Hello everyone. Welcome to this chapter of RtaNB and let me tell you, you are going and for LOVE this chapter! I finally brought in Lewis a bit and we start from where we left off!

Now with that said and done...ENJOY!

9:00 pm, Charlotte's house...

By 9 pm, Laguna and Karen had decided to drop Charlotte and Thomas off at her place. As the van pulled into Charlotte's driveway, Charlotte said "Thanks for the lift. This afternoon was... interesting."

Now that was an understatement. This afternoon, she was supposed to start training, but all she got was possible answers to how she was changed, which she gradually accepted, and a vision that will most likely give her nightmares the second she closed her eyes tonight.

Flashback...

"AAAAAAAAHHH!" Charlotte screamed as she fell backward into the water and started to splash around like she was drowning and trying to find land. She kept going under and kept gasping for a breath that she rarely needed since she was in mermaid form.

"CHARLOTTE! CHARLOTTE! MOTHER!" she heard a woman yell, "HELP! Something's wrong with Charlotte!"

She continued to splash in the water helplessly, as her life depended on it until she heard an older, feminine voice shout "Brendan, go help her!"

She heard two big splashes and the next thing she knew, she felt someone hold her and stop her from splashing around. Charlotte heard a young boy's voice say "Charlotte, calm down! Nothing and no one is going to hurt you. Just take deep breaths and slowly open your eyes."

Charlotte did as she was told and took a few breaths, which was hard because she was shaking from the vision. Then, she opened her eyes and was surprised by Brendan and Thomas beside her. But what truly got her was, instead of the clothes he was wearing earlier, his chest was bare and where his legs should have been, was a long, sea-blue tail.

"Your...your... you're a merboy?" Charlotte asked with a stutter. He just gave her a cheeky smile as he led her back to the edge of the pool.

"I swear, I'm in the other part of the cave, playing with the dog, and you start screaming your lungs off. I can't catch a break even once," he muttered. Then, Laguna came and knelt beside her as Thomas got out of the pool and sat beside Brendan.

"Charlotte, are you ok? What happened? And why are you shaking?" Karen got up and asked her.

Laguna looked at her daughter. "What do you think, Karen? She had a vision! And by the looks of it, it scared the daylights out of her!"

Then, she looked back at Charlotte, who was still shaking. "I want you to tell me exactly what you saw."

Despite the fear that she was feeling, Charlotte recounted the events that she saw, to the darkness to her near-death of the snake. Then, Karen's eyes went to Charlotte's chest.

"Is that the oyster?" she asked. Charlotte looked down and saw that she still had the oyster from the reef.

"B-but how was that possible? It was just a vision! There was no way this thing was real... wasn't it?" Charlotte asked. Karen took the oyster from her and examined it.

"Sweetie, if there's one thing you should know about Mother's visions, or should I say YOUR visions, it is that no matter what you think, some things are closer than you realize," Karen said, her eyes still on the oyster.

" Or, in kid speak: Gram's had a somewhat nasty habit of seeing the future and taking an item from it. Nothing of importance, or so we think, but just a small item of proof to say that she was there," Brendan said cheekily, earning a playful glare from his mother.

"Yeah, what he said, but that doesn't explain the monster you saw in your vision," Karen said, "but by the looks of it, just leave this shell in a bucket full of cold water, sand and salt, and in a few days, you'll be the owner of a new, fresh pearl."

Karen gave the oyster back to Charlotte and continued "I think you're in a special predicament now. You see, my mother has this scale that goes from 1 to 10 that she uses-or rather-used to see what type of visions she had. If it was a level 1, then the vision is usually seen is a blurry shot or a level 2, a TV show on a television screen. Now a level 10...well, you just had one. That particular level usually acts as a messenger and usually means that danger is coming. It's so life-like that it sometimes means that you were actually there.

Now, this leads me to my next hunch. If I'm right about the artificial moon pool, then maybe I'm right about my next theory."

Laguna groaned. "Karen, as much as I love you, your 'hunches' are going to be the death of me."

Karen chuckled lightly and looked at Charlotte. 'Sweetie, if you don't mind me asking this: Aside from the first powers, did those girls from Australia show any other kind of powers?"

Charlotte shook her head. "No. Though if you're talking about the weather powers, then yes."

Karen didn't say anything and gave Laguna a look. And from what Charlotte could see, Laguna's facial expression was a mix of amusement and satisfaction. It was like the two were sharing an inside joke.

What did they know that she didn't?

Flashback ends...

However, Charlotte did get some lesson on mermaid history later (Laguna was rather happy to explain the reproduction of natural-born mermaids) when Karen tried to take her mind off the vision.

"No problem dear. Besides, this might be a regular thing soon enough," Karen," but I suggest that you better go in with Thomas before your mother decides to think that you were kidnapped."

"How do you know that?" Charlotte asked.

Karen pointed to a window that was near the living room and Charlotte leaned into the front seat to see her mother's shadow was peering through the blinds before she moved away. Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"I swear, as soon as I had gotten out of the hospital a month ago, she's been watching me like a hawk," she said.

Karen and Laguna gave her a concerned look. She was in the hospital?

