Warmth enveloped my skin. Light glowed against my eyelids. One eye cracked open, then the other. I gasped. Catilli?
I jolted upright. Clear blue water surrounded me, sparkling as sunlight streamed through it. My eyes pulsed tiny blinks, unused to the sun's radiance. Not even the whole city-state of Oamer set aglow could compare.
Sun. Sunlight. I wasn't deep under the ocean anymore. I was close to the surface, which meant I was closer to home. Happiness sparked in my chest. Maybe Catilli and Lira brought me here during the night as a surprise. Maybe I'd finally get to see Lani.
I found it odd, however, that they weren't nearby. The white fabric of my maxi dress swirled as I spun around, searching for a familiar face or fin. Coral rose on my left side, vacant ocean on my right. Other than a few vibrant fishes, I was alone.
"Catilli?" I called.
No response.
They're probably just getting something to eat. I clung to this thought. I didn't want to consider if they dumped me in the middle of nowhere.
"C-Catilli? What's going on?"
A shadow loomed in the water behind the coral. Adrenaline spiked in my veins. I scoured the water for protection, but there was nowhere to hide, nothing I could use to fight. My fingers touched the string of pearls still around my neck. In a worst-case scenario, I could rip them off and try to choke my assailant, assuming it had a human-sized neck.
The figure swam into the light. All the air in my lungs released. It was only a girl, no older than ten or eleven.
Bafflement quickly destroyed my moment of relief. Wait, who's she? My eyes drifted to her knee-length blonde hair. That was a welcome surprise—knees and feet instead of a tail. At last, I was in contact with humans.
A grin stretched onto the girl's freckled cheeks. "She's awake!"
Three women emerged from the coral.
"It's about time," the tallest said. "I thought humans only need nine hours of sleep."
I flushed. "How was I asleep?"
"Fourteen and one-quarter." Her intense, olive-colored eyes peered down at me. I edged backward.
"S-sorry."
"It's alright, Ptolema," an older teen said. "Sleep is a woman's best friend." Her serene brown eyes, as rich as her skin, focused on me. "Don't mind her. The poor girl is always this disgruntled."
Anger flared on Ptolema's face. "Hey!"
"Now, now," the other soothed. "Let's not rile ourselves up. We want to make a favorable impression on her."
"You're the one who started it. Besides, I think saving her should be enough to make a 'favorable impression.'"
Saved me?
"What do you mean?" I asked.
The teen's eyes glittered with sympathy. "Unfortunately, in this universe, most wondrous things accompany a steep price."
My forehead wrinkled. "Huh?"
"Though all seemed in harmony, alas! Those deemed amiable plotted your demise."
The tension in my brow increased. What on earth was she talking about?
"Just spit it out already," Ptolema snapped.
"And in exchange for your stay in Oamer," the former continued, "Your life was required."
Steep price? Demise? I blinked at her, trying to process what she said.
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When the Ocean Calls
الخيال (فانتازيا)The ocean can be gentle, lulling one into a false sense of security. But the waters are never calm in the Bermuda triangle, and when the waves pick up, one may be dragged under the sea. Kiara Vatelle's love of the ocean brings her to The Bahamas for...
