I feel kinda bad for writing this...
Disclaimer- Only the story is mine.
Chapter 9- Back Home
I had only been asleep for a few hours when a sudden weight woke me up. I tried to sit up to get a better view to see Killian, smirking darkly down to me. His dark brown-black hair brushed my forehead, the soft strands waving as his breath hit them.
The gleam in Killian's eyes was kinda unsettling and I croaked out, "Killian? What's wrong?"
"This," He hissed, pointing to my clothes that were neatly tucked inside my boots, ready to leave, "is my problem. Are you thinking of leaving me so soon, Emma?" His blue eyes held anger, shock, sadness, but most of all an insane… wildness, I guess. Like he would do whatever he needed to do to keep me here. It would've been cute- if it were someone else. It's actually kinda scary. And creepy. Mostly scary, though.
"I- um- I need to get back to my forest. When I'm not there things get, uh, a little out of control." I stammered.
"Oh, what's the worst that could happen? A few-"
"The dragons and griffins will leave the forest and start raiding, the mishibizhiw will probably come out of the lake, and the unicorns will make shish kabobs out of the villagers, to name a few. And those aren't even the bad ones."
"Alright, first- I'm still not letting you go. Villagers can fend for themselves." I snorted. "And what the hell is a mishibizhiw?"
"It's like a huge water cat the size of your ship. Or bigger. Their skin is nearly impenetrable; the only weak spot is the size of half of a pinky nail, so there basically invincible if you don't know any weaknesses. Also, if I stay away too long, everything will leave the forest and come looking for me. As in, bad news." I glared. "Now, could you please get off?"
"How about, no?" My glare intensified.
"How about, fuck you?"
He chuckled and stretched out on top of me, pressing his ear over my heart. It thudded loudly against my chest crossly. I sighed, my breath ruffling the top of his hair. His warm arms wrapped themselves around my thin waist, pulling me closer to him while at the same time pushing me into the bed.
"You're acting completely insane. I hope you know that. You should probably go to sleep." I said matter-of-factly. He snorted faintly.
"What, so you can jump off the ship? I will sleep though. Hope you don't mind…" He arms tightened around me, viselike, letting me know the chances of me leaving were few and far between if he had anything to do with it.
I sighed and waited for morning to come.
I stayed awake for the next few hours until I few Killian stirring on top of me. I let of a breath of relief. Being trapped under Killian was uncomfortable- but that was mostly because I wanted to leave. Now.
"Sleep well?" Killian's sleepy voice inquired.
"Uh, NO. I did not sleep well, thank you very much." I put as much as I could into the glare, but I felt ready to drop off my feet and I hadn't even stood up yet.
"That's good… now you can't leave, can you? I can just catch you." There was a note of smugness and… possessiveness? in his voice.
"I'm still going to try." I said through a cute yawn.
Killian chuckled and took advantage of our position to kiss me gently, teeth slightly pulling at my bottom lip. "I wouldn't expect anything else, love."
I managed to grunt out, "Not your love…" before wriggling out from underneath him and hopping to my feet. I ignored my tiredness in favor of walking to the small window to see how close we were to shore. My heart leapt into my throat as I could see the misty shore and the tall, thick woods that were my home… but we were heading the wrong direction.
"What did you do?" I screeched, panic creeping into my voice.
"I'm just making it impossible for you to leave, that's all. You'll get to go back to the forest, just not now." He said calmly.
"When, pray tell, will I get to go back?" I hissed.
He shrugged noncommittally, "Eventually."
My eyes flashed and before I could even realize what I was doing, I punched him hard enough to knock him out- which he didn't. He staggered backwards, clutching his jaw. I turned to the window, opened it (he really should lock it if he wants to keep me here) and slithered out, dropping nimbly into the water and swimming down as swiftly as I could.
I pawed at my throat, reaching for my necklace for reassurance, to find it wasn't there. Shit! The bastard took my necklace! I was torn between losing my chance to 'escape', or get my most prized possession back.
I'll be back. I promised silently before swimming towards the shore. It was a good mile away but I reached it in less than three minutes. Growing up in the water has some awesome perks- super speed in water, agility whether it's on land or in the sea, the ability to hold my breath for ages, etc.
