Author Note: Something happened. I fixed it
It's 6:00 AM and time to get ready for the beach. When I heard a knock on my door, NotEnrique ran and hid. Dad came in and told me to get prepared. I was confused and thought Olivia and Lucas didn't or Abuelo wouldn't let me from last night, but Dad reassured me that even though what I did was reckless, Mom, Abuela, and he still allowed me to go to the beach with my friends and cousins. I jump off the bed and get ready as Dad leaves to tell everyone else. I reflect on everything that happened last night as I pack a beach bag—the dinner, the duel, talking with Barbara, and the dream. Jim came into my room 10 minutes after Barbara left. We cuddled on the bed and talked about dinner and the duel. I apologized to him about my family, but Jim told me not to be sorry. Even though Jim sounded concerned and supportive, I saw hurt in his eyes. I appreciated him coming, and after 30 minutes, we kissed, and Jim left. As he walks out the door, I don't feel satisfied.
Some of me wanted Mom and/or Dad to check on me, but it's okay. I'll take the trade for Jim from my parents any day. As I finish the bag, I grab my new purple bikini I brought just for the occasion and go to the bathroom. I take off my pj's and start putting on the swimsuit. But as I pull up my legs bottom-up, I think about seeing fur and dark purple eyes with black irises in my reflection. It looks like a wolf staring back at me. I didn't know if that was my reflection or something else's. But a chill goes down my spine as I think more about it. I quickly spin and cover my chest with my hands, but I don't see anything. I sigh in relief and promptly get the top of my bikini on. I walk out to get my blue oversized blue cotton V-Neck cover-up, grab my bag and get on my flip-flops.
"You look nice," NotEnrique says as he hops on the bed, and I check my bag.
Phone, towel, book, extra clothes, sunglasses, and sunscreen. I turn to NotEnrique and smile. "Thanks!" I reply sweetly. I tell him bye and exit out the door, but a bullet of guilt hits my gut. I told my brother about seeing Morgana in my dreams, and I'm talking to her, but I didn't tell him that I saw Morgana being pregnant. Because-
"Claire."
I freeze and turn around to look for the sound, but nothing is behind me.
"Hey, Claire!"
I shake my head and turn to see Daniela in a beach dress cover-up, smiling at me. "Hi, Daniela!" I reply happily, trying to forget last night.
"You ready for the beach?" She says sweetly.
I nod my head, and we walk to the center of the courtyard, where all of my first cousins, Uncle Sebastian, Zoe, Darci, Aja, Dad, and Mom holding Enrique in her arms. All ready to go.
"Hey!" Kyra calls out as she turns to see me. "It's Firstborn!" She says sarcastically, laughing.
No one laughed with her except Emiliano and Benjamín, but all my friends, Diego and my parents, gave them dirty looks.
"Kyra, if you don't drop it, we won't let you come with us!" Mom hisses, staring at her with narrow eyes and her arms crossed.
I shiver but smile as Kyra receives the same look Mom gives me when I disappoint her. "Fine! I'll see you later then." She huffs and runs past us and to her room. I want to say something but drop it because I have nothing good to say.
I look around the room. We're still missing some people. "Where are the others?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"They're still getting ready, Claire," Dad replies reassuringly.
"Oh, and before I forget. Mom!" I call out for her.
"Yes, Claire?" She asks, turning to me
I feel I just committed a crime. I take off my necklace and hand it to her. "Do you mind if you hold this for the day?" I say flatly. I love the necklace, but it's a family heirloom and too important to lose.
Mom blinks but takes the necklace. "Sure." She agrees with a raised eyebrow. "Claire, is this about what Aunt Olivia and Abuelo said yesterday?" She asks with concern.
I shake my head. "No!" Even though it is. "You told me not to put the necklace in water when you gave it to me. We're going to the beach, and I don't want to lose it." I answer clearly. I know and trust her with this.
Mom blushes a bit but nods her head. "Alright!"
"Oh, pretty!" Enrique giggles and tries to grab the necklace.
But Mom pulls it away, wraps it in her hand, and pulls Enrique to her eye level. "No, no, no, Enrique. That's not yours. It belongs to your sister." Mom says softly, tapping Enrique on the nose, making him giggle.
"Why do we have to wake up so early?" I hear Mary whine.
