The Ocean

Chapter 14

I stared at a huge ruin. Bricks were crumbled everywhere like faerie dust. Beautiful flowers swirled up over the remaining walls. A lush green carpet of seaweed covered the floors.

'Coming?' Kaito asked starting to swim away. I rushed to his side.

Kaito quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. Now I was glad that he could swim faster than me because we would be able to get to the ruin faster. 

We swam through a large archway that still stood in one of the walls. Starfish were plastered all over the dark wall making it look like a night sky. There were more walls left standing but this one was definitely the biggest and the starfish made it the prettiest.

I let Kaito pull me along again. I was beginning to feel a little useless but I didn't mind that much. We ducked and swerved to avoid fallen beams and walls. Finally Kaito came to a halt and I drifted to his side. In front of us was a large stone chair. It looked like it would be a throne for the person that owned this place before it fell to ruin. 

Kaito let go of my hand and swam over to it slowly. I couldn't see his eyes so I couldn't tell how he was feeling. I felt stupid just standing and watching him but I wasn't sure if he wanted me with him. He turned to face me and I saw his eyes. I rushed over to him and pulled him into a hug. I wanted to cheer him up but also I couldn't bare to look at his eyes any longer. But I could still see them in my mind, full of pain and sadness. 

He didn't hug me back. He didn't even move. It was like he couldn't function. Like he had lost the ability to move. 

'Do you want to talk about it?' I spoke into his chest. I couldn't bare pulling away and seeing his eyes. I felt him give a slight nod and I took his hand and sat down on the floor.

I looked at him and sent him a sad smile. He let out a deep sigh and started.

'This...' He paused frowning as if he wasn't sure what to say. 'This is my home.' He paused again looking at me. I smiled again and encouraged him to continue. 'I used to live here. Morveren lived here with us. Around this castle used to be the most beautiful gardens. Nearly everyday I would play in them with Morveren. We even had our own patch which our father had allowed us to grow things on. I only liked looking at the plants, so Morveren would plant everything. It soon was filled with beautiful flowers of all colours. We would always meet in the garden just after dinner and we would talk about everything that was on our minds. But then Morveren started disappearing. She would normally tell me everything but she wouldn't tell me where she went or what she did. I wanted her to be that same again. But then she stopped coming to the garden at all. I think it might have been because I asked her every time she came why she wouldn't tell me. She sat in her room everyday instead, only leaving when she had to or to disappear again. The garden wilted and died before the gardener was told to start working on that patch too. It never looked as nice as it did when Morveren had been working on it but I still went there every day. One day Morveren came back with a man. She had used her powers to give this man a tail. They swam past me holding hands and talking, not even looking at me. Morveren told father that she had fallen in love but he would have none of it. He was furious. Morveren had disgraced the family by falling in love with a human. Before anyone found out he banished her to prison and banished the man from our kingdom. I never saw her again. My father destroyed this house because too much reminded him of her betrayal and we moved.' 

I didn't know what to say. I just sat there watching him. I lent over and placed my head on his shoulder. 

I opened my mouth. 'What was his name?' I asked before I knew what I was going to say.

'Matthew Trewhella.'

'Why doesn't you dad hate me then? I'm human...' I took my head off his shoulder so that I can look up into his eyes. 

'You are a mermaid, Umi. The only way a human can turn into mer is by magic.'

'But if I am a mermaid then how did I live on land?'

'Mer have the ability to choose land or water when they are very young. If you choose land then you almost become human and can't return to the sea. But when you turn 16 they have to live in the water otherwise you can't survive. The sea pulls you to the ocean so that you won't be in danger.'

So I have been a mermaid my whole life. My whole life and I had no idea. 

'Can I go back? back to land?'

'No.' Kaito says softly. He looks me in the eyes but I can't look at him just now. I drop my eyes to the floor and feel like I am going to cry. I can never see them again, never. Anger suddenly fills me. It's so unfair. It shouldn't be this way. I need them! They are my family! 

I close my eyes and concentrate on getting rid of my anger. I don't want to get angry when Kaito is upset.

'Wow!' He shouts sounding distant. My eyes snap open. I feel shocked when I see him really far away from me.

'What?'

'You never told me you were magic.' He said looking me in shock and in awe.

'I'm not.' I tell him feeling confused.

'You are! You just threw me back without touching me.' 

'I'm sorry.' I say as I swim closer to him. He feels too far away. 'But how am I magic?'

'Sometimes mer have powers. Morveren was very powerful. She had the ability to shape shift any creature. Permanently if she wished. I'm not sure what your power is though.' He says staring somewhere over my head. He brings his gaze back to mine. 'And I don't mind by the way. About you throwing me. But if you really wanted to get rid of me you could have just said something.' He laughs as I send him a glare.

'Lets get back.' He says still smiling. I nod and he begins to swim away.

'We should find Morveren.' Yet again not realising what I am about to say. He turns round to face me, his expression unreadable. Then nods slowly.

Author's note:

I tried so hard to write more! I hope you enjoyed it :D I worked on this instead of doing homework... Just putting more important things first!

Song of the chapter Landslide - Fleetwood Mac. This song makes me so emotional so I thought it would be good for the chapter :)

Love

Panda :3