WHEN THE SEA CALLS
Chapter 31: A Visit to the House of Seashells

Chapter 31: A Visit to the House of Seashells

Rhea opened the refrigerator quickly and brought out a bottle. To her surprise, it was filled with water.

Rhea was surprised. What is going on with her?

She moved to the tap and opened it. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw water gushing out. She became confused.

Could something be wrong with her sight or the faulty tap and empty bottles were nothing but her imagination?

Rhea was certain there was nothing wrong with her sight; she had her glasses on. She wasn’t having weird imaginations either. Everything she saw happened just like she saw them.

She needs to visit the House of Seashells as soon as possible. She thought.

Maybe she will get the answers she desires. She can also ask Aquamarine what the woman in pink meant by saving her people.

Celia tapped the table slightly, trying to get Rhea’s attention. She had been watching Rhea for a while now and she seemed lost in thought. She tapped the table for the second time and Rhea looked at her.

"Are you okay?" Celia asked.

"I am fine," Rhea answered, brushing her hair slightly.

"Are you sure? You looked con...."

"Celia, can I step out quickly?" Rhea asked, cutting Celia short.

"Why do you need to step out? Where are you going? Dad asks us to stay indoors until he returns."

"I know," Rhea answered. "But... But I... I..." She groaned.

Where would she tell Celia she is going to? She can’t tell her she is going to the sea.

"Celia, please," she pleaded.

Celia sighed. "Is it important that you go?"

Rhea nodded quickly. "It is very important that I go, Celia. I can’t tell you the details now. But I promise I will when I finally get the answer I desire."

Celia smiled. "If it’s very important... You can go. But don’t be out for too long."

"I won’t be."

"If Dad returns before you are back, I will cover up for you. You can’t come in through the front door. I will tell Dad you are sleeping."

Rhea pulled Celia into a hug. "Thank you, Celia."

"Go... Before I change my mind."

Rhea smiled. "I know you won’t."

"I will keep your food in your room."

"Thank you, Celia. I love you," Rhea answered as she ran out of the kitchen and out of the house.

She found her way to the House of Seashells and as usual, it was filled with seashells. Rhea walked down the path, picking up a few beautiful ones. There are smaller ones now, Rhea thought about using them as hair clips.

After picking a few ones for herself, Rhea decided to pick some for Celia too.

She would love it.

She was done picking in a few minutes. She sat down on the bench waiting for Aquamarine.

What if she doesn’t show up? Rhea thought.

She had no specific way of getting Aquamarine to meet her. She just appears when she feels her presence.

Maybe she needs to talk to Aquamarine about that. She thought.

There should be a way to make her come to her earlier in case of an emergency.

Rhea stared at her wristwatch. She has been seated for ten minutes.

If Aquamarine doesn’t show up, would she need to return home without an answer?

She stood up and began to pace around. She knew she needed to be out of here in a few minutes. She stared at the sky; she could see the pink cloud clearly now. It became dim again and then disappeared.

Why does the pink cloud keep appearing and disappearing? Rhea wondered. Was it a sign?

"Look who we have here," Rhea heard and she turned quickly.

"Aquamarine," she mumbled.

"And who is Aquamarine?" She heard a male voice.

Rhea was shocked. The voice sounded so much like Reece’s.

Why did she not notice it was a male talking in the first place?

"Re... Reece?" She stuttered slightly. "What are you doing here?"

Reece folded his arms. "I should be asking you that. What are you doing here? Don’t you know you are trespassing?"

Rhea scoffed slightly. This place belongs to her. She named it House of Seashells. She has been coming here for the past few months.

Why would Reece, who just came to the neighborhood, accuse her of trespassing?

"I am here to pick up seashells," she answered. "Do you have a problem with that? I can’t remember this place belonging to anyone. Why would you accuse me of trespassing?"

Reece furrowed his brows. Isn’t this the same girl who gets bullied at school? Why is she speaking to him like that and with so much courage?

