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Previously...
(Annette)
Have you ever wondered where you could've gone wrong? As a parent?
Like how your child could become cruel, calculate stranger? How did that even happen?
...
Before I realized what I was doing, I turned Charlotte over onto her back and felt for the pulse on her neck.
My heart stopped.
My eyes widened.
MY mouth gaped.
I couldn't feel one.
...
"Where? You were never one travel, and getting you to Queensland was tough enough," I said. Though actually, it was easier when I told her that her grandmother came from the Gold Coast. I didn't understand why, but she's always had this...connection to my mother.
...
I broke my grin though. I knew this wasn't my daughter.
...
(Coves)
"Well, maybe this is what Marana wanted: To be on land," Jonathan suggested reluctantly. He was never one for conspiracy theories, but he was willing to dwell in any if it helped.
"If that's the case, why didn't she just use magic and grow legs of her own?" Karen asked from behind a computer.
"Mom, don't jinx us!" Brendan warned. He was a proud believer in not saying things that could happen.
...
"Well, what am I supposed to do? In a way, I'm completely blind-sighted and Marana has Charlotte where she wants her. Or, in a different case, where she wants her. I can't just keep watch over Charlotte's body 24/7!" Laguna exclaimed, "I need to know what's going on in her life. Maybe I could find out where it started or how Marana possessed her?!"
...
"And it's quite easy to contact them. Though Mr. Byrnes wouldn't be so happy about it, I could ask him to get in contact with Miss Williams long enough so we could gather them and convince them to help us 'breakthrough' to 'Charlotte' and possibly get an inside look into what Marana has been doing! This way, we would at least be able to decipher how the possession started, find or possibly break the connection between them and, with much faith, be able to get in contact with the real Charlotte," Laguna concluded excitingly.
...
"You emphasized that only two people would get brought into our world by Charlotte's choice. You weren't implying the two humans we were talking about were the ones to know."
...
"You're right. Annette would know, because..." Laguna trailed, "A mother knows her child."
October 24th, 2009, Saturday Afternoon...
At the Watsford Residence...
Marana's POV
As I sat down at the window of my sister's bedroom, I couldn't help but stare outside the window as the rain poured down. It was thundering behind the dark, gray clouds and I almost smiled in satisfaction, almost as if I created this downpour personally. The once warm day was leaving water vapors on my window and I felt myself smile at the turbulent weather.
Almost.
I pulled myself out of a vision and then smiled in satisfaction. It was perfect. All the planning and details coming together as if to create the perfect wave. Even better.
Her visions were becoming more frequent.
And by her, I mean Ane'lie's visions.
I wasn't stupid: I, for a long enough time, knew that her recent incarnation had somehow managed to get Laguna's gift.
But I had nearly gotten bored with what she'd had seen so far. Yes, I did send her a few chilling "messages" through her mind, but it wasn't until I took full control that I realized that I had my work cut out for me.
By the Higher Power that gave me magic, I suspected my sister had a tough time as a human, maybe me as a...'part-time' as she calls them, but going through her memories made me want to do nothing more than to take this body is gives those miserable excuse for humans a real dose of power!
It's bad enough watching her cursed to live on land for the next life, but still! Even when she took her vow, which she broke due to her never-ending connection to the sea, some part of her life as a human was merciful.
I went deep into my mind and checked on Ane'lie again and, much to my dismay only saw her with the land-boy she was infatuated with. As much as I've loved her, their relationship frustrated me to no end! Couldn't she see how dangerous it was? Couldn't she see that the more time she let him 'experiment' on the moon pool, the more he is putting EVERY SINGLE EXISTING MERMAID IN DANGER!?
By all honestly, even though those land-girls barely got away when they pulled that stunt with the eclipse, that scientist will still go looking.
They always do.
I felt a chill go down my spine from the cold and I shook my head. God, even if this body isn't fully human, I hate the bodily reactions that came with it! I never got sick in my grotto and spells were often used in case I even got accidentally poisoned!
I turned my head away from the window. It wouldn't do either of us any good by thinking about the past. As much as I want my revenge, there's no time for it now.
Not when I'm so close...
"Charlotte, lunchtime!" I heard Annette calm for me, or rather, Charlotte.
I started towards the door and the moment I grasped the doorknob, I growled before swinging it open and facing the mangy animal my dear sister thought it was a good idea to have.
I watched in pure annoyance as he bared his canine teeth at me and growled viciously.
A downside since taking over: The dog.
