Alright, I'm truly disappointed in myself for the lack of updates because I was so hoping that I would finish this story by the end of summer but...time just got away from me.
And second order of business:...I HAVE A WATTPAD ACCOUNT! I know, I know, it was a long time coming, but now the deed is done. And you can find all the chapters of "Rewind to a New Beginning" at Aaustin2018. Feel free to read it, comment and more there!
And thirdly...I'm in my SENIOR YEAR in high school! YAAAAAAYYYY! I have 7 classes and am having a ball going through my options for college.
So, all in all, I hope this chapter is worthy of my long absence!
ENJOY!
Previously...
Riley couldn't help but be nervous. He had practically ransacked his closet to find some of his more decent clothes and, without being caught by his bear of a father, stole some cash from his wallet.
...
(Riley)
Charlotte Watsford was different from the other girls I met, let alone, knew. Without trying, everything about her drew me in. Perhaps it was because more than her beauty that caught my eyes. After all, while most girls had no problem putting on putting on bare or the majority amount of makeup on their face, Charlotte had that natural beauty going on. While most girls either looked (naturally) skinny or fat, Charlotte managed to make looking muscular and athletically-builts look amazing and gorgeous.
And she can be the most stubborn person I've ever met, but at the same time, she had an air around her that could only be described as:
...
(Charlotte)
"And now," the TV announcer said, "It's time to get back to our segment, 'Love From Underneath the Sea'".
...
(Marana)
By the time I got to the house, I noticed it was dark all over. I noticed Annette's car was gone and I felt the most delightful drop of dread fill in me.
It was my sister's "date" with Byrnes tonight.
It's bad enough I can't swim to my cave directly, and pretending to be Ane'lie to the Human World was becoming exhausting and it was finally taking a toll on me. As well as keeping Annette in the dark.
...
(Charlotte)
I, for one, don't. The rumor was way too dramatic and detailed to be the real thing. Either he made it up for some reason or someone made it up for him.
Looking into his eyes, I saw a flash of unbearable pain in them and I felt my heartache out to him in response.
...
(Marana)
"A...the vast majority of what was said is false. There were no gangs, no abuse, and no murder. My mother did die, but it was in an accident. A pure, complete accident on a rainy night," he voiced. "The only truth behind it was that...I am a product of rape. But my situation was completely different. My parents...they lived in a trailer park at the time. My mom was kicked out by her family for reasons my Old Man won't say and was trying to get her GED. My dad worked in a car garage and made a decent living out of it. One night, my mom was walking home from a friend's when she was attacked, practically ambushed by 3 guys...An old couple driving by found her on the ground and took her to the hospital. They did the Rape Kit, the interviews and everything by the book, but they never found the guys who did that to her...
...
(Charlotte)
And now, I was a blubbering mess as I had tears running down my eyes and was constantly blowing my nose into tissues that now littered my bed as I had my eyes glued to the screen.
...
(Marana)
He shook his head. "It was later. I didn't want to be at home with him, so I spent more time on the streets. And you know the story: A street rat gets caught by the police, and then he gets a record. It was by overhearing the cops from my cell during a stunt I pulled that I found out. Practically had a nervous breakdown when I found out. When my dad picked me up, he was probably at the height of his sobriety when he confirmed it. Told me that she went through Hell for me and died for me. After that, I lost my mind and as a result, well, you know how me and Laguna met. Up until now, she's the only one I told this to. Now, you know, Beautiful."
...
(Charlotte)
Beautiful...
That word hit me like a ton of bricks fell on me. I suddenly felt like I was having an attack, but this felt different. Like I was inside a bubble for months and I was getting a breath of fresh air for the first time.
...
(Marana)
The last thing I saw was Byrnes kneel and him calling out for my sister...
Riley's POV
I rushed to side Charlotte's side as she hit the floor with a thud, completely unconscious.
I knelt beside her and quickly held her face, patting her gently to wake her up.
"Char? Charlotte? Charlie?" I pleaded. "C'mon Char, don't do this to me now!"
But she wasn't waking up. It was like some invisible force knocked her out instantly. I don't know what happened, but I wasn't just going to leave her lying there.
As gently as I could, I lifted Charlotte into my arms and carried her into the house.
I rushed passed Thomas, who ended up following us way upstairs until I kicked her bedroom door open and rested her onto the bed.
And, yes, I did go looking to find Charlotte's room. Sue me!
