Shores Apart

Chapter Eight

Engfa's Pov

"Then please, make me remember all of those things," I begged. I wanted to know why I never came for her.
I wanted to know why I had kids outside even though I well knew Charlotte was waiting for me there.
I wanted to know everything.
I broke into tears as she was stepping closer to me.
I couldn't even imagine betraying her like that and leaving her alone.
Now, my heart was full of guilt.
I went on my knees and begged her to give me back my memories.
She leaned closer to me and hugged me protectively. Even after everything my blood relatives have done to her, she was still there for me.
She was there to make me feel better when she must be feeling even worse than me.
As She hugged me, I rested my head on her chest. When I heard her heart beating, I felt at ease. The rhythm of her heart calmed me down, and I hated it even more.
Even after everything, she came back to save me.
She protected me.
She healed me.
And now there she was, comforting me.
As much as I loved it, I hated it.
Then she slowly pulled my face closer to her and then, she kissed me.
I closed my eyes, and suddenly, I was pulled into another dimension.

***

"I'll come and take you to the sea once everything is safe," I heard someone saying. I then realised that it was me saying all of that to Charlotte. I was living again in my memories.
Then I went outside the wall, leaving her behind. I knew exactly what would happen if I went out of the walls, but I couldn't even control myself.
Then I realised it had already happened and this is all just my memory. Of course, I couldn't change anything even if I wanted to.

Then I reached the market area and waited to see what would happen next, but suddenly I passed out.
The last thing I saw before passing out was people gathering around me.
Then, after some time, I woke up and found myself in a strange room. I looked around and saw that no one was there.
As I stood up to leave, an old woman came inside the room.
"Are you okay, dear ?" She weakly said.
"Yes, I am, but what happened ?" I asked her.
"You fell unconscious on the market, and I brought you here to take care of you," she said, pouring water in a glass and giving it to me.
I gladly took it, but, as I was drinking it, I saw she seemed very sad.
"What's the matter, grandma ?" I asked her.
She wiped her tears and held my hands.
"I'm afraid you will only live for one year," she said sadly and paused.
"You have been diagnosed with an incurable disease," she continued.
The moment she said that, Charlotte came to my mind.
" I can not leave her alone. I have to go back to her," I kept saying.
I told the grandma everything about us.
She felt very sorry for both of our fate.

"I don't think the situation will be calm until the next 100 years. People think mermaids are evil, and the king has ordered everyone to kill every mermaid they see." The grandma told me.

"Maybe she is the only one left of her kind," the grandma told me sadly, after taking a long pause.

"What will I do then ?? The king already knows that I have hid her somewhere, and he will definitely send people behind me if I go back. I can't risk her. She is the only thing I have," I said to the grandma.
"Maybe I have a solution for you," she said, looking a bit hesitant.
"I'll do anything to keep her safe," I told her.

"Then have kids," she said.
I froze to my place, "What ?"
"The walls can only be opened from your blood, which means your future generation will be able to open it and set her free," Grandma explained.
"But what if they don't ?" I asked her again.

"The love I have seen in your eyes for her is very true, my dear. You will come back for her," she said.
I believed in us.
If my love for her is true, then I'll come back for her.

Then, I conceived and got pregnant.
For nine months, I told my little baby in my womb about Charlotte and how they had to go and save her once everything is alright.
I felt miserable to leave her alone like that. She must still be waiting for me.
She won't even know I died.
I felt miserable for her, but I couldn't do anything.

But the day came, and I gave birth.
I had trouble breathing, and I knew that it was my last day here.
I was supposed to be happy that I gave birth to a healthy boy, but instead, I was sad because I couldn't see the love of my life in my last times.
I gave my baby to the old woman and begged her to take care of it.

"Dear God. If my love for her was true, then please let me save her," I prayed with the last breath I had in me, then closed my eyes and fell into deep dark sleep.

***

Then I opened my eyes and found myself in her arms. She was still kissing me. I smiled at her between our kiss, and she finally opened her eyes .
She pulled away and hugged me.

"You remember ?" She asked, and I smiled at her.
Her eyes were full of hopes, and I was happy to see her eyes lit up like that.
But before I could do or say anything, something heavy hit my head, and then I fell on the ground. I heard Charlotte screaming my name before she also fell on the ground-