New Scales and Tails

New Mermaid New Powers

Avery poured the chemicals into one of her mother's plastic cups.

"Are you sure?" Avery bit her lip.

They were in her mother's office. She technically wasn't aloud to be in her mother's office, but she had to turn the girl - Katie - into a mermaid in order to keep her secret. Crazy? Yes. Desperate? Yes.

Katie grinned and nodded. "Being a mermaid is a dream. A fairy tale."

Avery sighed, and without thinking twice, gave Katie the cup. She drank it all, not leaving a single drop.

Avery watched her, and couldn't believe what she'd just done. Giving a stranger incredible powers is not a smart choice.

Katie gave the cup to Avery, and smiled. "Thanks."

She walked out of the office, and out of the house.

Avery stared at her as she went. How could she just say "thanks"?

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I'm a mermaid.

Katie walked down the street, heading to her new house.

I just met a mermaid. Gosh. Who meets a mermaid on their first day in Ohio?

Katie shook her head, still not even believing the whole thing. She knew that Avery could be lying, that drink might just be a scam, but how do you fake a tail? It was totally attached to Avery's body - she could see where the scales met the skin, and when Avery used her powers to heat up her tail after she got out of the pool - but it was...crazy.

She walked up her porch. She didn't have a porch at her old house. Just stairs. Porches were much better, but that wasn't the reason she moved.

Her family moved because someone was watching them. She got weird letters in strange places in her home, saying "your destiny will come". It always came from this "Lily" person. Maybe it wasn't a person. Maybe it was a ghost. Anyhow, Katie and her family moved and they were happy in Ohio. Well, perhaps she couldn't say that yet. It's only been one day.

She opened the door, and stepped inside, taking off her shoes since her mother said they had to keep their new house clean, and shut the door. In summer, her father liked the door open, but it was chilly out.

In their house, boxes and boxes created a maze and forts throughout. Some were labeled Katie. Some were labeled for her older brother, Jake. Most were labeled living room and kitchen.

Jake walked out from the kitchen. He took after their father for sure. Same color hair and cheeks. His color eyes were his father's color, but he got the shape of his eyes from his mother. He wasn't bad looking. Back home - or their old home - girls would always come to the door, but Jake wouldn't want to see them.

He was holding a clear glass of water that looked full.

"Hi, Katie-WHOOPS!" Jake tripped over some unfinished carpeting.

His water was about to spill on Katie. Didn't Avery say to not touch water??

"NO!" Katie screamed, trying to block the water with her hand.

THUMP! CRASH!

Katie opened her eyes, confused. On the ground was smashed ice, looking like glass. Katie made sure Jake didn't drop his cup, but the cup was safely in his hand. The water was gone.

Magic. Katie must have powers, just like Avery. She must have. It was the only thing that explained the water-turning-into-ice thing. Could her power be freezing? Avery's was boiling. Could they have different powers?