I plopped a pillow under her head and took a seat beside her as she slept. And then, I looked around her room.
Alright, I'll admit it, aside from this date - and look how well it's going - Karen gave me a task that was a suicide mission as a whole.
The mission: Snoop through Charlotte's things and bring back anything that seemed unusually for Charlotte to have.
Flashback...
"I'm sorry," I stated incredibly. "You want me to do what!?"
Karen raised her hands in defense. "I know this is asking a lot out of you, probably more than what we were asking of earlier, but she seems to still care about you...to an extent."
I snorted at that. After the Coves were done talking to me and Alain, we were just about to leave when Karen pulled me aside to ask me for a favor.
Well, considering I'm being asked to breach the trust of the one girl I like, that's one big "favor" to ask of me.
Pfft! Favor? More like espionage and the beginning of a long, hard ass-kicking from a very angry yet very hot brunette named Charlotte Watsford.
"Look, even if I did do this for you, Charlotte is the type of person to know if her stuff went missing. Even the simplest thing, she would notice."
"And that's when you come in! I know you two have been getting closer before she changed and now, for some reason, she acts like nothing's different when you're around. That must mean that you can get into her head and find out what's wrong. Is that too much to ask?" Karen exclaimed.
Yes, yes it is. And stealing from my sort-of girlfriend was not going to win me any brownie points any time soon.
And Karen knew what I was thinking and held me by the shoulders.
"Look Byrnes!" she exclaimed, glaring at me. "All I'm asking is that if you find anything strange and out of the ordinary, just bring it back to me and Mother as clean as you can. Get in. Get out. And after that, try to keep an eye on Charlotte as best as you can, even if she tries to drive you away..."
And this is when I couldn't help but feel like I was an unwanted participant in a covert op mission.
"You do know what you're asking me to risk losing Char's trust, right?"
But Karen just kept giving me the eyes that said that I was screwed no matter what I said. And I was hating the feeling I might be right.
Flashback ends...
After that, here I was. Sitting beside the girl I like - who infuriates me more than I'd like to admit - when I'm supposed to be looking for something that... and I have no idea what I'm looking for!
I gently got up and looked around her bedroom. It was plain, aside from maybe a few paintings that looked like they have framed itself. Aside from a desk that with her computer on it - which I was not touching with my life - that had a mirror attached to it with, surprisingly, no pictures. Same can be said for her dresser and nightstand beside her bed. And most of all, her room was impeccably clean. Hell, you'd think for a girl invested in Sports, Art, and Choir that her room would have been cluttered with all the relatable objects...
But there's nothing. The floor was spotless and everything was neat and organized.
And according to Alaine: That wasn't normal.
So, me being me, the first thing I did was look through the desk. I opened the drawers and went through her supplies, rummaging through her papers, before looking moving towards her dresser and rummaging through her clothes.
And I've willing to admit to doing my obvious best to avidly avoid going through Charlie's bra and underwear drawer.
Looking around, I almost headed into his closet when Thomas suddenly pounced on me, nearly knocking me down in the process.
"What the Hell, dude!?" I silently exclaimed, trying not to wake Charlotte up. But the dog kept whining and prancing in circles before jumping on me again.
"Okay, okay, I get it. Something is wrong with Charlie. I guess you can see that right?" I gestured towards the sleeping girl.
And at this, Thomas growled at the sleeping girl. I had to step in front of her due to the threatening stance he was possessing that was enough to prove why pit-bulls were given a bad rep.
"WHOA! Thomas, stay!" I warned him. Another thing I just noticed: For some reason, the dog wasn't as protective of Charlotte as he usually was anymore. In fact, he seemed more likely to attack her.
But he still bared his teeth at her before he moved behind me and moved his head under the bed. He was too big to fit it, but he kept looking at me before moving his head under the bed.
Now, I was perplexed. I always had the impression that if Thomas was a character in the Air Bud movies, he'd long be talking by now. But following his lead, I found myself kneeling onto the floor before I got face-down on my chest to see what Thomas was pointing out to me.
And that's when things got weird.
The underneath of her bed was unnaturally cluttered with junk. The first disorganized thing I saw in the room. Old shoes were bunched up under here and some paintbrushes were just thrown under there, something I knew my Charlie would throw a hissy fit over.
But then I found a wooden box just sitting there. It didn't seem to handle or any type of locks on it. It just seemed...strange.
