freaking out over this entire exchange.
"The poster that my dad got me in our trip to Hawaii." I say, accusation threatening my upset voice. I don't want Thomas anywhere close to our secret. I don't want him close to anything that was my dad.
Crickets chirp for an eternity, while Thomas lets this sink in, and mum decides to speak for him. "Yes, and you can take those with you when you return there for your college travel exchange next year. It's a very thoughtful gift."
Thomas interrupts her. "Lisa, it's okay." He returns his eyes on me. I see Elliot slowly edge his chair away from this conversation. "Emma, I'm sorry. I didn't know that was where you got the poster."
Realization and a pummel of anger blasts through me. "No, of course you didn't. How could you, since she never talks about him…" I edge my voice with upset sadness.
"That's enough." Mum says sharply, and scowls her lips together.
"Well, you don't." I fire back.
"That's enough!" Her voice rises again. "We're changing the subject. Elliot, tell us about your friends-"
"What a surprise." I slur, with an eye roll and a scowling shake of my head. "Of course, you'll do anything to avoid talking about dad…who I loved. It's almost disgusting."
I stare, cheeks burning, eyes hiding hidden tears, and let the night go on…
. . .
We are back at mum's house. She wanted me to join her and Elliot in a movie-night in which I could act like it was 'old-times', when I was back living with her. In my cherished old times, we were actually a family.
I angrily stomp, trying to find the haven that would be my room, before Mum's awkward voice heightens at me. "Where are you going?"
"I'm changing clothes, and going to that party." I state with obvious sass doing my tongue in spirals. I near closer to my room.
"No, you are not!" Mum shouts, with her eyes asking if her daughter has turned into an absurd rude monster.
"Mum!" I scream, my own eyes asking if she really thinks she has a hold on me since I don't even live with her even more.
Elliot eyes both of us, and runs up into his room, not wanting to be part of a Mummy-versus-daughter showdown. When dad was here, we never had these.
"I am so mad right now, I don't even know what to say to you!" She slams the back door, and challenges me into her wrath.
"You are mad! Why should you be mad? You got what you wanted, I went to Thomas's stupid dinner!" I exclaim, feeling anxiety picking up in my bones. I have been wanting to scream at my mum forever. I am finally ready to let, or scream it out.
"Oh, yeah, Emma, that incredibly enjoyable dinner was exactly what I wanted." She shakes her head at me, and scatters her car keys away.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sarcasm I never knew I held within me rattles out my mouth, "that you just wanted us all to sit there and pretend to be a happy little family…" I squint my pupils at her, willing them not to break down into tears.
"I wanted you to be civil to a man that went out of his way to make you feel cared about!" Mum's nearing her hysterics now. I see tears reflecting weakness out of her eyes. I don't care that Thomas 'went out of his way to make me feel cared about'. He's still my mum's boyfriend, and is still pretending to be dead Daddy.
Mum goes on. "Ever since he missed your birthday last month, he has been thinking about getting you that present! It meant a lot to him!" Mum screeches one last time, before she turns, heading away into her room, knowing that the night is forever ruined of her perfect family fantasy.
Then she stops, "And, since when do mermaids have anything to do with your father!" She's right. They don't. And, they sure as hell will have nothing to do with my mum's boyfriend. Being a mermaid is my secret, one that Thomas has nothing to do with.
"You don't get it, Mum." I whine, wishing, just for once she would understand.
"So, explain it to me." Her eyes wave another challenge, and for once I just wish I lived in the moon pool, where all the magic understood me and my emotions.
"Just because you stopped loving dad, doesn't mean I did." My heart pours a sob-fest into my voice. "I loved him, and I miss him! And, I know that you don't want me to have anything special with him, but that trip meant something to us, and you can't just take that away!" One solid tear falls from my eyes, down my cheek. It is followed by another, and I will my mum to say she understands, and that everything is going to be okay.
She stays silent. I turn my head, and leave holding my purse which holds the clothes I wanted to change into for the party. But, right now, I'm feeling too gone. Not in Emma-party mode.
"Emma, I did love your father, and I am glad you had something the two of you could share." She says sternly, but I know she's bluffing. She always does.
"How? Oh yeah, you loved him so much, that's why you didn't let him come back, and be part of our family!" I stamp my high-heels, and emotion-laced tears escape me. "Yeah, right, you loved him a hell of a lot, mum!"
I shake my head, pouring my soul's secret feelings that usually rake away at my skull, spoil into the room. And then, quickly, before mum can say anymore, I run into my old room.
I slam the door, and slouch in the darkness. I throw my purse, and coat down to the floor, and cuddle alone on the bed. It is certainly not a night of parties, but a night of me crying my sorrow off. I cling to my old dolphin I used to sleep each night with. I never brought him to college.
The poster hanging above my head, I also never brought to college. It has three mermaids lounging happily on Hawaii's beaches. Dad and I found it at a weird surf shop, and I instantly fell in love with it.
I let all my tears have one final plummeting escape as I stare at the picture that hangs on my bedside table. A photograph of my family, wholesome and happy. Dad, Mum; completely in love. Elliot, me; perfect siblings. I stare at the picture, wishing my dad could come and tell me that everything would be okay.
But, by the evening of tomorrow, and the worrisome events that would come after it, I would learn that nothing would ever be okay again.
. . .
A/N: And, wala: That is the premiere of Mermaid Turned Monster! I hope you enjoyed it, and are already concocting predictions…who will get murdered? Who will murder? Who is caught so tragically in the middle? And, who, will be wrongfully blamed? I can give you a hint, each answer is one of our favorite mermaids from Australia! …But these mermaids develop darker souls than would ever be shown on TV… Don't forget to review your mind, heart, and soul out! It will reek of inspiration and give me the fulfillment to continue in the lovely disorder that will be found in this…tale. :) -oftaleslonglostofinnocence