A/N: Sorry, but this chapter isn't going to be about Coral going to the dance. It's based on Mina's POV.

18

(Mina's POV)

I shrank down on the floor, leaning against the wall. I started to weep as I felt the loss of my sister. I waited for days, yet she did not come.

The orphanage was thinking about putting me in a foster home since no one wanted to adopt me. Most of the kids were new here and were put in foster care. Adults wanted to adopt all the little kids, I know because I had just seen a toddler come to the orphanage and he was lucky enough to be adopted the next day.

I felt tears slowly drop down my cheeks and land on my shoulder. I had no comfort for days; I wanted to be hugged again and to be assured that everything was alright. I wanted my sister right next to me smiling, laughing, playing games with me. But I no longer will have those things anymore.

I choked back a sob as fear crept upon me, fear for staying alone the rest of my life. With no one to rely on, and the foster parents I might be given, everything in my life just turned upside down. And who's the main reason for all this?

Coral.

That sister of mine that I always loved, the loss I felt for her, the hopes of her returning, was all gone because she left me. Why? I had no idea; I knew I couldn't survive in this world alone. Coral thinks I don't know the problem I have in my mind, but I do. I know that I will never be able to read, no matter how many times someone explains it to me. I know I will never be able to be as smart as others. Me, the ten year old, can't even write! I have learning disorder and sometimes I can't even understand when others are angry or sad at me. I heard these news while eavesdropping in the doctor's office when my parents learned the news of what was wrong with me.

But I still wanted Coral back, though I doubt she will be. She probably is having fun right now and has forgotten about me already.

I spotted a small ball on the floor and I went to pick it up. I started to squeeze the ball tight from my anger at Coral. I heard it make a squeaky noise and I continued messing with the ball until I threw it angrily at the other side of the room.

Some kids were playing games on the floor and looked up to see why I had thrown the ball like that. I had thrown the ball directly to a young girls head and she started to cry while clutching the spot I had hit her.

I couldn't help but snicker as I watched her face turn deep red and the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She appeared to be only five and some of the younger boys tried to comfort her. They stared at me angrily but I ignored them.

A nun ran into the room and took the little girl in her arms. She whispered comforting thoughts to her ear and I grew jealous.

"Who did this to her?" The nun asked to everyone.

All fingers pointed to me and I couldn't help but feel my face turn red. I knew I was in deep trouble.

Once the nun calmed the little girl down, she walked over to me with anger plastered across her face. I twiddled with my thumb since I was so nervous and curious of what was about to happen.

"What's your name young lady?" The nun asked. I noticed a large mole on the left side of her mouth and it moved when she talked.

"Mina." I said staring at the floor.

"Stand up please." She ordered.

I slowly stood up from the floor, but I refused to look at her face.

"Why did you hit that poor little girl?" She asked. I simply shrugged.

"Why did you hit her?" She asked a little more forcefully.

"It was an accident." I finally answered.

"So why did you throw the ball in the first place?"

"Because I was angry." I replied.

"Angry for what?"

I glared at her, but answered in an even tone. "None of your business."

She seemed taken back by my remark until she calmly replied back, but I noticed the tension in the air and the anger that was displayed in her eyes.

"At least apologize to her then."

I looked over at the little girl and she was sucking on her thumb. I noticed how everyone huddled around her and how a boy my age held her hand to keep her comforted.

If only Coral was here to help me out, I thought bitterly.

"Sorry." I muttered.

"That's a good girl. Now off to bed everyone, it's getting late." The nun said.

Everyone started to leave the room and I waited until everyone was gone until I left as well. The nun stared at me as I left and I couldn't help but snicker at the mole on her face. It just looked so nasty on her big round face.

She didn't seem to hear my laugh, or pretended not to.

My room was just down the hall, and as I arrived to the front door, I went in. I stood staring at the strange darkness that filed the room from every corner. Some whispering could be heard as two kids talked to each other quietly. They were my age and both were girls.

I shut the door behind me and stood in the utter darkness. The kids had stopped whispering and some ruffling could be heard as they climbed under their covers. I walked towards my bunk bed and stared at the sleeping form on the bottom bunk. The girl snored lightly and her blond hair covered her face.

I moved my hand around on the table next to me and felt some clothes on top of them. I grabbed it and quickly undressed my clothes as I put on the pajamas the orphanage had lent me.

I placed my street clothes neatly on the table and took hold of the latter that led to the top bunk and began to climb.