I wanted to believe it was just a myth that land-animals were sensitive to that of the supernatural. But after the unfortunate incident that resulted in him living in this house, he knew when something was wrong. I was even surprised how he helped Ane'lie when she first got her tail and saved her from being exposed.
But back then, I had hoped that he had lived to see his usefulness.
Now, he's nothing but a pain in my tail. From the moment I entered her body, he knew who I was and vice versa. (I don't easily forget those who hurt my precious pet!)
I was so tempted to burn him alive, but anything I did could have easily triggered Ane'lie back and I definitely would be in deep waters if she found out I killed her beloved companion.
So, I let him live. But when I'm at my full power, he's going to be among the first to go.
Among a few...
"Move Mutt!" I growled, kicking it to the side. I added a little bit of force to it, so the animal landed a few feet away from me.
He got up and growled at me once more before going on another constant repeat of barking.
WOOF!
WOOF!
WOOF!
WOOF!
WOOF!
WOOF!
WOOF!
WOOF!
I groaned and walked downstairs. I swear, that dog is possibly the closest thing to making me inact my plan early!
Walking into the kitchen, I was surprised by the pleasant smell of seafood and saw what appeared to be...Fish Burgers, as the land-dwellers call them.
Although I hate to admit it at times, land-dwellers are mostly better used for their cooking rather than their other preferable assets.
I grabbed a plate and sat down at the table where Annette was sitting. She had her nose in a book, a cookbook perhaps, while sipping a cup of tea and tried to look as if she was multi-tasking.
Keyword: Tried.
If I was honest with myself, I'd admit that I may hold a soft spot for Ane'lie's current mother.
May or may not.
She was different from the others. In a way, perhaps it was because of her lineage. Not many could say they were the daughter of a failed mermaid, but the irony of their child following their grandmother's footsteps says a lot more.
I always thought that land-dwellers were ignorant, especially when they would say my kind didn't exist. By all honesty, it's bad enough they felt everything unexplainable could be understood by science, but I've seen enough evil in the world to know humans could be worse than even the most dangerous sea predators lurking from the below.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons why, for some unknown reason, very few knew about magic and chose not to meddle in it. But that can't be said for the rest...
Annette Watsford had to deal with my sister's depression when it got to its worst. When I nearly lost her, she stayed by her side. No doubt that Ane'lie had found herself fighting from growing distant from her mother, even I took pity on her.
The woman almost lost her child to our world and she didn't even know how and why.
Maybe that's why I wanted to spare her. She wasn't as horrible as those girls' families down in Australia. They simply didn't care about how their actions were alienating them and the families were barely making an effort to know why.
At least Annette tries.
"So, wonderful weather we're having," I said before mentally cursing myself. Was that the best I could say?
Annette gave me a perplexed look. "It's storming."
"Storms can be wonderful," I chuckled, laughing at my own joke.
She raised her eyes to me for a few minutes before looking back at her book. I took a bite out of my lunch to seem casual.
"So, have anything planned today?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Not really, but your Choir teacher called. Miss Anelies, I think her name was."
This perked me up. "Really? What did she say?"
"She said to remind you to have a costume ready for the Halloween Concert or Dance or something," she said, a little puzzled.
Ah, the concert/dance my sister is supposed to be attending. I almost forgot about that.
"It's both actually. It was just supposed to be a concert, but then the student Council wanted a dance, so it became both," I explained. The news itself was a surprise, especially since my plans were enacted that day as well.
Especially since there was no such thing as coincidence where I was involved.
"so what are you going as?" Annette asked me.
"A sea witch," I announced with a chuckle. I was vaguely aware of the little nickname Laguna had for me. Hell, she called me that when our little feud started all those years ago. But, in a way, I adopted it and felt it was the perfect direction to go for the 31st.
Annette kept staring at me and I was starting to get annoyed. I knew she was starting to suspect that Ane'lie wasn't in full control, but I hoped she'd eventually overlook it. But apparently, she wasn't that easily swayed.
Like mother, like daughter...
"Are you going to come?" I asked.
Annette gave me an incredulous look. "Of course I am! I'm not missing my own daughter's first singing performance! What kind of mother would I be!?"
One that didn't deserve the right to carry my sister for 9 months.
In Charlotte's mindscape...
Charlotte's POV
I was with Lewis hand in hand as we walked along the beach.
I had met up with him earlier at his regular fishing spot and from there, we went on a little stroll. It was nice and sunny outside today, perfect winds and gorgeous waves were forming along the coast. We watched the surfers and the beachgoers either jogged or wandered passed us and decided to sit on the beach, enjoying this wonderful day.