Karen shook her head and said "Charlotte, she's your mother, as in, you came out of her womb. She's supposed to worry over you. I should know. I worry over Brendan all the time. And as much as he hates it, he knows that I only do it because I love him. I'm sure your mother just trying to watch out for you."

Charlotte sighed and nodded. "Maybe your right, but I just wish things could be different between her and I. We used to be so close and honest with each other, and now all I do is lie to her, and I've done that for the past year or two! I just wish that things were different and maybe...maybe I could tell her everything one day like we use to. Listen, I've got to go. See you tomorrow."

Charlotte opened the car door and hopped out with Thomas not far behind her. After she closed the door, she waved goodbye to the two women and headed towards her house.

Once she got in, she went into the living room to greet her mother-who tried to play off that she wasn't just watching her daughter through the window-was sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"Hey mom," she said.

Annette turned around and smiled at her. "Hey sweetie, how was your first day of work?"

Charlotte shrugged. "It was good. I took a few orders, got familiar with the staff, and for some unknown reason, all the teenage guys who came during lunch seemed to be flirting with me."

Annette laughed. "Well, that doesn't surprise me. You've always been a beautiful girl, but since that Lewis boy broke up with you and your time in Atlanta, you haven't been so sure anymore. But lately, you've changed...for the better. I mean, look at you. You're helpful around the house, doing all these activities at school, you have friends, you have a job, and though I never saw you as a dog lover, I must say...I am so proud to call you my Little Girl."

Annette got up and went to hug her daughter. As she embraced her, Charlotte couldn't help but cry on the inside.

A few minutes afterward, Charlotte went upstairs to her bathroom to take a bath. After drawing the bathwater, Charlotte didn't even bother taking off her clothes and just jumped into the tub with her clothes on.

And 20 seconds later, her tail emerged.

While Charlotte was washing, she couldn't help but think about the exchange she had with her mom downstairs.

What was she supposed to do? Annette trusted her and all her only daughter seems to do is lie to her. In fact, there's never been a day when she couldn't lie to her mom more easily!

Alright, the first time she was a mermaid, she knew she couldn't tell her mother so soon, but then she lost her tail, and then, she lost the reason to tell her. Now she has it back-and in a new color, she must add- and she's back to the lies. But she knew this was going to be happening often. She thought about how her mother said that she's changed.

Mentally, she had matured more and has begun to act more grown-up since last year. Physically, she had never seen herself as beautiful. Sure she thought she was pretty, but not beautiful. Then, when she spent the rest of her Junior year in Atlanta, the girls there made her feel so bad that she wasn't even good enough to look at. Now, teenage guys are flirting with her like nothing before.

Personally, she wondered how the girls did it with their parents. But now, it's plain and simple to her: Their parents would have wanted them to be normal. But they all liked being different.

But Charlotte's case was entirely different. She didn't want to be a mermaid. Once she moved to California, all she wanted to do was start over and start fresh. Re-invent herself. She had no intention on repeating her past or anything like that. And now, she had to live with this tail again!

What am I going to do? Charlotte thought. She kept thinking about her current 'situation' in such deep thought that she didn't hear someone knocking on the bathroom door until she heard the twisting of the knob.

"Charlotte?" her mother asked through the door.

Charlotte sat right up and panic. Instantly, she held her hand over the bathwater and it immediately started to boil and evaporate.

"Charlotte, are you OK in there?" her mother asked.

Charlotte started to panic and decided to stall. "I'm OK, mom. My feet were just aching."

Yeah, if she had them at the moment.

"Charlotte can you please open the door?"

Charlotte looked down at the tub and realized it was half empty. So she brought up her other hand and the water was evaporating more.

"Alright, in a second," Charlotte said. Suddenly, she felt her lower half burning and looked down to see that the water in the tub was gone and she was back in her clothes.

She quickly jumped out of the tub, removed her clothes, and put on a robe, mess with her hair and made it damp and quickly went and unlocked the door. She opened it and gave her mom a fake smile.

"Hey, mom, what's up?" Charlotte asked casually, or as casual as she could.

Annette gave her a look and asked "Charlotte, why did you lock the door? It's not like I haven't seen you naked before."

Charlotte blushed at that comment. If only she knew that she wasn't truly exposed when she takes a bath.

"Sorry, I wanted some alone time. So, what did you need?"

"Oh, nothing really. I just got a message from someone with a deep voice earlier today. I think it might've been a prank call but he said he needed you to Skype with him when you got home. Should I be worried?" her mom gave her a concerned look.

Charlotte her head."No, maybe it's someone I know. Did you get a name?"

"No, he hanged up before I could ask," her mom said,"and are sure you're OK?"

"Yeah, is there anything else you need," Charlotte asked, a little hurriedly.

Her mom shook her head and was about to leave the bedroom until she turned around.

"Charlotte?"

"Hmm?"

"You're not doing drugs, are you?" she asked.

"MOM!"

"Alright, alright. Good night," her mom said as she left the room. After Charlotte heard the 'CLICK' on her door, she came out of the bathroom and fell backward onto her bed. Then, she grabbed a pillow and covered it over her face as she groaned outwardly.

