Hey guys, it's great to be back!
So, I'll tell it straight: Almost 4 months ago, I had 2 major surgery done on my body and because of that, stress and pain, I could not get the courage to get near this computer for a while.
And now I just recovered from another surgery - corrective surgery because...stuff happened that shouldn't after the first one- and I think this will be a decent chapter.
And then my mom got sick, I've been caring for her, then reentering for college since I decided to take a semester off.
... And then came the horrid Writer's Block.
P.S. Fun Fact: Martin loves me so much that he sleeps with me and can't help but touch me to see that I'm okay!
HAPPY (LATE) HALLOWEEN AND DAY OF THE DEAD!
ENJOY!
Marana's POV
Water came coursing through the auditorium's window panels, almost crashing into the audience until Laguna intercepted it, causing it to hover above their heads by mere inches.
One hand out, I shot out a thick blast of water towards Laguna, intending to hit one of my victims, and watched as she misdirected it to an empty wall. Water splattered everywhere, hitting a few land people in the process.
But I kept them coming.
"Well, well, well," I goaded, slowly walking down the aisle, "it seems like you've got yourself in quite the predicament."
On that last word, I lightly caressed the head of a toddler dressed in a lion costume with my other hand. I almost laughed at the blank expression on his face, much like the one his parents and peers have on theirs.
Back in my Old Life, I've been told by Ane'lie and Laguna that I had what land people call a "flair for the dramatic", or at least that's the phrase nowadays. Whatever that meant before, I now know that I like it very much.
"You're one to talk," Laguna sneered.
Both of our hands outstretched, I watched as Laguna levitated the rainwater that had to be 20 feet high and steadily flowing in, enough that under my control, the audience would be sitting completely still as they drowned.
She's powerful but not as powerful as me.
Laguna glaring at me like she could drown me at this very moment made me was horrendously hilarious and I couldn't decide which was funnier:
The idea of drowning me or the idea she could hold my powers at bay. I'll admit, this is impressive, even for her, but she couldn't stop an entire school from being flooded. Hell, hallways were being flooded as we speak!
And then, I noticed the small beads of sweat forming on her forehead and running down her head. I decided to mess with her.
"Getting tired yet? I don't fault you. Your body has been regressing from old to young so many times that it's starting to wear you down. Can't say I don't feel sorry for you." I taunted. "But I can. Maybe if you'd had stuck by me, this could have been avoided. Maybe we could have put an end to our pointless game. Even better, perhaps we could have spent all this looking for Ane'lie together. How about that?"
I laugh internally as I bait her. Ha, she's still so easy to torment.
"You're despicable for this!" Laguna yelled. "It's bad enough that you conned Charlotte into possessing her body. Then, you take it upon yourself to derail any relationship she has just to ensure she had nothing to hold her back. And lastly, murder. Drowning a whole room full of innocents...I should have known. You always liked the appeal of mass sacrifices."
Sweat ran down her head at what would have once been an easy feat was now straining on her. My dear, has old age finally caught up with her!? I bit my sister's lip to stifle the giggle that wanted to erupt.
"True," I shrugged nonchalantly. "More power for me, I guess. Any supernatural being, whether mermaids, witches, and maybe the occasional succubus or two would understand a good sacrifice now and then, But tonight is different, Laguna. I could feel it! Something has changed, something that will tip the balance in my favor.
But you know what, Laguna, I never understood you. You lived, aged, and then when you ran out of the family, you reverted to young women all over again. It's like now, in this very present, an unending cycle! Didn't you ever consider calling it off and just die already?!"
As I said this, I produced more pressure into the water, causing it to expand and, against Laguna, making it look like a thick, heavy blanket hovering over the entire audience in the auditorium.
"You know, I had, Marana, more than once. And I can't do that, not while you're considered amongst the living as well. I'll pass on when you go. And considering how stubborn you are, I won't be leaving anytime soon. Not while you're alive and sure as Hell as long as Ane'lie's cursed. This whole cycle will end when we're all allowed to die."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Well then, let me be the first to make that happen, permanently!"
With Jonathan and Annette...
3rd POV
Finding herself cascading down the hallways in what seemed like an endless flow of water was not what Annette Watsford was expecting tonight.
No, nothing was going how she planned tonight.
Tonight, she had planned to attend Charlotte's performance.
Then, she could be a chaperone at the dance.
And thirdly, heal the rift between Alaine and her daughter so that things could go back to normal (and not without a police report to Andrea Williams soon enough!)
But this turn of events had been the most abrupt thing to happen since she moved to California. And a lot has happened that she doesn't understand.