We all turn to the stairs, where Abuelo, Abuela, Toby, Jim, Mary, Krel, Eli, Douxie, and Barbara walk down them, ready to go.
"Because the beach is better before dawn!" Diego shouts to her.
We double-check everything we need and apply sunscreen. Finally, we're ready to go.
"Come on, guys! Stop staling! Let's go!" Tulio shouts as he and Miguel run to the doors. I can tell them apart now.
We follow, some of us waiting in pairs, side by side and/or holding hands. I, of course, walk next to Jim and hold his hand.
"Tell me why we're up so early?" He yawns.
"We're going on a boat, is what Dad told me," I whisper. "It's better to go on one just as dawn comes."
"Oh, I'm excited! I haven't been on a boat since I was four with my father." Jim says with excitement.
I have a hint of guilt from hearing about his dad. He told me about James Sr. sometimes before we went to sleep as we traveled to New Jersey. He should've never left his son like that. As we exit the manor, I hear the voice again and look around to find it, but I can't find the source.
"Is everything ok?"
I turn my head to see Jim, who looks concerned. I was too focused that I didn't realize I had stopped us. I shake my hand and smile. "Yes! I'm fine!" I say sweetly and start walking again. We follow Mom and Dad on the sidewalk, across a few roads, until we hit the beach. Golden sand, vast and tall palm trees, and a clear blue sky with a few puffy white clouds. It's a beautiful sight. The voice is gone, but I still look for it.
"Wow! Awesome!" Toby shouts as we see the boats.
There are two. They're beautiful, Mexican-style boats with white sails and much deck room. They cost a lot, but they belong to my family. Diego told me a few years ago, they were both remodeled, and he helped with the project.
"Ok, everyone, listens up!" Dad shouts to all of us, making us go silent. "There are two boats. Sebastian will start one boat, and Diego will start the other. Half of us will be on each boat, but for all of us to be on and off the sand, some of you need to walk in the water."
We all mutter. Curious, wondering, and worried. We get in two groups. Group one, Uncle Sebastian, Abuelo, Emiliano, Kyra, Benjamín, Joaquín, Mom with Enrique, Alejandro, Steve, Aja, Krel, Grace, Aurora, Maria and Elena. Group two, Dad, Diego, Jim, Abuela, Daniela, Barbara, Leonardo, Pablo, Douxie, Zoe, Toby, Mary, Darci, Miguel, Tulio, and me. Uncle Sebastian, Abuelo, and Mom with Enrique get on boat One first. Diego and Abuela get on boat Two first, too. They start the boats, and they move away from us a bit. Dad and Steve roll up their cover-up shirt sleeves and help us on the boat. The more people get on, the farther out the boats go. Steve first helps Joaquín, then Alejandro, Benjamín, Eli, Aja, Elena, Aurora, Maria, Krel, Kyra, and Emiliano in boat One. Dad helps Leonardo, Pablo, Alejandro, Mary, Darci, Daniela, Joaquín, Toby, Zoe, Douxie, Barbara, Miguel, Tulio, and Jim in boat Two. Now, it's my turn.
"Claire."
I hear it again—that voice. I turn around and look around for it, but I can't find or listen to it again. Who am I kidding? You can't see a voice, but it catches people's attention and is suppose to belong to something or someone.
"Claire."
I snap back to reality, shake my head, and turn to my dad, who looks concerned and holds his hand out for me to take. His legs are covered in knee-high deep water. I secure my bag, smile at Dad, and grab his hand. We run through the water. I almost fall, but Dad pulls me up in the boat. As all of us are on, we put loose items, beach bags, and shoes below the deck. Miguel shows us the deck. It's small, four feet high, and six by seven feet wide. We set off as the boat starts to pick up speed. I run out to the deck and see the ocean ahead of us. The boat is rocky, and most of my friends have land legs, while Zoe, Douxie, my cousins, and Dad have sea legs. Two rope nets are on the deck; three people can be on it simultaneously. Mary, Leonardo, and Pablo sit in one, and Darci, Alejandro, and Joaquín sit in the other, watching the water beneath us. Abuela sits in a chair, and everyone else hangs on to a handlebar, but not me. I stand in the front middle of the deck, near the edge, bending my knees and holding my arms out, feeling the wind in my hair and tickle my skin. As the boat goes faster, I don't fall. Instead, I bend up and down, following the boat's motion against the waves, crying out a loud gritar, causing roaring laughter on the boat.
