The Switch

Chapter Two | The Shell's Return

Lydia was at the entrance to the ship, hands on her hips, ready to chew Rachel and I out for being away past sunset. However, her face completely changed when she saw Claire's condition. Her eyes widened, although she didn't ask any questions.

"Bring her this way. We'll set her up in my quarters, and I'll have Jasmine take a look at her." Rachel and I followed Lydia, who slowly led the way. We were panting, exhausted from supporting Claire's weight for miles.

Lydia's room was what used to be the captain's quarters. There was a lopsided desk and bed with the covers still attached, billowing out with the waves. Candlestick holders that had long turned green sat upon the rotting shelves, and some books still sat upon them as well. We set Claire gently on the bed, making sure her head laid on the algae-covered pillow.

"Go get Jasmine, and tell her it's urgent," Lydia told Becca, who had been following behind us, unsure of what to do. The young mermaid nodded and swam off to find our healer. Jasmine had been a doctor in a previous life, and had spent most of her time in the ocean discovering new remedies that would work to heal wounds under the water.

Lydia pushed a strand of hair out of Claire's face, whispering softly to her. Rachel and I hung back, not wanting to intrude on an intimate moment. Lydia had always been like a mother to us, and I knew that if something like this had happened to Rachel or I, she would be just as caring.

After a few minutes, Becca returned with Jasmine, a gorgeous woman with flowing black hair and dark skin. Her lavender tail brought out the gold hues in her almond-shaped eyes, which crinkled with worry when she saw Claire's condition. She swam over to Lydia, and they conferred in hushed tones for a few moments. Jasmine opened her medical bag and started to examine the wound on Claire's abdomen.

Lydia swam over to the three of us. "We should give them some privacy," she murmured, motioning to the door.

As soon as the rotting door shut behind us, Lydia crossed her arms over her chest. "You three better tell me what happened. I haven't seen a wound that bad in almost 100 years."

I began to speak, but Becca cut me off. "Marina and Rachel have nothing to do with this. They just helped us get back safely." She looked over and nodded at us in thanks. "Claire and I were just out past the Bay getting some kelp to use for curtains in our room, and two mermaids I've never seen before came out of nowhere," she explained. "They had dark tails, almost like they had smeared them with clay or something, and they had large shells on chains around their necks. Before we could greet them, one of them lunged at us and stabbed Claire with a shark tooth."

Lydia's face went white. "You said they had shell necklaces?"

"Yeah," Becca replied. "Why?"

Our leader looked out of a broken window, lost in thought. "This is bad," she said softly.

Rachel, Becca, and I exchanged a look. "What is it, Lydia?" I asked. Fear was starting to creep up my spine. I had never seen Lydia so shaken up before.

"We need to have a clan meeting tonight. Spread the word; tell everyone to be on deck in 30 minutes," she said firmly. "I'll explain everything then." Without saying anything else, she turned and swam down the hallway.

"What do you think that was about?" Rachel asked. "Something really got under her fin."

I shook my head. "I have no clue. But it must be bad if she wants to have a clan meeting." I felt a pull at my arm and looked over to see Becca, her face ashen. "What is it, cuttlefish?" I asked.

"Is Claire going to be okay?" she asked, lip trembling.

"Come here." I wrapped my arms around the young girl, putting my chin on her head. Just like Rachel had taken me under her wing when I was first transformed, I had become a sort of older sister for Becca. She was fairly new to the clan, and she had only spent about six months underwater. My heart had broken for her when she told us why the ocean had saved her: her father had been abusive and had tried to drown her, holding her head underwater for a long time. I took it upon myself to show her that there were good people in the world; to show her real love for the first time in her life.