You have to tell her. Carina paced in her room, those words echoing in her mind over and over. She didn't want to tell her, though. .
She was in a room claimed hers, which was inside an old abandoned ship. Creatures lurked just past the ship in a garden of under water plants, amongst other things. Carina didn't mind that, though. Only past the ship was where they were, really, and the mostly kept to themselves.
She looked at herself in the cracked mirror of the ship, fiddling with her hair.. She remembered how angry her mom had got when she cut it.. She wasn't allowed to do it again.
She deserves to know. Carina frowned at herself and turned away. She turned towards the pride flag in the ship and felt a sense of pride, mixed with sadness.. Carter, her ex boyfriend, had gotten her the flag when she broke up with him and told him. It was a brave act, since her tribe forbade using human legs or walking and talking to humans. He had gotten caught, but he hid the flag and claimed he wanted to see the village. They let him off easy, saying that teenage boys would be curious about human girls.
Carina touched the material gently, then she clenched it in her fist. She had to tell her.
She looked back towards where her tribe was, let go of the fabric, and swam towards it quickly.
---
Carina swam up, and spotted her mother, Fatima. She swam up to her, tapping her shoulder. Fatima turned and smiled. "Carina! Hon, where've you been? I've been waiting for you to help me." Her mom was sorting through necklaces. "It's for Emily and Dan, for their wedding! Ugh, they're so cute."
Carina nodded. "Yeah, it looks nice.. Uhm- Mom- I have to tell you something." Carina's gut twisted nervously.
Fatima continued sorting. "Hm?" She barely even looked at Carina, distracted, hardly listening. Carina let that slide.
Carina twisted her hair with her finger, looking at the floor. "Well you see-" She stuttered and fumbled on her words, face turning a delicate shade of pink.
"Spit it out, Carina," Her mom snapped, rolling her eyes. "Don't stutter. It makes you look stupid." Carina's blush deepened. She took and deep breath and-
"Mom Im..I'm Lesbian."
Her mom froze, her hands dropping the necklace in her hand. Sea shells scattered on the table's surface. Her mom looked at her and then threw her head back in laughter. Carina felt awful, her stomach plummeting.
At last, when her mom composed herself, she said-"Don't play games like that, hon! Very funny."
"Im being serious," Carina mumbled, looking at her mother with a deep sadness in her eyes.
Her mom turned to look at Carina, then frowned. "Carina- really?" Her head tilted.
Carina nodded her head. "Im- I'm Lesbian, mom. I like girls." She tried for a smile, rubbing her arm.
"Don't be ridiculous! You're-You're not gay. You like boys! You just haven't met the right man yet."
Her mom's words felt like a slap in the face. "Wh-Mom..No. I like girls-"
"Thats stupid," Her mom spat, looking furious. "Its- Its a phase. Its not real. Its not right! Its DISGUSTING."
"Mom, please-"
"I don't accept it. I don't. Carina Clementine, I don't accept you."
A crowd had heard the conversation, mumbling and muttering to one another.
Homosexuality as banned in their tribe.. It wasn't right to them.
"I can't change the way I feel-"
"You weren't like this when you were younger!" Carina's mom complained loudly.
Carina felt the words pile up, and then she spat them out viciously.
"I'm not the same person I was when I was 6! I didn't realize it until a year ago, because I've been taught, 'Being gay is bad.'girls like pink, boys get blue.' 'The gender you're born with is the same one you grow up to be.' No one told me it was okay!"
"Because its not."
Carina ignored her comment, and continued;
"Do you know how much I've hated myself? Don't you think I wish I could change? I cant choose what I feel!" Hot, frustrating tears had formed, but they did not fall. "I wish I was straight. But I'm not. And I'm trying to come to terms with it, I just need you to support me.."
Carina stared at her mother, who turned away, her fists clenched, a deep frown on her face. No one said anything. Carina held her breath.
Fatima finally spoke.
"No."
"What?"
