As the bus rode away, Charlotte looked at the beach. It was a definite looker, and strangely familiar, but she had to find out where she was. Suddenly, she spotted a restaurant called the "Paradise Cove Beach Café". She sighed and went into the café. The theme of the restaurant looked like something out of a beach hang out in the movies. The place was packed. Everyone was either sitting inside the restaurant or sitting outside enjoying the sun.

"NEXT!"

Charlotte jumped. She didn't realize that she had stepped in line. In front of her was an old woman, probably younger than her grandmother. Her grayish-black hair was in a messy bun, her skin didn't have any wrinkles but was baby pink, and had deep blue eyes that looked like she's seen the beginning of the world and everything since. She was wearing an apron, had a pen and notebook in hand, and was looking up at her expectantly.

"Well, what are you ordering?" she asked. Charlotte looked around in her dress pockets and realized that she left her wallet. At home.

"Oh! I am so sorry. I don't have any money, but I was wondering if-"

"Leave," the woman said sternly.

"But-but I need to know where I am and-"she started.

"Where you need to go is out of this restaurant and come back with money!" the woman whispered angrily. Charlotte knew it was a losing battle, but that didn't stop her from grabbing the woman's arm as she tried to leave.

''Just listen to me!" Charlotte exclaimed. The woman looked her right in the eye and suddenly... everything faded.

Water. Water was the first thing she saw. The sand and the corals stayed in place as the fish passed by. Fish? She then realized that she was underwater. But how was she breathing? She looked down and saw that where her feet should be, it was a tail. A TAIL?! She gasped. Hadn't she already learned her lesson already? But this tail was different. Instead of the copper-orange tail her old one used to be, this one was bluish-red color and it seemed to sparkle a little. How was that possible?

Come.

She heard a voice. A feminine one. It sounded so old, yet so young and soothing at the same time.

Come to me, my precious Charlotte.

Suddenly, she had the urge to swim. Then, she did. She was a little out of practice since it's been a year since she had a tail. Suddenly, she was moving through the water at ease. She soon found herself swimming really fast like she was swimming at the speed of light like there was nothing to stop her at all! Oh, how she didn't even realize how much she missed being a mermaid!

Come to me, my sweet precious Charlotte.

She didn't need any more encouragement. She swam to the voice she, for some strange reason, instantly loved so much. She swam with an open heart, as if her life depended on it.

Come...

She woke up the moment cold water hit her straight in the face.

"Brendan! What did I tell you?" a strong, stern voice yelled.

"Easy, wake anyone who's been frozen by Gram's up with cold water," a young voice said cockily.

"Why you little-"

"STOP! She's awake!"

A female voice said. Charlotte opened her eyes and looked up. A man who looks about in his mid-30s looked down at her. He had black hair, tan skin, and eyes the color of night. He had a big built and looked at her sternly. Beside him was a slender-looking boy, probably around 13, who was holding a bucket and grinning in amusement. He also had tan skin, but brown eyes and shaggy brown hair. The woman looked just like the boy and was really pregnant. She was looking at her in concern and relief.

"Honey, are you alright?" she asked.

"She wasn't turned to stone, so I give her the O.K.!" the boy said, giving her a thumb up. The man scolded him.

"Brendan, this is no time for jokes who knows what she saw!" Wait? What does he mean about 'what I saw'?

The woman turned to them and said "Hush you two!" and turned towards her, "are you alright?" Charlotte nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a little wet," she said, referring to Brendan, "from the splash but its all good. Who are you?" she asked. The woman introduced herself.

"I'm Karen and this is Jonathan," she gestured to the man, "my husband, and this is Brendan,'' she gestured to the boy who gave her the peace sign.

"'Sup." Karen rolled her eyes.

"He's my son AND MY PRIDE AND JOY!" she said as she started to kiss him on the cheeks.

"Moooommm," the boy whined. Charlotte smiled at them.

They must be close, she thought. Then, she heard a cough and turned around.

Charlotte swore her heart stopped.

It was the old woman, only her hair was down and was wearing what looked to be a nightgown. Charlotte tried to get up but realized that she was on the floor. So, she stood up and faced her. Karen stopped kissing Brendan and introduced her.

"This is my mother, Laguna. Mom this is..."

''Charlotte. Charlotte Watsford, "Charlotte said. She held up her hand for a handshake, which Laguna reluctantly shook. Suddenly, she remembered something. She turned to Karen.

"I have two questions. 1. Where am I? And 2. How long have I been out?"

"You were out for 30 minutes and you're in Malibu, sweetie, and our office," she answered. Malibu? No wonder this beach felt familiar. She's seen enough movies and shows to know what it looked like.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I got to get going," she said as she was walking out the room. Suddenly, her stomach growled.

Karen laughed and said "Well, right after you eat first." Charlotte nodded in embarrassment.

The restaurant was less crowded and the family made her some to-go box of salmon burgers, macadamia coconut shrimp, some fries, a seaweed salad, much to Brendan's disgust, and a coke. After thanking the family many times, she was about to leave when Laguna stopped her outside the restaurant.

"I just wanted to... apologize for the way I acted earlier. I should have just answered your questions." She turned to leave when Charlotte stopped her.

"Wait! When I touched you, I had a ... you know, never mind. I'll just be on my way." She started to leave when she heard her asked "Was it like a dream, only it felt like something more?"

Charlotte turned around. "Yes."

"Then tell me what it was about," she said. It was like Charlotte was a spy and she needed to extract information from her. Charlotte was startled at her persistence, but told her what happened.

