Darkness Arises

Chapter Three: Lost

Sorry it took so dang long. You all must hate me. I hope I will win you back after this chapter!

May 10th, 1800

Chapter Three: Silence

Emmet's POV

I watched quietly from the other side of the room as my sister sadly moved past me, holding a pale green bag filled with an assortment of colorful foods not meant for either one of us. She paused briefly at the doorway, not looking back but waiting with a silent signal for me to follow. For a moment I decided, in a fury of rage, that I didn't want to go. Not anymore for my heart could not bear it no longer. The guilt weighing heavily on my heart and soul, a constant reminder of how I failed.

But I do follow my sister out as it my duty to protect her, moving just behind her but not next to her. No, not next to her. I do not want to see the constant sadness that lingers upon her face nor do I want her to see my own pain. The purple bags around my sister's eyes has deepened making her look old and worn out. I desperately want to hear her laughter again, to see her smile. The smile that lights up whatever room she is in and spreads joy to all of our hearts. Without my sister's happiness, the castle has grown to be quite grey.

A few short moments later, we approach the gates and I nod to the guard to open up the shimmering golden gates to let us through and out into the open ocean. The guard shouts after us to return before nightfall and I nod in return, knowing all to well that if we were to return after dark, we would not be able to go back in. The Elder has cast some sort of protection spell around the entire kingdom against my father's will. It keeps any mermaid who has been touched by the dark out and for those already in our kingdom, trapped until they can be discovered.

We swim close to the ground of the ocean, following the familiar way back towards our cave. With each passing moment my heart in my chest becomes tighter and tighter. My breath comes in shorter gasps as if I am unable to get enough oxygen in my body. Aurora's movements are stiff and slow. I wonder what is going on in my sister's mind, if she is hopeful or has she abandoned it. She does not speak more than three words a day but I am somewhat grateful for the lack of words spoken. I wouldn't know how to comfort her with words.

The ocean floor sudden takes a sharp turn upwards meeting the jagged underwater cliffside. Aurora suddenly stops in front of me and takes in a sharp breath before she starts to cry again. She struggles to keep it in but the emotions are always too strong for Aurora and she turns away from the cliffs. She looks up at me, her eyes red and swollen.

"Oh dear Aurora." I murmur, opening my arms which she rushes into. "What ails you?"

"She won't let me in!" She wails into my chest. "The bond, I feel it weakening! Almost non-existent anymore and then I worry about you, your own special bond. Is it still there?"

I remain silent for awhile, searching for the right words but decide there are none at a time like this. "I don't know," I sadly shake my head. "I am aware it still exists but yes, it is weaker now but do not fret... it still lives." I assure her weakly but it was more to assure myself. If Aurora knew how weak it was, it would destroy her whole.

She pulls away, turning suddenly and swimming sharply upwards with a newfound determination in her eyes. I follow her quickly, "Wait!" I cry out but she ignores me and heads into the cave.

"Why are you doing this!" I hear Aurora cry out in desperation, choking back on a sob. "We're sorry! We're so, so sorry! Please... Charlie please." Aurora collapsed onto the floor, breaking down in heavy sobs.

I do not enter the cave, I can't. Especially not now, a glimmer of hope has awoken inside me among with a newfound terror that it will be shattered, but I watch from a distance.

Laying among the poorly made bed is Charlie, or what is left of her. Her stunning, sparkling golden eyes have dimmed to a dirty yellow rimmed with black circles under her eyes. The whites of her eyes are red, looking like she keeps rubbing them. She does not move her eyes except only to blink and her stare bores into the cave wall, looking at nothing. Her eyes also seem clouded, clouded with the haunting images of her ship's crew, bloodied and broken, I imagine. Anger probably pulses through her veins, anger at me and my kind for doing this to her... to her family. I clench at my stomach, a sudden wave of nausea coming me.

Her tail is laid out in front of her, again unmoving and the once brilliance shine has long faded, just like her eyes. The tips of her fins have darkened, signaling the Darkness lays within her, brought out through rage and fury. The Elder has only visited her daughter once to examine the change in her tail and explained that if we do not bring her away from this state, she can be consumed by it.

I notice her cheek bones have begun to sink into her face from lack of food despite Aurora bringing her food daily but Charlie always leaves them untouched. She acts as if we do not exist, as if we are not even here and that probably the most painful of it all. She will be lost to us forever if she continues to be in this state.

"Charlie! Please, you cannot do this. You'll die like this or worse!" Aurora screams at her friend, desperate for a response and she gets one. Charlie flinches at Aurora's words and turns to meet her eyes. I rush to my sister's side, holding her steady. My heart pounds against my chest, soaring high with hope we broke through to her.

Charlie opens her mouth to speak, her voice dry and hoarse. "Or worse?" She whispers, squinting her eyes like she's confused. "Or worse?" She repeats.

"Yes! You can be consumed by the Darkness, just like our sister has been!" Aurora says.

"Aurora! We do not know if this is true." I rush to defend Opal, although in my heart I know it is true.

My sister ignores me, only focused on Charlie, "Come back with us. We're sorry, we didn't know. We couldn't have known, we didn't want this... never wanted to fuel our Pearl this way..."

"You mean you didn't want to MURDER people this way?" Charlie snaps, her voice as cold as ice, cruel and unforgiving.

Aurora sighs heavily. "Yes... but don't you feel the bonds breaking? Charlie, it will only get much worse."

Charlie doesn't reply for a few moments and heavy tension thickens around us before speaking again, "It was already worse... that never changed."

"Im confused..." Aurora says.

"It was the WORST when you filthy beasts changed me into one of you!" Charlie roars and unknowingly sending out a burst of power from her. My sister and I are thrown back through the water but both catch ourselves before hitting the rough grey walls of the cave.

Aurora breaks down into sobs again and rushes out the cave but I linger for a moment. I watch, horrified as the black scales grow up Charlie's tail. The little scales along her arms have also changed completely into a dark and gloomy grey. Her hands have started to grow claws instead of regular fingernails which are digging into her palms as she moves back to her seated position with a dangerous look in her eyes. Gone are the eyes that held much love and happiness and replaced by a strangers eyes.

I turn away unable to look much longer, my heart shattering in my chest as I come to realize we may have officially lost Charlie already, and it was my fault.

Poor Emmett. He thinks everything was his fault :/