“Thank you, everyone. You cannot know how much I already appreciate you all,” Serena flashed them all a grateful smile and for the rest of the day, the group enjoyed the beach, the warm sunshine and danced to loud music by the huge bonfire at sunset.
“Serena, do you have a place to live while you’re here on land?” Grace asked when the boys were out of earshot.
“Don’t worry about me,” Serena couldn’t help but smile at the puzzled look on the other two girl’s faces. “My mother was human once. She has a house nearby and that is where I went to hide these past two weeks. Those two mermen, they found me at one of these restaurants. I think I’m still pretty safe at my mother’s house especially if the rebels have no idea where the house is at,” she added.
“Oh wow. I didn’t know humans can become merpeople,” Grace was amazed at this discovery.
“Oh yes, humans can definitely be turned into merpeople but only for a very special reason like marrying a merman or mermaid,” Serena smiled.
A car honked in the distance and Helena and Grace each gave Serena a hug goodbye with promises to meet her at the beach again tomorrow and ran towards the waiting car.
***
This is going to be an awesome summer! Grace felt giddy with excitement when she woke up Friday morning, bright sunlight filtering through the partially closed window blinds. She jumped out of bed, tidied her bed and showered then headed downstairs for breakfast. “Good morning everyone!” she greeted when she entered the kitchen and saw her parents already dressed in their business suits.
“Good morning, honey. Help yourself to some pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon,” her mother waved a hand towards the kitchen counter.
“So what are you kids up to today?” her dad asked, folding the newspaper and setting it aside.
“Well, my friends and I are planning to spend the day at the beach with our new friend. Her name is Serena and I was hoping you’ll let me stay with her for a week to keep her company because she’s all by herself at the moment,” Grace said slowly, busying herself with buttering a stack of pancakes, cutting them up into neat little triangles and pouring strawberry syrup all over them.
“Why couldn’t she stay with us instead?” her mother frowned over her breakfast.
“Well, she wanted to host her first ever week-long sleepover party,” Grace had to be quick on her feet. I know it’s bad to tell lies but I can’t just blurt out that Serena is a mermaid, Helena and Drake are witches and my boyfriend Richard is an ex-vampire now can I? This is hard, she sighed, bringing her mug of hot cocoa and breakfast plate to the kitchen table where her parents sat.
“Alright, as long as you girls be very careful and no boys allowed in the house after dark,” her dad allowed.
A huge grin bloomed on their daughter’s face and after carefully setting down her plate and mug, she hugged them both fiercely. “Thank you! You guys are the best! I promise you both will not regret this!” she flashed them both a smile, then sat down to her own breakfast.
Meanwhile, at the witches’ households, Drake and Helena were briefing their respective parents on Serena’s situation and were given a week to help the mermaid sort it out.
Drake and Richard packed their camping gear on top of their clothes and toiletries while Helena and Grace, packed a suitcase for a week’s worth of clothes and toiletries and brought out sleeping bags from the very depths of their closets. When everyone was set to go, Richard came around to pick them all up and drove to the address Serena gave them the previous night.
Serena answered the door and bade them all welcome. The small house was tastefully furnished and spotless.
“Where can we put our camping gear?” Richard asked.
“Oh, you can just dump them by the back door,” Serena said. “Are you sure you both will be alright outside at night?” she asked, a worried look creased her brows.
“We’ll be fine, Serena. Besides, we’ll just be in your backyard and you do have a fence so that in itself will keep wild animals at bay,” Drake smiled at their host.
“Okay,” she relented. “Well girls, your bags and stuff to the bedroom so we can get you settled. Then we’ll go and have lunch and spend the rest of the day in the water,” she winked then led the way to the one large, airy bedroom that the three girls will be sharing for a week.
“This is a very pretty bedroom,” Grace commented.
“Thank you. I believe my mother designed and painted it herself,” Serena smiled looking at the underwater scene covering the walls of the bedroom.
“It makes me feel like I’m under the sea,” Helena said in amazement.
“I think that was what she was aiming for,” Serena chuckled and when both girls were done unpacking, she ushered them all back to the living room where the boys waited and together they walked to the beach.
“So, does anyone have a plan on how to rescue the King and Queen?” Richard asked, breaking the monotonous sound of flip flops slapping against concrete.
“Actually, I was hoping you guys could use this week to observe the rebels at the castle. Since all four of you are unfamiliar to them, you should be able to blend in more easily,” Serena suggested.
“Serena, are you saying you will be turning all of us into mermaids and mermen?” Grace asked, excitement evident in her voice.
“Yes, that was my plan, at least. Unless one of you have a more brilliant idea,” Serena answered, looking to the others for suggestions.
“We shall go with that plan, the witches for once, don’t have any plan or strategy on this particular mission,” Helena nodded in agreement and so did everyone else.
The group then decided to eat lunch at one of the restaurants dotting the beach and took a table facing the ocean. They all enjoyed grilled fresh seafood, had ice cream for dessert then washed it all down with a refreshing glass of black cherry berry iced tea. Immediately after lunch, they all went swimming, away from curious eyes and rested at a secluded cove.
