Change the Past
Emma Gilbert floated serenely on the surface of her family's pool. It had been approximately a year since they had arrived at Venice and three years since they had begun to travel the world, but she still longed for her friends. At first, going sightseeing and experiencing a diverse variety of cultures was so refreshing, but the more time she spent away from the home she'd known all of her life, the more heartache she had to endure everyday. It was also even more difficult to obscure her identity as a mermaid from her parents without the assistance of her friends.
Being the three iconic mermaids were what made her, Cleo, and Rikki's friendship so special and amazing. It was what bonded them together; a united force of girls against the turmoil of the world. They even shared a locket that represented their union together, with a tiny crystal embedded at the top to indicate the abilities they respectively possessed. Her mind envisioned all of the memories they shared; from giggling at the juice bar, to swimming in the crystal-blue waters to Mako Island. It was so blissful.. And so traumatizing to think that she abandoned all of that for a trip with her family. Of course, there was Ash… Ash….
Honestly, despite all of the twists and turns in their relationship, Emma still loved him with all of her heart. With his handsome looks, calm demeanor, and charming smile, he was the one to steal Emma's heart completely, compared to all of the other crushes in her past. When Emma gently and delicately broke the news to him that she was leaving for who knows how long, she was horrified to see his face crumple. Her heart clenched in pain as he wrapped her in a firm embrace, his fingers entangling themselves in her long, blond hair.
"Take me with you…" Ash murmured into her ear, his breath grazing her skin, "Please don't leave me here…"
A single tear streaked down Emma's face as she stammered, "I-I'm sorry, Ash… I have to go… My family can't just let me stay in the Gold Coast by myself…"
Saying goodbye to the life she'd known was one of the hardest things she had ever done. She could barely look her friends in the face as she grabbed her suitcase by the handle and slowly stepped out of her childhood house…
Emma shook herself back to reality. She was so absorbed in her memories that she hadn't noticed that she was crying. Wiping her tear-stained face, she pulled herself over the edge of the pool and rolled towards a cluster of shrubs to dry off. As she lay in the cool grass, she wondered about her friends. Surely, they'd be in college by now, with Lewis and Zane… She wondered about the new girl Rikki mentioned three years back, a few months after she had left. Rikki had texted her, telling her how suspicious she was of the girl… Of course, Emma had responded by telling her to be open to new things, such as making new friends. Now that she thought about it, she was envious of the girl, regretting her choice of encouraging Rikki to be open to new things. From the very occasional texts she received from Rikki and Cleo, they were actually the best of friends. Even if they were, Emma hoped with all of her heart that they hadn't gotten rid of the lockets. The whole point of giving hers to Cleo was so that the three lockets could be together, even if the three mermaids were separated.
Noticing that her sparkling orange tail had vanished completely, she stood up in her fuzzy blue bathrobe, and walked into the house through the sliding doors discreetly. Well, not discreetly enough…
"Where did you just come from, Emma dear?" her mother questioned her, her eyes narrowed dubiously at her daughter.
Stuttering nervously, Emma answered, "Oh.. W-well, I was getting some fresh air. The house… can be so muggy sometimes, you know?"
Lisa was still distrustful of this alibi and gently assumed, "Ah, this is about Rikki and Cleo, is it? And Ash, I presume?"
As if pushed to her breaking point, Emma bobbed her head with fresh tears springing from her eyes. Lisa extended her arms towards Emma and embraced her, one hand resting behind her daughter's hand. "I know it is hard, Emma, to have left the place you've called home all your life… However, your father and I brought you and Elliot on this trip to expose you to new cultures… To show you that life is full of surprises, and that one surprise might lead you to a life of happiness and success. Once you've finished college, we can all return to the Gold Coast, but for now… Please don't punish yourself by staying up so late, darling. It won't do you any good…"
As if on cue, Emma suddenly collapsed onto her mother completely, losing her footing on the floor. As her mother frantically called her family down, Emma began to have a vision…
Emma slowly opened her eyes to a world of color and haziness.
"Where am I?" she asked aloud, as she hovered placidly in the air.
A mysterious yet kind voice said, "In the space between, my dear Emma…"
That voice was so familiar.. Yet, when Emma heard it, she was unsure of the person's identity, since she hadn't seen her in so long… "Ms. Chatham?"
"Ah, yes… Hello, my darling," Ms. Chatham answered, her twinkling laughter echoing in the distance.
Emma turned around to discover Ms. Chatham floating beside her. Her golden hair floated beside her in curls and her normal, silky blue clothing had been replaced by a white tunic… However, her eyes still had the same, maternal glow, and her smile was still as bright as ever…
"Why have you brought me here, Ms. Chatham?"
"I have brought you here, young Emma, to show you the answer to your troubles… The one thing that can reunite you with your friends… Rikki and Cleo…"
"What?" Emma sucked in a breath, astonished that there was such an object.
Ms. Chatham floated closer and took Emma's hand in her warm grip, "Come, my dear…"
They practically flew through this world until they arrived at an expanse of glittering water. "Look below the surface, my girl, and you shall find your answer…" Ms. Chatham whispered, before disappearing.
"Wait!" Emma called, but it was too late. Exasperated, Emma dove into the water, the sensation so comfortable… She missed gliding through the water with her friends, but right now, she had a mission… As she swam, she came across something glistening in an oyster bar. She swam closer and discovered that it was a shell.. However, something about this shell seemed surrealistic… Magical…
Discovering her answer, Emma plucked the shell out of the cavity, and swam away…
"Emma! Emma, sweetie, can you hear me?" her father and mother called, as they repeatedly shook her until she awoke.
"Huh?" Emma groggily spoke, as she sat up, rubbing her aching head.
Her parents hugged her tightly, whispering, "Thank goodness you're alright. We thought you were coming down with something terrible…"
As Emma's mind rewound the previous events, she remembered the shell that she took in her vision. In her clenched hand, she felt the sharpness of its edges on her palm. For once since she moved, she smiled genuinely, "Oh, yes… I'm fine…"