Friday – July 10th 2020
"Wake up sweetie!" Mom's sweet voice called out from my dreams as I yawned, looking over at November as I smiled. It was an emotional week of memories and ideas. Mom and dad had asked me to come home more often...and I'd love to...but I did not want to one day knock on their door and they would not recognize me.
I've spent six emotional days secretly grieving.
I grieved for Caitlynn's memory. The memory of her was so fresh that the accident felt like it happened only days ago. November looks at me as she quietly hushes, whispering.
"You've been thinking about her again, haven't you?" she asked as I nodded.
"Her memory haunts my dreams!" I said as I got dressed and thought about my home in the city of Bremerton, hundreds of miles away.
"Remember...there isn't anything you could have done to save her, back then. But we now have an opportunity to save her memory, this time." November says as mom checks in on us once more.
"About ready to go, November?" mom asks.
"Almost." November commented, zipping up her bag. Mother walked off as November then turned, glancing back at me as she softly said, touching the stained locket hanging around my neck "We need to locate him as soon as possible! Maybe with you back in town, he will seek you out."
"It is wishful thinking!" I smiled.
"Hey!" Caitlynn Rose chirps in "Careful what you wish for!" I chuckled, nodding as I knew the power of wishing.
"Yeah...I need to be more careful with my words from now on!"
I helped November haul her luggage to the car as we hugged goodbye as mother walked on over to see me off.
"See you when I get back?" she asked me.
"I too need to get back to work, mom...my agent has a job for me today." I comment as dad smiles, coming on over.
"I can give you a ride to the event." he comments as I smile, yet hesitant. I'd love if he could see me model in a mermaid tail...but there was just one slight problem...I would be female.
"That's very nice of you dad...but my agent has some...pre-work that I must go through." I state as he quickly added.
"Oh..." he remarks, disappointed "...are you modeling at the Festival of Colors?" I shrugged my shoulders.
"Maybe...it is still to be determined...like I said, pre-work stuff."
"Well, I will stop by anyhow...been awhile since I have been to the festival." he said, much to my discomfort. November glanced over at me as I inhaled nervously and waved goodbye to my best friend.
"I will call you later this afternoon, Skylynn!" she says as I smile.
"Have a safe flight, Ember!" I looked back at dad as I asked him for some help. "Hey dad, do you remember the Acacia place? I would like to see if they are still there...it's been a while."
"Are you sure?" dad asks as he walks over to me and holds me steady "Son, it has been almost 11 years since you last saw them...after that accident." I nodded my head; it was where I wanted to go.
"Can we at least go?" as I was sort of 'carless' at the moment. Rose came on over as she looked up at me. I was certain that she was wondering what I was doing.
"Well, let me get my keys." he comments and then adds "How are you getting home after the festival?"
"I have a ride!" I smiled as I glanced down at Rose, grinning.
~~~
We drove down the 109 as dad looked onward. We passed the Oceana RV Park and I pointed at the upcoming driveway...
"You have an excellent memory, my son!" he smiles. We drove slowly up the driveway as I was filled with unknown uncertainty. At the end of the drive, dad stopped as I jumped out and let Rose out as she jumped around, happy to be back home.
"I'll wait here in the car." he told me, not certain if he could face Aradia once more.
"Give me a minute to see if anyone is home." I commented as Rose and I walked towards the house. It was a strange sensation, like returning home. Rose glanced up at me, whispering, as we were out of father's eavesdropping range.
"Why did you come back?"
"Honestly..." I softly told her "...I do not know! Somehow, I feel that I need to be here." Much to Rose and my surprise, Aradia then opened the door, stepping out. She had sensed both Rose and I nearby.
"Lynn!?"
"Hi Aradia...would it be okay if I stay here for a few hours...until the festival?" I asked her. Aradia nodded, happy to have me back home as her eyes then glanced over at dad sitting all alone in the car. She walked over to him, greeting him.
