The beached mermaid raised her head up to the sky. The sun was bright, sweltering in the heat. Her blue eyes shone in the desert as she looked toward the palace.

She stood, shaking, unused to her human body. She heard whispers of darkness. This was not new. Darkness was her everything.

She was so far from the water, so far from the freedom of the deep blue sea, that enriched her, fed her immortality.

But the Darkness had chased her from her home, covered the Ocean with shadows of pain and suffering. The Ocean was nothing more than a Shadowrealm now.

And she, the last of the Mermaids, had to reach the Sun, the Pharoah.

She had to find him, the God-King, before the darkness destroyed all of Egypt, and all of the world.

She had to...

Xxx

That vision again.

I was sitting on my bed meditating.

I got up, paced the room for a second, then began to sing, like I always did when I was upset.

"The sad thing was yesterday

Things that are not easy today

Secret things tomorrow

I want to be with you forever"

The doorbell rang. Over the music, I heard it. I went to the living room, where the front door was. I got the key out of the basket. I looked into the peephole.

I saw a spikey haired Japanese boy about my age wearing waaaay too much leather.

"Who are you?" I asked him through the door, my panic still visible.

"I'm Yugi Mutou," he replied. "From the exchange program in Japan?"

"Hold on, I'll check," I said. I went through the dining room into the kitchen and saw a note on the counter: "Kuri-san, let the exchange student in. His name is Yugi Mutou and he will be staying with us for three months."

I should really read these notes she leaves more often, I thought, sighing with relief. It would have saved me all that panic. I stuck the key in the door and unlocked it. I opened the door.

"Sorry about that," I said, closing the door behind him. "Mom didn't tell me we were having a exchange student stay here. But I guess you'll be staying in the guest bedroom."

How did he get here? I wondered. There's no bus, no taxi, not in the suburbs…and everyone's at the hospital.

I didn't ask him however, I felt like I would seem like an interrogator or something.

He didn't say anything else to me, just waited for me to close and lock the door, and then I led him to the guest bedroom.

xxx

That night I woke up thirsty. I went to get a glass of water in the kitchen and I wasn't wearing my gloves, because it was late at night, and I didn't expect to run into anyone. Well I was wrong. I ran into Yugi, in the kitchen for some unknown reason.

Here's where it gets fuzzy. Either I tripped, or he tripped, but somehow I grabbed his arm to steady myself and-got an electric shock so bad that I flew back and hit the wall.

But what I heard was very clear, but in a voice that wasn't Yugi's at all. "Stay away."

I got up slowly, and he tried to help me, but I moved my hands away from him.

"D-Did I do that?" he asked me.

"I think it was just some kind of static electricity or something," I said. "Let's just go to bed. Maybe we're dreaming. Maybe this is a nightmare."

I got up, but backed away from him, covering my arms, afraid he would see what I am, that I'm a freak.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Are you afraid of me?"

"No, no," I replied. "I just…need to sleep. Goodnight."

And then I left him there. When I got to bed I realized that he had heard what I was thinking when my hand wasn't touching him. I had thought "I hope he isn't afraid of me." But he only heard "afraid" and thought I was scared. He must have heard it and interpreted it without noticing it himself.

The next day Mom and Jiro showed Yugi around town while I went out with friends, since I hadn't known and had already made plans. We had church together, but we haven't really had the chance to talk since what happened. It's been busy. But I keep my gloves on. He starts school with me tomorrow.

Xxx

Yugi stared at the ceiling. What was going on with this girl?

He rolled over onto his side, staring at the wall.

I thought I could only hear Yami, he thought. But when she touched my arm, I heard her say she was scared. And what was that weird shock?

Yugi, you worry too much, Yami interrupted. But I think that girl is trouble. You should be careful. Whatever power she's not telling you about, I think it might hurt you.

I don't think she's trying to hurt me, Yami.

I know you want to trust her, but she's keeping something from you.

So…I'm doing the same thing.

Yugi closed his eyes. He wasn't sure what to think about Kuri.

It was late into the night until he fell into a troubled sleep.