By the time they stopped, Jonathan had grabbed a piece of a corner, stirring him and Annette into another hallway. There wasn't much water flow there, which was great. Helping her up, both he and Annette were drenched to the bone, their wet clothes sticking to them like glue as they struggled to get up.
"And Brendan wonders why I don't like amusement park rides," Jonathan groaned, taking off his shirt to wring the water out of it. "This is exactly why!"
And make a silent promise to himself that Brendan would NEVER find out about what just happened. He'd never let him live it down.
Annette did the same with her chef jacket, leaving her in a tank top and black waist pants. Her blonde hair was, like her, dripping from head to toe. she pulled out her phone, only to see the water practically murdered it.
"Shit! There's no way my phone will work!" Annette hissed.
"Don't worry, just take out the SD card and dry it out before getting a new one. I left mine's back in the car when I and my mother-in-law took on the way here," Jonathan strained, wringing the shirt one more time before putting it on. "Assuming it's still in one piece when we get out of here."
"Oh, yes, that is plenty of good. Now can you tell me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" Annette yelled. Getting her bearings together was the second thing on her list to worry about.
He looked at her, face blank. Explaining was not what he planned on doing any time soon, not unless Charlotte brought her into the fold.
Sighing, he grabbed her hand and started marching to the next nearest exit. One he hopes doesn't have a trap waiting behind the door.
"Look, unless there's a change in circumstances, I can't give you any answers that I know you're going to desire by the end of tonight. But until then, you are going to have to stick by my side until daylight," Jonathan stressed.
Annette snatched her hand away. "No. I am not going anywhere until someone, and that means you, gives me some kind of reasonable explanation- no, scratch that- mediocre reason to what's going on! And I'm not moving until I do!"
And now Jonathan understood where Charlotte got her stubbornness from.
He walked up and leaned in close to her face, staring directly into her eyes. "Look, tonight's Halloween, some call it Samhain, but for Laguna, it's a night of Hell. Nightmarish creatures come out to feed, bad omens are cast and reveal this time of year, but for her, the dead comes out and talk. Some don't know how or why, but they specifically torment her because they left before their times because of something she has tried willingly but unable to control failed. And the fact that it's a Full Moon has nearly toppled up or drowned if you'd prefer.
Do you want answers? Well, I'll lay it bare: Only your daughter can tell you and unless she does, you are going to have to be quiet and hand on for me a little longer!"
Both hadn't realized it, but as Jonathan continued to rant, he had her pressed up against her the lockers in the empty hallways. His ruthless glare was no match for her steely glance.
"Well if that's the case: If this school is flooding, I need to get my daughter out of here! If she's the only one that can give me answers, let's find her so I can get them. But. Do. Not. Treat. Me. Like. A. CHILD!" Annette growled, jabbing a finger in his chest. "Save that tone for your kids, but not with me! If there's a problem, let's find a solution. If Charlotte is in danger or is in any harm, tell me now! But let me make this crystal clear here: I'm not leaving this school without her."
And with that, it was Annette that had Jonathan against the locker.
He put his head down. She and Karen together would be a force to be reckoned with!
Jonathan looked up again, resigning. "Well, if that's how you want it..."
Before Annette even had a chance to blink, the older man had bent down, grabbed her waist, and threw her over his shoulder!
"PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN, THIS INSTANT, YOU NEANDERTHAL! OR SO HELP ME I WILL SCREAM TO THE TOP OF MY LUNGS, PUSH, PUNCH, JAB, - ANYTHING TO GET THE MESSAGE CLEAR! NOW LET ME GO, YOU BIG OAF! GIANT! TYRANT! I'M DEAD SERIOUS HERE! LET ME GO!"
Had this been any other time or occasion, Jonathan would admit to having an intense case of deja vu to the night he met Karen.
And with the screaming woman on his shoulder, he looked around every corner until he found an emergency exit and pushed it open.
Jonathan's momentary silence prompted Annette to stop screaming and try to look over his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
He remained quiet. He had opened the door, only to find water building up on the other side. Except for this time, it didn't collapse on them. Instead, it was built like a wall.
It was moving, rather hurriedly, like it was being pressurized and being sent somewhere else while still cultivating more of itself as it goes.
This must be the rain, he thought. It would explain why he stopped hearing the storm raging outside. But did that mean...?
Raising the arm not holding Annette up, he pushed it through the wall.
It moved his hand upward, like following putting a flowing hand following the direction of a coursing river. But he felt nothing else from the other side besides harsh winds.
"I think I found a way out," he mumbled.
Nodding to this, Annette started, "Great, so how about you get your humongous ass moving so I can get Charlotte!"