"So, did you hear?" I asked him giddily, knowing he knew what I was talking about.
He gave me a playful smile. "Hear what? I've heard completely nothing recently."
I shoved him playfully. "Oh, come on!"
"Alright, alright!" he raised his hands up in surrender, " It's the one year anniversary of your transformation in a week. Congratulations, Char!"
I laughed. "Thanks, but that's not the only thing coming up."
Lewis raised an eyebrow. "It isn't?"
"Nope, in fact, so is our anniversary too. It has been completely one year since we started dating!" I exclaimed.
He laughed and wrapped his arms around me. Like Rikki (to an extent though), Lewis had started to be more outwards with his affections since we've known each other.
I snuggled into his arms as we kept walking. So much has changed after in a year and definitely for the better. Emma and she spent a lot of time together, on and off the land, Cleo and I have managed to set aside their differences and become friends, and Rikki didn't hate her anymore and seemed to like her more. They weren't exactly the best of friends, but more like close acquaintances.
And her relationship with Lewis was at its strongest. At first, it hurt when he finally admitted that he was only with me to get over Cleo. Even if part of me had always known that, the truth still hurt. But eventually, we worked past it. I had my trust issues and he had his, and then came a time we broke up and I let him be with Cleo.
But that ended differently: Instead of staying with her, Lewis still chose me. ME! He had learned to like me, and eventually, he fell in love with me.
He hadn't really told me that, but his eyes always said so. And so does actions.
"So, what exactly do you wanna do for our anniversary?" he asked, his head nuzzled into my neck.
"I was thinking- torn, actually- about having a movie night, just you and me, and having a picnic on Mako. Perhaps where we first kissed."
And then my eyes widened. "Not that we have to go there, I mean, we could have it on the beach and..."
Lewis chuckled. "I get what you're trying to say, Char. I thought we moved past that already. And I don't mind having a picnic on Mako. From what I do know, you'd need to be on the island anyway."
I looked at him. "What do you? What's going on?"
"Nothing I can say. Besides, Cleo had Rikki threaten me to make sure I wouldn't tell."
"Aww," I pouted. He laughed and I smiled at the sound.
"So, if we do have this picnic, will you make the food this time?" I asked innocently.
"Yes, but I can't promise I'm a great cook," he admitted.
"Well, you're lucky I love you for you and not your cooking abilities. Besides, you could always come to my mom for help," I inquired.
We both laughed again until we found a spot on the beach to sit on. I sat in-between his legs and he kept his arms around me. We just sat in peace, enjoying each other's company...
Until suddenly...
A bitter, eerie feeling spread across my body. I was a chilly feeling, almost as if I was stuck in a cold storm in the middle of the ocean. I couldn't breathe and my lungs felt like they were suffocating and it all just felt wrong. Just so, so wrong.
I started hyperventilating and looking around, absolutely sure someone was watching me. I get feels and chills whenever I felt this, but now it was like I was being watched. Prey being stalked by a predator.
I was freaking out so much that I forgot that I was in Lewis's arms until I felt a pair of lips over mine.
Slowly, but surely, I started to calm down and relax right into him. The cold feeling went away and I felt warm again.
"Charlotte, are you okay? I kept calling and calling out to you and you weren't answering!" he exclaimed after he pulled away, "You were acting crazy, like you were having some kind of panic attack! What happened?"
I took a deep breath and shook my head. I wish I could understand what just happened to.
"I don't know. Lately, I've been getting this feeling...you know, like someone's watching me from far away and it's been leaving me confused and slightly scared," I said, "This is worse than I've ever felt it before."
"Did you tell the girls about this?" he asked with concern in his voice.
I gave him a look. "And what? They'll think I'm crazy and though me and Rikki are on better terms, she'd think someone saw me in my tail and that we've been exposed! I can't tell them, Lewis."
I sighed. And I heard Lewis suck in his breath in defeat.
"Char, if you think someone knows about you or is getting pretty close to it, I...I highly advise that you tell the girls. This wouldn't be their first rodeo. They've thwarted people before. Hell, they've even stopped Kim from finding out and she had massive evidence to support her claim!" he joked.
I couldn't help but laugh. I heard about that not too long after me and Cleo had become friends. I had felt hypocritical about it, seeing as she used to be on my case about keeping the secret (especially when Rikki was bad enough) but accepted it as one of her bigger mistakes as a mermaid.