“You have such a beautiful tail! Do you mind if I touch it?” Grace murmured, a wistful expression flitted across her face.
Serena’s tail shimmered blue and silver under the water whenever her scales caught the light from the sun. At Grace’s question, she leaned back against a rock and lifted her tail for inspection. “Go ahead and touch it,” Serena smiled.
Grace reached out a hand to touch the mermaid’s tail. It had scales like any fish would but to her, it didn’t feel slimy or slippery at all. It felt smooth, almost silky to the touch as she ran her hand down. She fingered the gossamer-like caudal fin and marveled at how soft, silky and fragile it felt. “Do your fins tear easily? I mean, it feels so flimsy and fragile,” Grace asked, finally looking up from the mesmerizing play of shimmering colors beneath her hand.
“It may look flimsy but it’s not that fragile. Yes, it does tear and it hurts like crap when it does but it takes something really sharp and forceful to damage it just like with human skin,” Serena flashed her a smile then looked around to make sure no one is within sight or hearing. “This looks like a good spot,” she said, motioning for the others to come closer.
Serena cupped salt water into her palms, lifted her arms and sprinkled the foursome with the water in her hands. “Poseidon, God of the Seas, hear my prayers and grant these land dwellers the tails of your people for a week in order to help save my kingdom and my people who have been most faithful to you,” she prayed then made a circular motion with her right index finger pointing upwards, drops of water circling overhead. Serena opened her fingers, reached up and closed them as if to grasp at something then drew out a trident from the swirling drops of water. Sunlight struck the golden rod and shot beams of light everywhere. For a moment, a golden light blinded everyone. Serena drew the trident to her and touched the points to the water towards her friends.
The water glowed bluish green and bubbles gently wrapped itself around Helena, Grace, Richard and Drake. Then the water exploded in a brilliant flash of white light and frothy b
ubbles. The four people looked down into the clear ocean and saw their tails for the first time.
“Oh yay! I’m finally a mermaid!” Grace exclaimed, clapping her hands with excitement at the prospect of finally being able to breathe underwater without an oxygen tank.
“This would definitely help,” Helena grinned at Serena.
“How exactly does this work?” Richard asked.
“First things first. Thank you all for helping me and my people get our kingdom back from the hands of these rebels,” Serena smiled. “How does this work? Whenever you touch water this week, your legs will turn into tails and whenever you dry off, your tails will turn back into legs. So just be careful around water when out in public,” she continued.
“So what’s the plan now?” Drake asked.
“For now, the plan is to observe how often the guards change and how much time we have between guard changes. Find out what the rebels are planning to do next and find out if there are any merpeople in the kingdom still loyal to the true crown and hopefully rally them to help bring down the rebels. Once we have everything we need, we will plan a rescue mission to free the King and Queen,” Serena replied, a grim and determined expression on her face.
They all dove into the crystal blue waters of the sea, their tails making a colorful final splash before disappearing from the surface, propelling them farther and deeper into the ocean.
Under normal circumstances, so far deep are they in the ocean that the group would have needed a powerful underwater torchlight in order to see and several extra tanks of oxygen. But because they have been transformed into mermaids and mermen, their eyes adjusted to the darkness of the ocean and they can still see clearly as if they were surrounded with light. As for oxygen tanks, they don’t need it for they can easily breathe under water just like breathing air on land.
A tortoise swam past them as well as several different schools of fishes. Wild and colorful corals danced and swayed to the rhythm of the ocean, pulsing. A group of dolphins chatted and swam with them, keeping them company until they had to go elsewhere or back to their family.
After a while, they spotted a flash of gold in the distance. “That’s the castle up ahead,” Serena pointed a finger towards the castle. “I can’t go any further with you. Everyone, be on the watch and be very careful. These rebels are dangerous. Drake and Richard, you both observe the guards and get as much information as you can about their plans. Helena and Grace, find out if there are merpeople still loyal to the true crown. We shall meet again on the surface in three days,” she added, waving them off.
“We will do our best,” Helena nodded by way of goodbye and the group swam towards the castle, leaving Serena behind to watch their progress.
When they were but a mere speck, Serena swam for shore to wait for her friends’ return.
***
“Remember, keep an eye on your backs,” Helena said as the foursome swam towards the golden turrets of the underwater castle.
“And keep your ears and eyes open,” Drake added before the girls separated from the boys
“We’ll meet you at Serena’s house in three days, okay? And be very careful,” Richard reminded the girls.
“You guys be careful too,” Grace added, giving Richard a quick hug then took Helena’s hand and together they swam towards the cluster of buildings outside the castle gates, which to them, looked like a small village while Drake and Richard swam directly to the front gates of the castle.
***
Serena paced the whole length of her house from the living room to the kitchen and back, looking out the front windows every five minutes to see if her friends were coming back from the beach. As agreed upon, they will meet back at her house in three days, which is today, and she has been anxiously waiting for their return in the hopes that they bring good news.
In order to keep her mind off of the troubling thoughts that plague her imagination, Serena picked up a book and settled down in one of the comfortable living room couches, picking the one facing the window. The story she was reading was good but not good enough to completely divert her attention from the window and thoughts of how her friends were doing and if they were heading back or if they were captured. Oh, I truly hope they are alright and are on their way back here. I should not have risked them like that despite their insistence on helping me and my people, she thought, wringing her hands and worrying her lip. She laid the book down and paced the floor once again.