"I said no. " Her mom turned to look at her, mutinous."I am not going to take a daughter like.. like that."
"Mom, please-"
"I SAID NO!" Carina flinched at her moms burst of anger. "I will not accept you. I will not say its okay, because really, it isn't. If you say you can't change the way you feel, then go."
Carina stared in shock, stung. "Mom...-!"
"Get out, Carina. I will not take a daughter like that. You know what our tribe thinks. I'm kicking you out. " The crowd mumbled in agreement, agreeing with their chief.
They were kicking her out.
-------
"We need to talk, you four." Diana walked into the room, Melanie at her side. Diana had that motherly-look. Despite not being their biological mother, everyone shrank back. Everyone had received a look of this before, whether it was for messing around, breaking a window, or snapping back at her or Melanie.
Everyone shared a look, they knew what it was for.. They were about to receive a lecture.
Again.
"Your last mission was very reckless." Diana spoke clearly. Her eyes wandered over them.
Everyone looked at their shoes, and fell into silence.
Melanie grabbed Diana's shoulder gently, and whispered into her ear, "Don't be too hard.. They're still learning."
Diana's look softened, and she sighed. "Look, guys. I know, it was only your third, but still. One of your teammates almost died!" Everyone cast a glance at Will, who still kept his gaze downcast, his face flushed pink as his hair.
"It was messy. It was a a disaster! What if you guys died? What would we have done then?" Diana frowned, eyes flaring. Melanie gazed at the wall to the left of her. Iris flinched at this, digging nails into her hands. Clint nudged her gently, and she relaxed her hands.
No one said anything. "We've been preparing you guys and 'Im sorry to lay this burden on you, when you're so young.. But the Island needs protection. " She paused. "Iris, you're the leader.. You guys need to have a better plan because-" She had a sharp intake of breath-" Melanie and I aren't always gonna be here. You need to take charge."
Iris nodded, and felt a pang once again, staying silent. She felt awful.
And then Talyn spoke and everyone looked at her. "You've always said you were preparing us for something.. But for what? We always assumed it was to protect ourselves.. But then you said it's to protect us- and the island.."
Melanie looked at Diana. Diana kept a stone look. "We don't want history to repeat itself, that's all." Everyone understood what she meant, and how it was a touchy subject for the two of them. Melanie had looked away, and shut her eyes. Diana took her hand.
They'd heard it when they were 10 years old, when Diana told them why she was never home as much. It was after effects of something long ago, monsters lurking on The Island.. and how she wanted to protect The Island.. The kids wanted to too, and after weeks of arguing, Diana and Melanie agreed. They started training them, and after years of hard work and lectures, the kids stayed true to their word, and continued to want to protect the island. Only a few months ago were they fully trusted to go on hunts as a team.
Iris sat on the couch, and Melanie squeezed her shoulder affectionately, before walking out. Diana followed her out, and left the four there, gazing at the grey carpet.
Iris felt absolutely horrible, and irresponsible, so she sat there, ashamed, eyes closed.
There was five minutes of silence, before Iris got up, and went to her room. She sat down, on her bed, and then lay down, and started to tear up. This always happened.. And she was glad she had sealed herself away in her room where no one could see her, see how sensitive she really was.. She took a few rattling breaths and kicked off her shoes, and looked at the mirror across her bed. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she closed them after a few minutes, and slipped into sleep.
----------------
Carina stared at them, horror struck, feeling like her life had ended.
"What..?" She processed what was happening. "Mom, no, please."
"You know what happens, Carina," someone from the crowd snapped. Carina turned to them, but more people were snapping at her, insults and shouts overlapping in one giant roar. Carina looked at their angry faces, their glares, shouting at her, for loving the same gender..
"Go, Carina." Her mother snapped. "And don't come back." Her eyes were filled with disgust, with hate.
Her mother turned, and Carina grabbed her arm, desperate. "Just let me stay, please!" She begged, pleading. "I'm sorry!" She didn't know exactly what she was apologizing for, but she wanted to be accepted.. She just wanted to stay.. Why did it matter that she loved women? It wasn't hurting anyone.
