Thoughts that bind and keep one prisoner are the most fierce some of any beast or monster. Or at least, that's what she thinks as she floats in this endless abyss that sits between dream and reality.
She is a slave to her mind, and escape is futile no matter what she does.
"Serena, my dear," her mother coos as her outstretched arms wait patiently for her to enter them.
She doesn't even question her mother's appearance. Not even when her light blonde hair mysteriously floats about her like a flowing halo. Nor when her blue eyes are completely obscured by a radiant white light. A light that beckons to her in the never ending darkness.
Reflexively, like she would as a child, she calls out, "Mom, why did you leave me behind?" Her voice is small like that of a frightened child. When she glances at her hands, she finds that they are small and so are her feet. Has she become a child again?
Her mother intercepts her thoughts as she takes a step forward. Her white dress billows as carelessly as her hair amidst the darkness.
Then, she says soothingly, "You know I would never leave you." And she smiles even brighter. "Come. I shall protect you from all the bad things in this world."
And any thought as to why she's a child leaves her mind as she eagerly runs into the arms of her mother. She squeezes her eyes tightly shut as she basks in...what should've been her warmth, but she feels nothing. Yet it never occurs to her as to why that is.
"Serena?"
She opens her eyes to look up at her mother and suddenly she's not a child anymore. "Yes, mom?"
Her mother's sweet voice abruptly becomes deeper with a strict undertone as she asks, "Why did you disobey me?"
However, Serena isn't quite certain as to what she means by that. "Huh?"
"Your father and I have told you many times to stay away from the sea. So why did you disobey us?" And all at once her tone becomes accusing as she continues, "If you had listened I would still be here and so would your father. You and your brothers would be safe at home where this world is only myth."
Guilt grips at her chest as a dull pain begins to settle within her heart.
Tears begin to stream from her eyes. "I am sorry, mom! I did not mean to! I didn't want you to die! I didn't want any of this to happen!"
Her mother's appearance quickly morphs into something twisted. Something horrifyingly familiar that plagues her waking thoughts, and immediately she backs away from her.
That black-hearted siren, Aquanetta, looks upon her with a mocking look of pity. "Poor child. How unfortunate that your family has experienced such pain on account of your actions," says the beastial creature in such a sickeningly sweet tone. "But worry not, for Lord Proteus wants you. He needs you in fact, and he will give you everything you desire..." She trails off as her words quickly shift to something of a monstrous cackle that resonates within her ears that have turned into fins.
Her legs have become a tail just as a giant merman shrouded in darkness appears behind Aquanetta. Glowing red lights take the place of his eyes and mouth as his mouth opens into a grin.
"This one will do very nicely," he says with a sinister chuckles as he reaches out a hand for her. She quickly realizes that she's paralyzed and desperately begs her body to move, but to no avail.
And as if fate wished to play a cruel joke she's able to move her tail, but just as suddenly her world turns black as Proteus closes his fist around her with her last response being a horrified scream...
-
A voice calls her back from her uneasy sleep. "My Lady!" Blue eyes snap open and dart about the room wildly as the remainders of her scream catches in her throat. The first thing her gaze is able to settle on is the concerned face of Aaralyn as she takes notices of the din lighting of her room. Evidently it is still quite dark out, and she quickly comes to the conclusion that it is only the middle of the night.
Her voice is weak as she maintains a vice grip on her sheets. "Aaralyn...?"
Aaralyn looks fit to burst into tears as she breathes an unsteady sigh of relief. "I am most glad that you seem to be unharmed. I heard your screaming and feared that you were being attacked."
Serena shakes her head as she tries to calm her rapidly beating heart and still the quivering of her tightly fisted hands.
"You seemed to have woken most of the inhabitants in this wing, which includes-"
The doors swing open and ran heavily into the walls with an ear-shattering bang. Princess Arcelia comes rushing in with unconcealed worry on her face as she comes to Serena's bedside.