Once I reached to my bed, I quickly slipped under the covers and tried to fall asleep, but couldn't. The snores that came from the girl under me kept me awake as well as the darkness that surrounded me.

I hated the dark and how I wished someone could at least turn on the night light or keep the door open a little so some light could portray into the room.

I sighed and turned my head the other way and faced the wall beside me. I tried counting numbers in my head, but I only knew one through fifteen. So that didn't help me much.

But I did the only thing my father used to tell me, try to stay awake and that will catch you some sleep. I tried keeping my eyes open all the way, but eventually my eyes slowly began to shut as I drifted off to a deep sleep.

I began to dream, and it felt so real that I could've sworn I felt the ocean's water touch my toes. I stood in front of the beach, watching the sun set behind the sea as it gave a sparkle across the water.

There was no one at the beach except me, and the wind blew hard against my face causing the dress I was wearing to flow freely against the wind.

But the dream wasn't focusing on the wind, because a rock appeared out of no where in the middle of the ocean. There I saw someone sitting on top of it. I could not spot its face, but my dream seemed to zoom into view until I could see the figure that was sitting on the rock clearly.

I noticed it was someone with long blue hair that blew in the wind and wore a blue tank top. A strange glow seemed to come off of her and her back was turned to me. Slowly, she turned around until I caught a glimpse on her face. She looked straight at me and I gasped.

Corals tear stained face looked at me and I saw how different she had become. Her eyes were so blue that they were almost the mirror image of the sea itself, her eyebrows, eyelashes; almost everything was blue except her skin. She had no legs, but instead long blue fins that sparkled under the setting sun.

Tears flowed down freely on her cheeks and her eyes seemed to plead for help. But before I knew what was happening, everything turned black and I was in the darkness wondering what had just happened.

But another dream was yet to come.

This time, I wasn't in my body as the new dream showed up. I just watched the scene as if I was a video camera taping everything.

The setting of the dream took place at an under water city. I noticed mermaids swimming around the place in some sort of a rush as if they had work to attend to. Everyone was headed to the other side of the city and a palace loomed into view.

Everyone went inside the palace, I wondered if there was a special occasion at the place.

I've seen this city before, back when I had a dream about dad. I remembered how he had fins instead of legs, just like Coral in my other dream.

And soon enough I felt as if the scene of the city switched inside the palace. And I stared straight at my father.

He sat on a high chair across the room; the place seemed to be some sort of ball. My father looked over at the mer people that were in the room. Some were dancing; others sat at tables or simply tried to have a good time. Voices were coming from all over the room, but no one's mouth moved, almost as if they were talking in their heads.

My father looked at me but didn't seem to notice I was there. He had those bright looking blue eyes, much like Corals, he gave off a strange glow as did Coral, and his fin was dark blue.

He looked so much like Coral and he appeared younger. I remembered how mom showed me a picture when dad had married mom when he was much younger.

His face looked exactly like the one mom had shown me, so I knew this was when dad looked much younger. But this was no surprise to me, because I had seen this dream before.

I saw a beautiful blond hair mermaid with a bright green fin swim over to my dad's side. But her beauty was no match to how I had seen Coral before. Both my dad and my sister seemed to have given off a power that I couldn't understand when I had seen both of them.

The mermaid seemed to flirt with my dad and if I existed in the dream I knew I would roll my eyes.

My father paid little attention to her, but she tried very hard to make him look at her. She even started moving closer to him until my dad stood up from his seat and swam away leaving the girl disappointed.

My father swam over to a group of mermen and started to chat with them.

Since this was the exact dream I had some time ago, this was where my dream always ended and I wondered if I would wake up now. But instead, I heard the conversation with my father and the mermen clearly.

"The war is coming close My Lord. I am waiting for your orders for when we shall attack our enemy." A muscular merman asked wearing armor.

"The time will come soon lord Dameon, once we receive the message of how our enemy is doing." My father replied.

Enemy? I thought. So even mer people went to war? That probably explains the armor some mermen are wearing and the weapons.

"Maybe you should just kiss their asses and that will probably end this stupid war." Another merman replied, he had an evil look across his face.

"Or maybe you should suck some women's breasts and that might make you feel better, Icarus." My father shot back.

"Ah but what if I already have?" Icarus replied coolly.

"Quiet you fool! You as a general of war must know the duties to respect your own King!" Dameon snarled.

