The ocean felt so great against my skin. I loved the way it felt while I swam against the current. Pushing against it worked my muscles. I sighed as I neared the shore. I had been gone from home for six years and I was really not looking forward to seeing my father. I had run away from home when I was twelve when I found out we were a family of mermaids.

Father had told us never to go in the ocean. It was forbidden. It drew me to it though. Being the youngest daughter I got away with a lot more than my five older sisters and my brother. So I went into the ocean that surrounded the castle we lived in. It was on this little island so far out that no one could reach us for days if anything happened. I had never met a person outside of my family.

So I went swimming. And low and behold my body changed. Instead of legs, I had a tail and it felt normal. It felt like I had been missing a part of myself. When I came back to tell my sisters what I had discovered, my father caught me and told me if I said anything he would lock me away. That's when I decided to leave. I turned around and ran.

Now I was coming back. I had met someone and he wanted me to marry him. I wanted my sisters to be there when I did. My father couldn't stop me. Or that's what I kept telling myself as I came up to the shore and changed to human. It was dark so I carefully found the opening in the wall to go through. I crept through the halls of the castle to my old room. I hurried in and shut the door behind me.

My room looked exactly the same as it did six years ago. Same furniture and all my belongings right where I left them, except there was someone asleep in my bed. I smiled to myself. It was my sister Megan. I went over and shook her a little.

"Hmm?" She moaned as her eyes fluttered open. "Aria?"

"Yes, its me." I whispered as she sat up. "Megan why are you in here?"

"I knew you would come back. Father didn't think so. Why did he think that?" She asked.

"Because he threatened me before I left. I didn't want to live locked up here for the rest of my life." I shrugged.

"What did you do?" she whispered.

"I went in the ocean and found something father wanted to keep hidden." I explained. "When I hit the water to swim my legs turned into a tail, a mermaid tail, Megan."

"What? Aria that can't be right." She shook her head. "One of us would have found out about it by now. There's no way Jen or Kane wouldn't have found that out by now."

"I don't know why they haven't found out. Are they still here?" I stood up.

"Aria, everyone is still here. After you left father had two more children. We have two younger brothers now." Megan sighed. "Father won't let us out of the castle anymore since you left."

"Seriously? Megan he can't do that. You have to come with me. We need to get everyone and leave." I stated. "Besides I want you guys there when I get married." I grinned.

"You're getting married? To whom, may I ask?" She stuttered.

"His name is Eric. He lives in a huge castle by the beach. You just swim . . . " I started to explain when I saw the look on Megan's face directed behind me. I slowly turned around knowing I would see our father standing there.

"Aria I'm so glad you're home." His voice boomed into the room. I gulped as I stood up from the bed.

"Father." I nodded as I noticed a little boy standing behind him.

"Aria that's Danny." Megan whispered as the little boy ran into the room and hugged her.

"Danny? One of our brothers right?" I asked.

"Yes, you would know who they were if you had been here the last six years." Our father growled. "Why don't you come with me? I'm sure your other siblings would love to see you." He gave me a pointed look.

"Umm no thanks. I'm going to stay here with Megan. We have a lot of catching up to do you know. Since I've been gone for six years." I crossed my arms and sat back down.

Father pulled out a key as he stepped out of the room. He shut the door and locked it behind him. "Aria you're not leaving again."

I shook my head then looked at the six-year-old boy sitting on the bed with us. "Hello Danny, I'm Aria."

"Our sister that disappeared? That the ocean took away from us?" He whispered to Megan. She smiled and nodded at him.

"The ocean didn't take me away." I told him. I looked up at Megan. "We need to leave. I have to get back to Eric. And you shouldn't stay here anymore."

"We can't leave the others here." She shook her head. I got up and grabbed a bag. I went to the window and looked out. There was a tree close enough to climb on to get outside.

"Megan have you been staying in my room or are your clothes in another room?" I turned and asked.

"I have some dresses in here." She went to the closet and showed me. I went over and folded up two of them into the bag I held.

"We need to leave. Eric can help us get the others. Besides I don't know what father will do." I climbed out the window into the tree. "Come on Megan."

She stood there debating with herself for a minute then climbed out after me. We turned back to the window. "Danny . . ." She groaned. He was looking out at us. Megan looked at me. "We need to take him with us."

"Okay hold on." I climbed back into the room and put a few blankets into my bag. I picked up Danny and handed him to Megan.

"Megan, where are we going?" I heard him whisper. She looked over at me as I climbed out again.

"Danny we are going to another castle that's much bigger than this one. It's on a bigger island where you can go outside and play with other children." I explained.

"Okay, how are we getting there?" Megan asked as we climbed down the tree.

"Swimming." I smiled as we ran down to the beach. I dove into the water and flipped my tail out of the water to show Megan. "See?"

"Wow." She gasped. She waded out into the water and handed Danny to me so she could dive in. When she came back up her legs had changed to a tail. "This is amazing."

"We better go before we get caught. Who knows what will happen." I held Danny tight in my arms and started swimming. I heard Megan swimming behind me.