She then asks quite frantically, "I heard you screaming! Are you alright?!"
Serena releases a shaky sigh as she nods. "Yes. It was just a nightmare. Nothing that calls for all this fuss."
However, Aaralyn disagrees as she rapidly shakes her head whilst Princess Arcelia grasps hold of Serena's hands.
Aaralyn quickly says, "You have not seemed well since I saw you this morning! You were worryingly pale upon your return and behaved most strangely."
"Truly, I am fine. You need not work yourselves up!" Serena protests with a growing twinge of annoyance building within.
"Nonsense!" Cries the Princess as she continues, "Aaralyn, I wish for you to summon the healer come morning."
"But-"
"No, ifs', ands', or buts' about it! I can tell that something plagues you, and we will see it remedied as quickly as possible!"
Serena releases a sigh as she gives up any further protests. She is keenly aware of Princess Arcelia's stubbornness and anymore discussion on the matter is going to prove fruitless. In which case, the only choice she has is to allow the princess to do as she pleases.
With everything said and done, Princess Arcelia leaves the room once she's satisfied that her wishes will be met.
And as if to replace her, Rodion enters after five minutes of hovering about the doors.
"Lord Rodion, I was not aware of your presence there," Aaralyn says with a quick bow as Rodion awkwardly rubs his neck; still not quite used to being referred to in such a way or treated in this particular manner. After all the only positive attention he got was of those starry-eyed girls on land while the rest of the time it was the occasional bad attitude from whatever cop he happened to get tangled with.
Rodion simply shakes his head as he replies, "Don't worry about it. Do you mind if I talk to my sister alone, please?"
Aaralyn smiles with a nod of her head, bows, and leaves the room. Though on her way out she quickly comes to a sudden halt as she turns towards the left corridor.
Her eyes widen as she takes in the appearance of Prince Oceanus, who currently wears a displeased expression. Most likely from the sudden awakening he experienced fifteen minutes prior to his coming to the source.
"Your Hi-"
"Silence," he orders quickly after interrupting Aaralyn mid-exclamation. She bows once more and remains that way in silence, waiting for the prince to say something. "What has happened?" He asks quietly as he crosses his arms over his chest with a blank expression on his face.
"Forgive me, my Prince! Lady Serena woke from a nightmare." Her brows furrow as thoughts of her charge's earlier behavior comes to mind. "She has been acting strangely since she and Lord Rodion returned yesterday evening."
Prince Oceanus's expression never changes even when he says, "I see, and what has she said of it?"
Aaralyn sighs a little tiredly. "She insisted that nothing was wrong and continues to do so. However, Princess Arcelia wishes for the healer to check her in the morning."
"Then my sister has the right of it. I have no further use for you," he says dismissively before adding, "You are dismissed."
Aaralyn bows a little deeper with a hand over her heart. "Of course, my Prince." And with that, she swims off down the hall and disappears out of sight while Prince Oceanus lingers about the door for a little while long. Inside he can hear a quiet argument between the siblings.
"Rodion, I said I was fine! Why must you continue to push the issue?!" Serena growls as her displeasure begins to surface.
"Because you are not fine! Why do you insist on holding everything in and hiding behind so many damn faces!"
"I am not! Why does it matter anyway?! It was only a stupid dream! I see no reason for you to get so worked up over it!"
For a brief moment the thought of leaving the two siblings to their argument does play across the prince's mind, but he thinks better of it. He actually had yet to see an argument between the two, but their differing personalities has made it painfully clear to him that were an argument to ensue, it'd be in everyone's best interests to stop it immediately.
Rodion's voice begins to grow louder. "But there is a reason! I have no idea what is going to happen down here, and I am unable to stop it! Magic, curses, and all this shit should not exist!" He takes a breath before continuing, "I should not be talking like this! Do you hear yourself when you talk?! The longer we remain, the more we begin to talk like them and the more danger we are in!"