I half-expected Lewis to fight me on this, but instead, he left me be and just held me tighter. I was relieved and relaxed back into him again.
Dear God, what would I do without this guy?
At the Coves' Residence...
3rd POV
Laguna was anxious.
She was anxious and had a good reason for it!
When she and her family first created this plan, she was excited at the possibility of stopping whatever plans Maran had during her time on land and get the real Charlotte back.
But now, she was nervous.
To start off, it was raining. No, pouring outside of her home. The weather channel was surprised to see the sudden storm over the area, and now, instead of the sunny day that was broadcasted earlier, it was raining. This, she was sure, was Marana's doing.
Secondly, Jonathan had volunteered to retrieve Riley Byrnes and Alaine Williams from their homes and bring them here. As much as the idea seemed fine at first, she took in her daughter's and grandson's words. And they made sense.
Even if Brendan was partially acting on his own benefits, there's no way she could ask two people to spy on their friend, even with the risk of Marana hurting them in the process, emotionally and physically, without spilling the Secret.
And Karen proved a point as well. Annette would seem more of a likely person to ask, but this was going beyond the parental boundaries! Asking a mother to spy on her child, even if she may or may not know that said child may not be hers, is being reasoned and downright ridiculous!
Maybe Annette could have looked around Charlotte's bedroom and search for any possible clues, and then what? They couldn't explain why or tell her the truth. Laguna agreed with Karen that only Charlotte had the right to tell her, no matter how much Laguna hoped otherwise. But even if they did, what would that mean for Annette?
Those who've earned the right to be called a Mother have been known to do everything in their power to protect their child, regardless of whether it was the right thing to do or not. Would Annette call the Coves crazy and try to hide Charlotte away? Would she even believe they were telling the truth? What if Marana realizes Annette is on to her and decides to harm her?
There were just too many variables and risks that Laguna could not afford to think about nor want to!
"Mother?"
Laguna turned around to see Karen walking towards her in a pair of sweatpants and Jonathan's shirt, her 9-month pregnant belly more obvious than it was before. Was she like that when she carried Karen and many of her countless siblings as well?
"I'm just thinking," she told her daughter.
"Wondering if the plan is such a great idea?" Karen asked.
Laguna nodded. "I don't feel comfortable asking two land-dwellers to enter our world unknowingly to get close to Marana. That mermaid has gotten smarter over the years than I thought. First, it was the water creature or creation or, as Charlotte calls it, the 'Water Snake', which was created years beyond its time. Then, it was luring Charlotte to the moon pool that changed her and demonstrating her control over it. And the next one was destroying Charlotte's peace of mind and making her see those awful things that never happened. And now, the final hammer to the nail: She's taken possession over her and her body! Please tell me Karen- no, enlighten me- on how bringing in possibly 2-3 innocent humans into our world makes it any better? Or yet, tell me what lie we should tell them!?"
Karen shook her head. Her mother was overreacting...or underreacting, if possible.
She's never been keen about anyone knowing about the Secret, or the possibility of anyone knowing that some mermaids have are living on land. As old as she was, she was still a skeptic on who knew and didn't know her secret and once she married or simply had chosen to have a child out of wedlock for the sake of having one to help her find Ane'lie in any reincarnations.
Karen tried not to think much on her own childhood. She was one of the many of her late sibling that was born out of wedlock and though it had hurt her to see other kids with their fathers in their lives, she had often felt comfortable with the idea that her mother was strong enough to raise her on her own and held an amazing secret. But then, her tail came in and life just got harder. She had longed to be normal and have friends that she could talk to, but that had quickly backfired.
No, she wasn't biased about humans being let in on the Secret, but she quickly learned that not all humans can be faithful Secret Keepers.
She was in her mid-teens when she met Brendan's father. She had made herself an outcast for the sake of her secret and her relationship with her mother wasn't at the best place. It was bad enough she was bullied, but water pranks were often her main torture when the mean girls realized that she was "afraid" of getting wet. Hell, the day she met him, she was running from them to hide after they had thrown a water balloon at her and she practically hid under bleachers of the football field.
It was the best and worst thing she had done.
It was the best because the bullies practically ran passed her and didn't see her tail.
And it was her worst because just as she started to dry herself, a tall, masculine football player had just happened to walk under the bleachers to get something that rolled under and spotted her in her other form.
Karen's thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the front door and Brendan, coming in wearing a waterproof raincoat and more, entered the living room and found his mom and grandmother.
"Hey, Jonathan's back."