"Good morning, Stacy." she smiled.
"Good morning, Aradia...it has been a while!" Dad comments "I am so sorry that we are bothering you, he just wanted to come on over."
"Ah, it's no bother." she smiles as she then adds. "He said he needs to go to the festival; I'll be more than happy to drive him into town."
"Oh, you don't have to do that!" he protests.
"It might be a while...seems like he has a lot on his mind."
"I'm truly sorry about your daughter, she was a beautiful angel!" he remarks as Aradia nods. He could sense that the conversation has gone stale "Skylynn, I will see you at the festival?"
"I'll try." I reply. He looked back over at Aradia as he waved goodbye and drove around the loop and leaves as only dust was all that was left.
"Look around, Lynn." Rose comments "Does it look familiar?"
"Oddly...yes." as I looked at the encroaching sword grass, shrubs, and shore pine all forming a privacy barrier.
Aradia comes over as I tried to relax, but being here was like seeing a place for the first time and seeing it for the last time...all the while, calling it home.
"Come inside, I will make some tea." I followed her inside her house as I was invited to sit on the sofa as she boiled some water and glanced over at me "Still like jasmine, sweetie?" I nodded my head.
"I was hoping to talk about something that I am still trying to comprehend." as she collects some cheese and smoked salmon, making a cutlery board.
"What can I help you with, sweetie?"
"The news article...it spoke of a daughter..." she glances over as she pours the tea and added some salt to the water, curious how I will take to it "...Lynn Acacia."
"That would be your name." she answers and hands me a cup "Careful, it's hot."
"The story was revised in a latter publication and corrected that Lynn Acacia was an editor's error."
"That was when I wiped your memory." she commented.
"Anyhow...I did some digging around in the archives and found that that Carolynn Acacia was born July 21st 1993, along with her twin sister, Caitlynn Acacia. Yet...I checked the records for my own birth...and they were not there!" This was what was bothering me "On the 4th of July, I began to notice that my pictures after the age of 13 were being erased...as if I was never there!" I gulped as I needed to know the truth "What is happening to me!?"
Aradia bites her lip as she sets her tea down, taking a long deep breath before explaining.
"There is a reason why Soul Magic has been forgotten and banned amongst our kind." She makes a motion as she formed a glowing white line in the air. "Now, let's say that this silver line represents your reality. And that this pink line represents Caitlynn's reality. You both exist in this reality, in this timeline." She then slices the lines in half as the lines began to fade in the future, but the past lines were still as bright as before.
"This was the result of the accident. Both of you died, and thus, this reality has been severed and ended. But Caitlynn had used her reality and timeline to save yours and thus created a paradox" as a blue line splits off from the silver and pink, she explains "A paradox is an alternate reality...but it is like a flux...once the energy holding this paradox together collapses," the line completely fades into oblivion with all the other lines "you both cease to exist, along with this world and everyone in it!"
"Wait!" as I jump up, looking at the lines. "So, when this spell ends..."
"Because you are now a fae, both you and Caitlynn will be consumed by the Void." Aradia comments. She eases me back down, comforting me "But something has changed as you have noticed." she reforms the silvery-blue line "This is you right now...still in the paradox, but your soul has evolved into its new fae form, taking on the identity of Carolynn...this has allowed both Caitlynn and Skylynn to reform into a different identity called 'Lynn' or as I named you, 'Carolynn'."
"But she isn't real!"
"Yet!" Aradia comments. "Magic allows me to see into the future and make predictions...but as you have seen, I can be wrong from time to time. The future isn't set in stone." she advances the lines "As you can see...Caitlynn's line is beginning to change...she is awakening and taking form within another. At first, I thought this was you...and that November was the silvery-blue line...but I was incorrect."
"It's Blake!" I uttered, amazed.