"And what do you suppose we do, hm? Do you have a magic potion that can miraculously give us back our legs and return our family to us!? Do you?! This is reality! There is a crazy merman out to drain the life out of our bodies, our brothers are missing, God knows where dad could be right now, and you want to sit here and discuss my state of mind?!"
"You are all I have right now, as I am all you have. It is just me that is left to protect you, and it is killing me inside to know that I cannot even do that!"
Silence ensues as Prince Oceanus suddenly becomes aware of another's gaze. He glances down the hall just in time to see a shadowed figure dart off down another corridor. His first thought is that it's just Prince Alankar, nosing around for Serena again, but it wouldn't make sense considering that Prince Alankar's room is in another hallway, and even then, Serena's scream wasn't loud enough to reach his room.
"Please just leave. I am tired, and I do not want to talk about this anymore," comes Serena's tired response as Prince Oceanus listens to the quiet sigh that escapes from her, followed by the sound of Rodion's fin kicking up the water to leave the room. He keeps to the shadows as Rodion heads in the opposite direction of where he is to return to his own room with frustration etched into his face.
Not even a few minutes after he leaves does Serena suddenly emerge from the room. There's a blank look about her expression, but her eyes depict a restlessness that tells of some sort of fear or concern.
Abruptly she addresses him; already quite aware of his presence there. "How long do you intend to stand there?"
Seeing no point in remaining in the shadow of the pillar, he proceeds to come forth. "I thought you were going to bed?" He comments offhandedly as she turns to look at him. It is in this moment that any further arrogant comments or questions disappear from the tip of his tongue. Her eyes ensnare his own as he takes notice of something he's never paid much attention to. Within those depths of deepest blue he sees a pain. A pain that she tries to hide by turning her gaze away in fear of him seeing right through her. Something that's always unnerved her since she hates displaying any kind of transparency within herself.
Quickly does she remember his comment and responds with, "That was an excuse to get my brother to leave. He can be quite thick-headed at times." She briefly pauses as she listens to the empty hallways and stares into the darkness. "I will not be sleeping any time soon after that..." She trails off and her sentence immediately dies.
Looking upon her as he does causes him to become aware of a strange feeling emanating from his chest. A tightening of the heart with some displeasure that causes him no end of confusion. In any event, he's quite certain that these's strange feelings originate from her presence and they'll only cause him trouble. And yet...
"Well, you have woken me from my slumber. The least you can do is indulge me, and explain the reason for your wretched wailing." With that said, he swims off and it takes her a moment to dwell on the meaning of his words, but she dismisses the thought just as quickly. She quickly flicks her tail and rushes to catch up to him as he disappears into the darkness of the corridor.
-
Sorry. This is a week late. I got stuck in the middle of this chapter, because I was at a bit of a loss as to where to go with it. I also had a tuition situation on top of a class schedule situation that's still trying to sort itself out. The tuition's all good now, but the last class I need is full so now I have to wait on an open seat notification. In the meantime, I signed this story up for the watty's. I'm not quite certain about the odds, but I thought it would be good to try it again this year. Another thing I'll be mentioning is that I have begun to transfer stories to inkitt, because I thought it'd be interesting to post things there too. It's something I had been considering for a while, but first I need to finish the cover of this story before I can finally publish it over there. And that's pretty much all I have to say. At the moment I'm deliberating on how to wrap this story up, because I started to wonder if the plot was clear enough. There's the beginning (exposition), the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the end (resolution). I'm hoping you all think it's pretty clear, but when I finish the book I will be going through it again to see if I need to rewrite any chapters and split any. So that's the plan for the next few months. The goal is to get this done this summer, and release the next part in mid or late January of next year. I do have a couple of other books I intend to release in the meantime, but that's an explanation for another time. So please be sure to vote, comment, and follow. Until next week or the week after (really whenever I'm able to cough up the next chapter)!