Her mother jerked her arm away, looking as though something filthy had touched her. She scowled. "Get. Out." When Carina hesitated, she shouted, "NOW!" and Carina flinched away from her, eyes wide.
Carina looked around at the crowd slowly, turning in a circle, some teenagers had come up, and were picking up stones.
"Guys, don't- Don't make me leave, please! This is all I have.." Her voice cracked, and she gasped as a sharp piece of glass from broken bottled buried itself into her tail. She flinched away. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
They all ignored her pleas, and Carina dodged more rocks and glass. She felt overwhelmed, ashamed, and she quickly forced her way through the crowd, them shoving her and spitting in her face, tugging at her hair, and swam past the reef, dark red blood making a trail behind her as she fled from her only home.
---------
Iris woke at midnight that night, still in her clothes, sprawled on her yellow sheets. Her face felt sticky, and she felt heavy. She rose from her bed, bones cracking and flicked on the lamp, squinting at the sudden light. "Oh, my.." She whispered. She recalled the lecture, and the emotions she felt before she had fallen asleep.. Shame, embarrassment.. Her heart sank.
She had no tears left to cry, however, and felt a desire for something sweet. She got up, and pulled on her shoes, and grabbed her black coat. She wiped her face, and walked out slowly. She could hear Will's soft snores, and Clint's heavy ones. She heard Talyn's laptop playing a movie.
She knew a small cafe that was open late, and ran out the door. The wind blew in her face as she headed towards the place, hoping to get something sweet to cheer up her crappy mood.
She ran to the village, past all the houses, and where all the little shops are. Iris smiled, and saw that the little cafe was still open, and stepped inside.
The cafe was a very cozy place, the walls a soft golden yellow, and the wall to the left was covered of pictures of people on The Island, as this cafe was a popular hangout. Small tables and booths decorated the place, and in the back, was the counter, displaying brownies, cupcakes, cakes, cake-pops and more irristable treats. A boy with dark hair, a sharp face and kind, green eyes stood behind the counter. He looked up and smiled. "Welcome, miss. What can I get for you?"
"Just a chocolate cupcake and water, please." Iris told him, taking some cash from her pocket. She drifted over to the wall covered in pictures, and saw one to the corner. Diana was sitting with Talyn, Will, Clint and herself. Talyn's face was covered in chocolate, and Clint was fighting with Will over a crossiant. Iris, sat beside Diana, laughing.
When Iris saw Diana's face, she frowned, and looked away. She knew she took things too personally, but she didn't know how to stop.
The boy took a small cupcake and handed it to her when she walked back over. "I'll give it to you for free. Looks like you've had a rough night.."
Iris looked up, head tilting. "No, no.. Thats really nice.. You seriously don't have to do that, I'll pay-" She tried to take cash out of her pocket, but the boys words stopped her.
"No, no," The boy said. "Seriously, I was about to close up anyway." He smiled. "Plus, you look like a wreck."
Iris raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I look bad?"
The boy laughed, shaking his head. "Nah. It just- you're smiling like you're on the verge of crying. And anyone who grabs a cupcake at midnight has obviously had a bad night and is trying to feel better."
Iris shook her head a little. "Hmf," was all she said, shrugging her shoulders.
The boy took off his apron covered in frosting and walked to a booth. "Come on. Let's talk. " He sat down and Iris hesitated, then realizing she'd rather not sit in her room eating cupcake all alone, crying and cursing herself for being so utterly stupid, but would love to sit at a booth with a cute boy and talk, she sat down across from him.
"I'm Icarus," he said, sticking out his hand. "Icarus Villin."
Iris shook his hand, feeling how soft they were, and withdrew. "Iris Jackson."
"That's a pretty name." He leaned his arms on the table and tilted his head to the right. "So, what's bothering you, Iris Jackson?"
