Mermaid

Chapter 37

Sherrie bolted upright in her bed, sweat drenching her gown, clinging to her skin as her dark blond hair became plastered to her skin. Something was wrong. It was something she couldn't explain but she felt as if she didn't leave now it'd be too late.

But too late for what was the question.

Tossing off the covers Sherrie got up to get dressed when her cell phone rang. Picking it up Sherrie realized that it was Alison. "Alison? Why are you calling it's nearly two in the morning."

"Erika's gone!"

Sherrie froze. "What? What do you mean?"

"She's gone, vanished, disappeared! No one knows where she is, her grandparents are freaking out and so am I."

Panic began to rise within her, something must have happened to Erika. Calmly she asked. "Do you know where she might have gone too?"

"No!" then a long pause. "Well maybe, but no one is sure. Considering..."

"Where is it?" Sherrie demanded.

"That place where Erika's mother jumped."

Sherrie went pale; her heart sank into her stomach as her whole body went cold. That place, that horrible place where Erika witnessed her mother's jump into the ocean. For a long while everyone was worried that she might do the same, unable to take the stress of living after losing both of her parents in such a horrible way. Erika was unresponsive to anything and rarely spoke after it happened.

For the longest while Sherrie wasn't sure if Erika would ever be the same again, but then suddenly one day Erika was herself again. But it came at the cost of her memories; she had forced herself to forget most of the incident like it was some kind of bad dream.

And though she was only a child at the time Sherrie swore that she'd be there for Erika no matter what, so that nothing bad would happen to her. But now this was happening.

"I'll be right over!" she then hung up and quickly dressed in light blue jeans a dark blue tank top and white blouse button T-shirt that she left hanging open before putting her hair into a clip. By the time she was out the door and in the family car it had begun to rain heavily.

She told her father that she would bring Erika here, so that she could keep an eye on her friend without the worry of hospitals or police, like that detective that seemed too interested in Erika's past.

Please be okay Erika... she thought with worry. Please let nothing have happened to her!

The car finally reached Erika's home where Alison and even the police with search dogs were there. Rushing out of the car she headed straight over to Alison who was standing with an umbrella. "Anything yet?"

Alison shook her head. "No, and the police say they can't go looking with such a heavy storm. If they go to check the cliff there might risk involving their safety."

"Then why the hell are they here!?" Sherrie demanded in a rage before looking around and saw detective Nathan talking to the police and his partner Sam. Anger snapping she quickly went over to them with Alison following. "You!" she growled when the police left the man and his partner. "How dare you even show your face here after all that you've caused! Erika could be in danger and let me guess as to why you're here; you think she might have killed those punks from before right? You think she ran away?"

"No." he said quickly. "I'm only here to help look for her, I heard that she went missing, I just wanted to help."

Sherrie didn't believe him, reaching out she grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him to be merely inches away from her face. "If anything happens to her I will hold you accountable for this, she has gone through far too much to be labelled a murder. And though I may not look like it I hold far more power then you realize I can end you and your career with one phone call. Mark my words detective; I will see you as my enemy long before it is over."