"There's always a siren, singing you to shipwreck. Some of us may be more susceptible than others are, but there's
always a siren. It may be with us all our lives, or it may be many years or decades before we find it or it finds us.
But when it does find us, if we're lucky we're Odysseus tied up to the ship's mast, hearing the song with perfect clarity,
but ferried to safety by a crew whose ears have been plugged with beeswax. If we're not at all lucky, we're another sort
of sailor stepping off the deck to drown in the sea."
― Caitlín R. Kiernan, The Drowning Girl
(You all are probably wondering why I put the above on here, but I think you all will understand after you all finish reading the chapter)
(And there will be more quotes to come)
I want to say thank you to:
CantDecideOnUsername
MandieFanficiton
Stella20
Asher.A
Lulu Abbot
Luisa
JulianMan1
SAM
ILOVEURWRITING
IMABNJMAJ
Quest
IloveMandiebooks
Jomanda lover
And all the anonimous guests who have reviewed.
Y'all have all really encouraged me and I am very grateful!
.oOo.
I want to say thank you to:
24greenawaltmakenna
CantDecideOnUsername
MandieFanfiction
Narniagirl03
and seariah2222
for following... it helped me know that other people are actualy reading this besides the ones that have reviewed.
.oOo.
As we are nearing the final chapters of Mandie and the letter from the past I just want you all to know that I am very grateful!
I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the ones to come!
"This must be a dream. It must be," Mandie told herself. She slowly walked away from the trap door and limped over to the lake. The wind blew through her messy hair and the waters were turbulant and wild, swishing here and there. Roaring. Singing. Banging against the shore. And then, Mandie realized something.
"The clue. The clue must lead here. It must. It completely follows along," she said outloud, walking a few inches closer to the lake. Mandie took a deep breath, slipped off her shoes, and placed one foot in the water.
"Daddy?" Mandie called out over the waters, "Daddy? Is it here? What did you want to tell me?" She walked further out into the lake. The cold water swished and swirled around her. Mandie limped out further. She didn't know what she was doing. She was in a daze as she continued walking out further.
"Daddy?" Mandie cried. Then, all of a sudden, she felt herself get swallowed up by the water.
Joe walked over to the men and yelled, "Where is she?" Anger welled up deep inside Joe's heart. Deep anger.
The man with the scar growled, "You think I'm gonna tell you?" Joe pointed the gun at him, "Oh, I think you will!"
Mandie's lungs screamed for air. She coughed and weezed, drawing water into her mouth. Mandie slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was at the bottom of the lake. She had walked into a deep drop off from the shallow to the deep.
'What time I am afraid I will put my trust in thee. God, help me,' Mandie said to herself. She flailed her arms wildly about and tried to kick herself up off the sandy bottom. Mandie began to feel light-headed. She needed air. NOW!
Suddenly, she saw something at the bottom of the lake. It was a box.
Joe ran through the woods, "Please be alright Mandie, please be alright!" He said outloud. He ran faster until he came across the trap door. Joe looked to his left and saw the lake, and by the rushing waters... were Mandie's shoes.
Mandie flailed all around until she came closer to the box. It was metal and had an engraving on the top:
FOR
AMANDA SHAW
Mandie tried to pick it up but it was held to the bottom by a weight. She yanked the chain free and gripped the sides, trying to kick herself up towards the surface. 'Keep fighting. Don't stop,' she told herself. Suddenly Mandie felt someone grab her around the waist. She managed to keep hold of the box as she felt herself being pulled to the surface.
Joe broke through the surface of the lake, holding Mandie tight to himself. He quickly swam to shore and dragged Mandie's limp body along with him. He laid down on the ground and cradled Mandie in his arms. Mandie was still cluching the box tight to herself.
Mandie felt like she was in a dream as she slowly opened her eyes and looked into Joe's face. She coughed and gasped fer breath.
"Mandie? Mandie are you alright?" Joe asked, looking keenly into her face. Mandie held the box tighter and looked down at it in her arms. She looked back up at Joe, "I've found it, Joe. I've found it."
Johnathan and Celia made their way through the woods. Celia swatted mesquitoes.
"You think Joe's found Mandie now?" Johnathan asked, taking Celia's hand and helping her over a fallen tree trunk.
Celia sighed, "I hope so Johnathan. With all my heart."
"You found what, Mandie?" Joe asked, stroking her face.
"The... the place where the clue led. It... it was the lake. I found it, Joe. I... I did," Mandie's voiced cracked. "The clue completely lined up, and when I saw the lake I knew it. I could... could feel it deep down i.. inside of me. I dug it out, Joe," she snuggled up closer to Joe and closed her eyes.
Joe cluched her limp form to himself and rocked back and forth.
"I love you, Mandie. So much," he whispered. Mandie opened her eyes and looked up into his face, "I... I love you too, Joe."
Joe's breathing hitched, "You... you do?" Mandie nodded and whispered, "With all my heart. Always."
Johnathan and Celia ran over to Joe and Mandie. "You found her!" Celia cried. Joe looked up and nodded.