Drugs?! Really?! She knew she would have given off some sort of vibe, but was it really that kind of vibe?

Suddenly, she remembered the message that her mother relayed to her. She jumped up, made a grab for her computer, put it on her lap and opened it, and made a beeline to Skype.

Unfortunately, no one was online. However, she had a video message and it was, from her own guess, Lewis. It had been a while since they last talked and she planned on telling him how training went and maybe, he could help figure out what that monster from the vision was.

She clicked on the message and Lewis's filled the screen.

( Italicized for Lewis)

"Charlotte, if you're getting this, then you have finally got back to me, but not in time for us to talk.

Listen, I've done some research for any moon occurrences around 1010 C.E., and I found a few connections. You see, the night Ane'lie - your very first life - created the storm, she had created a very powerful blue moon that lasted for about a decade, at least. This blue moon was created due to the vows she and Laguna made, altering the effects that bring us here today."

Then, he brought out a thick-looking notebook and flipped through the pages and read,

"Every few years, the anniversary of the moon appears on different days. You would think it was that it would stay on the same day, but like any outside events or games, they can be pushed back for another day. So, with that, I also found out the connections between the moon, you, and ...every other natural disaster that cost the lives of hundreds of people," Lewis said, looking rather disturbed.

Charlotte, however, looked like she was going to be sick. What had happened between her and the anniversaries?

"I didn't want to tell you, but I just did. Since the anniversary could happen any day, it just so happened that after a while of trying to find one of the days the anniversary occurred, I landed in the Dustbowl Days. I went through some American history records and found out that just a few matters of months before dust storms started, the causes of the storm - which you know as to how the dirt turned into sand - a Mexican girl who came with her families to the Americas was just about our age, or maybe younger, came to the plains to help get money from farming. However, the first few days after she came, the effects of the drought started to set in and I found out this:

The anniversary of the storm/ blue moon happened the night before the first dust storm. Then the next day, the girl went missing after the storm hit and was never to be seen again. Her name was Carmenta Hortense and I believe that she was one of your past lives who sadly got controlled by Marana and lost her life while starting the beginning of the dust storms."

Charlotte covered her mouth with her hands and started to cry. She knew the Dust Bowl took many lives over the years but did she really cause them? Alright, to anyone else, it wouldn't matter because it wasn't her, but those past lives live up to her. They showed how far she came over the years. If one of her past self could do that much damage, then what else was Charlotte capable of?

Charlotte felt her tears fall onto her hand and in a quick motion, she paused the message and ran to lock her bedroom door. She waited 20 seconds to see if she was going to fall on the floor in her mermaid form, but nothing happened.

I'm going to have to ask Laguna about that the next time I see her, Charlotte thought.

Sighing in relief, she walked back to her bed and continued the message.

"Charlotte, if Laguna is going to be your mentor, then she might try to keep secrets from you. And not that I blame her, but you and I, of all people, know that lies can only lead to hurt. I honestly don't think that what happened in whatever past life you had defines you, but that's only if you let it. Now, I've got to go. It's late and I think you should be asleep.

Sleep tight Charlotte," Lewis said.

The message ended and Charlotte closed her laptop and put it away.

How Lewis can be so forgiving sometimes, she would never know. But it was nice to know that he would still help her despite everything that happened between them. Really, she hurt the guy's friends and girlfriend and he talks to her as if nothing happened!

He truly was one of a kind.

But in the meantime, she respected the fact that Laguna wasn't quite ready to tell her everything yet. After all, she was her mentor. She had to trust her in order for everything to work. But she still felt uncomfortable about everything.

Suddenly, she felt something bang against her door and a loud whining sound from behind.

WOOF! WOOF!

Knowing this was Thomas, Charlotte jumped from her bed and unlocked her door. Her dog trotted in, giving her a "you're-an-idiot" look before he went and jumped on her bed. She followed him and got into bed herself after she turned the ceiling light off.

'Well, I think we've both had enough excitement for one night, do you think?" she asked Thomas.

He let out a whine and she noticed that his eyelids were starting to drop.

"I'll take that as a yes," she muttered, "goodnight."

She turned off the light from her lamp and pulled the bedcovers over her as she started to sleep.

...

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

So, what do you think of Charlotte and her feelings?

By the way, I have something to say. On August 17, I had received my 83rd review, and...let me show you what it said.

"shit hater chapter 1. Aug 17

This story is shit! Charlotte was a terrible character and a total bitch, anyone who behaves like that deserves to be hated! NOBODY likes charlotte other than you so quit trying to impose your stupid ideas and notions on everyone! Poorly written, unsubstantiated piece of crap! #giveitup #loser."

Though I deleted this comment, I have to say... I was NOT discouraged. So listen up; I DON'T CARE if you think Charlotte is the scum of the Earth or not, but NO ONE is allowed to post such negativity on my story whatsoever, and for those who do I must say this.

You have no heart nor care to tell when someone is actually TRYING to make people see that not everyone is completely the villain and that they ACTUALLY have feelings too. I will not stand for this intolerance!

So...

READ&REVIEW!