And she told him. After he pried it out, she just vomited out the words in a wave. She told him about Will, Talyn, Clint, Diana, Melanie, what they did, their latest mission, what happened, how it ended in disaster, and how she felt horrible. She told him how it was all her fault, and that she knew it wasn't a big deal. .And she was just making a fuss. She spilled it all out to him, and managed to do so without crying.
After about thirty minutes of trying to explain, and after she had drained her cup and her cupcake was reduced to crumbs, she finally finished. Icarus had listened to her, not once saying his opinion, just listening as she vented.
After a few minutes he frowned, and looked at her with kind eyes. "Thats a lot. But- hey, You're still learning. I mean- you're supposed to protect the Island and it's people from horrifying evil you haven't even faced yet. Of course, there will be mistakes made, no matter how long you've been training for. And you guys still got it together and stopped the-What were they?"
"The Prinsens."
"Yeah, them. You saved a lot of lives. You're doing a very difficult job. It's okay." He smiled warmly. "Focus on what you accomplished."
Iris looked at him, and a puzzled look crossed her face.
Icarus then looked confused too. "Whats the matter?"
"Why are you helping me?" She felt confused.. Why was this stranger helping her.. Why not just give her the coffee and cupcake and move on with his life?
"It just seems you could use some help." Icarus shrugged. "Seems like you needed a friend."
"So we're friends now, are we?" Iris asked, leaning forward. She raised her eyebrows in question.
"I would think so, yes," Icarus rubbed his chin for a moment, looking deep in thought. Iris gave a small laugh and he added, "You have a pretty smile."
Iris shook her head a little, and blushed deeply. "Thanks.." She yawned, closing her eyes. "Im gonna go now, I should probably get some sleep."
"I'll walk you home." Icarus stood, and when she scoffed, he added, "What? No one with common sense ever walks The Island alone."
Iris rolled her eyes. "Excuse you. But I am perfectly capable of walking by myself!" She pointed out, standing and putting her hands on her hips.
"So? You don't have any weapons AND you're off guard because as you're walking, you'll be thinking about the exceedingly handsome gentleman you spent forty minutes talking to." He smirked.
Iris laughed. "Okay, okay. Whatever."
The two walked out of the cafe after Icarus closed it up, and together, they walked home, underneath the starry sky, and Iris felt so much better.
-----
The next day, Talyn lay on her bed, a bag of chocolate at her side and the laptop on her stomach watching a kids cartoon. On her other side, was a bag of marshmallows, ramen and a cup of water.
She was perfectly content, and on the verge of falling asleep, when Iris walked in, bags under eyes, and with a blanket.
Before Iris even had a chance to talk, Talyn said coolly, "So.. What were you doing last night? You're not very good at sneaking out, by the way."
"I was just about to tell you," Iris began, laying on the floor. Talyn sat up, paused her movie and set her laptop aside, looking at Iris attentively. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"Looks like you had an exciting night," Iris commented, gesturing to the scene.
"Oh yeah. These two characters are really gay. I can tell. They're like Will and Clint."
" Lord," Iris snorted. "Those two are sooo gay for each other. But they'll never admit it. You can cut the sexual tension with a knife."
Talyn snickered, nodding. "Okay .. So tell me- What were you doing at midnight?"
'I went to the bakery and met a cute guy, after I was sad about Diana's lecture. " She smiled, remembering his bright green eyes.
"Disgusting." Talyn ate some chocolate. "Tell me more."
And Iris did. She recalled the night, the crying, how he looked, how he listened to her babble about her own feelings, the support he gave, when he walked her home..
Talyn soaked it in, raising an eyebrow, and occasionally saying, "aw".
When she had finished, Talyn said, "That's eventful. Wow.. That's cute." She smiled, head tilting.
Iris flopped back. "He was so sweet. He texted me and said we could, ehm- 'hang out' at the meadow next week."