There was a little river, about 9 feet deep and 12 feet wide, which ran into the forest. The mouth of it was just a little farther up the shore, and since it would be harder to catch me in the water I swam through the river up as far as I could go until it became to shallow. I waded through it, the water up to my waist, until I came to the very shallowest point where it was only about a foot deep. I sloshed out and started walking towards my home.
The entrance was a little hole. I reached down it and twisted the knob. The tree shifted a little hole opened. I dropped down it and closed the 'hatch'. The slid down the dirt tunnel. The ceiling was supported and made of the large roots of the tree and from the roots little golden glowing flowers grew. They grew up the walls and hung down from the ceiling and up from the floor. I call them or-pomme flowers, which means golden apple flowers. The sweet fragrance of the flowers is not overpowering, in fact it is rather soothing. When I want it too, the or-pomme flowers can put someone into a deep sleep and if you grind them up, their powder is a potent ingredient used in sleeping curses. They're extremely rare, and its almost ironic how they are so hard to find and my home is practically made of those flowers.
I walked deeper into the ground to my room. I passed many empty rooms, one of which held a wooden crib with or-pomme flowers winding up the legs. I felt a little stab of pain upon seeing it. That was my crib, and it would've been my child's if I hadn't given him up. I don't trust myself to take care of a kid.
I rummaged through my room, looking for my guitar or any instrument at all. Music always calms me down. I grabbed my guitar and headed out. At first, I only saw a few dead, burnt flowers or blades of grass, but the closer I got to the mermaid lake, the more burned things I saw. Bushes, small trees, then the redwoods. My breath sped up and I broke into a jog, then a run as I saw a whipping willow that was still on fire.
My feet pounded against the ground as I pushed myself faster and faster until I reached the shore. What I saw broke my heart into a million tiny, sharp glacial pieces.
The lake's surface was sooty and black from the ash. The rocks were charred and laid neatly out upon them were all my mermaids- Échelle Coquille, Sirène, Fantôme, and Bulle. The only one missing was Ariel, who escaped to the sea with Eric just in time, it seems.
I found myself walking towards their burnt beyond recognition bodies. Who would do this to me? I almost wished I would cry, just to restore a sense of normalcy. This is what I get for leaving. I was gone for not even a month and my home and family is destroyed for the second time in my life. Along the shore, a mishibizhiw carcass was stretched out as though it were sleeping. I dove beneath the surface of the water to go to the cave where I could pretend that everything was fine long enough to gather enough of my heart-shards to keep going.
I entered the cavern and I didn't even have it in me to cry out. I couldn't even muster up a spark of surprise as I took in Ariel and Eric's lifeless bodies propped on the rocks, the spear still embedded deep in their chests.
I left the cave quickly before I would do something I would regret. When my emotions take control of me, things happen. Once, a whole kingdom was destroyed because of it. They did deserve it, but I hate feeling like I can't control myself because I sometimes can't.
Once I was out of the lake, I ran through the forest, the only signs that I was ever there are the faint stirring of the stiff, dead undergrowth and the hazy scent of vanilla.
I scaled the largest redwood tree that I could find that wasn't too horribly burnt. I folded in on myself, pressing my back against the stiff trunk behind me. I stared at the ground that was so far below me. The dead woods, the dead animals, the dead mermaids…
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, blinking away stray tears and began to sing.
I am lost, in an ocean.
Far away from home.
Carry me, across the sea.
To a place I've known.
And I don't like it here anymore.
No I don't like it here, anymore. Anymore.
Lock me in, close the door.
Oxygen, falls apart.
Spiders crawl, Mountains fall.
Every evening sirens call.
And I don't like it here anymore.
No I don't like it here, anymore. Anymore.
Doo doot doo doo doo doot doo, doot.
And I don't like it here anymore.
No I don't like it here, anymore.
No I don't like it here, anymore.
No I don't like it here, anymore
A spark of life threaded through the air weakly as I sang, golden gossamer strands winding lethargically, casting a soft glow before fading.
No, I don't like it here, anymore… I echoed once more, staring up at the moon that had never stared so cruelly back at me.
Poor Emma! The song is called Lost by Priscilla Ahn.
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