"I was underwater, and I had... I had a tail, a bluish-red one and it sparkled. Then a woman's voice called me, telling me to come to her. For some reason, it felt like I had known and loved that voice for a long time like it was my mom or something. I started swimming fast like I was free from a prison or something. What does it mean?"

Though she thought she was going to get a straight answer, Laguna just shook her head, like she was told of a bad omen. "That reminds me of a legend, but I can't tell you now. Request me the next time you come and we'll talk." And with that, she walked away.

An hour later, Charlotte found herself standing at the edge of the pier. From a brochure she found, it said that it was 600 ft long in the 1980s, but a storm ended up damaging it, causing it to be 220ft long. The pier has a spectacular 360-degree view from Palos Verde to Point Dume, so you can watch the sunset. And it was living up to it. Though the restaurant looked beautiful at sunset, the view from the pier was amazing and if you lean close, you'll feel like you're on top of the world.

Suddenly, Charlotte saw a full moon on the horizon. She remembers the moon well. It was what had made her a mermaid in the first place and was the one that took her powers away. Not that she was mad about it. After the way she abused her powers like that, she had every right to lose them. And she was glad. She doesn't want to end up like that anymore. Not evil, but just ordinary. After all, ordinary is okay, right?

Come.

That voice again. It was calling her.

Come to me Charlotte.

And how did it know who she was?

Come...

She didn't realize she was doing it, but she started to climb on the edge of the pier. She looked down. Below her would be water if she jumped.

Come...

She saw the words NO JUMPING OR DIVING spray-painted on the side of the pier.

Come...

...come

She jumped.

The water. Flowing water passed through her as she landed in it. It felt so...calm and relaxing like it wanted her to be there. She missed the feeling.

Come...

She needed to go to that voice. She needed to be with it.

Beep…Beep...

Something was wrong. She's not a mermaid anymore. She shouldn't be moonstruck.

Beep...Beep...

Come...

No. She won't come. She won't be influenced. She won't be a mermaid. Never again.

She tried to open her mouth, but only water entered. She couldn't breath. She...needed...oxygen.

BEEP...BEEP...

Come...

NO!

Charlotte rushed back to the surface. The moment fresh air hit her lungs, she swam back to shore. She looked at her now water-filled watch. 9:00pm. The bus was here and it possibly just saved her life. She quickly grabbed and put on her sandals, which she had left by a beach chair. She had to get there. She still felt the feeling of the water. It was pulling her...killing her.

Had I just tried to drown myself?, she thought. Finally, she made it, but the driver was not happy.

"Where the heck was ya? Do you want to be left- why are you soaking wet?" he asked. She looked at herself. Her dress was so wet, it was almost see through. Her hair was drenched. And she lost her sunglasses. The only good thing that she wasn't wearing any makeup or else it would have smeared.

"I fell."

As pathetic as that sounded, she got on the bus. The driver handed her a towel.

"Well, since you're alright, I'll just take you to the mall next time. O.K.?" She looked at him. Part of her wanted to yell at him for leaving her at an unknown place. But he kept his promise to come back for her.

She smiled and said "O.k." as she sat down and dried herself. Because this was the new Charlotte, a girl who won't hold grudges over others.

As the bus started to ride off, no one noticed an old woman standing in the middle of the road, watching it drive off.

"So, it's her that she wants. Oh no."

As soon as Charlotte got off the bus, the first thing she did was run into the house, change out of her wet clothes and take a shower before her mom got home.

30 minutes later, her mom walked in the door with a bag of Mexican food in her hand.

"Honey?" she asked as she wandered through the house. Annette was amazed at how to clean up the house was. It was like they hadn't just moved in. She found her daughter watching TV in the living room, her back facing her.

"Hi honey," she said as she shoved the bag in Charlotte's face.

She laugh and said "I'm sorry I'm late, I was doing a little site seeing, what did you do while I was gone?" Charlotte shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing much, just unpacked the boxes and stuff." Her mom smiled.

"I see that. Normally, you would just place the boxes in the rooms they go in, now you're unpacking them?" she hugged her, "what would I do without you. I'm going to go take a shower, while you eat. Is that O.K.?" Charlotte turned to her mother.

"Mom, I might almost be an adult, but you don't have to ask for my permission all the time. You can do whatever you want, just don't drink or do drugs." The mother and daughter laughed as her mom went to take a shower.

This is the new Charlotte: useful, forgiving, responsible, hilarious, and loving. For some reason, she felt a boulder of burden lift off her.

So, this is what it feels like to be a new person, she thought, this feels great...

But that night, wasn't anything but pleasant. As Charlotte tossed and turned all night in her, a feeling of restlessness coming over her.

Come.

Her eyes popped out wide open and she sat straight up. That voice wasn't calling to her. It was like it haunting her, like a ghost. All the love it had been gone, only horror. Part of her wanted to find that bus driver and demand him to take her to Paradise Cove this instant. But she didn't. Her first day of school was tomorrow, and since it was her last year of high school, she hoped to keep her life as normal as possible. She hoped.

Alright, now this is the 2nd official chapter of Rewind to a New Beginning. Wow, Charlotte met a lot of new people today. So, in case you caught what I did with the old woman standing in the road part, what do you think is up with Laguna and who is this "she" that she mentions and why is "she" calling out to Charlotte? IT'S NOT URSULA IF THAT WAS WHAT YOU'RE THINKING! Just something far more sinister. The next chapter is about Charlotte's first day of high school as a senior. SPOILER! I HAD TO GIVE HER A BAD DAY FOR CHAPTER 5 AND LET'S SEE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO HER AFTER SHE LEFT AUSTRALIA AND WHY.

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