"Oooooooh, Iris has a daaaaateeee," Talyn sung. Iris blushed and threw a sock with foxes on it at her face. Talyn tried smacking it back with her bag of marshmallows, but, forgetting they were open, swung and marshmallows flew out.
"Nice one," Iris said, snickering. Talyn jumped up and started picking them up.
"D'you wanna kiss him?" Talyn pursed her lips and made kissy noises, grinning.
"Yeah," Iris said with a breathy sigh. "Anyways, enough about me- Have your figured out what you are?"
Talyn nodded. "I have." She remembered the nights it took, the confusion, the wondering, poring over many websites about sexuality, clicking every quiz she found, the tears, but not wanting to discuss with anyone. And now, she was accepting it. "I figured it out. I'm asexual."
Iris smiled. "Well, that's good. But.. Can you explain?"
Talyn nodded. "I'd still like a romantic relationship when I'm older.. Just- nothing sexual, you know? With any gender."
Iris nodded. "Thats cool," She nudged Talyn. "Are you looking for a relationship?"
"Nah," Talyn said shortly, popping a piece of chocolate into her mouth. "I think I just wanna focus on me for now."
"You do that." Iris gave her a thumbs up and Talyn nodded slowly from under her desk. She tried standing, but instead, she slammed her head on the desk.
----------------
The next few days passed, and every single day, swimmers and surfers were drowning, and apparently, large vines of sea plant would wrap around a boat, and force it under, never to see the surface again.
Whatever was under there, seemed to be getting more and more powerful. Diana had gone out last night, for about four hours, and came back, briskly telling them they'd have a mission tomorrow.
She'd told them what it was earlier that week, and, with Melanie's help, devised a plan.
They expected it was some sort of creature, living down there, just past the reef. None of them knew how to swim very well, except for Iris. Diana told them that she knew someone, who owned the only necklace that allowed the wearer to breathe underwater for as long as they had the necklace around their neck. Only one could go down, and as it was very deep and swimwear would slow them down, and that would be Iris. She'd go down, kill the creature and be on her way. They planned to execute the plan at night, as now the deadly beach and its waters were off limits to everyone, and it was easiest to sneak in at night.
The next night, the four snuck down to the beach, with Iris dressed in a dark grey suit, bare feet, clutching the charm in her fist. They hopped over a fence, landing on the cool sand. Iris looked at the water and her stomach twisted. "Can someone explain to me, in small words, why I'm being assigned this mission?"
"Relax. You can't think if you're worried," Will said soothingly, rubbing her arm. "It'll be fine."
Iris sighed. "I hope so.. See you all later, then-" She waved and Talyn beamed at her. Clint chewed his nails and Will looked unworried, having total faith that she was totally capable of this.
Iris sighed, and looked out at the deep, blue water, watching the waves lap up to the surface, under the magnificent starry sky. She remembered Icarus, walking with him under the sky, and she suddenly felt a lot better.. The water couldn't be that bad, she thought.
She walked into the water, feeling the other three watching her anxiously. The water was shockingly cold at first, and Iris winced when she stuck her foot in, but as she continued to walk in, the water felt cool and pleasant. She kept walking in, and when she got to where the water was up to her neck(which took a while, as she was so tall.) she looked at the necklace in her hand. If Talyn were here, she'd have been completely covered in water, Iris thought. She snickered.
Iris looked at the charm. It was an oval shape and as she slipped it on over her head, it glowed orange and blue, the colors swirling. Iris felt like she couldn't breathe, and so, she dived into the water. As soon as the water touched the charm, the glowing changed from orange and blue, to white and glowed even brighter, casting a long beam of light, like a flashlight, so she could see. Iris took a deep breath, and- expecting water to fill her nose, oxygen did instead. She could really breathe regularly underwater.
She grinned widely, relieved that it actually worked, then began swimming past all the fish and other creatures with ease, past the reef. She hesitated, at the edge, and looked down. She couldn't see tha far down even with the charm. .Her stomach fluttered with nerves, but she gathered up her courage, and started swimming down. Past an old abandoned ship, was a garden of thick plants, green and curling.. That had to be where it was.