Celia fell down next to Mandie and sobbed. Joe slowly stood up, holding Mandie in his arms.
"Johnathan, go into town and fetch the Sheriff," Joe said.
Johnathan nodded his head and took off running into the woods. Joe and Celia began to make their way home.
Mandie slowly opened her eyes. She was all dry and laying in her bed. Mandie sat up and looked around. She saw her mother.
"M... Mother?" Mandie whispered.
Mandie's mother cried for joy and walked over to the bed, "Amanda! Oh, my sweet baby girl!" She pulled Mandie into a hug.
Mandie hugged her back.
"Oh Mother I.. I lied to you. So many times," Mandie cried.
Mandie's mother pulled away and looked into Mandie's tear-stained face, "I know Amanda. I know."
Mandie's lip quivered, "I was scared you wouldn't let me investigate."
Mandie's mother nodded her head, "I know. We'll discuss it later. Now," Mandie's mother stood up, "your friends have been asking about you. Would you like to see them?"
Mandie's eyed widened, "Oh yes, please!" She exclaimed. Mandie's mother smiled, "I'll call them." She gave Mandie another hug, as well as a kiss on the cheek, then left the room.
Mandie brushed her hair out of her face and sat up all the way.
Mandie's mother came back into the room, followed by Celia, Joe, and Johnathan. Mandie's mother smiled and then left.
Celia ran over to Mandie and pulled her into a tight hug, "Oh Mandie. I was so scared," she cried. Mandie squeezed Celia tight and then pulled back, "I'm alright now!" Johanthan walked over and gave Mandie a hug and then Joe slowly shuffled over, looked into Mandie's face, then pulled her into a hug. Mandie sighed and laid her head on his shoulder, "Oh Joe," she whispered. Celia and Johnathan grinned at each other.
Mandie slowly pulled away and said, "Now, I want all of you to tell me everything!"
"Oh, you can bet we will. Every detail!" Johnathan laughed.
"But you tell us what happened with you first," Celia added. Mandie nodded her head in agreement. She told them all that had happened. From when she first found the tunnel, to when she found the box in the lake.
Celia listened, wide-eyed. Joe pressed his lips together all through it, and Johnathan looked down at his feet.
"So, the man with the mask found the clue?" Johnathan asked.
Mandie nodded, "Yes. But it won't do him any good."
"Of course it won't. The sherrif and his deputies apprehended all the men just a while ago!" Celia exclaimed excitedly.
Mandie covered her mouth with her hands.
"And, you'll never guess who the man with the mask is," Celia exclaimed.
"Who?" Mandie asked. "Mr. Holt!" Celia said.
Mandie gasped, "Mr. Holt?" Celia nodded.
"But.. How? Why?" Mandie asked.
"I don't know. I recognized his voice, though. And when he was arrested it confirmed it, " Celia said.
"And I couldn't recognize him because I had never heard him speak. Only you had. But I had seen him before, which is why he wore a mask,"
Mandie concluded. Celia nodded, "Exactly!"
"I want to figure this all out," Mandie said, "Why those men wanted the clues, how they found out about the clues, why Mr. Holt? Everything!"
Celia smiled, "I think we are all going to find out about all those things and more. Sooner than you think."
"Really? How?" Mandie asked.
"There is a scheduled court trial this Friday. We'll find out everything there," Celia replied, smiling happily.
Mandie clapped her hands.
"I had a dream about that lake. Two nights in a row. Do you think it's because deep down inside I knew where the clue led, but I couldn't dig down deep enough to get it out? And I was trying to tell myself by dreaming of it?" Mandie asked her friends, looking off into the distance.
"I don't know," Celia admitted. Then she smiled, "But, I'm sure you'll figure it out. I'll bet it's just buried. Deep inside."
Mandie nodded, "I'm sure you're right... no... I know your right, Celia."
"Yeah, I am right," Celia agreed.
Mandie smiled, "Now, why don't y'all tell me about what was going on with y'all?"
Johnathan immediately took over and told everything, up until the point that Joe left to find Mandie. Then he continued.
"...Then I pulled you out... and...," Joe looked deeply into Mandie's blue eyes. They both know why he didn't finish. Mandie nodded. She wanted to get some time alone with Joe to talk with him, but not yet. She would just have to wait.
Then, Mandie remembered something. "Guys, where's the box I found?" Mandie questioned.
Celia smiled, "I'll go get it!" She left the room and came right back with the box. Celia handed it to Mandie.
Mandie held it tight to her chest and said, "I can feel that this is it. What we've been looking for. What the clues all led up to. I know it. It has to be."
Joe sat down on the bed next to Mandie and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "It's alright. We'll figure this all out soon," Joe comforted. Mandie nodded, took in a deep breath, and opened it...
I really hoped y'all enjoyed this chapter! Bet I surprised y'all, huh? They will get all the lose ends tied together and all figured out in the coming chapters so BE READY!
Note: I hope it didn't make any of the underwater part confusing and I hope I described it well enough, just let me know in the reviews!
Note two: The glitch is fixed now! YAY!