Secrets of the Deep [Wattpad Featured Story]

Chapter Four

Try as I might, finding a new house or apartment that was affordable and close to Newland High was next to impossible. Dad joined me in the search, but I could tell his heart wasn't in it. One night, after hours of poring over potential homes, he glanced up at me from his computer with tired eyes and said, "I think we've hit a dead end."

We sure had. I didn't want to call it quits, but there was no other option. Even though Kimmie knew something was up, I couldn't bear to tell her. I was still in denial myself. But every time I passed Dad in his office and saw him fingering a faded old photograph of the mansion in Shady Cove, I knew the truth was inevitable.

I finally told Kimmie one fateful morning, the day after Dad made his final decision to move. It was a heartbreaking day for the two of us. Kimmie cried with me for hours, flicked through old photos and videos of us together, and attempted to give me a pep talk but only succeeded in bringing more tears to my eyes.

Now, one week later, I lay in my bed and tried closing my eyes for the hundredth time that evening. Yet after a few futile seconds of attempting to go to sleep, I groaned and gave up. It had been a long and weary month of looking for a new home, and ever since Dad had officially declared we were moving to Shady Cove, I had been plagued with long, sleepless nights.

Throwing my blankets off, I sat up in bed and let out a deep sigh. It was one in the morning, and my eyes had long since grown used to the darkness of my near-empty room. Only the bare essentials—including my mattress, pillow, blankets, and a few clothes—were left. Everything else had been packed into boxes and moved to Shady Cove.

"It's not fair," I muttered to the emptiness around me. I didn't want to be a downer, but the weight of having to move away from everything I'd ever known was crushing me. Depression had settled on me like a black cloud. I would never again walk the halls of Newland High, dive into the pool next to Kimmie, visit the local coffee shops and movie theater, or take my usual stroll home from school. I was entering a new chapter in my life, one that seemed both frightening and lonely. And I didn't want to turn the page.

As I hugged my knees to my chest, my long ebony locks fell over my face like a glittering sheen, protecting me from the desolation of my deserted room. Just then, a shaft of moonlight pierced my window, illuminating my surroundings for a fraction of a second. A ghost of a smile appeared on my lips as my hair suddenly began to glow, faintly at first and then stronger. Deep ocean-blue streaks intertwined with the midnight ebony of my hair, creating a sort of uncanny luminescence. I ran my fingers through my shimmering hair and smiled wider.

I had discovered this remarkable characteristic when I was a young girl. I had been camping in the backyard with my dad during a sultry summer evening, and when I had stepped outside the tent to look at the stars, I'd realized my hair was glowing. I'd always had long, black hair, even as a toddler, but never knew it glowed blue when exposed to moonlight. It was breathtaking, to say the least, and from that moment on I knew there had to be some connection. Dad's hair didn't glow in the moonlight, so I must have received the trait from her—and for that reason I felt like she was more a part of me.

I reached over for my cell phone to check the time—1:30 a.m. I was about to set it back down when I suddenly caught a glimpse of my reflection in the screen. With a gasp, I tilted the device ever so slightly so I could get a good look at my face.

"My eyes," I whispered into the darkness. They were glowing—there was no other word to describe it.

I didn't know whether to be excited, anxious, or horrified. After a few seconds of studying my reflection, I realized that my eyes were glowing the exact same color as the streaks in my hair—a deep sea blue.