She froze when a sound of a motor was heard from above. Iris looked up, startled, but only saw the ripples from a boat passing..That would be Will and the others, she guessed.
She continued on, swimming past the old ship, and into the garden.
--------
Carina brushed her hair with her fingers in the night, sitting on an old dresser.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSwINiHpkO
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.All the food was back home. She checked the cut on her tail. .The bleeding had stopped, but it still hurt. She sighed, feeling empty, and she curled up on the floor by the dresser, stomach rumbling with hunger. She lay her head on her arms, when she heard someone swimming.
Her first thought was that it was her tribe, coming to kill her. They had done so to others.. But they let Carina leave, which she was so grateful for.. She figured this was only because she was the chiefs daughter.
She sprung up quickly, and seized the shard of glass that had been struck into her tail as a weapon.
She waited, eyes wide, stomach turning, mind racing. She would fight. .She'd fight them.
After a few minutes of waiting still, Carina took a risk. .Quietly, she swam to the window, peeking her head out. Instead of seeing a group of mermaids carrying spears, all she saw was a girl swimming past, and saw something glowing on her neck, illuminating her way.. The girl looked human.. which was odd. .Her long, pastel purple hair trailed behind her gracefully as she kicked her legs, swimming for the garden.
Carina let out a sigh of relief that it was only a human girl, but then the relief vanished, replaced with curiosity.
For what reason was the girl swimming to the garden? The garden was dangerous, lurking with creatures unknown, and violent..And lately, something had taken a liking to humans. Why swim right into danger?
Carina watched the girl swim into the garden, disappearing into the plants. Carina debated whether or not to go after her, twisting the piece of glass in her hand, chewing on her lip.
---
Iris swam past the ship, looking up at the plants. She just swam right in, feeling the plants tickle her arms as she brushed by them. It was silent here, creepily eerie, tangles of seaweed looming over her threateningly. Carefully, she drew her whip-sword, and it floated in the water. She pressed a button on it, and it stiffened instantly, with a shing noise, looking like a sword with jagged edges.
She continued swimming.
As she swam, she felt something pass her, rushing by, hidden by the plants, and rustling them. Iris froze instantly, and as she aimed her charm at it, she heard a creature give a high pitched whine and vanish, the light scaring it off. Iris waited, ears strained for anything else, sword clutched in her hand, before swimming again.
There was a break in all the plants, and here, was all the boats that had been dragged down, vines of thick material keeping the ship down on the floor. Iris stared at the scene. As she stared, the more she saw. Corpses were also kept down by the ugly green vines, and some were missing limbs, or their heads.. Almost all of them had a hole where their heart was, a vine sticking through it.
Iris waited cautiously, still hidden by the plants, one hand covering her charm. At that moment, she saw something move inside the boat. .In one of the smashed windows, out swam a humanoid creature. This creature had a sleek, black, tail instead of legs, and transparent, white fins on it spine. Iris narrowed her eyes and saw the creatures fingers- Long, with sharp, yellow claws.. The creature gracefully swam down to one of the bodies of a young child.
Iris's eyes widened, frozen in terror, fear coursing through her veins-
The creature seized the child, and then, it grinned, its grin splitting all the way up to its pointy ears, revealing a mass of sharp teeth.
Iris's stomach turned as a cloud of crimson blood went up into the water. All she wanted to do was to go back, to turn around and flee.. But this was her job. She stood rooted to the spot, heart pounding so hard she felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. If she fled, more people would die, more children.
She had to act.
Now.
Iris swam out, letting go of the charm. A beam of light shone, at the creature and it shrieked as it's white skin turned an angry pink, burning. It moved away from the beam and looked at Iris, opening it's mouth, looking furious and surging toward her.