"I promised that I would not interfere in his decisions..." as she continues the lines as they seemed to hit the other side of the paradox wall causing the bubble to fade and the silver line morphs into a silvery-blue line and the pink line morphs into a silvery-pink line as they continue. The original path of the pink and silver lines fades as the new lines reform a past.
"So, if Blake has Caitlynn's soul and agrees to become her...then the paradox would end?" Aradia nodded, glad that I understood.
"In theory, yes." as she tried to explain paradoxical magic "Time would reset...this reality would cease to exist. But because of Caitlynn's soul magic, only you would remember what happened until the exact moment of the soul spell. Caitlynn, November, Blake and I will be totally oblivious of the future."
I pause as I gasp, covering my mouth.
"Oh my God!"
"What?!"
"Is it possible that a paradox could happen over and over?"
"I do not know...those who lived through a paradox tend to never tell the tale afterwards. It is possible that those affected by the spell might have 'vague' memories; but none of us would remember the possible futures without ending the paradox...so yes, I guess it is a possibly. Why do you ask?"
"Because prior to the accident; I remember have feelings that I needed to ride with you and Caitlynn. For a moment, I felt like I was 'different'. I did not go because I did not understand what was going on. And then, when you returned my memories, I saw the accident from three perspectives, not two!"
"Which could have been you failing to merge with Caitlynn's soul the first time!" Aradia pauses as she thinks of the possibilities. "But we can't take those chances, Lynn! We need to have you; November and Blake all undergo the Wailing ceremony...to at least protect your souls if we should fail!"
"And what needs to happen so that Caitlynn does not die again!?" as my memories included hers as I recall the seatbelt. "We were in a rush to get to the Wailing Ceremony! She refused to wear her seat belt! But I cannot warn her unless I leave my father and take Caitlynn's offer to travel with you and her to the Wailing Ceremony." I paused, curious "A curiosity...what would have happened if we did make it?"
Aradia looks away as she murmurs under her breath.
"You would have been bonded to my daughter. All sea fairies are bonded to a mortal soul!" I glanced at Rose as she nodded her furry head, confirming it.
"Oh! I see." I still tried to think of a plan to save us all "So, let's theorize that I somehow convinced my dad that I would travel with you and then convince Caitlynn to wear her seatbelt...we would still have the wreck to contend with!"
"Correct...once the minute passes when you die, you would metamorphosize into Carolynn and all of our memories would be resorted. You are already seeing this future starting to change the past." I walked over to the mantle as I looked at the images as I was not in them...so we still had time.
"I need to get to the festival!"
"About that!" Aradia comments as she walks over and smiles. "I managed to call the casting director and cancel Caitlynn's gig."
"But Aradia!" I comment.
"And placed her sister in the role...Carolynn Acacia."
I was speechless as I looked at the locket around my neck and looked back at Aradia.
"You did that for me?" I asked as she nodded her head. I leaped into her arms as I hugged her and smiled. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! So much!"
"You're welcome, sweetie." She guided me to Caitlynn's bedroom, offering me a place to stay "I do not have a room for you at the moment! But you can use Caitlynn's bedroom to change and get ready."
"Thank you...mother." I softly smiled as she closed the door, giving me privacy.
I looked inside as it was loaded with 'girly items'...this makes sense why she thought I would like all the make-up and clothing. Caitlynn did. And I have to admit...I too like it...but I am a different girl.
"Sweetie..." Aradia comments, knocking on the door "...what name would you like on your application?"
"Carolynn Acacia." I replied right off the bat "But, you already know that! Testing me again, mom!?" she smiled, giggling with a nod of the head.
"It is good to practice so the name comes easy to you." She leaves me to be, allowing me to look over all of my clothing options just as my cellphone rang. I walked over to see who was calling and smiled to see November's caller ID flashing.
"Hey you!"
"Hey you." November replied "I'm not calling at a bad time, am I?"