"Show off!" I hear Daniela laugh.
I turn to her, seeing her hold on to the metal bar on the boat's edge. I shake my head and smirk. "Jealous?" I shout before turning back to the sea.
Soon, my friends start slowly walking around the boat but stop when Diego speeds up the boat. So, I take this opportunity to walk to the edge, grab a rope and quickly hop over the metal bar, making Barbara and Dad gasp.
"Claire! You're gonna fall!" Dad cries, causing everyone to look at me.
"Oh, she's fine, Tío," Tulio says confidently, winking at me.
"It's fine, Papá. I've done this before, but on a cliff while free climbing." I reply clearly, turning to Jim, who stands beside Douxie and winks at him, reminding him of when I used to free climb while traveling to New Jersey. "My feet are still on the deck. It's ok!" I laugh.
After a while, we slow down and stop miles away from shore. I return to the safe side of the deck and walk around.
"Wow, Claire! Since when did you become an adrenaline junkie?" Darci asks as the wind blows in our hair.
"It all started when she was born," I hear Abuela say.
Abuela smiles as I turn to her and pat a spot for me to sit next to her. I walk to her and sit. We look at each other and smile before turning to my confused friends.
"Ever since Claire was able to walk, she was stubborn, curious, and always gets in trouble," Diego adds, smirking as he walks toward us.
"I did not!" I hiss, frowning and narrowing my eyes at him.
Diego chuckles. "It's not a bad thing, Claire. You are also brave, strong, daring, and tried to do the right thing." He says more calmly. "And for the record, you made me proud last night with your skills."
"What?" Daniela asks in shock.
"What are you talking about?" Jim asks, raising an eyebrow.
Diego raises his eyebrow at me. "You haven't told them yet?" He asks, still keeping his smug.
I shake my head. "Not now, Diego!" I hiss. "Later!"
He raises his hands in defense. "And impatient." He squeaks, making me growl.
All of my friends disperse and walk over to look at the beautiful rising sun. "You shouldn't be ashamed of what happened last night," Abuela whispers in my ear, making a turn to her.
"What do you mean, Abuela?" I ask in confusion.
"About what happened last night. Even though that was stupid, I'm proud you fought them, as it showed your determination and strength." She replies calmly.
But it makes me more confused. "But I thought Tía Olivia and Tío-"
"Don't worry about what your aunt, uncle, or cousins say. You shouldn't feel ashamed for what you did and what they said." She says sweetly, grabbing my hands to squeeze them.
I smile at her and nod my head. I truly believe Abuela, but I still feel uneasy. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see Dad smiling at me. "Hi, Dad!"
"Hey, Claire! Mind if I talk to Abuela?" He replies and asks kindly.
"Sure!" I reply, nodding my head. I get up for Dad to take my spot. I look around and see Douxie, Zoe, and Jim before me, looking out into the distance. I need to talk to the wizards and walk up to them. "Hey, guys!"
Zoe turns around and smiles. "Hey, Claire!"
"How are you guys doing right now? Are you having fun?" I ask, looking at Zoe, Douxie, and Jim.
"Yeah! This is awesome!" The boys say in unison, smiling.
"You're probably having more fun than we are," Zoe says sarcastically.
"Oh, come on, that hurts." I playfully pout, holding my chest where my heart is. We all laugh and shake our heads.
"Hey, you guys!" We hear someone shout. We look to our right and see Boat One at least 20 feet away and people waving at us. We all wave back, and some shout back at the boat, but that causes me to remind myself I have to ask Douxie.
I nudge Douxie in the ribs, making him grunt. "We need to talk," I whisper to him.
"About what?" He whispers.
"I don't think you're telling me everything."
"Now?" He asks hesitantly.
"No! Tonight. It's about the Arcane Order."
"Ok," Douxie says and pulls away from the bar. "Zoe, can I talk to you below deck?" He asks politely, without hesitation.
I feel mad as I watch Zoe gladly accept, and they walk together below deck. I turn back to the distance, holding the seething anger inside the palm of my hands. I'll never feel like this before for Douxie, but I realize that this is the first time I feel furious at him, and he's hiding something from me.
"Claire."
"Claire?"
I turn my head, and my anger disappears when seeing my boyfriend. I smile at him and place my hand in his. "Hi, Jim! What's up?" I say, trying to make small talk.