"Whelp, Karen told me to look for something strange and out of the ordinary," I stated sarcastically. "And looks like I found it."
I reached my hand out and managed to grasp on the box...and that's when it happened.
I felt Charlotte shift on the bed.
Oh no, I was not dying tonight via an Angry Charlotte!
Pulling the box out from under the bed as best as I can without making noise, and once I had the strange, wooden box in hand, I quickly hid it outside the door so that I could grab it on my way out without raising suspicion.
I heard a quick growl from Thomas again before I shooed him away and took my place beside Charlotte as I did before I went snooping.
And then her eyes opened.
Marana's POV
Byrnes...
He's the first thing I see after my sister has what can be called an...emotional meltdown, as Humans call it. And despite searching for her throughout my unconscious state, I found her out of commission too. She...She's simply...
She can't be found.
And now, I have Byrnes looking over me like I'm some wounded animal about to become sea carcass!
I looked around my sister's room and noticed something amiss. Something I picked up over my time between hiding and checking in on Ane'lie was the ability to since when something was displaced and out of order. And as for my sister's habit of cleaning when upset, everything she did had a method to her madness.
I eyed Byrnes wearily before speaking, "What happened and why are you in my bedroom?"
Byrnes staggered back, most probably from my apparent blunt attitude. No surprise, Laguna and Ane'lie were the only ones who understood that aspect of me.
"Well," he started, regaining his composure, "normally, I would love to be here on more...intimate... calls, if you know what I mean."
I internally groaned and resisted rolling my eyes as he continued, "But I felt this was better because, well, a guy goes out of his way to cook a nice, romantic meal for the girl he...really, really cares about only to have her fall unconsciously onto the ground. So, I decided to play the handsome Knight in Shining Armor and carry you to your bedroom. Hope you didn't mind."
"More like I hope you didn't steal my underwear," I uttered as I sat up on the bed. I saw him lower his head slightly at the accusation.
Yep, he did.
"I did not. If anything, I was a perfect gentleman," he defended himself. Yeah, right!
"So, now that I'm awake and living as well, you can leave now," I stated. I said that as I got up on my feet, keeping my eyes on Byrnes in the process. As a mermaid, I never understood what was so fascinating about land-people. They've caused so much harm and pollution and...
Even if my kind had denounced me long ago...
"Well, If you want me to-" he started.
"I don't."
I stopped him right there in mid-sentence for the fact that I simply didn't care. I simply wanted him out so I could think and figure out what happened to Ane'lie.
"I mean, are you sure you don't want-" he started again before I stopped him again.
"Riley...Just go."
I practically dropped all the emotion in my voice and stared deeply into his eyes. He stepped back from me by a few paces, giving me an equally passive expression on his face.
He raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, I get it. You need your space, as usual. I'll leave."
I nodded as he stepped aside and started walking towards the door when he turned his head to me one last time.
"But I have just one question: That night when I went flying into the pool. What was that?"
Oh, wouldn't he like to know?
"That...That was a side of me you will never get to see nor would you ever like to know," I stated coldly.
He nodded and stared at me one last time before exiting my bedroom. I waited until I heard the closing of the front door of the house and the sound of his Vespa roaring in the distance before I could officially relax.
That was completely unexpected. Something is wrong with Ane'lie and nothing is right about the entire situation. It's not like she completely blocked me out of her mind- no, my spell was a lot stronger than that. I just needed to focus. Her presence is still there, I just can't reach her.
Perhaps I needed to channel her.
Yes, I thought as I reached under my bed. Perhaps I could bring her back, or at least know what happened, if I could-
Suddenly, I froze.
I couldn't grab anything. All I was grabbing was air. I immediately turned my body so that I could see right under the bed.
There was nothing.
Next thing I know, I'm practically pulling multiple stuff belonging to Ane'lie that I stashed under there for security reasons and I'm the only-
And then it hit me.
Hit me like a powerful tsunami hitting straight for shore and washing me away. And there are only a short few people on my list that could still surprise me.
I had a spy in my mist and I let him right in. And no doubt my lack of consciousness offered the opportunity on a silver platter too.
A strange sound came out of my mouth. At first, it started like a choking noise erupting from my throat before a cackle came pouring out long and drawn out as the wicked laughter forced its way out of my lungs and left me heaving from lack of oxygen.
