Does This Darkness Have A Name?

Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee

A/N: Yes, you bet! The newest chapter of Does This Darkness Have A Name [used to be Four Little Miss Nothings] is here! And I'm so blessed to announce it. Remember when this story was only a little widget due to writer's block; well it has become a deeply crafted plot of four mermaids and the mysteries that surround them. Oh, and I need to point out and credit a mastermind reviewer for an idea in the last chapter; Marril96, for the bit about Bella murdering the poor little girl with her powers! Crediting her epic mind. … So go at it…if you haven't already skipped these lines: Just read. And don't forget to leave that review that could change everything.

Cleo's POV:

I was deep within the water. Drowning. I couldn't breathe. All I knew was something was suffocating me. The only other feeling that was releasing me from the horrific pain was anger. She…the other one had no right to be doing this. I hated her. I loathed her. She caused all this pain.

The water shone brightly around me. I saw the moon's full casting glow upon the sea water and upon me. My face was deathly numb. I didn't want to feel. But I saw the girl. The dark-skinned mermaid. She was shown in the middle of the moon. Her beautiful dark hair fled to her back in curly waves. She was morbid in a deep frown. Unhappy. She was reaching out to me; trying to save me at her hardest. So I wouldn't endure her same fate.

"The journey has begun, young one." Her wise words whispered in a harsh unflattering whip. "It can not be undone now. There will no leaving this wrath…it begun long ago." She savored these words then the moon turned crescent. "But…if you follow my words; there is truth. You and your sisters could escape this battle; but do not leave them behind…They are you. And you are they."

She spoke with an accent of some kind. And her eyes were darkening of seriousness by the moments all quickly flooding by. "For one sister is not true; her anguish and pain is stronger than you. She by not the dark of the night; you have bring the lightest of light. There is no going back, here, you see? The unique glow of mermaids will shine thee." Her words were a dark poem whispering away at my soul.

I tried to remember every moment of it. But as quickly as she appeared, she was gone. I was left with the faded image of the Moon's shimmer glowing upon the Moon Pool. A painting of three mermaids wavering through the air. But one stood in the darkness; holding the hand of a devil.

My eyes skimmed the room. I was sleeping in Lewis's bed in this Hotel. I was safe. There was no one drowning. There was no ancient mermaid whispering odd poems to me. I was in reality. Nothing could hurt me….But that wasn't so.

The blankets surrounded me in warmth. They were there; instead of the vision I had just…imagined. I had imagined it. The Moon…could not send me visions of an ancient mermaid, could it? The girl…the Dark Mermaid; the named pounced on me; She was sending me a message.

You and your sisters could escape this battle; but do not leave them behind…They are you. And you are they.

For one sister is not true; her anguish and pain is stronger than you. She by not the dark of the night; you have bring the lightest of light. There is no going back, here, you see? The unique glow of mermaids will shine thee.

Those were her words. They thudded in the back of my brain. I was tempted to write them down to the bitter core and then show them to Rikki and Emma immediately after. But I was scared. Us, mermaids weren't as hardcore as we were made out to be. But I had a pang at thought of disappointing The Dark Mermaid. She was beautiful and I felt her as an all-knowing Keeper of Magic.

They repeated themselves in my mind. One sister is not true. You have bring the lightest of light. The unique glow of mermaids will shine thee.

Could that sister be Bella? Where was she? How could she have just run off like this? Was she frightened? Was she alone? Why weren't we out there finding her? A tear slide down my face as I glanced back at my wrist; the bandage covering the darkest lies.

A slicing sob distracted me from my angst. Drake…He was sitting on the floor with his head in his knees; sobbing. I gasped. Drake was Lewis's new friend. I tip-toed over to him.

"Hi." I say quietly. He shudders and turns to face me. He did not expect me to be up.

I see the red velvet line of a cut trace around his neck. Pity leaks me. How is it possible…that my best friend; a sister could have done this? Maybe she wasn't a sister at all… She is not true. My thoughts whispered.

"Cleo…You're awake. Damn…you looked so beautiful when you sleep." A trail of red made it's way around my cheeks.