"The sky." He replies, making me giggle, and he moves in closer. "And enjoying this awesome boat ride with my friends." He stretches his arm out and wraps it around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "And my stubborn, curious, strong, and daring girlfriend." He whispers in my ear.
I giggle and lean my head on his shoulder. I take a deep breath and sigh deeply at the remaining anger toward Douxie. "Jim," I say clearly.
"Yes." He replies, concerned.
"Do you think Douxie is hiding something from me?"
"I don't think so. Why?" He asks.
I sigh and shrug my shoulders. "I just feel like he's not telling me something related to what happened two weeks ago."
"Claire, Douxie wouldn't do that to you. If there were something bad going on, he would tell you, but if you suspect me of hiding something from you with your mentor, I'm not." He replies.
"I know. I know you or Douxie wouldn't do that to me." I sigh.
"Hey! You shouldn't think this. You're on vacation with your family. You should relax and have fun." Jim says reassuringly.
I sigh but nod my head. Even though Jim is right and I should let go of my worries, I can't shake off the creature, the dreams, the visions, and the voices in my head. Wait! Now I think I know what the creature stalking me is. It's a-
"OH, MY GOD! So cute!" We hear Mary squeal. We turn and see Darci, Mary holding her phone, and Toby and Daniela smiling gleefully at us. "Stay still, you two!" Darci giggles.
Jim and I look at each other with confused looks but obey. Mary snapped pictures of us and even made us go in the flying pose from the blockbuster with the sinking ship. Everyone laughed and found it adorable, while Jim and I felt embarrassed. I demanded to have the photos sent to me and not on Mary's Facegram, but in the end, me and Jim kiss and walked away to talk to other people. After hanging around for about 20 minutes, it's time to go to shore. Diego gets behind the wheel, and I get back to the boat's edge, laughing out loud. I love feeling the wind in my hair and the adrenaline rush of seeing the waves while holding on for dear life by the rope. When we got close to the shore of huge palm trees and golden sand, we got off in the opposite way; we got into the boat with our beach bags. We see Boat One come in and the rest of the family on the sand. Daniela, Miguel, and Tulio lead us to the beach, and we all get set up. I meet up with Maria, Aja, Grace, Aurora, and Elena with Darci, Mary, Zoe, and Daniela to make a girl circle of our towels and bags. Jim, Toby, Douxie, Eli, Steve, and Krel do the same thing with Emiliano, Diego, Benjamín, Tulio, and Miguel. We reapply sunscreen, and this is when we take our cover-ups off.
"I hope I don't look fat or ugly to the boys in my new bikini," Mary says sheepishly, making Darci and Aja chuckle while I and Zoe share glances at each other and groan, rolling our eyes.
"Mary, you look beautiful." Aja giggles.
"You're not fat and ugly in a bikini, Mare," I say reassuringly, crossing my arms but smiling at her.
"Oh really? Have you seen me during summer break?" She whines, making my stomach flip and grit my teeth. I hate her mentioning me traveling to New Jersey. It hurts and makes me feel sick. Everyone removes their cover-ups, and I help them put sunscreen on their backs. When we're done, Zoe turns to me and smirks mischievously.
"Your turn, Claire." She says with a snicker, making me blush.
I take a deep breath and start taking off my cover-up. I'm wearing a simple but nice-looking purple bikini. The bottom help shows off my legs as my shorts did, but it's like wearing my panties. The top is the main star. It's like a sports bar in the back with its crisscross strap design, but the front is a push-up, showing off my 34D size breasts and toned abs and stomach. There's also a cute small purple bow in the center of my chest, the icing on the cake.
I hear a whistle behind me. "Wow, it's getting hot in here!"
I turn around to see Eli, Krel, Steve, Emiliano, and Benjamín, who are all shirtless, eyeing us. I roll my eyes and cross my arms. Toby, Douxie, Diego, and Jim come up, forming a circle. Toby wears a dark orange jumpsuit, which is not attractive but fine for him. Douxie wears black swim trunks with a single white skull on them. I was thrown aback, seeing tattoos on his shoulders and upper arms. I see Zoe blush, looking at him. Diego wears red trunks, and I hear Mary sigh, but I feel myself heating up when paying attention to Jim. He's shirtless in blue swim trucks, showing off his toned abs and hairless chest, making the butterflies in my stomach scatter throughout my whole body and shiver up my spine.