Shaking his head, he took a couple of steps back before charging into the water wall, causing Annette to start screaming again.
With his large frame and body, he burst right through it, rain hitting him directly in the face and his eardrums filled with the booming of thunder and the crackling of lightning-filled sky illuminated the dark, cloudy night.
"YES!" Jonathan exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.
"Yes, alright, okay, we're out. Now can we..." Annette trailed off. Her eyes widening from what she saw at the state of the school. "This can't be possible."
Not comprehending what she meant, Jonathan turned to the side so the both of them could see.
His jaw dropped.
Like he didn't want it to be, the two of them stared as Valencia High School was entombing in water. Jonathan's eyesight caught many broken windows and open doorways, indicating that water was flooding the school as he stood!
And that meant...
"LAGUNA!" he yelled, realizing that not only was she trapped with Marana inside the auditorium, but so were many, many civilians under that sea witch's control.
Jonathan had to call Karen and warn her.
Realizing he was not too far from the van, he ran with Annette hanging off him like a sack of potatoes, screaming at what she saw. Not sure if she was delirious or not.
"T-t-that isn't real, Jonathan! This isn't real. It can't be real...right?" Annette asked, not sounding sure enough to ask.
Not answering that, and not wanting to answer that, Jonathan made it to the van and pulled out his car keys to unlock it. He has never been gladder to own water-proofed gadgets.
Opening the backseat first, he unceremoniously threw Annette in before closing the door and hopping into the driver's side next. He'd apologize for that later, but for now, he was in a hurry!
Pulling open the glove compartment, he brought out his phone and called Karen on his speed dial.
"C'mon, C'mon, C'mon! Pick up the phone, Karen!" he pleaded to himself. Out of all the worst things to happen tonight, he just hoped his wife was okay.
And trusted her guts to tell her something was wrong.
After 3 rings, he sighed in relief to hear her voice.
"Hello? Jon?" she asked for the other side. A weight lifted upon his chest once she answered.
"Karen, my Love, listen to me! It happened. I rep-"
BBOOOOOOOMMMMMM!
A rumble resonated across the parking lot, shaking the ground and the school's very foundation. Jonathan grabbed the dash while Annette held onto the handgrip and a headrest as the ground quake beneath them.
Looking through the front window, the two watched as the water came flooding out the school, dragging various desks, chairs and unrecognizable things crashing out and then Jonathan turn his eyes towards the auditorium, which had the same effect happening through the main doors.
At the Cove's Residence...
Karen's POV
"Something happened!" I panicked. I was pacing around the floor of the living room, well wobbling, as I kept my eyes on my phone. Jon had warned me that he and Mother would be leaving their phones in the van before heading in.
But that was roughly 2 hours ago and the Full Moon is up.
I didn't have to look at it through the windows to feel its energy coursing through my veins. Or perhaps that was my daughter moving continuously inside me that's causing my anxiety.
"How do you know that?" Brendan asked from the couch, nervously bouncing his leg. He was just as anxious as me but appeared as calm as a turtle while he played on his phone.
"Call it a gut feeling, mermaid intuition, mother's instincts, or whatever you want to call it. I know something went wrong!" I exclaimed. What if they were too late and Marana already sang her Siren Song? What if Jonathan didn't put the earplugs in on time? What if he...
"MOM!"
I jumped, causing the baby the kick me hard in the side as a result. I could low-key tell she was going to be my mother's favorite.
"I can feel our fear from here and that's not good for you or my little sister in there," Brendan said calmly. "Why don't I make you some mint tea you always drink? Would that help? And can you sit down while you're at it? You're going to put yourself in labor if you don't."
Well, he had a point. I could feel a dent in the floor from the pacing I was doing.
Nodding to both suggestions, I quickly, or as quickly as you can with a baby bump, in Jonathan's lounge chair as Brendan got up and headed to the kitchen.
Despite how ugly things got between Brendan's father and me, no matter what changes could be offered with time travel (and yes, I am a believer), I would never regret having my son in my life.
Never.
Feeling the frenzied kicks inside me, I placed a hand over my stomach and rubbed it reassuringly to calm her down.
Finding out the baby was a girl was the closest I've seen Jonathan cry since our wedding day. However, the only thing we could not agree on was baby names. I wanted something that would be meaningful and relatable to being a mermaid, seeing as if Brendan got it, so would she. Jonathan wanted something she could live within dignity and would not be passed over for the common names in this world.
So, we'd decided to name her on the day she was born.
But now I'm feeling like that's in vain...
Suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard my phone ringing. Considering I put it on the far end of the table, which I forgot, it rang 3 times before Brendan came rushing into the room to bring it to me. I didn't waste time answering and put it on speaker.