He seemed even more embarrassed. "Not that you're not beautiful now. I mean, you're always beautiful. I don't think Lewis knows what he's missing…"

I stared down at the clean white floor. "Well, Lewis and I make things work. They say you can't be long=distance…but I think you can." I smiled a sad one.

"Oh-I didn't mean that…Erm, just…that…Lewis doesn't seem to respect you as much as he should." A match went off in me. A match of fiery passionate anger. What in heavens did Drake mean?

I bit my lip and ignored the lash.

"So, how are you doing?" Confusion hit him.

"I mean…with your scar…." I looked down. "I just….I can't believe Bella would ever hurt someone like that. She's way too….nice, and happy." I frowned bitterly.

He was silent; in deep thought.

"What happened?" I asked him close to a whisper.

"I think it's all my fault…She went reckless." He admitted lowly. "She wouldn't have gone…mental…if…if I didn't want to, uh" His eyes flickered at me "do things with her." I gulped. He gulped. We stared at each other.

"It's not your fault." I had no idea why I was telling him this. It could very well be his fault for her actions of freakiness and craze that landed him with a wounded neck.

"How do you know?" He asked with fear echoing through his voice.

"I…don't. But something was off. I could sense that. Before she left; she was all spacey…and odd. She kept staring at me with a look…like…like…"

"Like what?"

"Like she knew Death." I muttered. He shivered. I watched his hand clasp mine and I gaped at his lips crashing onto the top of my hand in a giddy wrong way. I held my breathe.

"Cleo…I don't know much about Bella…but…if there's something…really wrong with her….Then you can't blame her."

My hand shuddered away from his. I shivered.

"What are you talking about? Bella…She's not really mental. This is just…It's just the…Moon. It has to be…" My face and soul went morbid. Drake looked at me as if I had just announced my own insanity…which; had I?

But Bella could have went into a trance after seeing me in the Moon Pool…It had to be this. Nothing else made sense. She had to be under the influence….But what about The Dark Mermaid? She was in my mind. She wasn't real. She couldn't be.

"I dunno." He mumbled. Then his eyes flickered again at me. "Cleo…whatever this moon thing is with you and Lewis, and your friends…" I looked at him cautiously. "Whatever. I think…I think we should…" He referenced himself and I "should play a little.".

"What?" I laughed at him. Was he saying I cheat on Lewis? Wow.

"Yeah. I mean; it only makes sense for all the terrible things Lewis has done without you!"

I froze dead in my tracks of laughter. Drake's tan face was wide-eyed and serious. I scoffed for a moment. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh. You don't know…" He said as if he thought I was honestly okay with the thought of my boyfriend cheating on me in LA. My whole world appeared to be crumbling apart.

"Lewis had kind of stumped over how wonderful you are these past months, that's all." I gulped. I picked myself up, then plopped back to where the bed Drake was sitting on.

"He's cheated on me?" I ask in a hoarse whisper. All thoughts of magic were replaced in heartbreak.

"Um…Yes." I was about to turn away and storm out when he caught my hand. "Just because he can't love you in the way you need to be loved…doesn't mean I can't."

He leaned in with caution. He was about to kiss me. His red licorice lips were about to crumble on top of mine. I scooted closer to him. I knew what happened after this. Lies and betrayal. But Lewis…had cheated on me? Our lips were just about to touch. Giddy guilt scowled me. Almost there…

"CLEO! Wake up, already, and-" Rikki crossed her arms, staring at us with a peculiar eye. My life was over.

. . .

Rikki stood there attired in a black tutu [What the Hell? Had my vision messed up?] and some polka-dotted stockings with a purple blouse with golden stripes. She looked right out of a fashion magazine, complete with her high heels! Who was this chick and what had she done to Rikki Chadwick? Oh, yes, that was probably the perks of dating a rich dangerous yet completely in love with you guy. Of course; they had gone shopping. And everyone knew Zane had an irk to buy Rikki expensive things.

But she had been smiling. Now she was inspecting Drake and I like we were the Plague and if she got just a tad too close; the whole world would divulge in Darkness. She glanced at me with a sickly grin and pointed out the door.