"You look nice, Claire," Jim says nervously, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Thanks," I reply, reacting the same way.
"Alright, love birds, break it up." Zoe laughs, changing the topic. "Let's have some fun."
We all dispersed to hang out on the beach with each other or with my other family members. Because it's low tide, Elena, Daniela, Darci, Aja, and Aurroa go to the tidepools with Dad, Pablo, Jim, Toby, Steve, and Eli, to watch the sea creatures in the pools and collect sea shells. A card almost snaps at Steve's finger, making him and Eli turn away from the tidepools, making Toby, Jim, and I laugh. After coming back, Diego invited us to surf. I had never surfed before but joined him, Douxie, Zoe, Emiliano, Benjamín, Tulio, and Miguel. Diego taught me a brief course and helped me ride the waves. A few times, the waves knocked me off the surfboard, but it was fun despite the pain. Soon, Tío Sebastian calls us for lunch. We run to the trees and find a long table full of food, including fruit, bread, vegetables, and cupcakes. There's a grill, and Dad makes hamburgers and hotdogs for us. Thankfully, no one likes soy meats, giving Dad pride. When done filling my plate, I walk to sit with my friends. We create a circle with couples sitting beside each other, including me and Jim. We all talk about our good times today and yesterday while eating.
"Hey, Claire," Darci says, drawing my attention.
"Yes?" I ask, sitting in between Jim's legs.
"What was Diego talking about on the boat, saying he's proud of what you did yesterday?" Darci replies curiously.
I glance at my cousin and explain when I began learning how to use a staff and that Diego taught me, making him feel proud.
"I thought you told us you learned how to use a staff when you were in middle school in the marching band?" Mary asks, confused, making me giggle.
"Mare, there is no marching band at Arcadia Prep, and if there were, I wouldn't be interested in joining it." I laugh and change the subject to continue the good conversation between all of us. When done, we all throw our plates in a trash bag near the table.
"Claire."
I turn around and see Zoe glancing around, looking nervous. "Zoe, what's wrong?" I ask, concerned.
"Can I talk to you alone? I need to ask you something." She says, trying to sound brave.
"Of course!" I reply, and Zoe grabs my wrist, pulling me aside in the trees. "What's going on?"
"Do you know if Douxie is single?"
"What?" I ask, confused, hearing something out of left field.
"You and Douxie work with each other on your lessons every day. Do you know if he's single or is interested in someone?" She corrects herself.
"No," I say before a smile grows. "Wait! Do you like Douxie?" I ask, excited.
"NO!" Zoe denies it, blushing red, telling me she's lying.
"OH, MY GOD! You do!" I cheer. "Why don't you tell him?"
"No, I don't like him!" Zoe huffs, shaking her head.
"I know you're lying! Oh, Douxie!" I shout, running to the beach.
"No, Claire!" Zoe shouts and runs after me.
I catch up and get Douxie's attention, making him turn around and causing Zoe to stop in her tracks.
"Yes, Claire." He says, curious.
"Zoe has something to tell you," I reply and turn to Zoe, looking white as a ghost.
"What is it, Zoe?" He asks.
"Nothing!" She hisses and runs away from us to the water.
"What did you ask her?" Douxie asks me.
"She asked me if you were single and think she likes you," I reply, making him blush but sigh.
"Claire, I know your good intention, but it's complicated."
"I didn't mean to be rude," I say, embarrassed.
"It's ok. I'll talk to Zoe. Go and hang out with your cousins." He reassures me.
"Ok," I mumble and walk to the water where some of my friends are.
Pablo grabs my hand and begs me to make sand castles for us. I follow him to join Leonardo and Joaquín. I help them build a sand castle. It wasn't the best, but I cheered the three boys on their creativity. Leonardo asks me if I'm a mermaid. I deny it, and he asks if he can make me. I don't understand what he means until he begins pouring sand on my legs. I agree to go along with it, allowing the boys to bury my legs and feet in the sand, forcing me to stay still. Pablo asks if I can move my tail, and I pretend to be unable to. I say I'm stuck and ask to get Jim to help me.
"Help! A mermaid is trapped in the sand! She needs your help!" Pablo giggles, running to Jim and pointing to me.