She aimed the charm at it again, and the beam struck it's chest. The creature let out a howl of agony, the chest swelling, but it kept moving to her, claws reaching-
Iris moved to the side, away from the garden, and she slashed at it's hand, black blood rising in the water above the two. The creature jerked back, as she slashed again, slicing a diaognal cut on it's chest.
"HA! FUCKER-" Iris cheered, (bubbles went up instead of words) much too soon, as its tail slammed into her and she sprawled away, spinning.
She held her side, wincing. "Damn.." The creature lunged again, and this time Iris brought down her sword, cutting off three of it's fingers. It let out a horrible scream, more black liquid appearing, as it stared with white eyes, at it's fingers.
Or, it's stubs.
Iris slashed again, and missed, and the tail came, once again, smacking her into a rock, by the garden.
She hit hard, gasping, as the creature swam at top speed and stuck it's face in hers, and she shrunk back at the sight.
Blood covered its thin lips, and a long, black forked tongue lolled out. It's eyes were narrow and sharp, and completely white, and it's face and chin were long and sharp.
It snapped at her face, and she wrapped one hand around it's throat, keeping it away, while the other desperately tried to grab her sword- Her fingers grazed her sword, and then she seized it and brought it down.
The creature moved swiftly, dodging by a hair, and Iris then pushed off the rock, but not before the creature had slashed at her neck. A thin cut was there, and the charm had been cut off. The charm flickered, and then sunk. Iris gasped, and as the creature went for her again, she kicked it's chest and it sprawled back, and then she twisted and desperately started swimming up to the surface-
The water suddenly felt very cold, and water filled her ears and eyes- her vision blurry now. The cut on her neck stung. She couldn't breathe under anymore. Her stomach dropped.
She could see the creature moving forward swiftly, and she turned, the sword clutched in her hand, and she brought her arm back, and threw the sword. There was such force in the throw, that it stuck the creatures tail, going right through and dragging the creature back to the rock, where the sword buried itself.
The creature screamed horribly again, trying to get the sword out.
Iris twisted and swam up again. But when she looked back, ten vines were surging from the ground up at her. Her eyes widened in fear, and her heart sped up even more. She kicked frantically, as two of the vines seized her and wrapped around her legs, jerking her back. Vines wrapped around her arms as well, and she struggled, a scream tearing from her throat, but instead of sound, bubbles came from her mouth. She couldn't breathe, her chest was burning, lungs crying for air- Her head throbbed.
The vines tried dragging her down, but she kept trying to swim out, desperate, trying to free herself. She even bit at the vines, but a foul taste just erupted in her mouth onto her tongue.
I'm gonna die. That thought raced over and over in her head, and she was fighting to think anything else.
---
Carina finally decided that she should save the human and she dropped the glass shard and swam out from safety, directly into the garden. She shoved past the plants, eyes wide, and her stomach twisting with nervousness. Why am I doing this? , Carina thought. She didn't have an answer for herself.
At last, she got to where the boat sunk and her eyes widened with horror at all the bodies. She saw the child's, it's throat gone, and immediately felt guilty for not doing anything.
Carina's eyes trailed up to where the creature was.. She saw the human girl throw her sword at it, and it stuck the creature's tail, sending it hurtling back and pinning it to the rock. The creature struggled for a moment, and then it's eyes turned black, and ten vines rushed up to the girl, wrapping around her limbs. She shrieked and kicked frantically, struggling.
"NO!" Carina rushed forward before she even realized what she was doing, and at that moment, the creature, suddenly surged upward, its tail splitting in two as it ripped it's tail up, freeing itself with a cry of pain.
The creature seemed too fixed on the girl to notice Carina, and it swam up to meet her. Carina, fearing for the girl's life, swam up to the sword in the rock and pulled on the handle. With a great yell, she ripped the sword from the rock, eyes blazing and swam up to the creature, with her heart pounding in her chest. The creature turned, and it barely had time to scream before Carina slit it's throat. She kicked the creature aside, and it went off.
