Chapter 1

I couldn't sit still after I read about how Sapphire and Faro complete the Crossing. The story just ended, like that! I am in Ingo, I am at homewas the last sentence in the book. I don't understand it, everything just seems too far away from me now. I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling, was I expecting to see anything unusual?

I don't know if Ingo is real. But it's definitely real! Says a tiny voice inside me. You see how Sapphire and Faro solved their problems, you see how she can live underwater...without breathing? Yeah sure, but she had Mer blood in her. And I, Mollianara Miller, can NOT survive in Ingo for more than a second without bursting through the skin and taking another breath because I don't have Mer blood in me, and it's not like I can just fake it...

"Molly! Get yourself out of the bed right now or we are never gonna get to the beach in time! I'm expecting to catch some big waves there today!"

And there comes my brother Patrick, being as noisy as always and trying to drag me out of my bed using his 'voice power'. Patrick is two years older than me, but it sure wouldn't be easy to tell from just looking at the two of us. I'm quite tall for my age, and although Patrick is not short, the way he talks and acts makes people feel like he's sixteen, just like me. I was never jealous about how Sapphire got a brother like Conor that is so mature and always look after her because I know that my brother loves me with all his heart, although he'd rather die than to have to admit that...

"MOLLIANARA, YOU COME DOWN HERE AT ONCE!"

"Alright! 'M coming!"

Time to go now. I got up from the bed and put the book aside on my bedside table, then stumbled up to the closet and grabbed my surfing suit.

Maybe I don't have Mer blood, but I'll just enjoy what I have now.

Patrick was right.I thought while dragging our surfboards off the top of the truck, they were all caught in the tangled-up ropes that supposed to secure them on the truck roof. The waves are absolutely AWSOME today! My blood is tingling inside my veins, I can't wait to get into the sea and enjoy the ride. Both Patrick and I are great surfers. Although we don't live near the ocean, we love going there in the weekend and spend hours playing with the waves.

Patrick came around and pulled the board out of my arms, I struggled for a while but lost balanced at last and fell forward onto the grass as he wished. He laughed at me stupidly and run away for life. I gritted my teeth and stood up, picking up my board and run after him.

"Don't let me catch you on the waves or you'll regret coming here today!" I yelled after him as I tiptoed carefully across the path made of small jagged rocks.

"Do worry! You can't!" Patrick shouted back happily and dived into the ocean.

A minute later I had completely forgotten to get Patrick back, the waves surrounded me and gently pushed and pulled against me. The sun above me shone brightly and the water was so clear today that I can almost see my feet. Waves after waves, some like hills, some like mountains. They are friendly to me as always, allowing me to ride on their back and do whatever I want on my surfboard. Shifting, turning and changing directions, I can never get tired of doing this!

Then it happened.

Something glided through the wave I was riding on. It went under my board as quick as a flash but I still caught the side of it through the corner of my eyes. My body tensed at once. What was it? A shark? No, the shape was wrong for sharks. They're like dark shadows, patrolling the water even when they're hunting. But that figure was shining under the bright sunlight, that's why I saw it in the first place. Besides, that...that thing didn't have a dorsal fin on its back. So it must be a seal! But how can seal swam all the way here? What for?

Where is it now? It's gone! I sat nervously on my board, searching desperately through waves that splashed around me. Then I saw Patrick, close to the beach and no longer surfing. He's waving and yelling... at me!

"MOLLY! COME BACK! SWIM! SWIM NOW! MOLLY!"

Go to him? Why? What's the matter? Why is he looking like that all of a sudden? Why does he look shocked and anxious and... scared?!

Something is wrong. The water turned murky and the sun above me was hidden. It must be the clouds. No, there something behind me, it's moving closer and closer. Suddenly I realized that the sea is rising, I struggled to turn around, and there was a monster. The sea looked so angry, a huge wall of waves was forming right in front of my eyes. Grey, tall, powerful, with stripes of seaweed and pieces of rocks and cracked shells dangling from its edges. I felt like it was staring at me. You Don't Belong Here! Get Out!

And then three things happened at once: I turned and kicked as hard as I can towards Patrick; Patrick yelled once more and started swimming towards me; and the monster behind me finally decided to strike. Within a split second, it swallowed me.

IMPORTANT CHARACTER COMING IN NEXT CHAPTER!