"Cleo! I have news! Humungous News!" She left the room. Her voice has sounded morbid. I had no idea what to expect. I awkwardly followed her into the room that was now empty of Zane.

I looked around waiting for him to pop out and make sure Rikki was happy and content; but he never did. I stared at Rikki in fear of what she might have seen.

"Cleo; I have so much to tell you! It's all so frightening…but you need to know, okay?" I nodded. I felt still in a daze of a trance I was unable to get out of.

"Cleo!" She looked at me, squinting her inspections carefully. "Are you alright?" She didn't know. She had never seen our almost kiss. She had absolutely no suspicions.

"Yeah….I'm fine…Just scared about Bella. Do we have any updates?" I half-lied.

Rikki shook her head somberly. "I know…the things I'm telling you might seem…just a wee bit selfish" I liked seeing Rikki smile "but; friends are supposed to tell secrets to each other…and we have shared the biggest one…so…" She staggered.

"Rikki! Tell me already!" I shrieked at her. She frowned then smiled, which was followed by another frown.

"This isn't any of my business…but something's wrong….with Emma."

I gulped. Not another friend thrown into a wrath….

"What?" I asked with a face of fearing pinning my mind.

"I…I was going to the Bathroom, and…and…she had a pregnancy test on the counter." Rikki bit her lip, questioning telling me.

"What did it say!" I demanded; oddity choking my feelings.

"It said…It said…Positive." She whispered.

"Oh, my god…" My eyes went forlorn to the ground. I knew this was an invasion of privacy. But Emma, my old bestest friend; the responsible, always reasonable, Emma Gilbert was pregnant?

"How do you know it was her's?" I asked doubt relieving me.

"She was asking where it was…" Rikki replied quietly.

I didn't know how to respond. It didn't seem real. Rikki just telling me this like it was some rumored gossip. So I couldn't react. "Wow…I…What do you think?"

She squared her jaw. "Well; she has a boyfriend…I dunno; maybe they're planning to get married…" Rikki's eyes wandered off.

"But…she just found out, right? She has a boyfriend: Max, or something like that….But, I doubt he knows…"

Rikki nodded in agreement. "It just doesn't make sense."

That was the quote for the world. "What do you think she's going to do?"

"I don't know, Cleo…" Rikki's eyes fell. "But we can't judge her…No matter what. Somewhere deep inside her is the best friend that we'll always love…All those memories; we can't change that. Just like we'll never stop searching for Bella…Friendship." She smiled solemnly as if realizing for the first time it might be the only good thing in the world.

"What's the update on…Bella?" I shivered now just hearing her name.

"We've alerted the Hotel Owners but they can't find anything on the records of their cameras….It's all a bit…surreal. What has the world come to when Bella Hartley goes missing?" Bitterness filled me.

"Where're the guys?" I asked quietly thinking of the anger of realization…that Lewis has cheated on me.

She smiled. "They're all out searching for her. God knows how they'll be able to not kill each other." For a moment, I thought about half-giggling. But the feeling passed quickly.

Now Rikki's pale face surrounded by her light curls seemed frail and confused. She was having a difficult time processing a situation. "Cleo…I have to tell you something…And you have to promise not to get angry, and try to see the situation from my eyes…Try to understand…and please, please, Cleo….You'll always be my friend…right?" She was in total sulking fear.

I reached out to her hand. She shuddered at first. I imagined her remembering the terrifying sequence that must have taken place just two nights ago. Poor Rikki. I really did love her. Why would she ever doubt that?

She inhaled slowly. She was in cold frantic fear I was going to loathe her after this. "There is nothing you could possibly do that would make me love you any less. We're like…sisters…" I said, smiling, remembering the Dark Mermaid's words.

She nodded. She was about to tell me everything. I could sense it.

Then she looked down, didn't say a word.

"I…I think I love Zane, Cleo." My insides troubled themselves. She didn't sound right. She sounded as if she was half-lying. As if there was something else she wasn't telling me. But the thought of her and Zane made me quench. He was a complete asshole. How could she love him again? Some things would never make sense. But…maybe there is something I don't know about. He was the first person she talked to after she was…raped.