So, if that's how Laguna was going to play it, then this is how it's going down.
Charlotte's POV
So this is what it means to drown.
I heard the story: that you're completely submerged underwater, no amount of swimming or flailing will get you air, all until you had no choice but to engulf water into your lungs, and then their slow yet painless death.
And as a mermaid, I'd think I was in no way near the process of ever fearing the effects of drowning.
But then again, Drowning comes in many forms.
Slowly...
Painlessly...
Beautiful...
What is it about that word that seems so comforting? It's a word that brings flattery and self-worth, yes, but when that guy said that on the TV...
It felt familiar.
I don't hear anything. I don't see anything. Everything around me just faded into black. Had I fainted? Had I had those dark chill crawl up my back again, only to, this time, submit to them?
"Oh, if only it were that..." I heard a feminine voice from behind me. Suddenly, I started to see it getting lighter around me. Like a shot of light from a window illuminating the room.
Only I wasn't in a room. My surroundings changed from the darkness into the setting of the moon pool. I found myself facing the water before I turned around to where I deduced the voice was.
Standing against the cave was a woman that looked in her early 30s.
And she was beautiful.
The woman was wearing blueBell Bottoms with a brown belt and a white blouse. She had short, brown hair that slightly cascaded down to her shoulders and her blue eyes...her eyes reminded me of the sea foam that washed up the shores of the beach. She wore a long, turquoise necklace with matching earrings and a bracelet, along with a blue headband with a seashell on it.
Somehow, I felt like I knew her somewhere.
She kept glancing at me and gave me a sad smile before walking towards me slowly.
"You know, last time we saw each other was on two living occasions. Both living and dead. The first time was when you were a young girl. You crawled into my bed and wrapped your arms around me, waking me up...purposively. You practically made it a routine to come to see me at night and begged me to tell you more about the sea and my little adventures. And I'd tell you all you'd want to hear, even some of the same tales over and over again," the woman laughed, "if only I knew about those chest pains sooner..."
My eyes widened as I remembered that night...the night...
"And the second time we met, while you were in the hospital. Physically, speaking. Mentally-speaking, in the realm of the dead, you were barely alive. No living, if I should call it that," she stated bitterly. She walked up to the moon pool and gently knelt to it and dips her hand into it.
But then she surprised me when an angry scowl formed on her face and she splashed the water harshly in the air.
"There is a reason Humans mostly could not find out about Magic, and it's specifically because they either get drunk in it or die for it!" she screamed as she got up and paced before me, "And me seeing you that way that night, Hell, me seeing you at all before Old Age wasn't supposed to happen. And it was all my fault. I nudged you. Pushed you towards that path carelessly and nearly lost you because of it!"
I was shocked to see her outburst. I thought she was proud of me. Wasn't this what she wanted? I followed her footsteps. I have friends. I have a smart and caring boyfriend. What was so wrong with that?
"Gracie..." her name almost breathless as it passed my lips, "What's going on? Why are you here? No, how is the question! And, and, and what hospital?! Is that where I am now?"
She stopped pacing and her anger dissipated from her into a relaxed form.
"This...setting, this is the last place I ever wanted to return to. And the last place you ever needed to be. Charlotte, you should have never come here," Gracie stated.
What?
My confused look must have shown up on my face because she continued talking.
"Charlotte...this isn't what I wanted for you. I wanted you to be normal. I wanted that for both you and your mother. I wanted you both to have normal lives. Not this," she stated.
"What? I thought you...I get that maybe you wanted to be normal. But I thought you were proud of me! Just because you were done being a mermaid doesn't mean I wouldn't want that!" I exclaimed. Everything that was coming out of her mouth was sounding so crazy. She didn't want me to be a mermaid!?
"Honey, I get it. Hell, I always thought it would be a complete crazy person to willingly want a tail, but didn't I feel hypocritical afterward," she stated before gently grabbing my hands. "I get it. I honestly, truly understand what it must have felt like to be here. You were drawn here, even if you didn't realize it. Then you found the pool and realized what it could do. And you loved it! You loved swimming at depts. no human could even reach. Had abilities people only read about or could imagine seeing. You were a creature beyond anyone's dreams.