Five minutes later, the doorbell chimed. Serena rushed to the door, looked into the peephole and threw the front door wide open, a huge grin spreading on her face. “Oh, I was so worried about you guys! You have no idea how glad I am that you are all back,” she greeted each of them with a fierce hug as they entered the house.
“First of all, that was a truly magical experience! I have dreamt of being a mermaid for so long and now it actually happened and it was just so amazing!” Grace was so excited she couldn’t stop babbling and would have rambled on if not for Helena’s gentle touch on her arm. “I’m sorry, I know you must be dying to hear our reports about your family and kingdom,” she added contritely.
“How about, when all this is over and done with, you can tell me all about your experience being a mermaid?” Serena smiled and immediately saw Grace’s face lit up like that of a child’s on Christmas morning. “Everyone, why don’t we have lunch while you tell me of your adventures under the sea?” she added, waving everyone towards the kitchen where two boxes of large supreme pizzas and a pitcher of iced Wild Berry Zinger tea sat on the kitchen counter.
Each grabbed paper plates and napkins, tore out a slice or two of the pizza, staked their place around the table and went back for plastic cups and filled it with iced tea. When everyone was settled at the table, Serena said, “Okay girls, let’s hear your story first.”
“As agreed, Grace and I went to the village, stayed at the inn you recommended, got a job there in exchange for food and lodging and everyday helped out the innkeeper and his wife,” Helena started.
“You are right when you said that inn was a favorite local hangout,” Grace interrupted.
“Anyway, throughout the day the villagers would come and go and usually during the lunch and dinner rush hours, we heard a lot of the same complaint,” Helena paused.
“That their lives under the usurper’s rule is much harder for everyone and that they missed your father and mother and everyone proclaimed them the true King and Queen of the Pacific,” Grace continued where Helena left off.
“And get this, the villagers also said that if there will be an uprising to remove the usurper, they will join forces to restore the King and Queen to their rightful place,” Helena smiled.
“That is great news indeed! By chance, do you know how many there are who are willing to help us?” Serena asked.
“Well, from those that we’ve met through the inn, I’d say practically everyone who goes there including the innkeeper and his family. And perhaps, we can use the inn as temporary headquarters to gather the troops and store the weapons for the uprising,” Grace suggested.
“Not a bad idea. I think that would be great. Now, let’s hear what you boys found out,” Serena turned her attention to the boys.
“Richard and I thought that the best way to learn about enemy plans to infiltrate their ranks so we both volunteered to be members of the rebel guards when the guards at the gate hailed us,” Drake started.
“Like you said, your parents are locked up in the east tower with two guards stationed there — one at the bottom of the tower staircase and one at the door to the tower room,” Richard added.
“Also, there is a ten-minute gap when the guards change shifts and we have three opportunities to slip in when the entire castle is unguarded. The first shift is at six in the morning, the second is at three in the afternoon and the last is at eleven at night,” Drake said.
“If I am not mistaken, there are fewer guards stationed around the castle during the third shift. Drake and
I can bring some stuffed crabs laced with sleeping potions and offer it to the guards and as soon as they fall asleep, we’ll open the gates for you and we can rescue the King and Queen, bring them here or hide them at the inn that the girls were talking about,” Richard concluded.
“That sounds like a solid plan. Thank you guys for all the help and intelligence you all have gathered so far,” Serena smiled at the boys. “Helena, I hope you don’t mind being tasked to do the sleeping potion?” she asked.
“I don’t mind at all. I’m just glad I’m able to help your cause,” Helena got up, went to the bedroom and emerged with her rolling tote bag, set out jars on the counter and her travel cauldron. She then consulted her grimoire for the sleeping potion and set about preparing it right then and there in the kitchen.
“Ooh! Grace snapped her fingers as an idea began to form in her head. “We can have the stuffed crabs prepared at the inn and Helena can then sprinkle them with her potion. That way everything is still somewhat fresh,” she smiled, looking around the table at her friends.
“That’s actually a good idea. That way, all I have to bring are some vials. Easier to transport,” Helena agreed.
“So when are we doing the rescue?” Richard asked, looking at Helena since everything is dependent on her sleeping potion.
“What is today? Monday… Okay, I think the potion will be ready Thursday night. So let’s do the rescue on Friday at midnight. Make sure you boys get the third shift that way you bringing food won’t look suspicious,” Helena answered, busy mixing powders and grinding herbs in her mortar.
“Awesome,” Drake answered, glancing at the kitchen wall clock. “We’d better go back to the castle before anyone notice we’re missing,” he suggested and both boys got up to leave after putting away their trash.
“What about you girls, do you need to go back to the inn?” Serena asked.
“It wouldn’t hurt to go back and send out some more feelers, and I can always talk to the innkeeper and his wife and see about them cooking up a big batch of those stuffed crabs,” Grace winked. Turning to Helena she added, “Don’t worry Helena, I’ll cover for you while you finish that potion.”