Sink Or Swim

Willow Trie (Abby Trie)

Format of POV is: Mermaid name (Upper world name)

I haven't had legs in a while, but I trusted myself enough to get used to it.

I really hoped that Lynne's dad keeps his promise and sends her to the beach at sunrise. The instructions I got from Ala. Pearl were really specific. First I was to bring the new halfling down to Aperanta. Next, I would have to make her comfortable in Aperanta and let her know that things worked differently in the underwater universe. I had no idea what Lynne was like or how would she take of all of this. 

Here goes nothing.

I pushed through the water to get to the beach on time. The water got shallow, and I knew I made it. I poked my head over the surface and searched for them. Finally, to my relief, I saw Lynne and her dad on the shore. I pulled myself out of the water and whispered the reverse spell. 

"Hey." I said. "I'm Abby, but my Aperantian name is Willow."

"Are you the one who will show me Aperanta? Because I came here this early for a reason." She sighed. Lynne's face was molded into a frown and her eyes drooped from loss of sleep. Her hair was a light brown shade that was cut to a modern length. She was actually really pretty but it was clear that she didn't want to be standing here right now.

"Yeah. I'm that person who takes you to Aperanta." I mumbled quickly. My heartbeat escalated and I waited for Lynne's response.

"Stop talking so fast," Lynne said quietly. "Please."

I took a deep breath. "The first step for you is to create a new Aperantian name. It's our custom to create a whole new identity for yourself. I have to remind you that you can't just choose some random Upper-Worlder name, and--"

Lynne interrupted me. "I already chose my Aper-something name."

I put my hands on my hips. "And what is that?" She probably chose a wrong name. Upper World names and Aperantian names were different. For instance, Jennifer was a great name on land, but a horrible one in Aperanta (no offense).

"Lynne Lo." she answered haughtily.

I didn't know what to say to this because obviously I didn't explain it correctly. I tried to recollect myself but she spoke again.

"My daddy, er, dad, told me that my name 'Lynne' is already a Aper-something name. I'm keeping Lo as my last name." She said proudly. She had a glint in her eyes, daring me to disagree with her.

"It's recommended that you choose a completely different identity," I stammered. Why was this girl making me nervous? 

SHe noticed my nervousness and turned her eyes down. "A recommendation is just a recommendation."

I turned towards Mr. Lo, her father. "Do you approve?" I was asking him a lot here. I was asking if it was okay if Lynne came to Aperanta for maybe her whole life. I was asking if it was okay for her to switch customs, switch guardians, and ultimately switch worlds. 

He nodded. "You can leave as soon as I give her one last thing."

I nodded back, and he went running to his car. He drove away almost soundlessly in his flawless black car.

"Soo. Lynne." I said carefully. "Did you take this whole 'mermaid' thing good?"

She stared at me with utter hate. "No."

"I didn't take it nicely either. I thought that someone just strapped a mermaid costume on me." I chuckled.

"Oh." Her gaze softened. Her eyes glittered with tears.

"Do you know how to transform?" I asked gently. I didn't know if I was pushing the information too hard, but I couldn't take it back.

"The reverse spell." she sighed and looked at her shoes. She was wearing bright blue flip-flops.

"Yeah, that is one way but there is another way too." I said slowly. I eyed her intently, and she quickly brushed off my gaze uncomfortably. "Do you know it?"

"No, not really," Lynne said. Her voice was becoming softer and softer. I also noticed that kept she was looking back to where her dad drove off a few moments ago.

I smiled gently. "It's called the Manual way. The steps are simple. Keep your legs together and open your eyes. Underwater."

"Really." She said, skeptical. She seemed to be thinking, looking at the ocean warily.

"Really." I laughed at her disbelieving face. "But it's really painful. Stick with the spell."

She kicked the sand. "I'm nervous." She admitted. 

"I was too." I returned. "I'm pretty sure that I forgot the Aperantian password that first day I came in too. Which reminds me... do you know the Aperantian password?"

"Sea shell, under the sea, where Aperanta is," Lynne replied easily. She was evidently trying to keep her cool. "My dad taught me."

"Yes. Also, you will have to go to school in the fall. As you might know, your mom is in Aperanta right now. She chose to be a full Aperantian citizen when she was 13. You know about the Exte, right?" I crossed my arms and waited for her reply.

She nodded. "The ceremony when you are 13, where you choose to either be a full citizen of Aperanta or to be a full human here."

"Good." I was trying hard to keep my tone gentle. 

"Oop, my dad's back." She pointed to the black car parking. She ran to him. I wanted to follow, but I knew that this could possibly be the last time they talk.

I watched her dad give Lynne a small pocket book and a small suitcase. He also gave her something else but I couldn't see it, it was too small. They whispered something to each other. They hugged. They cried. Lynne nodded to him, and she ran back to me.

Her face was red and her face looked swollen. Tears covered her brown eyes and rolled down her pale cheeks. Underneath the tears, I could tell from her eyes that she was shaken up badly. I don't know what he told her but it clearly was important.

Lynne was due to stay in Aperanta for at least one year, until her Exte. An Exte was basically a ceremony lead by the Aperantian officials every three months where all the mers that turned 13 choose to be a full mer in Aperanta or be a full human in the Upper World.

"Well, let's go," I finally said.

"Okay." She replied.

We started walking to the water.

:D

Woohoo! Second chappie complete. Now for the third...

edited on Nov 18, 2015

edited again on March 12, 2017