And that's why I realized I could live without it. I wanted a husband, kids, grandkids, truth, honesty. I wanted back the whole human experience I left behind. Just look at what Louise and Julia left behind. They never married, had kids, and eventually let go of their powers and virtually no one came to see them when they died. Julia was all alone when she passed and Louise died in a nursing home and none of the girls even knew. Yes, my tail was nice and all, but what was the point in keeping it if it meant pushing those I loved away. Sure, I had friends, and yes, they could relate, but I knew I couldn't live like that. I couldn't handle the lies, the secrets, and the immense loneliness that came with such powers. I couldn't handle keeping my guard up constantly around people. And what if I fell in love? I would have eventual trouble trusting that man. And then there was the possibility of having kids and them possibly inheriting it.
I couldn't let such a cycle begin again. I couldn't be selfish and want people to wait for me. I wanted to live my life my way. I wanted a husband who I could love and cherish without keeping secrets from him. I wanted my future kids to have a normal life, knowing they had nothing holding them back. No tails or powers could ever make life any easier but instead hinder their lives more. Yes, having magic was great, but what's the point of having it if it would cost you your life?
So yes, to them, I simply stopped wanting to be a mermaid. but I knew that if they truly knew what would have happened, they would have made sure to keep me from the pool that night. Louise and Julia might've stayed in the present, but they had no idea how much time they would have lost as mermaids. Max, that boy did love me, and so did I to him, but he was getting obsessed. And without realizing it, he started to value me for my tail than as a person. So when I left, I left my past behind because, as fun as it was, it was only holding temporary happiness for me. That was the same reason why I gave up my locket."
I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to say anything. I became a mermaid for her. After all this time, just for her. And she's telling me she'd given it up to spare me of being different?!
"But times have changed now, Gracie! I'm not you. I have friends who love me, a guy who saw me as I was long before I had a tail and everything afterward! Besides, this was my choice. I knew what I was possibly getting myself into. I knew what I was doing. Everything worked out for me in the end. Shouldn't you be happy for me!?" I exclaimed in pain.
Suddenly, she shook her head and gently reached for my face before I backed away. She frowned.
"I got to give it to her," she started, "she truly went as far as to block any of your true memories if it meant getting what she wants. She practically made you like Max, stuck in the past. Under a spell and unable to move on."
What was she talking about? And who was "she"?
"Gracie, what are you talking about? And who-"
I was cut off when the cave started shaking? An earthquake? It couldn't be a volcanic eruption because this place had been extinct for years! I looked to see my grandmother looking angry now, but not directly at me.
"Shit! She's found us! I swear since I'm no longer alive, I hope Laguna knocks her down back to whatever hidden cave she came from!" she sneered. Wait what?
"This isn't real?" I asked astonishingly. Gracie looked at me and relaxed slightly. But suddenly, she shoved me away when rocked started falling down and nearly hit me. We both landed a little too close to the pool.
I felt her grab my cheeks in both hands and made me look her in the eyes.
"Lottie," she rasped her childhood nickname for me through her lips, "Lottie, if you know deep down in your heart that this isn't real, then you'll be one step closer to realizing the truth."
"What truth?" I asked hurriedly.
"The truth that everything you've been seeing isn't real. I'm sorry I can't tell you more than that but you have to go!" she said, standing me up quickly.
"But-but-wait! We have to talk-" I started.
"There's no time now!" she interrupted, "she's going to find us at any second and she can't see me or who knows how much damage she'll do to you!"
"But Grace-GRANDMA!" I screamed as she pushed me into the moon pool. Water submerged me everywhere and I nearly felt like I was drowning as something was pulling me down. Darkness covered me again. I swear I heard her last words ring clear as a bell.
"REMEMBER, CHARLOTTE!" her voice rang one last time, "REMEMBER!"
"GRACIE!" I screamed as I sat up. It felt like I witnessed a nightmare in real life. No, more like I slept with my eyes open and dreamed hellishly. I looked around and was surprised by my surroundings.
I was back in my bedroom.
October 26th, 2009, Tuesday...
At Paradise Cove Café...
Laguna's POV
I was working on some paperwork in my office when Byrnes came rushing in, dropped a wooden box in front of me, and the rushed out before I could even get a word in.
Shaking my head, I noticed that there was no latch on it and opened it.
I was surprised to see it full of various shells, locks of seaweeds...until I rose out of my seat when I realized that they were toxic corals when I nearly scratched myself on a fire one.
I picked up my phone and put it on speaker when I realized that I was possibly poisoned.
Thankfully, Brendan answered.
"Yeah, Grams?" he answered.