Jim turns around and bends down to Pablo, looks up, and our eyes meet. I smirk and roll my eyes at him. He smirks back and looks back down at Pablo with a heroic look. "Lead the way! I'll help you save this mermaid!" He says proudly. The boys run over to me, and Jim kneels near my head and smirks. "I guess you're the mermaid?" He says sarcastically, making me roll my eyes.
They get me out of the sand as Mom, Dad, and Enrique walk up to me. Mom sets him down, and Enrique runs up to me. I place him on my lap while he giggles and reaches out to my face. "Sissy!" He says sweetly, making me laugh.
"Hello, Hermano!" I whisper, touching my nose to his, making him laugh.
Toby and Steve call Jim to play a game. He gives me a peck on the cheek and says goodbye to all of us before running to hang out with the boys. I play with Mom, Dad, Enrique, Alejandro, Pablo, Leonardo, and Joaquín. They enjoy playing with an 18-month-old, but we stopped as Enrique started to cry. Mom grabbed him and walked to the shade where Abuelo and Abuela were. Dad reassured the other boys they did nothing wrong to make Enrique cry, and we played more with them in the sand. I run to the water and start splashing against the waves. Aja, Mary, Darci, Maria, Elena, Daniela, and Zoe join me to splash each other in the shallow water.
We laugh and shout happily at each other. I escaped to the deep water, enjoying the cold and calm water. Even though I don't have any goggles, I hold my breath and look under the saltwater surface. I swim, and then I feel the darkness consume me. It's quiet down deep. It reminds me of being underground when every troll was asleep. I would sometimes wake up from a nightmare when everyone was still sleeping. I slipped from Jim's half-troll grip and walked around to get my mind off the nightmares. Sometimes, they were about the monsters we fought, trying to kill me. Some were about coming home, seeing my family disowning me, and friends shaming me for reasons I don't know why, but they were mainly about Morgana. It's fuzzy, but she acts with a different emotion every time I see her—anger, envy, remorselessness, resentment, vengefulness, bloodthirsty, and... caring. I come up to take a breath, but I find myself lost. I start to panic, but I need to calm down as I'm somewhere I can't touch, and I need to conserve my energy. I take a few deep breaths and look around to find the beach. I see it, but it seems like it's a mile away. I started to feel scared and panic more. I frantically look around and see the sun is close to the water. I hear my name from a distance. Oh no! How long was I gone? I need to think of a way to get back fast. My energy is running out, sharks will come out, and I might be swept to sea. I start to kick my legs and paddle to the beach, but the current pulls me back to where I came from. I still keep going and try to scream out for help, but it doesn't work. I'm getting pulled in, and saltwater enters my mouth. I feel blood freeze in my body from the cold water and begin to feel lightheaded. I feel like my life is on a fragile string, like I was on the battlefield, but I don't want a watery grave. I feel parts of my legs shut down, and adrenaline tries to help it, but I soon can't move half my body. I feel something underneath me, and I pray this is not my end.
"Claire, shhh! It will be alright!" I hear that voice whisper in my ear.
I try to calm down, but I can't. I want to get on the beach with my friends and family, and I struggle more and fight the voice for me to stop.
"Claire, remember the night in the cargo box? Fear will help you back."
The night in the container on the cargo ship, NotEnrique and I faced death when trying to get the parts of Killahead bridge to save Jim, but I'm alone at sea this time, not in a cargo container. I want to cry and scream, but I don't want to die.
Fear.
I open my palm and think of the beach, my friends, and my family. This may be a bad idea, but what choice do I have? I take a deep breath and hold it, closing my eyes. I get sucked into a whirlpool and collapse on a solid surface. I feel water rain on me, but it stops after a few seconds. I gasp for air, rolling to my side but struggling to cough water. I open my eyes, but my vision is blurry. I hear things around me, but I hear painfully ringing in my ears. I cry, but my throat hurts from the water.
"Claire!" I hear a frail voice call out but don't turn to it.
I roll myself into a ball and start to drift. I look up and see the image of Abuela before closing my eyes. I hear other voices around me: some crying, some shouting, but the ringing makes me more confused as I try to open my eyes. My vision is so blurry that I can't see anyone's face. My mind goes into a daze and tries to fight it.
"Shhh, relax, Claire. You're going to be alright."
It's Mom. I can feel her touch on my cheek. I can hear her soft voice shush me and see her brown hair, making me relived. "Mamá..."
"Shhh! Rest."
I obey and drift to sleep in her arms.