"Nah, I am just getting ready for work." I say as I begin removing my shirt. I was nervous about this metamorphosis as this would be the second time changing into Carolynn since my confrontation with Matthew at the gym. "It's my second time turning into Carolynn since what happened last week."
I looked down at the locket as I opened it and looked at Caitlynn's picture and felt the pain in my heart as I closed it and began the metamorphosis.
"Are you still on the coast?" November asked.
"Yes...I'm actually back at mother's place right now."
"What?" she comments "Are you okay?!" her voice sounding panicky.
"I'm okay...I've just learned more about magic then I ever wish to know!" I chuckle "Hey Ember, what is your definition of the word 'paradox?'"
"Well, it can be described as an absurd statement that has no face value until investigated, is found to be true."
"No-no-no! I mean, a time paradox." I clarify.
"That's harder to explain...you are getting into the realm of time travel. Some believe time is in a causal loop. If one time-travels to a future caused by something in the past; that past and future would become their present. Some paradoxes are an endless cycle, and others are like a bubble in time, stretched too thin. Consistency paradoxes occur whenever changing the past is possible...because it has already happened before." I was always impressed with her knowledge "Why do ask? This subject is typically far off the scope for a model!"
"Mom...I mean, Aradia...was saying that this all is some type of paradox that Caitlynn and I had created."
"She might have a point." November chippers up as she asks "You know, I still have not met you in your true form...send me a pic!" as she giggles.
"Thanks a lot, sweetie!" I groan, feeling my body change.
"Just do not overdo it, Lynn!" she tells me.
"I know, I know!" I say, listening to mother hen "I have already cut back on mom's original schedule, so I'll only have two jobs as Caitlynn for this whole week, but I think I will start dedicating more time being my feminine self..." I strip off my clothes as they will not do and allow the metamorphosis to finalize. Certainly, taking its sweet time!
"Since I get to cherry-pick my favorite jobs now, I'm mermaiding at the Festival of Colors...maybe I will be able to learn more about who Blake is and how to find him."
"That's cool! I wish I was there!" November cheers, glad to hear that I was happy.
"Well, it would be better if I wasn't attending as a woman..." I remarked "...my dad wants to see me perform!"
"What are you going to do about it!?" she wonders.
"Nothing much I can do about it." I replied.
"So, you're going to be one of those women posing in a mermaid's tail? Taking pictures with kids and such..."
"Yep, that'll be me alright...scale, tail and all!"
"I bet that will be a sight to behold!" she laughed.
"I will be sure to get you a pic!" I laughed.
"Are you nervous about changing back into a girl? I mean, changing into Carolynn." she rambled on.
"Nah..." as I was trusting mom to her word "...I'll be fine now that I no longer have to deal with Caitlynn's personality swings! No more blindly going out with men for me anymore!" as I giggled "Although, I am still deciding about that whole eating meat thing!"
"True, although if you think some guy looks hot at any point, take that as your cue to pull the eject cord!" November states as I like her idea.
"I can handle myself. Unlike Caitlynn, I've got self-control and morals."
"Hopefully you're right. Well, I'll let you get back to work."
"I'm looking forward to..." as my voice shifted to Carolynn's "...our date!"
"Me too, Lynn. Me too."
"I'll talk to you later, sweetie. Byeee!" I hang up and look at myself in the mirror, smiling as I twirled my long blonde and brown hair in ringlets.
'Not bad! I guess I could get used to this! At least I am beautiful. Out of all the months I've modeled as a woman, this might be the first time I've ever actually looked forward to a job! Getting paid to lay in the sun, bathing in saltwater, and showing off my pretty scales! Yes! Sign me up!'
I walked back as I cleared my throat to attract mom's attention as she turned and looked at me. She gasps as she covered her mouth, looking at my almost blonde hair, bright silver eyes and brightest complexion to my skin. I look like her beloved daughter...though I had my father's light-brown hair, and my mother's silver eyes.
"Oh my!"
