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Stephanie is an artist I am merely using her work as an inspiration.

Chapter 6

Jinee POV

I was so confused as to why Bella credited me for her friendship with Catherine. " Bella? How did I get you to talk to Catherine?"

Bella looked at me and simply said " Your name reminds me of my mother, Renee, and I felt my sadness reflected back at me when I remembered her. Catherine asked me if I could feel it and we started talking when I replied yes. "

She was an Empath! That explains so much, when I met her I was so sad and a few minutes ago when Nora was telling her story I was furious, even though it had never angered me before. The murmurs and quite chatter that broke out when she revealed she was an Empath was quickly stopped by Charlotte's look. " Please continue Jinee"

"Well it's not very interesting… I, uh, okay… Mt fiancé was killed in WWI. I tried for so long to deal with the loss of Briien. I started drinking more in the evening to help me sleep and one night I was so depressed I left my home with a bottle in one hand and the telegram and a pen in my pocket and headed towards the coast. I drained the wine and I turned the telegram over and wrote my suicide note, I corked the bottle and threw it out into the Atlantic. I said au revior to the French shoreline and swam out until I grew tired and then I let the sea claim me. See really it is quite boring I probably overreacted… I" Bella cut me off " You took your life and there is no sense in regretting it now you are an immortal mermaid, and a part of this sisterhood, don't dwell on the what if's, because what if we are all supposed to be where we are?"

The past 94 years I had never thought I was supposed to be here, her way of thinking was so different from anyone I had ever met.

Charlotte pulled me out of my musings " Catherine I believe Bella met you next?"

Catherine POV

Bella was so different from the rest of us. It was amazing she had brought so much peace by just being herself. I was amazed she could have felt enough pain to be an Empath, who would hurt such a kind creature? I started my story and felt like I should be writing an afterschool special on teenage drinking or launching a campaign against drinking and driving. "My high school sweetheart was a star football player and I was a shy girl who was the president of the science honor society and on the math team, we were perfect examples of opposites attract. His friends easily accepted me as a part of the group because I was with Doug. My life was something out of a teenage movie. He brought me to a party with him one evening after the team had won states. Everyone was drinking and my boyfriend Doug was no different. I didn't drink because I knew Doug would, I was always wanted to be the designated driver because it gave me an excuse. We left the party because my parents said to be home by one and I insisted on driving even though Doug protested he had only had a few, which was true he only had two but I just wanted to be safe. I got behind the wheel and adjusted his mirrors so that I could see.

Doug leaned over and kissed me sweetly; intoxicated he was even sweeter because he didn't care what his buddies said.

He whispered "Catherine?"

"Yes Doug"

" I love you, I don't say it enough. If I ever lost you… We are two halves of one whole"

This was not the first time he had said it, this time was different because I really believed he felt it. I'd always been a bit of a pessimist. He had sobered up while staring at me and leaned in a kissed me again sweetly. I started the car and pulled out of the drive. He held my hand while we drove and I was almost to his house when we turned the corner and the truck hit them. It was one of Doug's friends who didn't have a DD. The car flipped a few times and rolled into the ditch, he never let go of my hand. I guess I blacked out because I woke up a week later in a hospital bed. My father was sitting in the chair next to the bed looking like hell. I lightly squeezed his hand that was placed in her palm. When he looked up at her I knew it was worse than I ever could have thought. My first thought was Doug.

" Dad? Where is Doug?"

He broke down in front of her " Honey, you were in an accident… one of Doug's friends hit you two on your way home last Tuesday"

"When the ambulance got there Doug was gone, he died when the car rolled the second time. They said he hit his head on the dashboard because his seat belt was under his arm."

" No! He held my hand… He, he has to be okay, I felt him hold my hand as we rolled! I want to see him! DOUG!"

"Honey he is gone, his funeral is tomorrow."

I couldn't respond. After several hours I turned to my father an said simply

" I want to go." He looked so confused, "Where?"

" I want to go to his funeral, I need to say good-bye"

"Baby, you can't go. You're still healing."

" What's the matter with me? Why can I not go to my love's funeral? It is all I'm asking for out of life! I just want to say good-bye." I got quitter as I spoke. My father was looking at me with the saddest eyes I had ever seen.

"Catherine, you had to have a heart transplant, a piece of the windshield went through your rib cage and pierced your pulmonary artery, You lost so much blood they thought you were going to bleed to death."

Already knowing the answer I barely whispered " Who's heart do I have, Dad?"

He just shook his head and said " you two were made for each other baby"

I just lay there on my hospital cot. I hadn't realized before that I had tubes coming from my chest and a pump presumably pumping my blood through Doug's heart. We now were one whole, but I was still missing my other half.

I spent the next few years missing him terribly, the only thing that kept me going was the fact that I couldn't let Doug die in vain. I had to be strong for him. I found that when I was alone I could almost hear two heartbeats at the same time. I was on the boardwalk one evening in January when I heard the second beat starting to fade. I knew he was telling me it was okay to die Doug knew how much pain I was in for him and he was telling me to let go. I went home and went up to my bathroom and grabbed the sleeping pills that had been prescribed to me and I took our ocean canoe out and paddled for hours until I could see nothing. I punctured my femoral artery in my leg so incase I didn't drown the sharks would get me. I never was a strong swimmer and I grabbed sleeping pills swallowed the whole bottle with salt water and jumped out of the boat into the deep ocean." I could tell that if Bella could she would be crying. I swam over to her and at the same time we wrapped our arms around each other. Both trying to comfort the other. I stared at her and realized we probably would have been fantastic friends in our human live if we ever met, she had kind eyes. I was sorely tempted to ask her why she was an Empath, who had caused her so much pain that she now could control emotions?