"Hello? Jon?" I called out, hoping he was on the other line.
"Karen, my Love, listen to me! It happened. I rep-"
An explosion was from the other side, causing me and Brendan to jump in fright at the volume and intensity of that sound.
It happened...
Was he talking about my worst fears? Did Marana sing already!?
"Jon, what happened? Jon! JON!" I screamed into the phone, scared at the possibility that this was the last time I'd ever hear my husband's voice.
It was the scariest 5 minutes of my life until I heard static and then, to my relief, a groan from the other side.
"Dear God..."
Brendan and I tensed. I knew that voice. Over the past few months, I've spoken to it several times on the phone.
"Jon? Honey, are you there? Please just answer me! Who's with you?" I asked, panicking again, only for a different reason.
Please let that not be who I think it is, I prayed internally.
There was some more shuffling and static from the other side until I nearly cried in solace at Jonathan's grumbling.
"Karen! I'm still here! I'm sorry about that! But you need to listen to me because I don't have much time. Yes, it did happen. The school is flooding itself as we speak. I need to find your mother. I had to leave her alone with...You-Know-Who while I got Charlotte's mother out of there. And, yes dear, she's right behind me," Jon said skeptically.
Knowing that he hardly refers to that unless he has to, I could only deduce that Marana hypnotized the audience and, save for my mother, Annette was there and he managed to help her avoid being hypnotized into a living statue too. Plus he can't say anything without getting the woman suspicious at the already terrible night.
And judging by the state of the school, Marana's chaos-in-the-making is bearing fruit!
"Ok then," I started, trying to be calm while getting my bearings together. "What do you need me to do?"
"For starters, you and Brendan need to get to Marina and have the boat ready and prepare by the time we get there. We'll be there soon. Understood?" he asked, I could hear him breathing heavily.
I just nodded. "Okay, and what about Annette?"
"...Have the ring ready," was all he said before hanging up. Brendan looked at me.
"He's not asking you to whammy her, is he?" he asked uncertainly.
I'm choosing not to answer that for both our sake. Sounds like Annette had gotten a full dose of the chaos Marana can cause, though she's unaware that it's all happening through Charlotte.
"Well, you heard the man, son," I stated urgently, Brendan helping me up. "Go put on some waterproof clothes, get the car keys- both keys- and there's a box in the library, underneath your grandmother's desk. Open it and grab the first First Aid kit and a small, green vial. You can't miss it."
He nodded and asked, "What about you?"
"I'm going to get into a quick change of clothes right quick. If I'm out in this weather, I'm going about it carefully."
"And what about your water breaking?"
There was a moment of silence.
"If it happens, it happens," I concluded. "Now go!"
He turned to run away but he stopped for a short second and turned to me. "Mom, what's exactly is in that vial?"
With a sharp look, I stared at him and said, "Something both your grandmother and I had hoped to never use until now."
And with that, eyes widening, he was off. I never saw him run that fast since he was panicking earlier today. Maybe even faster.
I started waddling as fast as I could to my bedroom but gasped as a deep kick stopped me in the doorway. I looked down at my stomach.
"Whew," I breathed in deeply, "you know something bad is happening don't you?"
Another hard kick was felt. Yep, she knew.
"Alright baby, just bear with me and your brother a little longer. OK?" I asked my bump.
I felt nothing after that. Shaking my head, I continued to walk in when I felt something a sharp kick, sharper than any of the others.
And then I felt a trickle of liquid running down my legs.
Oh no.
Shaking my head repeatedly, I lightly smacked my bump on the side.
"Really?" I asked in incredulous. "You couldn't hold it, could you?"
All I got were two softer kicks as my answer.
I quickly got into my room and opened up the bedroom closet to pull out my blue hospital bag and changed out into a different yet sturdier dress and raincoat. Since this baby was going to have the Mother-Of-All bad timings to come out, so be it.
I took in light breathing techniques to calm myself down as I grabbed my bag and walked out of the room as urgently as I could. Then Brendan's question came back to me.
If there is a God, let him be merciful enough that it won't come time to use it.
Back to Valencia High...
3rd POV
She's gone.
They didn't know when or how they came to know that, but that was on both Jonathan's and Annette's minds when the entered the auditorium in turmoil. Upon entry, the entire space looked like it had been flooded up entirely.
Water filled the front row seats and back, curtains ruined and drenched, the stage was filled with water and damaged its surface, electrical equipment was soiled and unable.
But most importantly, everyone was waking up.