I gulped. "That's….not unexpected, Rikki."

She looked at me in uncertainty. "We…We kissed. Not a fake kiss. A real one." My stomach was in knots for her.

"And I know he'll always love me no matter what…But I don't know…My biggest fear was always to get attached to some one…To get heartbroken. He already did that once…." She looked down at her hands. As if she was telling them all this and not me.

I smiled a sad slow smile at her.

"But…you have to believe that he will change. If your heart is telling you he's the one; if it's meant to be it'll happen." I felt my soul wavering. "You know you've always been able to change him. And he changes you in the most strangest ways…"

"But, I don't want to change. I want to be heartless Rikki Chadwick again. The one who is never protected or attached. I want to be Me…And that's it. Not me with Zane or anyone." She was still stuck in her nerves.

"But…you can't stop fate or love." My heart was severing itself in thought of Lewis. What would I do? "He loves you. And I know you love him. Nothing else should matter."

She shook her head. "But it does. It just does." I could feel her sense of awkwardness, scoffing at the feel of a soap opera. It turned even more dramatic a few seconds after.

I found out what she had really planned to say right after this. And I would never ever forgive her. I couldn't.

. . .

I was numb. Completely numb. I couldn't feel. And I didn't want to.

Rikki was a liar. She was terrible. All these years we had laughed Charlotte off like she was a foolish-minded girl that was now forced into Military School and could never hurt us or even find us ever again. Charlotte had contact with Rikki. Rikki had stole my own items and gave them to Charlotte without hassle. I could never trust her again! What had happened?

Oh yeah, Rikki was slutty and desperate enough to cheat her best friend and have sex with Will! She was just as bad as the losers Lewis had…cheated with. I…Calm down, Cleo…I tried to rationalize myself. But all my flaming heart could scream was: LIAR. TRADER. WHORE.

It was wrong to be thinking these things when…she was supposed to be my "sister". Was Rikki the actual untrue one? What about Bella? And Emma? My heart quivered.

I didn't want to think anymore. Rikki had begged me to forgive her, but I wouldn't. I couldn't. And now I needed all this pain and mystery to go away.

. . .

I walked into the bedroom of Lewis's. I gasped and fell to the ground. All around pasted to the wall were pictures of the Dark Mermaid next to three other girls. One was a smiling beauty with long straight blonde hair and big blue eyes. Next to her was an exotic looking girl with pale skin and a vibrant face surrounded by blonde curls. The Last One had olive skin and dirty blonde hair. I would be an idiot to not notice the resemblance that each of the three girls had with Emma, Rikki, and Bella. The Dark One had similarities with me as well. The only difference was her dark skin was darker than mine and her eyes flashed green.

I couldn't take it. These lies and secrets were too much to bare.

And right at that moment: Drake walked in.

. . .

I was about to ask him if he had done this. But his intrigued face of the photographs of black and white answered it for me. I stared at him for a moment; taking in his dark spiky hair, his leather jacket, his somewhat sensual quavering lips. He's holding something. Another photo. This one of Lewis, and a girl. One that is never going to be me.

I slowly pace myself to him and let myself fly to the wind. The first step….giving my soul away. I undid all the things I told Rikki about love and I threw myself in cold heated thrilling lust and desire upon Drake. But it didn't matter that it was him. It didn't matter who I was going to end up naked upon. It just couldn't be someone I love. Because Love…it was just a fantasy. A fantasy even darker then a story of four girls who had cursed the Moon Pool into a sacred magical place of mermaids. Ones who desperately were trying to tell me something.

But I didn't want to listen. I wouldn't. That was that.

A/N: My chapters really are getting longer. Sorry about that if you like shorter ones… Anyways, possibly confusing at the end…Rikki had admitted the troubling communication she has received from Charlotte. Cleo's emotions are a blur. But, let me tell you, it's all going on crack. And it will possibly get more and more insane each chapter. Review, my lovelies.