Call of the Water (COMPLETE)

44. DISBELIEF

The rain drizzled on the morning he finally came to our school. The plants in the garden were glistening from all the tiny raindrops that held on to the leaves and flower petals.

"You asked to see me," he said when we found ourselves in the room I shared with my two roommates. They were kind enough to give us some privacy so that we could talk, although Opal had other plans.

"Come on, Opal," Ardea said and messed up her plan. "We'll go to the library and I'll explain you those pesky math problems."

"Oh joy!" Opal exclaimed sarcastically. The look on her face let us all know that math problems were the last thing on her mind at the moment. Nonetheless, she did leave with Ardea and I was certain there would be questions later on.

"Well," Doctor Kasian asked, "what did you want to talk to me about?"

I thought I'd know what to say once he'd arrive, I was sure that I'd be able to find the right words. I was wrong. Now that he was here, waiting for me to speak, I was at a loss for words.

"Azora, is everything all right?" He came closer, his eyes forcing me to look at him.

"I need your help," I whispered. "Do you remember when I asked you if an Aquantien could go back, to live under water again?"

"I remember. I also remember telling you it cannot be done. It took decades to perfect the procedures that enabled you to be here now," he replied.

"And it would take decades to get me back into the water."

"Exactly." He looked deep into my eyes, worried.

"But I don't want to go back," I said.

His eyebrows raised. "If not you, then who?"

"There's another Aquantien. An Aquantien who hasn't chosen to come live on land and would like to go back."

"Another Aquantien?"

"Yes. The one that is in the book you gave me," I explained.

He stared into my eyes for another moment before turning away from me.

"That cannot be true. There was only one Aquantien described in that book," he said quietly, as if he were talking to himself.

I answered anyway. "Aq53."

"No." He turned to face me again. "That simply cannot be true. For decades, Aq53 has been considered missing."

"No, not missing. She was just hiding from those who harmed her. She isn't like me. She never chose to come live on land." I leaned closer and whispered, "She was abducted."

He sat on Ardea's bed. Looking at the floor, he said, "They have been searching for her. There were records that the search went on for several years. They never found her. It was as if she vanished from the face of the Earth. There have been speculations that she drowned in the attempt to return to her underwater home."

I could imagine that scenario. Ms. Cyan, the ocean, the longing in her eyes, the desire to change her fate. I never asked her where she went once she escaped. Maybe she'd be willing to share that part of the story once I proved her that Doctor Kasian could be trusted.

"And now you're telling me that she is still alive?" His voice brought me back from my pensiveness. He lifted his head again. "You're saying that you know where to find her?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yes. I even managed to convince her to speak to you."

The surprise on his face could not be any more obvious. His eyebrows lifted above his wide-open eyes as he looked at me. His lips parted and a loud sigh escaped his body.

"I'll take you to her," I said with a smile.

He stood up abruptly and asked with a voice that revealed how excited he was, "You will?"

"I will."

"When?" Impatience crept into his voice as well.

"Right now. She's here, under the same roof," I replied and headed towards the door. "And you already know her," I added as I turned the doorknob.  

Thank you for reading Call of the Water. Have I said that you're wonderful? If I haven't, I'll say it now - you're wonderful! If I have, I'll say it again - you're wonderful!

This chapter is dedicated to all of you who sometimes find yourselves thinking: 

Holy moly, I'm a weirdo!

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