Swim Away (Mermaid)

Chapter Fifty-Seven

"Lara!"

"Who?" I mumbled back.

"You! Lara! Is that you?!" Someone was shaking me and I couldn't open my eyes to see who it was.

"Who are you?"

"It's me, your mother," she replied. "Please tell me you're okay!"

I was struggling to open my eyes, trying so hard to get a glimpse of her face. The face of someone who left me when I was only a child. I could never forget. "Stay back." But I couldn't find the support to push myself up, so I took her hand and stood. My body wasn't holding up, but I didn't want to use my mother for support. So I fell back on the person behind me.

They pushed me back, making me land in my mom's arms.

"Lara?" A familiar voice said as they approached me.

"Noah...I," I ran to him as quickly as possible. He welcomed me with open arms and held onto me when I hugged him. The moment I squeezed, not believing I was back in body; touching, listening, talking, and breathing on my own. Noah winced. I took a step back to see why he released that sound. To my surprise, there was a wound at his side.

"It's okay," he whispered. Luckily I ran toward the side that wasn't bleeding. He pulled me close to him and I didn't object. Noah started rubbing my back, trying to comfort me. I didn't want to admit it, but I missed this so much. Especially after what I had gone through.

"So, Amara's gone," Luka said, looking straight into my eyes. His stare ran a shiver down my spine and Noah held on tighter, protecting me. "Don't worry, boy, there's not much I can do now."

"That's right," Trina said, setting the sword at her side. "Once you're gone, we'll be destroying what's left of you and your kind." Her hair started flowing as a sudden gust of wind summoned itself. Her body was emitting a bright white aura and as it grew brighter, the wind picked up speed.

The sword in her hand became crystal white as she pointed it at Luka's chest. I wanted this to end more than anyone. Luka deserved everything he was going to get.

As I looked at him, it hit me that this was a boy named, Asher. The body did not belong to Luka, and whatever they were going to do to him was going to affect the original owner of that body. Just like when Amara took my body. The appearance was me, but I wasn't in control. They were going to destroy Luka, but that wasn't his body.

"No! Stop!" I screamed as Noah tried to stop me from interfering. "That's Asher's body! His soul will disappear! You don't know what it's like to be trapped inside your own body! Can you imagine suddenly losing your life-"

"Lara," my mom said, looking right at me and shaking her head, disappointed.

"Why's everyone against this?!" I stepped away from Noah. Even he didn't want that boy to be saved.

I walked over to Luka, who wasn't even trying to fight back. I looked straight into his eyes and grabbed his shirt, pulling him to me. He purposely made himself loose enough for me to bring him down to me. I had so much hatred for Luka, but I couldn't do anything to him without hurting Asher. And even if I was able to do anything, my body was too weak from whatever Amara did to it.

"Lara, be careful. The crack on your chest," my mom told me. I looked down to make sure what she said was true. And it was. But it wasn't getting worse, so I didn't stop.

"It's time to let go, Luka! Amara's gone and now it's your turn."

Luka laughed, "you're smart, Lara. You must know way more than anyone else in this room. But I'll let you have this...until then." He tilted his head to the side and grinned. "Oh, and I guess I should tell you the truth for once." I froze. I knew he was a liar, that he never was Asher, but he kept even more from me? My hand was slightly trembling, and he was pleased with my reaction. "Noah was alive the whole time. He never died," he laughed, then went dead silent. He fell from my hand, unconscious.