Mer Tales 01 - Everblue

something very bad happened.
    “ Is it—?”
    “ I’m really sorry. I can’t talk anymore tonight. I’ll come over first thing in the morning. I love you.”
    I slid off my bed onto the floor, gripping the phone. He couldn’t hang up without telling me who called. “I love you, too.”
    “ Don’t worry. It’ll be okay. Goodnight.”
    He hung up before I could tell him goodnight back.
    Okay? How could it be okay if he’s worried?
    My chest ached as I put down my cell phone and turned to watch his house. The bathroom light wasn’t on anymore—the entire house dark. Who called? What news did they bring? The fear I’d felt the entire time Fin was missing came back and scratched its nails down the chalkboard of my soul. I wanted to run over and bang on the door. Why didn’t he tell me? Why did he make me wait?
    I began to pace again and ate the rest of the cookies. In times of stress, a swim always did the trick to calm my nerves. I just wanted the phone to ring. I willed him to call me back.
    An hour passed, then two. The rest of my family had gone to sleep and only the wind whistling through the pine trees kept me company. I couldn’t stop my mind from racing. I had to know what was going on.
    Against my better judgment, I picked up the phone and called. Once the answering machine picked up, I hung up. He must have been in the pool in the basement with his parents.
    I tried to sleep, but only tossed and turned. Nothing would ease my mind. In desperation, I grabbed my pillow, a sleeping bag, and four blankets from the hall closet and snuck outside to the dock.
    I curled up in a ball on the cold wooden slats and draped my arm over the edge, just barely touching the water. I hoped to send Fin a little SOS with my finger tips. The brittle cold distracted me from the whirlwind of chaos haunting my mind. I hoped in some crazy way he’d know I needed him and swim to find me.
    “ Fin,” I called out over the water. “Please . . .”
59
FIN

    “ What does Badge mean ‘they’re coming’?” I yelled in the basement.
    “ Badger called from Scotland and apparently Alaster helped Azor and his buddy’s get vehicles in Sacramento. They’re hiding in the river tonight and going to drive here at dawn. We’ve only got about two hours to get away from the lake before they arrive.”
    “ No,” I roared. “I’m not leaving without Ash. It’s not fair to her or me. I’ll hide and stay in Fallen Leaf Lake instead. Leave the Jeep and I’ll catch up with you in Florida in a few months.”
    “ Impossible, Fin,” Dad countered. “I know how much you love Ash, but they aren’t leaving Tahoe once they get here. They’re going to try to reopen the gate.”
    “ What?” I plunged myself backwards into the water and let the air escape from my lips as I sunk to the bottom. Then I yelled and pounded my fists on the pool bottom, wishing it was Azor’s face.
    “ Fin,” Dad said underwater. “It’s only for a few months. Maybe Ash can come to Florida early for the summer. For a trip?”
    “ But how are we going to travel across the country? We’re fish.”
    “ I got an RV today. We’ll use the GPS and find rivers and lakes along the way. We’ll make due until we reach Florida.”
    I closed my eyes and didn’t move off the pool floor. “I can’t, Dad. I can’t leave her.”
    “ This time we don’t have a choice. There’s too much of a risk of them spotting you if you stick around.”
    My heart felt like it was going through a meat grinder. Ash would never understand. This was going to break her. “Then make me human. Anything to stay.”
    “ Fin,” Mom said, sitting on the pool floor next to me. She took my hand. “Have you considered where you’ll live? Once you become human, you’ll be subjected to the elements, to the cold. You need to stay a mer, at least for now—Tatiana still needs your help to free her. And the promise will be broken. Ash’s feelings could change.”
    I rolled over and hid my face. As selfish as it was, I didn’t want my promising feelings for Ash to go away, for either of us.
    “ You have to be strong, for her,” Mom said.
    I didn’t want to be strong. I wanted to break things. “I have to tell her good-bye in the morning?”
    “ We’ll be leaving as soon as we can.” Mom’s shoulders slunk down. “I’m so sorry.”
    I darted over to a corner in the pool and sulked the rest of the night. I wanted to call Ash and listen to her sweet voice. If only Ash could