Mermaid

Chapter 24

Erika opened her eyes to find herself back in her room at the inn. She looked around first making sure that it was indeed real and not some strange dream. After a moment or two she was able to determine that this was real she got up and dressed, paused when she caught herself in the mirror, something was off about herself, more than normal.

This time it was her hair.

Some strands of hair were now white, white like snow. Putting those strands together it was much more obvious, but leaving it alone it was harder to tell. First her right eye and now her hair, all of these things were starting to become normal to her, Erika wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing yet.

Once she got dressed she was about to leave her room but paused when she saw a light on through a slight open crack of the doors, looking in she saw Alison fast asleep next to Takashi, who was in the midst of being used as a human pillow, and was also fast asleep, his glasses resting near the end of his nose. On a closer looked Erika saw that Alison had tear streaks along her cheeks, as well as tear stains on Takashi's T-shirt. Discreetly, Erika backed away from the sliding doors before leaving her room and heading downstairs, not wanting to wake her. But also holding a slight feeling of regret, she felt like such a crappy friend now.

"Erika-san!" Suzuki called to Erika when she landed on the first floor, when Erika turned to face the woman; she was instantly slapped in the face. Partly stunned as her hand reached up to the spot that she had been hit, she looked at Suzuki the woman had tears in her dark brown eyes before she pulled Erika into a hug. "Thank god you're alive!" she pulled away, her hands going up to rest on either side of her face, dark brown eyes searching her's. "Do you have any idea how worried all of us were when you just vanished like that? Where did you go all of a sudden? What happened?"

"I... I don't know. I just didn't, wasn't feeling right, something was just wrong with me. I think I need to talk to your mother Suzuki, you told me once before that she talked with my mother. I know this is asking a lot after what I just did, but after what just happened I need answers."

"I know." Suzuki said softly. "I saw what happened on TV, you have a lot going on. Yara told me that once before when she was pregnant with you."

TV? Was I on TV or something? Erika looked at the woman slightly confused. "What do you mean, I thought you only met with her when she here in Japan."

Suzuki was about to continue only was cut off abruptly by Alison. "Erika?"

Alison's short nape length dark wavy red hair was loose and rumpled from sleep; she still wore the same cloths that she had on the day before. Her grey eyes were wide and rimmed with red from crying so much. She just stared at Erika for a long moment; unsure of what she was seeing was real or not. Tears brimmed in her eyes clouding her vision as she rushed over and hugged Erika so tightly she could barely breathe. For a girl who didn't exercise she sure had a strong hold on Erika.

"I...! I was so worried!" Alison sobbed hugging her tightly. "I thought something horrible happened to you, and when I saw the TV and how you looked, I just... I was thinking that you could have been killed!"

Erika hugged her back, her chest going tight with partial guilt as the two sank to the floor. "I'm sorry." Erika said softly as Alison cried. "I'm so sorry Alison, but..." pulling away gently she had her friend look at her. "What do you mean on TV and in how I looked?"

After a few deep breaths, trying to regain composure so she could talk properly, whipping the tears from her eyes she spoke. "On the news, you were on the news, you were in Tokyo, I saw you fight those monsters, but you looked completely different, your skin was a paler, and your hair was white while your eyes became red. You changed into a completely different person, how did you do that?"