Screams and shrieks could be heard as the entire audience was waking up from their haze and gasps as everyone was splashing and sloshing around, trying to make sense of the mass hysteria. Such could be said for backstage, where the flood has reached as well, ruining some of their performers' costumes and makeup and shortcircuiting anything they were using as well.
Alaine was one of them. Her hair was slicked down, light makeup running down her face, her clothes soaked to her skin and in mass confusion. Looking around at her drowned surroundings, she quickly ran to the stage to get her first glance of the swamped auditorium.
"What in the name of Titanic happened here?" she asked herself.
Did the biblical Deluge come to town?
Families and students were searching for each other. Like Alaine, some were coming from behind the stage and others were already amongst the crowds.
"HELP! HELP! CAN ANYBODY DO CPR?!"
A shout came from the other side of the building. A man was pulling a young man around the seats, pushing past the mass to find some flat surface.
Which ended up being the stage itself.
Alaine took a few steps closer to the body and gasped.
It was from Riley.
His eyes were closed, skin pale, mouth open, head tilted back. He more than looked like he had gone for an unexpected swim.
He drowned.
The man on top of him started doing chest presses on his stomach, not knowing he was doing it wrong.
And that's when Ms. Anelies came splashing towards them, kneeling to the man's side and pushed him away. However, she caught Alaine staring at the boy and signaled her towards her.
"Alaine, I want you to listen and listen carefully," the teacher instructed. "First, I want you to feel for a pulse. Can you do that? The main one should be a vein on his neck."
Nodding to her instructor, she did as she was told. Pressing two fingers on the side of Riley's neck, she started moving it around until she found it.
It was faint, but there.
"I got it!" she exclaimed.
Nodding, she placed one hand on top of the other and placed them on Riley's chest and started doing compressions. She started doing 30 compressions before breathing air down his lungs before telling Alaine to join her and do the same.
Alaine winced when she heard a crack where his ribs should be and started the process at least 2 more times. By the 4th time the teacher breathed into his lungs, Alaine jumped back, startled, as Riley came back to life.
He arched up, coughing and spitting out water from his lungs. As well as wincing and heaving from the broken up ribs.
Ms. Anelies, not too startled, looked towards the stranger that failed to do CPR on him.
"How did you find him!?" Ms. Anelies yelled to the man, who stood there dumbly at the procedure.
"I-I-I found him laying face-flat in the water. H-He was practically floating!" he stuttered.
Distracted, Aline took this moment to turn Riley on his side, producing more water up to his lungs and giving him time to breathe. She crouched low to his ear.
"Thank God Almighty, you're alright," she whispered to him. "By the way, do you know what happened? Did you get a chance to see Charlotte?"
But Riley gave her a blank expression on his face before passing out. For a moment, she almost thought he didn't know what he was talking about. But she chalked it up to his near-death experience.
"PLEASE HELP HER!"
Alaine looked behind her and paled. It was that stoic-looking guy from the Cove's house and Annette. And on their shoulders...
It was Laguna.
She looked half-conscious. From where she sat, she could hear her shallow breathing, as if she had water up in her lungs as well.
"Come to lay her here," Alaine urged them.
They did as told and she made eye contact with Annette. The woman looked worse for wear, but the eyes were windows to the soul for a reason.
Her eyes appeared to show disbelief, fear, awe, and intensive grief as she darted around partially through the auditorium before meeting hers again.
Have you seen Charlotte? they asked.
No, she said through her own eyes, shaking her head.
Following in example, Alaine proceeded to do CPR on the elderly woman, only to find her not so worst off than Riley and water coming out in less quantity than expected.
Alaine sighed with relief. She looked up at the stoic guy, Jonathan, she remembered, who held a similar expression.
But though he was relived, he was still stressed.
Jonathan, himself, was beyond thankful to the girl. This was one less bad news he had to deliver to his wife and stepson. But the worse had yet to come.
Crouching low, he whispered to Laguna "What happened? Where is she?"
Laguna turned her head, breathing heavily but her eyes filled with sorrow.
"G-g-got away," she replied brokenly. "I-I- I believed I h-had her and s-stopped the f-flooding. But...t-there was more..."
Jonathan nodded to her. "Yes, she was flooding other parts of the school too. She must have summoned it and surprised you."
That could explain the explosion: Marana already had a plan to drown all these people, but something must have happened between the two ancient mermaids for the witch to try drowning Laguna as well.
"Okay. I already called Karen and told her to meet us at Marina," he spoke softly. "But where is she? Where did she take Charlotte?"
Laguna was silent for the next few minutes. He was worried about what to say, especially with two of the people closest to the girl in close range.
And then, Laguna spoke.
"She's gone."