"That bad, huh?" I asked, though kidding. She comes over and embraces me as she looks at me, checking me over.
"You are nearly identical to your sister!" as she touches my soft face and smiles "You are so beautiful, my love! Do you feel comfortable like this? Are there any regrets? If you do not want to do this, you do not need to push yourself!" I answered by shaking my head, feeling quite 'normal'.
"I told Ember that I plan to spend as much of my waking and sleeping hours in this form...it feels just...right. Like waking from a long sleep!" Mother smiles as she brings me in for a hug.
"I am so glad to hear that you are happy." She then grabs her purse and walks back over to me, holding out her hand, smiling "Ready to go, Carolynn, my love?"
"Yes mom!" as I took her hand and we both headed for the door. "Are we going to travel by car?" I asked as mother shook her head.
"There is no need for that, now! You are a sea faery now! It is time that I begin teaching you everything that I know, including teleportation magic." The air around us opened and swallowed us as I was engulfed in a flowing blue energy as we seemingly stepped out into the woods. "I use certain areas to teleport...humans do not take kindly to seeing magic...it intimidates them!"
"I bet!" as I felt queasy inside.
"It will past!" closing the portal behind us.
"I will be able to do that!?" I asked, stunned as mother just nodded, grinning.
"Yes, and very soon!" she answered, gently touching my chest "You have a natural gift of casting magic. We only have to awaken it!"
~~~
With the festival underway, mom introduces me to the casting director as I was taken to a small room to change into a mermaid's attire as I returned to see that mom was gone...gone to enjoy the festival.
I have taken hundreds of pictures with kids and adults of all ages...comments on my stunningly beautiful and my realistic portrayal as a mermaid has me thinking...
'I have been doing this for all of my life!' I giggled, flopping my tail with glee 'I am a sea faery after all!' I then felt a prickly sensation wash all over me as a young man came strolling up for a picture.
"Hey there darling, do you come with the scales and tail and all!?" as he was hitting on me! I was appalled by his gross demeanor; though I still laughed as I curled my tail in a playful, natural pose.
"Afraid not." I said bitterly "Enjoy the festival sir."
I swear to God, if one more pervert says that joke to me one more time, I am going to claw out their eyes out with these manicured nails! Obnoxious show-goers aside: this was a nice gig. I love making little girls' dreams come true, dreams that they will carry into adulthood and pass down to their own children! Even a few brave boys became adventurous!
A new photographer comes in to relieve the other photographer as I studied him. Something about him seems...attractive to me. His dark ebony brown hair, his deep ocean blue eyes with a silver aura around the iris. His toned muscular body.
~~~
"Thank you for coming in at the last minute, Mr. Morrigan!" the director says to the young photographer who was checking the battery to his oxygen machine.
"It's no problem, I am glad to help! Thank you for giving me the opportunity!" he says, softly.
"Darn regulations have made finding a photographer, hell in phase 3!"
"I bet! So, what do you need me to do?" Mr. Morrigan asked as he followed the director to the mermaid modeling tent. He then glances over at a beautiful mermaid posing in a kiddy-pool, her large silver eyes meeting his own deep blue eyes. Her long ombre hair framed her enchanting heart-shaped face.
He looked at the beautiful maiden, his ashen face turning pale as if he had seen a ghost. The stunned look on her face was equal to his own shock and amazement.
"Come, I will introduce you to the model. We were hoping to have her sister Caitlynn attend, but we are equally blessed to have her sister, Carolynn, modeling for us today!" The director smiles as she introduces the young man to the mermaiding model. "Ms. Acacia, this is our local photographer in town, Mr. Morrigan."
"Nice to meet you!" the young maiden softly utters, shy.
"It..." He was stunned as he had met this girl once before "...is nice to meet you, Carolynn!"
"Well, I'll let you two get situated." The director walks off as the photographer and I Carolynn looked at one another -- both bonded by the soul fragments inside of them.