"Oh, no-" Carina stammered, slicing off the vines off the girl, who had just gone limp. Carina grabbed her, the sword still in her clutches and she swam up to the surface quickly, glancing down at the girl's closed eyelids.
In about ten seconds, she broke through the surface, gasping at the chilly air, with the girl in her arms. Her head rested on Carina's chest limply.
A boat was not too far away, three others upon it. Carina let out a cry to them, and they moved closer as Carina moved to them, breathing heavily.
She lifted the girl into the arms of a boy with very bright pink hair. He barely even glanced at her, starting to fuss over the girl.
"Who are you?" Demanded a boy with black hair and piercing blue eyes sharply, eyes narrowing. And next thing, he had a sword aimed at her throat, untrusting. "What are you?" he added when he saw Carina's tail flick from the water.
"Carina," Carina wheezed out. "I'm a-"She froze when the blade touched her skin.
"Clint!" scolded another tiny girl, with shocking green hair. One side was brown and shaved, the top was very fluffy. "Don't be too harsh- She just saved Iris's life!" She grabbed his arm and jerked it back. "Put that away right now!"
Clint frowned, looking down at her teary eyes, and he put his sword back into his hilt, grumbling. Carina relaxed.
"Thank you so much!" the girl with green hair said. "Sorry, he doesn't trust anyone. I'm Talyn- and he's Clint. The girl you rescued is Iris, and the one with pink hair is Will."
"Thanks," Clint said gruffly. Carina waved their thanks off with a wave of her hand.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Carina asked, concern clear in her voice.
"Iris?" Talyn looked back. "Yeah.. She'll be fine. You got her here just in time. Thanks again-"
Carina frowned, head tilting.
"Where's your tribe?" Clint wondered. "I thought you guys stayed together."
Carina hesitated and glanced away. "It's a long story.. But I'm by myself right now."
Talyn and Clint shared a look. After a moment of awkward silence, Clint asked if she wished to come aboard, if she was able to.
Carina thought for a minute.. She could live a human life above. For once. She could start a new life. She looked up, and nodded.
And together, Talyn and Clint hoisted her onto the boat.
-----
Iris suddenly jolted, and coughed. She turned on her side and vomited up water, heaving it all up on someone's shoes.
"Gross.." Came Will's voice, sounding absolutely disgusted.
Iris didn't look up, for her chest burned and her head pounded. When she was done, she was trembling, and she looked up, to see Clint looking at her, frowning deeply.
"You're okay!" Talyn shouted, throwing herself upon Iris and hugging her. Iris gasped, and Talyn sprung back. "Oooh ..You're all wet-"
Iris sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, God," She croaked. She felt relieved as a warm blanket was wrapped around her by Talyn. "What happened?"
"We waited for a really long time here, and this mermaid saved you," Will explained.
"Mmm.. Mermaid..?" Iris drawled, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, mermaid."
Iris turned her head, and saw a girl, sat there. She had magnificent dark, chocolate skin, bright, turquoise eyes, and white, fluffy hair past her shoulders. She smiled kindly. Her scales on her tail were fading to match her skin color, and splitting into human legs slowly. She, too, had a blanket wrapped around it. iris's jaw dropped in amazement.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah," Talyn grinned. "She carried you up here. "
Carina waved shyly, smiling. "My name's Carina."589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFroQcqxL6
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a/n; Thanks for reading this!! What do you think so far? Do you like Carina? What about Icarus?589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA15L02vyLj
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Well, I just thought I'd say that I wanted to be very inclusive with the LGBTQ community, so here we are. More LGBTQ characters are on the way, I promise. If any of you are having trouble, or feeling confused, please feel free to message me and I'll try to help!589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HL9KNd6AN
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Now, I haven't come out to many people, but what happened to Carina is my worst fear.. Especially since my family is so homophobic. 589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vrMiGQAkg
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But, I can deal. So, thanks! Hope you keep reading? Also, may be introducing some new characters next chapter.... :D589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GmnJwLjUT