"Well," Reece began. "This place belongs to us. We bought it."

Rhea blinked. "That... That is not possible."

Why would they be interested in buying the land close to the sea? An abandoned land for that matter.

"You... You are joking right?" Rhea asked.

"Does it look like I’ve got time to joke with you? I do not want to see you here anymore. Or I will arrest you for trespassing."

Rhea blinked. Who is Reece? How could he buy a place like this?

"I will advise you to get more seashells if you want. Because you won’t be getting them anymore."

Rhea looked around, remembering the moments she had in the place.

Is Reece serious about the land belonging to them? How would she meet with Aquamarine now?

"I..."

Someone threw a stone in their direction and that made them turn. It was a young boy about their age standing. Rhea stared at the handsome young boy in front of them.

He was dressed in black trousers and a blue shirt. With his black hair packed in a man’s bun.

Just seeing how he dressed, Rhea knew he wasn’t Alan. Alan dresses in black and he has red hair with blue tips.

Is this a friend of Reece’s? Rhea wondered. How did he become friends with such a normal boy when he has always acted so strange?

Alan?" Reece blurted out before he could stop himself.

"A... Alan?" Rhea blinked.

He can’t be Alan, right?

Reece knew he shouldn’t have called Alan’s name since Rhea didn’t know what he looked like without his mask or colored hair.

"Alan is in the house. Did you not see him?" Reece said.

Rhea took a deep breath. She almost mistook the young boy for Alan.

Alan shook his head slightly, saying nothing. He only waved at Reece who waved back.

He wasn’t sure what was going on between the two of them, but he could tell Rhea didn’t know he was the one. She had been looking at him with dreaming eyes; a thing she would not have done if she knew who he was.

He wasn’t going to let her suspect a thing either so he turned around and left. Reece took a deep breath.

Thank goodness Rhea doesn’t suspect a thing.

He turned around to face Rhea, who would not stop staring at the young boy, who was now fully out of sight.

He flicked his finger across her face and she blinked quickly.

"Do you like him?" He asked.

"W... Who?" Rhea stuttered.

"The boy who just left. I saw the way you looked at him."

"What... What are you talking about?"

Reece shrugged. "I do not expect you to accept it."

"And I do not expect you to talk this much with me. I thought you disliked me?" Rhea answered.

She has been wondering why Reece, who tries to avoid her, has been speaking to her for a long time.

"Am I supposed to like you?"

"I do not care if you don’t," Rhea mumbled.

Reece furrowed his brows. "Are you talking to me?"

"I wasn’t."

Reece sighed. He likes Rhea in front of him better than the one in school who is the subject of being bullied.

"I can’t believe I am speaking to you," he mumbled. "I am leaving. And as I said before, I don’t want to see you here anymore."

"I don’t want to see you here anymore," Rhea mimicked Reece, making funny faces.

She stopped when Reece stared at her.

"I am not supposed to tell you this. But you see..." He pointed at the pink cloud in the sky.

Rhea was surprised the pink cloud was back again. This time it was dark pink.

"And what about the cloud?" Rhea asked, folding her arms.

"It’s going to rain heavily. If it does, you might..."

Rhea’s phone began to ring. It was Celia calling.

"Hello, Celia."

"Where are you, Rhea? You should head back home soon. It has just been said in the news that there is going to be heavy rain. Maybe acidic."

Rhea blinked. Is this what Reece was trying to tell her?

"Is Dad back?" She asked.

"Yes, he thinks you are sleeping though."

"I am on my way home," Rhea answered.

"The rain starts in thirty minutes."

Rhea ended the call and sighed. She might have to come back for Aquamarine another day.

"Can I visit this place once more?" She asked Reece.

"Why should I permit you to do that?"

"I lost my necklace," she lied. "That is the only thing my mother left for me."

Reece sighed. "Fine. You can. Maybe when the rain stops in three days."

"What? Three days?"

Reece furrowed his brows. "You don’t know?"

"I do not," she replied.

How is she supposed to know that?