WHEN THE SEA CALLS
Chapter 27: Time to check the seashell

Chapter 27: Time to check the seashell

Louie and Rhea were eager to go back and listen to the rest of Leslie’s mermaid story. Rhea was more eager; she kept staring at the clock. When the final bell rang, she jumped up happily.

"Louie, are you ready?" She asked, packing her books into her bag.

Louie stood up and began to pack his books too. "Yes, I am. I can’t wait."

"Me too. I have been curious to know if they lost the battle."

Louie smiled. "We will find out soon. Are you not going to tell Celia you are not leaving with her? She would be waiting for you."

"I will just send her a..."

"Your sister and her friend are here," Louie whispered, pointing at the door.

Rhea looked in the direction Louie was pointing at. By the door was Road and Celia who seemed busy with her phone.

"Hi, Rhea. Hi, Louie," Rosa waved, walking closer to them.

"Hi, Rosa. What is Celia doing on her phone?"

"I don’t know," Rosa shrugged. "Celia? What are you doing?"

"Speaking to my dad," Celia answered, walking towards them too. "Rhea, Dad is not coming home tonight."

"Work again?"

Celia nodded. "Yes. But he promised to be back early tomorrow before we go to school."

"It’s fine. Celia, can you go home with Rosa. Louie wants me to help him out with something."

Louie stared at Rhea who smiled slightly. She wasn’t going to let Celia know she was going to listen to a story.

"Really?" Celia asked.

Rhea poked Louie slightly and he nodded. "Yes... Yes..."

"That is not a problem. I will leave with Rosa, but you can’t be back late."

"I won’t. See you when I get back, Celia. Bye"

"Bye, Rhea. Bye, Louie," Celia waved.

"Bye Celia. Bye Rosa," Louie answered, waving.

"Bye Louie. Bye, Rhea," Rosa replied.

Rhea waved. "Bye."

Celia and Rosa left the class leaving just Rhea and Louie. Rhea placed the last book into her bag and smiled.

"Done. We can leave now."

Louie nodded. "I am done too."

They left the class and went to the school clinic. Leslie was packing up already.

"You both are here. I thought you weren’t coming."

"We promised to be here," Rhea answered.

"We can leave and come back tomorrow if..."

Leslie smiled. "That will not be necessary. Come sit."

She dropped her bag on the table and sat down on her seat. Rhea and Louie sat on the seats opposite hers.

"Where did I stop?"

"The incomplete prophecy," Louie answered.

"They missed the part that would change everything," Rhea added and Leslie smiled.

"It’s good to know you both were attentive," she said and they smiled. "After the prophecy was said," she continued the story. "The mermaids waited impatiently for the fulfillment of it. The war continued with the mermaids losing every day. The mermaids lost all hope, and they thought that was the end. The prophecy was finally fulfilled and two daughters were born. One to a slave and the other to the royal house and that was the last day of the war."

Rhea took a deep breath. Finally!

She had been thinking of how much the mermaids suffered and she felt pity for them.

"The bearer of life was called Aqua," Leslie continued. "She was born with a star inscribed on her shoulder and the bearer of death was called Hel. She had a skull inscribed on her shoulder. The birth of Aqua placed a seal upon the Blue Sea, preventing the mermen from gaining access. The war ended with so many people dead, including Queen Oceana."

Rhea furrowed her brows. "She died?"

"Yes, she did."

"That is so sad," Rhea mumbled. "She worked so hard. Did she know why her friend betrayed her?"

"I was about to ask that," Louie said. "Did she die without knowing why her best friend betrayed her?"

"Did her best friend die too? What happened to the rest of the family? I mean the lady royals," Rhea asked.

"Well," Leslie continued. "That would be a story for another day. If you are curious to know more about that, you will come back another day for that."

Rhea whined. "And I would love to know their backstory."

"Me too," Louie answered.

Leslie smiled. "It’s a long story. I can’t say much about that now. Let’s continue. I do not want you to get home late... Imani, her daughter, became the new Queen, and she ruled for two centuries. A few years later, the bearer of death, Hel killed Aqua due to jealousy, and the seal was broken. The mermaids became scared that the mermen would attack if they found out and they tried to hide it. That did not last for a long time. Another war broke out. This time, the mermaids lost the battle. A lot of people died, and the once blue sea was filled with the blood of its people."

