Deep Water

Chapter 3

I woke to a throbbing headache and scattered voices all around. I slowly opened my eyes to find myself in a bright room that looked to be a part of a store.

Confused, I looked around trying to figure out where I was, when the events of yesterday slowly started to come back to me. I remembered getting cut, then leaving school, heading for the cemetery, a silver van, then, nothing. It was all blank from there.

After I mostly sorted out what had happened I looked around more slowly this time, sizing up the place. I was in a wooden chair with my hands bound in front of me. What I had mistaken for a store, I now realized was a  lighthouse, I seemed to be stuck at the top, with windows everywhere I looked.  Under different circumstances I could have sat there just staring at the view of the ocean, but there were more pressing matters afoot. I didn't see anyone else in the room, but could have sworn that I had heard some voices just minutes before.

Unfortunately while the room lacked any people, it made up for with the heightened security. Just looking around, I could see cameras in each corner of the room, as well as a padlock on the door.

You would think I was a criminal with the amount of security they had in here!

I started to try to wriggle out of my bindings, but I couldn't get them to loosen no matter how much I struggled. It was like they were made of metal rather than rope.

Just as I was about to give up, someone entered the room. It was a petite woman with her blond hair chopped short and pulled off to one side. She didn't have any makeup on, but was still beautiful, though it wasn't your typical beauty. She looked like she could beat me up without even breaking a nail or moving a hair out of place.

She took the seat in front of me and seemed to size me up. She made her assessment, then after what seemed like an eternity she finally spoke.

"Now, I know you are probably scared, but I'm not going to bother with any niceties."  Her voice was strong, but still angelic, it reminded me a lot of my mother's voice.

"We brought you here for information. Your mother was Liberty Rogers correct?" She asked.

I just nodded my head, too nervous to speak.

"Good, now are you aware that the sea level is rising? We have our top scientist working on this and we have determined that in the next 48 hours our small town of Bethany Beach will be under at least two feet of water. But we can stop all that, with your help."

"W-What are you talking about? I don't know anything, I'm just a kid." I finally replied.

"Well, it's more of what your mother knew. Your mother was a part of an organization known only as Genesis. Their mission was to protect the world from the unseen natural disasters that plague our world. One of those being the rising waters." She paused to take a breath, then continued, "Your mother had informed us that she had found a way to stop the rising waters, but that the information couldn't be said over the phone. She was on the way to deliver her notes the night she was killed, and they were never seen again."

I just stared at the lady trying to process her words.

"So you're telling me that my mother did not work at a computer lab, but was instead a scientist for some secret organization. And that my mother's death wasn't an accident, but was instead planned and on purpose?"

"Let me guess, you are a part of this weird organization and you think I know where my mother's notes are. Well news flash, I don't, they probably sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, along with the rest of her things." I huffed, confused and angry.

"You're exactly right, but we won't be able to do anything about that until the sea level is about two feet higher." The lady replied. "Once that happens and we make sure the rest of our town is safe, you and I get to go diving!"

I just gawked at her, "Look lady, I don't even know your name, and I am currently tied to a chair, so what makes you think I'll trust you?"

"The first one's easy, my name is Harley, Harley Thatcher." She said this in a very sweet voice which caught me off guard, "As for the second one, you are tied to a chair because the people that brought you in got a little too excited, and we didn't want you to bolt before we could explain anything."

"I knew you wouldn't trust us at first, you're like your mother in that way, so before she died, Liberty and I found a way to prove this all to you." Harley then handed me a thick, sealed envelope.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Open it and find out" She answered.

Slowly I peeled open the envelope to find a letter and a pair of earrings  and a note. I first looked at the earrings. They were silver flowers with a diamond in the center. They were beautiful and I instantly recognized them. They were one of my mothers most prized possessions, they were a gift from her mother before she past and she hardly ever took them off.  

I acknowledged all this then, looked at the note, it read:

Dear Alex,

If you are reading this, I know something terrible has happened to me. I know this is confusing and overwhelming, it was like that for me too, but you really can trust these people. I left you my earrings so that you would know that it was really from me, you know I would only take these earrings off for you! I love you with all my heart and keep being amazing my brave little girl, I'm so proud of you!

-Your mom, Liberty

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-G