"King? He is no king, only a fool that was born to end our own queen's life. If it weren't for you King Demoritus," He said his name bitterly, "The queen wouldn't have died from child birth. The Gods has sent a curse upon us to rule over this wretched kingdom." Icarus answered.

"You bastard!" My father yelled. He was about to strike Icarus when Dameon stopped him.

"I shall cut that tongue of yours if you say another word!" My father yelled.

I seemed astonished by the argument. Who was this Icarus, and why was my father known as a king?

"Icarus, leave at once or I will make you with my own sword." Dameon threatened.

Icarus glared at my father angrily, then at Dameon. He seemed to hesitate before he finally left.

"If only I could kill him with my own hands." My father said.

"Yes, but you know he is a great general and very worthy for this war." Dameon replied, "But since you are the king, it is your orders if you wish to execute him or not."

My father did not reply for quiet some time.

"Well, this is a ball, so let's enjoy this time for it may be the last."

My father and the merman next to him swam away and I wondered if they were going to dance or something. But my dream made me look over to the far left corner of the room. There I saw Icarus glaring at my father in anger. He hid in the shadows where no one could see him.

I couldn't help but realize that my father was swimming towards him, and Icarus grinned as my father swam closer and closer without knowing. My father smiled as Dameon cracked a joke until he saw Icarus hiding in the shadows.

But that didn't stop Icarus from what he was about to do, I saw an object held firmly in his hand, one that was sharp. He raised it high above his head and threw straight at my father's head.

I woke up before I could see what was about to happen.

The room wasn't dark anymore and I saw that the window's curtains were drawn open to reveal light in the room. A nun stood shaking the children on the bottom bunks so they could wake up.

"Alright come on! It's time to get up!" She yelled.

She looked at me to see if I was asleep. She saw my eyes open and sighed in relief.

"Well at least one of them is up." She muttered.

I jumped off the bed and was still dazed by the dream. I knew the dream was true; I sometimes had these kinds of dreams. I had told Coral about them even though I was trying to keep it a secret. I thought Coral would laugh at me and say that I was seeing things.

But she believed me.

Now what did that first dream mean? Did it have something to do with Coral's disappearance?

I had no time to think anymore because the nun ordered everyone to get dressed and leave the room.

But I couldn't wait to go to sleep again. I had to know what happened next. Did Icarus stab my father in the head or not?

XxxOxxX

I continued to play in the same room as I did yesterday. The orphanage was so boring, all we did was sit in a room and play for hours. We rarely got to go outside and luckily, today was the special day to go outdoors.

Everyone was excited and so was I. I did need to catch some fresh air anyway; this place was going to suffocate me some time soon.

The nuns made us stand in a line as they counted us one by one. Then they led us downstairs, past the older kids section, and out the building. Once we stepped outside everyone started to lose control and run around.

The nuns didn't tell us to stop running or anything, they let us be so we could enjoy the nice sunny day.

While all the kids played with each other, I took a walk around the building trying to explore the place. The orphanage had no gardens, or any fountains to look at nor any benches to sit on. It simply had a playground at the front of the building where all the children played.

The ground had dried grass that needed to be watered badly. Everything was just so boring here, and I didn't feel like playing with the other kids. So I couldn't see any excitement from here or inside the room that I always stayed in. Not counting the fact that the outside air seemed to be full of happiness.

I got tired from standing so I sat down on the dirt watching the kids play. I noticed most of them were playing hide and seek, and one girl tripped as she ran from a boy who was trying to tag her. The boy laughed and touched her shoulder and shouted at her that she was 'it.' The girl got up and wiped her knees before she ran after the other kids.

I sighed and tried to relax until I heard someone call my name. I looked to the left, then to the right, but no one seemed to pay any attention to me.

Someone called my name again and I stood up. I glanced at every direction, but it appeared as if no one had even spoken my name. I shrugged as I realized I was hearing things.

But the voices didn't stop; they continued to call me until I stood up angrily.

"Who's calling my name?" I screamed. The kids stopped playing and stared at me as if I was crazy, but then they continued to play as if nothing happened at all.

I sighed and was about to sit back down when I heard my name again, only this time the voice seemed to tell me something else.

… Mina… come to the sea… I need you…

The wind blew against me as if telling that I should go where the voices told me to. I tried to ignore the voice but it sounded familiar.

… Mina please… come to me…

Could the person talking to me be who I thought it was?

There was only one way to find out.