"That is so sad," Rhea mumbled. "Did they try to find out what the last part of the prophecy was?"

Leslie nodded. "Yes, they did. When the war broke out, they began to seek after the last part of the prophecy. Maybe that would help them overcome."

"Did it?" Louie asked.

Leslie shook her head. "No, it did not. The last part was a warning which would have prevented the war."

Louie furrowed his brows. "What is the last part?"

"The bearer of life will bring life and the bearer of death will bring death. Hel will be the end of Aqua."

Rhea blinked. Hel was supposed to kill Aqua?

"A few mermaids were able to escape, leaving Queen Imani," Leslie continued. "Among them were her friend Leslie and her maid Serena..."

"Leslie? That is your name," Rhea said.

Leslie smiled. "After the escape of a few mermaids, Queen Imani placed a seal, preventing anyone from coming in. She dropped the exploding seashell and she died with the mermen. The mermen went into extinction and those mermaids who escaped scattered abroad and hid their powers, never to be mentioned or used."

"This is an awesome story," Louie said. "Though a sad one."

Rhea nodded. "It’s awesome. Too bad they do not exist and it is just..."

She paused. Could they really exist? Aquamarine had asked her if she believed in mermaids. She called her Aqua on her birthday. Rhea blinked. Could she have a relationship with the sea? Is she a mermaid?

She had a lot going on in her mind. Louie nudged her slightly. "Are you okay?"

"I... I am. I just have a lot going on in my mind. Leslie, can I ask you a question?"

Leslie nodded. "Yes, please."

"After the mermaids scattered abroad..." She sighed. She doesn’t know how to put the question.

"You don’t know what to say?" Leslie asked and Rhea nodded.

She wasn’t sure if asking Leslie was a good idea. She isn’t sure about who Aquamarine is and if she has a relationship with the sea.

She sighed. "Do you think the mermaids would ever have a chance to live in the blue sea again?"

Leslie nodded. "Yes. The sea might have been desolated now but it is waiting patiently for the birth of the new bearer of life... Aqua."

"Does that mean they once existed and they could still be?" Louie asked.

Leslie shrugged. "I can’t say."

Silence invaded the room with everyone lost in their separate thoughts.

Louie spoke up first. "Thank you, Leslie. This was an interesting story."

"I am happy you loved it." Leslie looked at the wall clock. "It’s getting late."

Rhea stood up. "Thank you, Leslie."

"Bye, Rhea. Bye, Louie," Leslie waved at them.

They left the clinic and headed to the parking lot.

"Are you okay?" Louie asked. "You’ve been lost in thought since we left the clinic."

Rhea stopped walking. "Do you think mermaids exist?"

Louie shrugged. "I don’t think so. Leslie did not say that."

"But the story sounded so real."

"I know. I almost believed that they did."

Rhea sighed. Leslie’s story has made her believe that mermaids could exist. It makes her eager to go home and open the seashell; maybe that would tell her all she needs to know.

"Get into the car. I will drop you off at home," Louie said.

"Thank you, Louie."

They entered the car and the driver drove them to Rhea’s home. On their way, they kept talking about the mermaids’ story Leslie told them and what they thought about that.

The car stopped in front of Rhea’s apartment and she came down.

"Bye, Louie. Thanks for dropping me home."

Louie waved. "Bye, Rhea. See you in school tomorrow."

The driver left and Rhea walked into the house.

"You are finally home," Celia said. "Did you know who our new neighbors are?"

Rhea furrowed her brows. "Who?"

"Your classmates. What do you call them?"

"My classmates? Which of..." She groaned. She had forgotten about Alan and Reece. "How did you know? Did you see them? I mean, did they see you?"

Celia folded her arms. "You knew about it?"

"I did. I..."

"And you did not tell me?"

"Because I did not want you acting like this."

Celia scoffed. "That doesn’t justify anything."

"Fine, I am sorry."

"Whatever," Celia mumbled, walking away.

"But I said I am sorry,"

Celia ignored her and returned to her room. Rhea returned to her room too. She brought out the seashell Aquamarine gave her and placed it on the table.

She took a deep breath as she opened the shell slowly.

It is time to check what secret the seashell holds!