"Brendan, get your mother and tell her to come to my office NOW! It's a Code 3. I repeat CODE 3!" I exclaimed.
I didn't get an answer as he hung up quickly. Code 3 was a term created for 3 types of emergencies: Exposure, threats, and health reasons aka poisoning. And in that order, 1 and 3 were both bad news.
Looking at the box and its filled contents, I quickly dumped it all over my desk. Byrnes wouldn't hurt me knowingly, but what was in this box that was so important? I knew Karen had pulled him aside for a moment, but what did he just give me?
Surely, after going through the poisonous stuff with a stick, I noticed a folded piece of paper lying amongst them. Carefully, I grabbed it and unfolded it. And what I saw surprised me:
It was a drawing.
A very, very realistic drawing, I might add. I've seen Charlotte's work, so I knew it was hers, and when she put her heart into it, it was amazing. But it felt familiar.
The drawing was almost made like a picture. It showed Charlotte and those three other girls she disputed with a year ago. This had the background story of a different (alternative) time when the girls managed to become long, lasting friends.
But why was this among poisonous items of all things?
And that's when I felt it: A tingling sensation. A familiar one that I haven't felt in months. Not since the day I and Charlotte shook hands...
Suddenly, I was pulled into the back of my mind as I realized that I was having a vision.
Flashback...
I opened my eyes as I found myself walking along a trail near the docks. It took me a few minutes at staring at my surroundings to realize that I was enacting a memory though Charlotte.
The difference between visions and memories is that one sees in the future while the other is based in the past. Since having Charlotte's memories, I mostly was watching as a 3rd Person. Meaning, I would just be in the memory watching Charlotte's emotions and actions, like a Standby.
However, this is the first time I watched her.
She/I was walking up the trail in a memorizing daze like she was trying to pull in everyone and everything around her and trap them in her mind like one long memory...
Eventually, she walked past the JuiceNet Café, where her/I saw the girls and Lewis sitting outside. Charlotte/I slowly walk passed them, not enough for them to notice, but enough for us to take in the building, the people waling in and out, those that were dining, and especially the group and how at peace they seem to be.
Well, not really as Lewis McCartney turned his head and saw us. Charlotte/I felt compelled to look down and walk away but he gave her/me a small smile and waved at her/me. I felt her/my lips give a small smile back, but she/I kept walking just as he turned his attention back to the girls.
I couldn't exactly read her mind in her memories, but I could feel and read her emotions easily. And I knew in another time, she would smile happily and walk up to sit with them.
After this, we walked everywhere to places that hold significant memories for her, both good and bad. It didn't matter how light-hearted or painful they were to her. They were memories. Eventually, she/I arrived at a pier when the sky appeared to be twilight.
Looking out at the sea, she/I felt into a pocket of the coat we were wearing and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She/I unfolded it until it was revealed to be a photograph.
No, it was a drawing. One that looked almost like it could pass for a photo though.
It was a picture of her/I and the girls. We were sitting in the moon pool, in our tails, facing what could have been a camera in front of them. We were all happy and smiling as if nothing ever went wrong.
And she/I felt tears running down our eyes just looking at it.
"I-I feel like this is n eulogy," she/I sniffed, "but maybe it is. I'm leaving for the States tomorrow. No one died, but I feel like someone did. I always thought I could be kind and compassionate, and loving too, but it turns out I'm not like that. I don't think I ever was. I hurt people that I cared about. People that I wanted to care about me as well. I had acquaintances, but I never had friends. And just when I did, I-I threw that away! Maybe it's because I idolized my grandmother too much. I cried for her when she died, moved on, and then suddenly became obsessed with her. After that, I manipulated and hurt everyone I cared about just so I could get what I want. And I ended up just where I started: Alone.
God, I just wish everything could be different! Better!"
Suddenly, she/I folded up the paper and started talking again.
"I know I should have just torn this up along with the others, but I guess this is another, more peaceful form of destruction. It's late, no one would see this and before someone could fish it out, it would already be ruined before anyone could even begin to wonder what it used to be. Maybe this is my eulogy...because I'm going the same way."
And with that, she/I threw the folded drawing into the ocean and watched as it floated away before we turned around and started on the way home.
Flashback ends...
I gasped as I came back to reality and grasped what perhaps was to be the greatest realization since this whole mess.
And I think I now knew how Marana did this to Charlotte.