Under The Sea

Chapter Five

The walk back was silent. He still held my arm but his grip was slightly looser, as if he half expected me to run again. I hugged my books to my chest looking around me at the forest. The trees were tall and leafy casting shadows across our path. The sun shined through warming my face every few seconds. I smiled every time it touched me.

I looked down to see my white sweater still clean but a little wrinkled. The fabric on my pants still felt as comfortable as they did before. My feet were bare. Sticks and dirt and rocks touched my feet, poking my soles. I walked lightly to avoid stepping on anything dangerous or threatening.

I glanced toward the boy to see him already looking at me. Startled, my eyes grew wide. His face was indescribable, his eyes held no emotion. He stared at me a few seconds more before he asked me a question;

"What's your name?" His tone sounded almost commanding, as if he wanted to demand it, but was trying to be polite.
Hesitating I decided what to do. There would be no harm in telling him my name....but I was still unsure.

Hesitantly I spoke, "Forest."

He looked at me, "no last name?" My face heated, in my kingdom everyone had the same last name; the name of our kingdom: Atlandria. We shared this name to show respect towards our home and to define ourselves should we come upon other merpeople. But this was not a name I would just spit out. I only met this boy last night, and while he did save me, I didn't fully trust him. I was afraid he might somehow find out who I was through my name. Panic swirled around in my stomach, swirling around and around enough times to unsettle me. My expression twisted into a nervous grimace before I quickly composed myself before he caught on and started asking questions.

Questions. So many questions that I knew would later be asked. This world was so unfamiliar to me, catching me by surprise at every corner. What would happen when he noticed my surprise? When he started asking questions? The spotlight would be shined on me. Unless I could hide my emotions. But that had always been hard for me, I was an open book. When he looked at me, it felt as if he could read my mind, as if he knew all of my deepest, darkest secrets.

"No last name, at least not one that you need to know," I told him. His eyebrows raised in a silent oh?

"Fine, but I will find out eventually, my name is Aran." Aran. His name was nice and subtle and just right for him. It fit him.

"Aran." I tested his name out.

"Forest." He tested my name out, "just like your eyes." My head whipped up to stare at him. No one had ever realized that, except my mother. My father had only said it was a shame I didn't inherit his sea blue eyes. But my mother, she had loved my eyes the second she saw them. They were just like hers. His head turned away from me to focus on our direction but I continued to stare at him.

There was something about this boy, Aran, that I couldn't explain. He was enigmatic. Strands of his light hair caught the sunlight exposing the even lighter colors of his hair. His jaw was defined and sharp, his lips showed no hint of emotion as we traveled on. His body was lean and muscular, a threat to anyone. He walked in long strides forcing me to stumble trying to keep up with him.

I spotted a clearing ahead, and in the midst of it a large flaunty house stood tall. It was beautiful. The architecture was magnificent. The house was Victorian, with a tall pointed roof and many windows. I had remembered seeing pictures in one of the architecture books I read, of houses such as these. The porch wrapped around the house creating a lovely sitting area. The many trees surrounding the house only made it seem more magical. I had fallen into such a trance that I hadn't realized I had stopped to stare. I turned to see Aran staring at me, a flash of amusement sprinted across his eyes, so fast I almost missed it.